GB1271838A - Smoking machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1,271,838. Smoking machine. IMPERIAL TOBACCO GROUP Ltd. July 6, 1970 [July 18, 1969], No.36256/69. Heading G1B. A smoking machine for testing a cigar 12 or the like comprises a duct 10 connected to a suction device and provided with a smoke detector 20, the smoke detector 20 being arranged to actuate a counter for indicating the number of puffs taken on the cigar 12 when smoke is detected in the duct 10. The detector 20 may comprise a lamp 16 and photo-diode 15 arranged on opposite sides of the duct 10 which itself may be arranged between two pipes 21, 23 having valves 22, 24 which can be actuated to allow a further suction device to clear the duct 10 of smoke between puffs caused by the first mentioned suction device. A radiation sensing device 30 in the form of a further photo-diode may be arranged to indicate when a predetermined portion of the cigar has been burnt away. In use, the detectors 20, 30 are arranged in an electric circuit comprising an AND gate (32), Fig.2 (not shown), the counter (40), a machine control (31), a selector switch (36) and visual or aural warning devices 45, 47 and 50. With the switch (36) inter-connecting the 'length of butt' detector 30 to the AND gate (32) signals are only passed from the AND gate (32) to the counter (40) when smoke is sensed by the detector 20 at each puff of the cigar and while the cigar is long enough for the detector 30 not to be actuated whereby the number of puffs of the cigar 12 before it extinguishes or before the detector 30 is actuated can be determined. With the switch (36) connecting the counter to the AND gate (32) it can be determined whether a cigar under test can be subjected to a predetermined number of puffs as selected on the counter (40).