US3605756A

US3605756A - Adjustable filter cigarette

Info

Publication number: US3605756A
Application number: US673631A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herman V D Stewart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-10-09
Filing date: 1967-10-09
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

THE APPLICATION DISCLOSE A CIGARETTE CONTAINING A FINELY DIVIDED FILTER MEDIUM CAPABLE OF BEING SHIFTED TO VARY OR ADJUST THE DEGREE OF FILTERING ACTION.

Description

Sept. 20, 1971 H. v. D. STEWART 3,605,756

ADJUSTABLE FILTER CIGARETTE J Filed Oct. 9, 1967 IM iip 52 la iallliri l i I 1 INVENTOR. flsemau MD. STEM/727' BY ,fmvmzw United States Patent 3,605,756 ADJUSTABLE FILTER CIGARETTE Herman V. D. Stewart, 1721 Royal Blvd., Glendale, Calif. 91207 Filed Oct. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 673,631 Int. Cl. A24d 1/04 U.S. Cl. 13110.5 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application discloses a cigarette containing a finely divided filter medium capable of being shifted to vary or adjust the degree of filtering action.

The invention has to do generally with means for filtering smoke from tobacco as it is smoked in various forms and particularly with cigarettes of the type which incorporate a filter in their construction.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel, variable or adjustable filter means for incorporation in a cigarette, cigarette holder, cigar holder, pipestem, or the like.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a novel filter mean in a cigarette or the like which is susceptible of being aifected by deliberate manipulation of a cigarette to vary or adjust the effective filtering action thereof. Thus it is an object to provide a cigarette construction embodying novel filter means wherein the filter means can be relocated or changed by tapping the cigarette longitudinally. In this connection it is an object to provide a cigarette incorporating filter means of novel construction which enables the user to adjust the filter means to achieve either more or less filtering action by tapping the cigarette selectively on one end or the other, respectively.

Further objects of the invention are to provide various constructions whereby in one case the filter action can be increased by tapping the cigarette on either end, and in another case, whereby it can be decreased by tapping the cigarette on either end.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view broken away and partly in longitudinal section, of a cigarette embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of one end portion of the cigarette of FIG. 1, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the cigarette vertically disposed and showing the relative disposition of the movable or loose filter material after the cigarette has been tapped at one end;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the cigarette inverted with respect thereto and showing the disposition of the movable filter material as the result of tapping the cigarette on the opposite end;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modification;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing another modification;

'FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but on a larger scale, showing still another modification;

FIG. 8 is a section on line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a modified filter material holder;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but on a larger scale, showing another form of the invention; and

FIG. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

In general the purpose of the invention is to provide 3,605,756 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 a filter medium or means in a cigarette, cigar, or in a cigarette or cigar holder which is capable of being adjusted or varied by manipulation to increase or decrease the filtering action and, by way of illustration, the invention has been shown and described in connection with cigarettes, but it is not intended that it be so limited.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, numeral 11 generally designates a cigarette which has a conventional paper Wrapper 12 enclosing a cylindrical body 13 of tobacco fibers. As is common in recent years, the cigarette is shown provided with a filter body or filter tip 14 which may be of any suitable construction, usually being made of paper having a multiplicity of minute passages therethrough. In the particular construction shown a space 15 is provided in the cigarette between the body of tobacco 13 and the filter body 14 and this is filled or substantially filled with a loose, finely divided filter material 16. The filter material should be extremely fine or powdered so that it can be compacted by a jarring action, and I have found diatomaceous earth to be eminently suitable for the purpose.

In the construction of the cigarette it will be apparent that the individual passages for smoke to traverse the body of filter material are much smaller in cross sectional size than the spaces or passages between the individual fibers of the body of tobacco. With the constr uction outlined, if the cigarette is lit and smoked as it appears in FIGS. 1 and 2, a given or predetermined degree of filtering action of the smoke will take place as the smoke is drawn through the body of loose filter material 16 and the conventional filter body 14. In order to vary this, that is, if the smoker wishes a greater or a lesser filtering action, before lighting the cigarette he taps it on the selected appropriate end for the purpose. Thus if he desires to achieve a greater amount of filtering action, he taps the filter end of the cigarette several times against a surface 20, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby causing the granules of the filter material to compact against the filter body 14. On the other hand, if a lesser filtering action is desired, the tobacco end of the cigarette is tapped against a surface 20 causing the filter material or medium 16 to become dispersed among the relatively large spaces and passages in the body of tobacco, so that when the cigarette is smoked, the filtering action is substantially reduced.

In FIG. 5, I show a modification wherein a cigarette 11A has a body of tobacco 13A and a conventional paper wrapper 12A. This cigarette is provided with two stationary filter bodies, designated 14A and 21, which are spaced apart longitudinally to leave a compartment or space 22 therebetween and this is filled or substantially filled with the loose, finely divided filter medium previously described and here designated as 16A. In this form of the invention, the degree of filtering action can be increased by tapping the cigarette upon either end, since this will result in compacting the loose filter material 16A selectively against either filter 14A or filter 22.

In FIG. 6, I show still another form of the invention wherein a cigarette 11B with a wrapper 12B has a filter 14B and the usual body of tobacco fibers 13B. However, within the body 13B I provide a space designated 24 which I fill or substantially fill with filter material 16B of the type previously described. With this type of construction the filtering action is decreased by tapping the cigarette upon either end, since this causes the filter material 16B to disperse into the tobacco.

In any of the forms of the invention described I may also employ a filter material which as illustrated in FIG. 2 includes, in addition to the fine-grained or powdery substance, a coarser-grained material designated by the numeral 16a which may or may not of itself possess absorptive or filtering characteristics, such as fine granules of charcoal or sand, for example. These should be substantially larger than the fine particles of filter material.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, I show a cigarette 11C having a conventional filter 14C and a body of tobacco 13C all within a wrapper 12C. In this form of the invention I provide an element to hold the filter material which serves several purposes as will be pointed out below. Element 30 may be made of plastic or other suitable material and is shown as having a cylindrical outer Wall 31, a cylindrical inner wall 32, and radial partition walls or webs 33. Filter material 16C of the type previously described substantially fills the spaces or cornpartments 34 within element 30.

The element 30 serves as a spacer between the conventional filter 14C and the tobacco 13C of the cigarette and thus provides space of predetermined volume for a predetermined weight of the filter material, and hence enables a predetermined and uniform initial compaction thereof. The element 30 also prevents any undue lateral migration of the filter material by providing the several compartments 34, increments of the total volume. Since these are small in size, each body of filter material therein is maintained at or close to its initial compaction value during normal handling of the cigarette prior to smoking. However, the action of the filter material once the cigarette is tapped on the end is the same as previously described with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

I contemplate that element 30, or one similar thereto would be usable as shown if, during manufacture of the cigarette, the filter material can be sprayed, blown or otherwise loaded directly into the element. However, should it be desirable for manufacturing purposes to install element 30 with filter material therein as a unit in the cigarette, this can be done by providing perforate end walls thereon as shown in FIG. 9. Referring to that figure, the element, designated 30A, is shown with an end Wall 35 having minute perforations 36 and an end wall 37 with somewhat larger perforations 38. The latter normally retains the filter material 16C but will permit it to pass if vigorously tapped to force the material therethrough. Hence this element 30A can be used in the same manner and in the same variety of locations as unit 30. If necessary in order to positively retain the filter material within the element 30A during handling in manufacture, the end wall 37 may have smaller perforations.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, I show another form of the invention wherein I provide a filter element 40 in a cigarette 41 between the body of tobacco 42 and the conventional filter material 43. Element 40 comprises concentric cylindrical outer and

inner walls

45 and 46, respectively, connected at one end by an annular imperforate disk 47 of greater diameter than the outer wall. An imperforate end wall 48 at the other end closes the cylinder formed by the inner wall. If found to be preferable, a screen or perforate end Wall 50 is also provided at said other end to retain filter material 51 of the type previously described, in the annular space between the

walls

45 and 46. However, the perforations should be large enough to permit the filter material to be tapped therethrough but small enough that, ordinarily, the material tends to be retained. The latter walls are of fine screen material or perforate so as to pass air and smoke but retain the filter material, except for short imperforate sections 46A and 46B near the ends. These imperforate sections are provided to prevent smoke bypassing the filter material when the material has been moved as the result of tapping the cigarette. However, if desired, I make wall 46A short enough that smoke can bypass the filter material after the material has been moved to the right in FIG. 10 as the result of tapping on the right end.

In use, the smoke is drawn through wall 45, through filter material 51 and out through wall 46 and the open center of the element, as shown by the arrows. Because of the nature of the filter material, it can be compacted somewhat by tapping the cigarette on the left end thereby increasing the filtering action, or decreased by tapping the cigarette on the other end.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims. By way of example, the device 30 may be formed as a part of the standard filter unit 14C (see FIG. 7) and either prefilled with the loose compactible filter material 16C of that figure or filled at some stage of manufacture. If prefilled the portion 30 of such a combined unit might be provided with a perforate end wall to retain the loose filter material.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette or the like, including a wrapper and a body of tobacco therein, filter means therefor disposed in the wrapper adjacent an end thereof, comprising an element formed to provide an inner and an outer perforate cylindrical wall defining an annular space therebetwveen, imperforate end wall means closing one end of said annular space, an end wall closing the other end of the space inside said inner wall, a finely divided, compactible loose filter material substantially filling said annular space, means at the other end of said annular space retaining said filter material, said outer cylindrical Wall having a diameter less than the inner diameter of said wrapper, and means at said one end of said element spacing said outer cylindrical wall from said wrapper and closing the space between the wrapper and the outer wall of the element at said one end.

2. The filter element set forth in claim 1 in Which said inner cylindrical wall is imperforate for a portion of its length at each end thereof.

3. In a cigarette or the like:

(a) a cylindrical body of tobacco fibers;

(b) a body of stationary filter material spaced from said body of tobacco fibers;

(c) a wrapper around said bodies and cooperating therewith to define an enclosed space therebetween;

(d) a finely divided mechanically compactible loose first filter material in said enclosed space; and

(e) a second material having a grain size substantially larger than that of said first filter material interspersed therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,066,579 7/1913 Blosser 131-11X 1,107,716 8/1914 Slaght 131-207 1,183,339 5/1916 Brinton 13111 1,868,469 7/1932 Broadway 131-207X 2,768,913 10/ 1956 Hiler 131-109 2,786,471 3/1957 Graybeal 13 ll0.7 2,792,006 5/1957 Marek et a1. 131-10.7 2,998,819 9/1961 Snowden, Jr 13110.7 3,169,535 2/1965 Lassiter et a1. 131-10.7 3,251,365 5/1966 Keith II, et al 13110.7 3,351,072 11/1967 Baum et al 13110.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,155,367 11/ 1957 France 131261 1,185,923 2/ 1959 France 131207 299,468 1930- Great Britain 131-261 406,401 3/ 1934 Great Britain 131-107 798,118 7/1958 Great Britain 131265 JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.