Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8172739 | Device for combining groups of filter segments for producing multi-segment filters of the tobacco industry, and trough drum A device for combining groups of at least two different types of filter segments for producing multi-segment filters in the tobacco industry in a continuous process includes a plurality of independent functional units that are each designed as a module. ... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8118721 | Method and apparatus for compiling groups of filter segments when producing multi-segment filter asemblies A method of making segmented filters including moving substantially identical segments of one type at uniform rate to a transferring element, which places each segment separately on an exit path. Setting of the filter segments in a repeating group on the exit path i... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8083658 | Tobacco smoke filter production A method and apparatus for tobacco smoke filter production wherein a train of tobacco smoke filtering material, while being continuously advanced longitudinally, is gathered towards rod shape and then shaped to and secured in rod form, and wherein there is discontin... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7972254 | Apparatus for inserting objects into a filter component of a smoking article, and associated method An apparatus for manufacturing a rod member for a cigarette filter element, is provided. Each rod member defines a longitudinal axis and includes a generally longitudinally-extending filter material and a plurality of objects disposed therein along the longitudinal ... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7922638 | Machine for manufacturing composite filters Composite filters are assembled initially by an upstream unit as groups of at least two plugs having different filtration properties. A single flow of the groups is directed from the assembling unit onto a pair of drums and divided into two flows, whereupon these ar... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7588524 | Fiber filter production Method and device for producing filter rods of the tobacco-processing industry. The method includes combining and mixing fibers of finite length of two different fiber types, and separating the combined and mixed fibers. The combining and mixing occurs directly befo... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7578777 | Equipment for manufacturing composite filters Filter elements made up of least two axially aligned plugs are advanced in succession by a feed unit along a first path and in a first direction, with the plugs oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, toward a garniture section extending... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7481757 | Tube rolling device Method and apparatus for forming filter tubes comprises delivering a filter element to a flute on a first drum having vacuum for securing the filter element thereto. First and second tube forming rollers axially engage opposite ends of the filter element. A second d... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7479098 | Equipment for insertion of objects into smoking articles Apparatus incorporating a filter tow processing unit adapted to supply filter tow to a continuous rod forming unit includes an object insertion unit that positions objects within the filter tow to manufacture a filter rod containing objects positioned at predetermin... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7435208 | Degradable slitted cigarette filter A cigarette filter comprises an elongate filter component having a longitudinal axis. A plurality of spaced apart slits generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the filter component partially extend into the component. The slits enable the filter to disin... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7338421 | Method and a device for making filters for tobacco products Filters for tobacco products are manufactured by a device comprising a conveyor drum rotatable about a horizontal axis and furnished with peripheral grooves, each holding a leaf of paper material preassembled with a first filter element. The single groove is flanked... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7337074 | Method and apparatus for determining the mass of portioned units of active substances A method and the apparatus for determining the mass of portioned units of active substances, in particular capsules, tablets or dragees, involves leading the units of active substances through a microwave resonator and determining the mass from the displacement of t... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7302952 | Device and process for conveying rod-shaped filter elements Device and process for conveying filter elements to a filter element magazine. The device includes a rotatable drum comprising at least one seat for receiving a filter element and a detection device that controls a rotation of the drum and detects the filter element... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7300394 | Method and device for producing a filter rod Method and device for producing a filter rod. The method includes melting at least one first type of filter material, pressing the at least one first type of filter material through at least one nozzle, depositing the at least one first type of filter material on a ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7261681 | Method and apparatus for applying additive to a moving, spread-out filter material web A method and apparatus for supplying an additive to a moving web of filter material of the tobacco-processing industry are provided. An adjustable window defines an opening, and additive is applied through the window opening onto the web. ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7226404 | Cigarette filter assembly machine A cigarette filter assembly machine wherein a rolling unit is defined by a rolling drum and a guide drum coaxial with each other and connected to each other in angularly-fixed, axially-sliding manner; and wherein the rolling drum has a number of suction rollers (... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7140164 | Method of and apparatus for applying adhesive to running webs of paper and the like A novel and improved method of applying adhesive to one side of a running web of wrapping material for a rod-like filler of filter material for tobacco smoke includes directing toward the one side of the web a stream of adhesive which issues from an open-and-shut or... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7115085 | Method and apparatus for incorporating objects into cigarette filters Cigarette filter rods having individual objects positioned at predetermined intervals therein are prepared by transferring the individual objects from a rotating horizontal pan to a rotating vertical wheel and then depositing the object into a web of filter tow. Eac... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7074170 | Method and apparatus for making cigarette filters with a centrally located flavored element A filter making apparatus includes a positioning device having a passageway therethrough, with the passageway guiding a continuous flavor element such as a continuous strand of textile material from an inlet of the passageway to an outlet of the passageway. A liquid... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7004896 | Method and arrangement for producing compound filters A method and arrangement are provided for producing compound filters for products in the tobacco-processing industry. A filter tube, having a filter element in a central region of the filter tube, is supplied to a predetermined position. Predetermined portions of fi... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6932752 | Multiple garniture belt drive system for filter rod machinery A machine for producing an endless filter rod comprises a multi-section garniture and a multiple garniture belt drive system that includes several garniture belts having linear aligned portions for delivering filter paper with filter components thereon through the s... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6918867 | Production of filter elements not suitable for cutting A method and apparatus for producing multi-segment filter elements in the tobacco-processing industry. The multi-segment filter elements each include a first filter segment and at least one second filter segment. A sleeve element is arranged in the first filter segm... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6913023 | Filter attaching apparatus A filter attaching apparatus comprises a drum 20 for conveying an intermediate product of a filter cigarette and a receiving drum 36 for feeding a tip paper piece, and winds the tip paper piece around the intermediate product while rotating these drums... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6908421 | Filter manufacturing machine A filter-manufacturing machine comprises spray nozzles located on both sides of a feeding path of sheet material made of filter fibers, respectively, and the spray nozzles each have a line of spray holes of a liquid binder with high viscosity and a plurality of air ... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6903555 | Flavor monitoring system and method A flavor monitoring system comprises a photo-ionization detector based sensor for measuring the amount of flavor in flavored cigarette filters The sensor has an intake port and an exit port open to the atmosphere. An enclosure with a removable cover is connected to ... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6595218 | Cigarette filter A cigarette filter having a reagent which chemically reacts with and removes a gaseous component of a smoke stream. The reagent contains functional groups covalently bonded to a non-volatile inorganic substrate which is incorporated in the filter. The fil... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6336896 | Automatic filter tip attaching machine An automatic filter tip attaching machine includes a mechanical structure moved by a computer program to automatically attach three filter tip stages a, b, c to cigarettes, with a chemical powder filled in the filter tip b to absorb nicotine and tar compl... | 01/08/2002 |
| 6273095 | Cigarette filter which removes carcinogens and toxic chemicals Disclosed herein is a filter for use with tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, which selectively absorbs toxic compounds and carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic compounds passing through it, but which permits most low molecular weight spe... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6263882 | Method of and apparatus for making filter mouthpieces for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry A tow of filamentary filter material for tobacco smoke which is to be converted into a rod-like filler of a filter rod is conveyed along an elongated path first through a stretching or tensioning zone where the filaments are stretched and the tow is conve... | 07/24/2001 |
| 5984851 | Grading device, used in manufacture of filter plugs for cigarettes A grading device includes an assembly drum with feeding grooves, and a grading drum arranged adjacent to the assembly drum and rotating in the opposite direction from that of the assembly drum at twice the peripheral speed. The grading drum has a pair of ... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5928124 | Method and apparatus for the continuous feed of a strip of material to a machine A strip of material is fed continuously to a machine, along a given path extending through a curling station for the strip, at which the path has a curved segment which forms a loop. The strip inside the curling station is subjected to flexing, by applyin... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5913311 | Cigarette filter and filter material therefor A filter material comprises a cellulose acetate fiber tow containing 5-50% by weight of a water soluble material and/or a water dispersible material which are soluble in a solvent which dissolves cellulose acetate and which are not compatible with cellulo... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5911224 | Biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol tobacco smoke filters, tobacco smoke products incorporating such filters, and methods and apparatus for making same A porous element particularly for use as a tobacco smoke filter plug in association with a cigarette or the like wherein the matrix comprises a multiplicity of biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol fibers bonded together at their points of contact to define a t... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5733234 | Method and apparatus for producing fiber skeins A method of producing at least one filter skein for cigarettes and other smokable rod-shaped articles, from at least one filter tow strip comprises the steps of: (a) drawing at least one filter tow strip, from at least one supply, (b) feeding the at least... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5695441 | Filter plug feeding apparatus for a filter cigarette manufacturing machine A filter plug feeding apparatus comprises a pair of hoppers in which charcoal and plain filter rods are stored, a pair of hopper drums for delivering charcoal and plain filter rods from the hoppers, respectively, the hoppers being able to discharge the fi... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5613504 | Flavor generating article and method for making same A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smok... | 03/25/1997 |
| 5498224 | Starch based hot melt adhesives for cigarettes In a process for manufacturing degradable cigarette filters wherein adhesive is applied to at least one longitudinal edge of the plug wrap paper, a bond is made while the adhesive is molten and the resultant bond is held in compression for sufficient time... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5495860 | Structures formed from cellulose acetate, use thereof for the manufacture of filter tow, use of the filter tow for the manufacture of a tobacco smoke filter element, as well as a filter tow and a tobacco filter element Structures are formed from cellulose acetate in which an additive is present or on this surface the additive consisting of a nitrogenous organic compound which by degradation by microorganisms forms basic decomposition products, in particular ammonia, and... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5453144 | Method of making biodegradable cigarette filters using water sensitive hot melt adhesives In a process for manufacturing degradable cigarette filters wherein adhesive is applied to at least one longitudinal edge of the plug wrap paper, a bond is made while the adhesive is molten and the resultant bond is held in compression for sufficient time... | 09/26/1995 |
| 5348027 | Cigarette with improved substrate A new substrate for cigarettes includes an overwrapped rod of gathered cellulose-based paper having an outer diameter of from about 4 mm to about 8 mm; wherein the paper has a basis weight in the range of about 10 g/m2 to about 90 g/m2 | 09/20/1994 |
