Celebrity Inventors
Glam girl Heddy Lamar may have used her good looks to good effect on the silver screen, but she put her smarts to better use as an inventor. During World War II, she co-patented a frequency-switching system for torpedo guidance that was considered years ahead of its time.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7027148 | Method and apparatus for determining the triacetin content in filter plugs Apparatus and method for determining the triacetin content in cigarette filter plugs during the manufacture of the filter plugs from a filter tow. The apparatus including a filter tow storage container, a filter tow stretching device, a device for feeding triacetin,... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6968847 | Method of and apparatus for measuring the diameters of rod-shaped articles There is provided an apparatus which can be incorporated into machines or production lines for the making of rod-shaped articles, such as filter cigarettes. The apparatus ascertains at least the diameters of longitudinally spaced-apart portions of an article, such a... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6814082 | Apparatus and method for generating information on the characteristics of a fiber rope The invention relates to a method and a device for providing information on the fiber structure, particularly for determining deviations from an average fiber structure, of a fiber rope in the tobacco-processing industry and especially a tobacco rope. A first measur... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6763838 | Device for detecting a filling density of filler forming a rod-shaped article A device for detecting a shredded tobacco filling density in a tobacco rod includes four light sources (18, 20, 22 and 24) arranged separately from one another at an angle of 45° around a tobacco rod (T) and causing infrared rays to enter the tobacco ... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6446632 | Process and apparatus for detecting and eliminating defective and/or incorrectly positioned cigarettes A process and an apparatus for detecting and eliminating, defective and/or incorrectly positioned, in particular transversely located, cigarettes in the cigarette magazine of a cigarette-production and/or a cigarette-packaging machine. Thus, the avoidance... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6421126 | Density checking apparatus for tobacco flavor-tasting article or component of tobacco flavor-tasting article In an optical density checking apparatus, a 0.7-μm first light beam not transmitted through shredded leaf tobacco and a 1.3-μm second light beam transmitted through the shredded leaf tobacco, which are from first and second light sources, are synthesize... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6394097 | Device and method for inspecting filter rod for cigarette A device for executing an inspection method of a filter rod for cigarettes includes an inspection drum (6), and the inspection drum (6) has plural pickup grooves (8) for receiving one filter rod (F) each in its outer periphery. The filter rod (F) in each ... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6390100 | Method of and apparatus for making cigarette rods with composite fillers A continuous rod with a composite filler having a core constituting a small-diameter cigarette rod and a tube surrounding the core and being confined within a converted web of cigarette paper has axially spaced-apart densified sections in the core as well... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6213128 | Apparatus and method for making and inspecting multi-component wrapped article In an apparatus for making and inspecting a multi-component cigarettes, each cigarette including two or more different components arranged relative to one another, the apparatus includes a device for advancing a web in a first direction. The apparatus fur... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6173716 | Method and apparatus for inspecting cigarette density A density inspection apparatus and method. The apparatus is disposed downstream of a wrapping section of a cigarette manufacturing machine. In accordance with pulse output signals generated by a rotary encoder in synchronism with the travel of a cigarette... | 01/16/2001 |
| 6130438 | Wrapping paper defect inspection apparatus for a cigarette manufacturing machine A wrapping paper defect inspection apparatus for a cigarette manufacturing machine is provided which permits easy and reliable detection of a defect, such as a pinhole, in elongate wrapping paper continuously transported at high speed and which is suited ... | 10/10/2000 |
| 6062226 | Cigarette manufacturing apparatus When tobacco shreds continuously supplied while the supply amount thereof is controlled are wrapped continuously with an elongated cigarette paper to form a tobacco rod and the tobacco rod is cut to predetermined lengths to manufacture cigarettes, the fil... | 05/16/2000 |
| 6021782 | Method of and system for cigarette tipping glue skip detection and rejection A method of and system for detecting glue skips on tipping paper used to secure filters to cigarette tobacco rods and the rejection of defective cigarettes based thereon in which a particle radiation sensor is used to monitor the amount of glue applied to... | 02/08/2000 |
| 5967148 | Lighter actuation system A cigarette identifier system comprising an infrared emitter and an infrared detector located across an opening of a cigarette receiver, wherein the sensor registers changes in the transmission of the infrared beam across the opening so as to detect the d... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5711318 | Trimming control device for cigarette manufacturing machine A trimming control device for a cigarette manufacturing machine is provided with a pair of rotatable trimming disks having pockets on their peripheral edges for trimming a shredded tobacco layer on a tobacco band, a detecting device for detecting a fillin... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5583633 | Device for detecting a defect in charcoal type filters of manufactured filter cigarettes A device for inspecting the filter end face of a filter cigarette is provided with an optical sensor having an aperture ring for emitting a measuring light toward the filter end face and receiving the light reflected from the filter end face and outputtin... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5568818 | Method and device for determining the density of a stream of fibrous material on a cigarette manufacturing machine To determine the density of a stream of fibrous material on a cigarette manufacturing machine, two different measurements are performed, the first of which is capacitive and supplies a first signal as a function of the density of the dry component and of ... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5531234 | Apparatus for controlling the filling amount of shredded tobacco in cigarettes A control apparatus for a cigarette production machine according to the present invention comprises a density sensor for detecting the filling density of shredded tobacco in a continuously formed tobacco rod, an integrator for integrating the output of th... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5526827 | System for monitoring the quantity of cut tobacco in cigarettes A monitoring system comprises an inspection device incorporated in a cigarette manufacturing machine and a server computer connected to the inspection device by means of a communication line. The inspection device includes a measuring circuit for continuo... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5370137 | Apparatus for controlling the diameter of cigarettes to be manufactured by means of a cigarette production machine A control apparatus according to the present invention comprises a hinge for rockably supporting a second upper mold, which is utilized for the final formation of a tobacco rod, right over a lower mold of a cigarette production machine, an adjusting devic... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5369986 | Sealing element for use in cigarette testing apparatus A sealing element for the end portions of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body defining a longitudinally extending passage for the flow of air or another testing fluid from one end of an ar... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5369985 | Sealing element for the ends of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry A sealing element for use in the testing of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body with an end portion having an axially movable end wall and an annular lip extending beyond the external surf... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5347853 | Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the hardness of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry The reliability of mechanical testing of the hardness of cigarettes with one or more pivotable weights is enhanced by modifying the results of such testing on the basis of signals which are obtained by optically scanning the diameters of successive cigare... | 09/20/1994 |
| 5141001 | Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the filling power of fibrous material in cigarettes and the like The hardness of cigarettes which move in a direction at right angles to their axes is measured with one or more pivotable levers which rest on the moving cigarettes to elastically deform the adjacent portions of the cigarettes. The extent of elastic defor... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5125418 | Method of and apparatus for generating electric signals denoting the mass flow of fibrous material in a stream The combined mass flow of solid and liquid fractions of a fibrous material which is converted into a tobacco rod or filter rod in a rod making machine of the tobacco processing industry is ascertained by monitoring the liquid fraction in the distributor o... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5116298 | Control process and apparatus for the production of cigarette filters To improve quality control a cigarette filter manufacturing line is provided with a testing station which periodically removes a filter to test the diameter and resistance to draw. The mean diameter and RTD of a number of filters is calculated and compare... | 05/26/1992 |
| 5085229 | Method and apparatus for forming continuous cigarette rods A layer of tobacco (5) is accumulated against a conveyor belt (2) by a flow of air (6). A trimmer (7) eliminates the superfluous tobacco and forms the final layer (10) which is to be wrapped in paper to form the cigarette rod. One measuring unit (13) meas... | 02/04/1992 |
| 5063943 | Method of and apparatus for monitoring the quality of a tobacco stream The ratio of different types of tobacco in a tobacco stream which is conveyed past a trimming device is monitored by monitoring the distance of the trimming plan from the conveyor for the stream while the mass flow of the stream is maintained at a constan... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5060664 | Method of and apparatus for making streams containing fibrous materials of the tobacco processing industry A stream of filter tow which has been sprayed with atomized plasticizer is advanced past two detectors each of which monitors the density of the stream in a different way and generates corresponding signals which are processed by an evaluating circuit to ... | 10/29/1991 |
| 5010904 | Method and apparatus for detecting loose ends of cigarettes The invention is directed to an inspection method, apparatus and system for identifying cigarettes having insufficient tobacco at their lighting end in which cigarettes are conveyed serially through a beam of infrared radiation. The amount of infrared rad... | 04/30/1991 |
| 5002072 | Cigarette manufacture A cigarette making machine includes one or more conveyor bands (12,14,28) or other parts of non-metallic material from which pieces can break off and become entrained in the tobacco, including means (30,42) for detecting such pieces in the tobacco by dire... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4998540 | Method of and apparatus for eliminating irregularities from a stream of fibrous material A tobacco stream which is built at the underside of the lower reach of an endless foraminous belt conveyor is monitored by a detector which generates a signal in response to detection of excessive accumulations of tobacco in the stream. Such signals are u... | 03/12/1991 |
| 4986285 | Method and apparatus for ascertaining the density of wrapped tobacco fillers and the like The density of successive increments of a cigarette rod is measured by an apparatus which employs one or more photocells operating with ultraviolet, infrared or visible light. The radiation source of each photocell emits a beam of ultraviolet, infrared or... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4974443 | Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the hardness of cigarettes and the like The hardness of cigarettes which move in a direction at right angles to their axes is measured with one or more pivotable levers which rest on the moving cigarettes to elastically deform the adjacent portions of the cigarettes. The extent of elastic defor... | 12/04/1990 |
| 4967739 | Method of and apparatus for making rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry Cigarettes are produced by gathering shredded tobacco into a stream which is moved longitudinally and is draped into a web of cigarette paper to form a rod which is subdivided into cigarettes of desired length. In order to impart to the cigarettes predict... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4945927 | Continuous cigarette rod manufacturing machine On a continuous cigarette rod manufacturing machine the paper strip enveloping the rod is fed by the combined action of a conveyor, for forming the rod, and a layer of tobacco fed by a suction conveyor from a supply duct into a loading position on the pap... | 08/07/1990 |
| 4941482 | Apparatus for measuring the density of a tobacco stream The density of a tobacco stream which is advanced by a foraminous conveyor toward the surplus removing station of a cigarette rod making machine is measured by one or more detectors each having one or more sources of infrared light and one or more photoel... | 07/17/1990 |
| 4926886 | Method of and apparatus for making a trimmed stream of tobacco fibers or the like A stream of tobacco fibers is formed in a channel by showering the fibers against the underside of the lower reach of a foraminous belt conveyor which cooperates with a suction chamber to attract the fibers and to advance the stream past a trimming statio... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4920987 | Device for controlling the content of tobacco on a cigarette manufacturing machine The invention relates to a tobacco content control device for use in a cigarette manufacturing machine, wherein shredded tobacco is fed by means of a hole-provided cigarette conveyor, is trimmed by a trimming means for regulating the amount of the shredde... | 05/01/1990 |
| 4907607 | Process and device for testing cigarettes or the like for faults For testing cigarettes, a test head confronts end faces of the cigarettes. Light beams emitted by a light transmitter are transmitted through those cigarettes having a tobacco deficiency. The transmitted light exits from sides of the defective cigarettes ... | 03/13/1990 |
