US3732874A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Smoking machine
Assignee: Lorillard Inc
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Filing: 1972-02-25
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Granted: 1973-05-15
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Expires: 1992-02-25
Abstract
Abstract A smoking machine includes a pair of parallel disks alternately rotatable about a common axis and each provided with a number of holders for cigarettes or other smokable articles. Means is provided for automatically lighting the cigarettes. The holders are spaced apart at equal intervals in circular paths respectively centered on the axis of the disks. A shuttle valve is mounted at a smoking station between the two disks and adjacent to each to receive a continuous stream of smoke from the cigarettes in sequence and channel it to a desired location, at which there may be, for example, a holder for an experimental animal. The valve shuttles between the two disks to take a puff on each cigarette as it arrives at the smoking station. The cigarettes carried on one disk are thus puffed alternately with those carried on the other. ''''Reverse puffing'''' is employed: i.e., chambers are placed over the lighted ends of the cigarettes and pressurized, so that the smoke is delivered at atmospheric pressure. While a puff is being taken on any given cigarette on one of the disks at the smoking station, the other disk is rotated by an indexer to bring the next cigarette to the smoking station, which is puffed in the same way. The process continues for a number of rotations of the disks, until the cigarettes are smoked to the desired extent, whereupon they are automatically ejected.
Inventors
- 👤 J Wagner
- 👤 M Sidbury
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:13
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/32; A24C5/34; A24C5/3406
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
390 words
A smoking machine comprising: a pair of disk means each rotatable about an axis; a plurality of holding means on each of said disk means, said holding means being adapted to hold lit smokable articles such as cigarettes and being spaced apart at equal intervals in a circular path centered on said axis; valve means mounted at a smoking station adjacent to each of said disk means to receive smoke from said smokable articles and channel it to a desired location; shuttle means for shuttling said valve means to form seals around the butt ends of said smokable articles alternately on one of said disk means and on the other of said disk means at said smoking station; indexing means for rotating both of said disk means stepwise about their respective axes to bring successive ones of said holding means on each of said disk means to said smoking station; a pair of pressure-chamber means; reciprocating means for moving said pressure-chamber means alternately to positions respectively surrounding one of said smokable articles on each of said disk means at said smoking station and respectively forming seals around the lighted ends of said smokable articles and to positions respectively spaced apart from said disk means and said smokable articles to permit indexing of said disk means; and air-supply means for alternately elevating the air pressure within said pressure-chamber means to a level above atmospheric pressure to cause air to flow through said smokable articles at said smoking station; the actuation of said reciprocating means to form said seal with respect to one of said disk means being in conjunction with the actuation of said air-supply means to raise the air pressure in the corresponding pressure-chamber means, the actuation of said reciprocating means to form said seal with respect to the other of said disk means being in conjunction with the actuation of said air supply means to raise the air pressure in the other pressure-chamber means, and the actuation of said reciprocating means to break said seals being prior to the actuation of said indexing means; whereby said smokable articles are sequentially indexed to said smoking station and puffed in a manner that is adapted to simulate the smoking activities of a human being, and substantially all of the smoke passing through said smokable articles is delivered to said desired location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
390 words
A smoking machine comprising: a pair of disk means each rotatable about an axis; a plurality of holding means on each of said disk means, said holding means being adapted to hold lit smokable articles such as cigarettes and being spaced apart at equal intervals in a circular path centered on said axis; valve means mounted at a smoking station adjacent to each of said disk means to receive smoke from said smokable articles and channel it to a desired location; shuttle means for shuttling said valve means to form seals around the butt ends of said smokable articles alternately on one of said disk means and on the other of said disk means at said smoking station; indexing means for rotating both of said disk means stepwise about their respective axes to bring successive ones of said holding means on each of said disk means to said smoking station; a pair of pressure-chamber means; reciprocating means for moving said pressure-chamber means alternately to positions respectively surrounding one of said smokable articles on each of said disk means at said smoking station and respectively forming seals around the lighted ends of said smokable articles and to positions respectively spaced apart from said disk means and said smokable articles to permit indexing of said disk means; and air-supply means for alternately elevating the air pressure within said pressure-chamber means to a level above atmospheric pressure to cause air to flow through said smokable articles at said smoking station; the actuation of said reciprocating means to form said seal with respect to one of said disk means being in conjunction with the actuation of said air-supply means to raise the air pressure in the corresponding pressure-chamber means, the actuation of said reciprocating means to form said seal with respect to the other of said disk means being in conjunction with the actuation of said air supply means to raise the air pressure in the other pressure-chamber means, and the actuation of said reciprocating means to break said seals being prior to the actuation of said indexing means; whereby said smokable articles are sequentially indexed to said smoking station and puffed in a manner that is adapted to simulate the smoking activities of a human being, and substantially all of the smoke passing through said smokable articles is delivered to said desired location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein said smokable articles are cigarettes and each of said holding means is formed with a bore into which the butt end of the associated cigarette extends, said bore being horizontal so that said cigarette extends in a horizontal direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein there are substantially 15 of said holding meAns on each of said disk means and each of said smokable articles is given a puff having a volume of substantially 35 ml., a duration of substantially 2 seconds, and a repetition rate of substantially one per minute.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein said indexing means comprises a pair of geneva movements 180* out of phase.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein said shuttle means comprises a double-acting piston-cylinder assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein said reciprocating means comprises a pair of double-acting piston-cylinder assemblies one of which moves one of said pressure-chamber means and the other of which moves the other of said pressure-chamber means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
A smoking machine according to claim 1 wherein said shuttle means comprises a double-acting piston-cylinder assembly and said reciprocating means comprises a pair of double-acting piston-cylinder assemblies one of which moves one of said pressure-chamber means and the other of which moves the other of said pressure-chamber means, further comprising control valve means for controlling said piston-cylinder assemblies, cam means for controlling said control valve means, and motive means for powering said cam means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A smoking machine according to claim 7 wherein said motive means also includes means for driving said indexing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
107 words
In a smoking machine for smoking a plurality of cigarettes by puffing them sequentially, the improvement comprising a holder for each cigarette, each holder comprising an annular seal for holding the butt end of the cigarette, a rotatable control ring, a holding ring movable axially to and fro in response to rotation of said control ring and pressing against said annular seal, and means cooperating with said control ring for selectively imparting a rotation thereto, said annular seal in response to increased pressure of said holding ring gripping said cigarette securely and in response to reduced pressure of said control ring loosening its grip on said cigarette.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
107 words
In a smoking machine for smoking a plurality of cigarettes by puffing them sequentially, the improvement comprising a holder for each cigarette, each holder comprising an annular seal for holding the butt end of the cigarette, a rotatable control ring, a holding ring movable axially to and fro in response to rotation of said control ring and pressing against said annular seal, and means cooperating with said control ring for selectively imparting a rotation thereto, said annular seal in response to increased pressure of said holding ring gripping said cigarette securely and in response to reduced pressure of said control ring loosening its grip on said cigarette.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A smoking machine according to claim 9 comprising a threaded connection between said control ring and said holding ring and pin means preventing rotation of said holding ring upon rotation of said control ring, the axial to-and-fro movement of said holding ring being effected by a relative screwing and unscrewing of said threaded connection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
A smoking machine according to claim 9 wherein said means cooperating with said control ring for selectively imparting a rotation thereto comprises a movable lug and a solenoid for moving said movable lug selectively between a position in which it interacts with said control ring to impart a rotation thereto and a position in which it avoids said control ring.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-14 | 1976-11-13 | 1977-05-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-14 | 1980-11-13 | 1981-05-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-14 | 1984-11-13 | 1985-05-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |