US4326542A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Firmness control in a cigarette maker
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc
•
Filing: 1980-01-14
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Granted: 1982-04-27
•
Expires: 2000-01-14
Abstract
Abstract A practice for controlling cigarette rod firmness in a cigarette maker wherein a detected cigarette rod firmness signal is corrected for firmness variations resulting from changes in rod moisture relative to a preselected or target moisture via a suitably processed detected moisture signal and the corrected firmness signal is compared with a preselected or target firmness to derive an error signal for tobacco content control.
Inventors
- 👤 Tibor S. Laszlo
- 👤 John F. Nienow
- 👤 John F. Sherwood
- 👤 Christopher L. Irving
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 03:03
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/32; A24C5/34; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S131/00; Y10S131/906; Y10S131/908
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
Apparatus for use with a cigarette rod, said apparatus including: first sensor means for providing a firmness sensor signal corresponding to the firmness of said rod; second sensor means for providing a moisture sensor signal related to the moisture in said rod; signal processing means responsive to said firmness and moisture sensor signals comprising: means for providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; and means for comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus for use with a cigarette rod, said apparatus including: first sensor means for providing a firmness sensor signal corresponding to the firmness of said rod; second sensor means for providing a moisture sensor signal related to the moisture in said rod; signal processing means responsive to said firmness and moisture sensor signals comprising: means for providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; and means for comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said corrected firmness signal deviates from said firmness signal by an amount related to the deviation of said moisture content in said rod from a preselected moisture content.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein: said corrected firmness signal deviates from said firmness signal by an amount linearly related to the deviation of said moisture content in said rod from said preselected moisture content.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said signal processing means comprises a digital computer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for use with a cigarette rod, said apparatus including: first sensor means for providing a firmness sensor signal related to the firmness of said rod; second sensor means for providing a moisture sensor signal related to the moisture in said rod; signal processing means responsive to said firmness and moisture sensor signals comprising: means for providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; said signal providing means: generating a moisture content signal corresponding to the actual moisture in said rod; generating from said moisture content signal a firmness content signal corresponding to the content of said firmness sensor signal attributable to the moisture content in said rod; and generating said corrected firmness signal by combining said firmness content signal and said firmness sensor signal; and means for comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for use with a cigarette rod, said apparatus including: first sensor means for providing a firmness sensor signal related to the firmness of said rod; second sensor means for providing a moisture sensor signal related to the moisture in said rod; signal processing means responsive to said firmness and moisture sensor signals comprising: means for providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; said signal providing means: generating a moisture content signal corresponding to the actual moisture in said rod; generating from said moisture content signal a firmness content signal corresponding to the content of said firmness sensor signal attributable to the moisture content in said rod; and generating said corrected firmness signal by combining said firmness content signal and said firmness sensor signal; and means for comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said firmness content signal is related to the deviation of said moisture content signal from a preselected moisture content.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein: said firmness content signal is linearly related to said deviation of said moisture content signal from said preselected moisture content.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said second sensor means is a resistance moisture sensor; and said means for providing a corrected firmness signal generates said moisture content signal from said moisture sensor signal and said firmness sensor signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said apparatus further comprises a third sensor means for providing a speed sensor signal related to the speed of said rod; and said means for providing a corrected firmness signal generates said moisture content signal from said speed sensor signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising: a third sensor means for providing a mass sensor signal corresponding to the mass of said rod.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said second sensor means is a microwave moisture sensor; and said means for providing a corrected firmness signal generates said moisture content signal from said moisture sensor signal and said mass sensor signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 or claim 10 wherein: said first sensor means comprises a strain gauge.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said moisture sensor signal varies from the actual moisture content of said rod; said apparatus further includes means for generating an adjustment signal corresponding to the variation of said moisture sensor signal from said actual moisture content; and said means for providing a corrected firmness signal generates said moisture content signal from said moisture sensor signal and said adjustment signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or 5 further comprising: means responsive to said comparison signal for varying the tobacco content of said rod.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 or 13 further comprising: a cigarette maker for providing said rod; and means responsive to said comparison signal for controlling the operation of said maker to vary the tobacco content of said rod.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for use with a cigarette rod, said method including: sensing the firmness of said rod to provide a firmness sensor signal; sensing the moisture in said rod to provide a moisture sensor signal; processing said firmness and moisture sensor signals including: providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; and comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for use with a cigarette rod, said method including: sensing the firmness of said rod to provide a firmness sensor signal; sensing the moisture in said rod to provide a moisture sensor signal; processing said firmness and moisture sensor signals including: providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod; and comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein: said corrected firmness signal deviates from said firmness signal by an amount related to the deviation of said moisture content in said rod from a preselected moisture content.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein: said corrected firmness signal deviates from said firmness signal by an amount linearly related to the deviation of said moisture content in said rod from said preselected moisture content.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein: said processing step is carried out by a digital computer.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
140 words
A method for use with a cigarette rod, said method including: sensing the firmness of said rod to provide a firmness sensor signal; sensing the moisture in said rod to provide a moisture sensor signal; processing said firmness and moisture sensor signals including: providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod said providing step including: generating a moisture content signal corresponding to the actual moisture in said rod; generating from said moisture content signal a firmness content signal corresponding to the content of said firmness sensor signal attributable to the moisture content in said rod; and generating said corrected firmness signal by combining said firmness content signal and said firmness sensor signal; and comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
140 words
A method for use with a cigarette rod, said method including: sensing the firmness of said rod to provide a firmness sensor signal; sensing the moisture in said rod to provide a moisture sensor signal; processing said firmness and moisture sensor signals including: providing a corrected firmness signal deviating from said firmness signal by an amount related to said moisture in said rod said providing step including: generating a moisture content signal corresponding to the actual moisture in said rod; generating from said moisture content signal a firmness content signal corresponding to the content of said firmness sensor signal attributable to the moisture content in said rod; and generating said corrected firmness signal by combining said firmness content signal and said firmness sensor signal; and comparing said corrected firmness signal with a preselected firmness value to generate a comparison signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein: said firmness content signal is related to the deviation of said moisture content signal from a preselected moisture content.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein: said firmness content signal is linearly related to said deviation of said moisture content signal from said preselected moisture content.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein: the step of sensing the firmness of said rod is carried out with a strain gauge sensor; and the step of generating said moisture content signal is carried out with said moisture sensor signal and said firmness sensor signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method in accordance with claim 23 further comprising: sensing the speed of said rod to provide a speed sensor signal; and said step of generating said moisture content signal is carried out with said speed sensor signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising: sensing the mass of said output cigarette rod to provide a mass sensor signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein: said step of sensing the moisture content of said rod is carried out with a microwave moisture sensor; and the step of generating said moisture content signal is carried out with said moisture sensor signal and said mass sensor signal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 or 20 further comprising: varying the tobacco content of said rod in response to said comparison signal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method in accordance with claim 16,19,20,21,23 or 24 further comprising: providing a cigarette maker for producing said rod; and controlling the operation of said cigarette maker to vary the tobacco content of said rod in response to said comparison signal.
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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) | 1985-04-26 | 1985-10-26 | 1986-04-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-04-26 | 1989-10-26 | 1990-04-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-04-26 | 1993-10-26 | 1994-04-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |