Abstract:
A cigarette having reduced ignition propensity and machine for making the cigarette is disclosed. The machine applies a material in longitudinal bands onto the cigarette wrapper for reducing the ignition propensity of the cigarette. The material may be applied by roller, spray or printing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/376,494, filed on Apr. 30, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to a process for making a smoking article and more particularly for a process for applying an additive to cigarette paper prior to the cigarette paper entering a cigarette maker.  
           [0003]    It is common place in the manufacturing of smoking articles, particularly cigarettes, to treat cigarette papers with additives to control the burn rate of the cigarettes. Particularly, it is common practice to add additives, such as chalk and the like in the manufacturing of cigarette wrapping paper to lower the permeability of papers as this reduces the ability of a burning cigarette to ignite a combustible material. Moreover, in some cases the lower permeable paper provides for a self-extinguishing cigarette if the cigarette is left to burn undisturbed for a period of time. It is well known to coat cigarette wrapping papers in either the initial manufacturing of the paper itself or shortly thereafter. The cigarette wrapping papers with additives are then stored for a period of time prior to their use in the manufacturing of a smoking article.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to apply additives to a cigarette wrapping paper in the cigarette making process just upstream of a cigarette maker.  
           [0005]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a smoking article wherein the cigarette paper has been treated online in a cigarette making process with the addition of additives either from a printing, spraying, or hot melt application.  
           [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to use any type of cigarette wrapping paper having a paper porosity of 10 Coresta units or higher in the manufacturing of a smoking article with controlled burn rate properties.  
           [0007]    Particularly, the present invention is directed to a process for making a smoking article wherein a spool of cigarette wrapping paper is fed to a cigarette maker and just before the paper enter the cigarette maker, a selected additive, such as a burn control agent, is applied to the paper.  
           [0008]    Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view depicting the process of making the smoking article of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2A shows a paper sample of the present invention including a plurality of longitudinal bands of additives to a long piece of cigarette paper;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2B shows a sample of a cigarette wrapping paper have transversely extending bands of additives on the paper;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2C shows a sample of a cigarette paper with continuous longitudinal bands of additives;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2D shows a sample of a cigarette wrapping paper with random longitudinal bands of additives on the paper;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2E shows a sample of cigarette wrapping paper with random longitudinal bands of additives;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2F shows a sample of a cigarette wrapping paper with continuous longitudinal bands of additives on the paper;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2G shows a sample of a cigarette wrapping paper with random longitudinal bands of additives; and,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2H shows a sample of a cigarette wrapping paper with random longitudinal bands of additives. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    As shown in FIG. 1, a supply roll of cigarette wrapper paper  10  is fed to a cigarette making machine  16 . The cigarette wrapper paper  10  may be any commercially available type and preferably has a porosity higher than 10 Coresta units with or without citrate or other burn additives. The cigarette making machine  16  may be any known in the art such as a Hauni Protos 90 type. Between the supply roll of paper  10  and the entrance to the cigarette maker  16  is an additive station  13  which applies a selected additive to the paper from an additive supply source identified by the numeral  12 . The additives may be applied to the cigarette wrapper paper  10  at the additive station  13  and includes, for example, starch, modified starch, such as starch esters, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), pectins, carrageenans, alginates, cellulose base compounds (for example hydroxy propyl cellulose (hydroxy ethyl cellulose), shellac (confectioner&#39;s glaze), waxes polyols (for example, mannitol, isomalt), and polysaccharides. Furthermore, tobacco dust may be used as an additive. Any mixtures of these additives may also be combined with plasticers, waxes, fillers, oils, pigments, flow modifiers, or other compounds that can be applied on the paper in order to form a film or become an integral part of the cigarette paper  10 . At the additive application station  13 , the additives may be applied to the paper in any well known technique, such as printing, spraying, or preferably a hot melt application. Moreover, drying can be used with any of these means of applying the additives to the paper. The additive is also generally applied in stripes or bands along the paper as the paper is fed to the cigarette maker  16 .  
         [0020]    The cigarette wrapper paper  10  such as the additive stripes  102 , as shown in FIG. 2A on the paper wrapper sample  100 , is received in the tobacco rod forming assembly  20  which includes a garniture for wrapping the tobacco which is received from a tobacco fed metering assembly  18 . The metering assembly  18  receives tobacco from a selected tobacco source, as identified by the numeral  14 . Upon leaving the tobacco rod forming assembly  20  in the cigarette maker  16 , the resulting wrapped tobacco rod is cut and a filter from a filter supply source identified by the numeral  21  attaches the filter to the paper wrapped tobacco rod. The resulting finished cigarette is then removed by conveying means, identified by the numeral  24 , to a packaging machine for insertion into a package of cigarettes.  
         [0021]    As shown in FIGS. 2A-2H are cigarette paper samples having additive stripes applied thereto as illustrations of some of the different types of geometric configurations which may be applied to a cigarette paper. FIG. 2A shows an elongated section of cigarette paper having four longitudinal stripes or bands therealong. Additive material is generally 2 mg or more per 50 mm of paper. For example, in using ethyl vinyl acetate, 22 mg of EVA were used per 56 mm of paper whereas for shellac, 16 mg of shellac was used per 56 mm of paper. Also, 80% mannitol to 20% starch may be applied at a concentration of 11 mg per 56 mm of paper. In a preferred application the compounds are applied through a hot melt applicator and the type of nozzle used with the applicator will depend upon the type of material used and the concentration.  
         [0022]    As shown in FIG. 2B, the additive bands may also be transverse of the cigarette paper as illustrated by the example of the cigarette sample paper  110  having the transversely extending bands  112  therealong. As shown in FIG. 2C, the cigarette wrapper sample  120  includes three bands of additive  122  and the bands have a width of 5 mm, are spaced 4 mm apart, and are 2 mm from each side. FIG. 2D shows a cigarette sample paper  130  having three bands identified by the numeral  132  which are 5 mm in width and spaced 4 mm apart and 2 mm from the side. Each of the three bands is 20 mm long. Two middle bands of additives, identified as  132   a  have a width of 4 mm and are also 20 mm long and fit in between the gaps of the opposing ends of the three bands  132 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2E illustrates another cigarette paper  140  having a plurality of random longitudinal bands identified by the numeral  142 . In this sample each band has a width of 7 mm and is 12 mm in length. An offset of 2 mm exist between adjacent bands with a distance between the aligned ends is 15 mm. FIG. 2F illustrates another cigarette paper wrapper sample  150  which has four continuous longitudinal bands, identified as  152 . Each band is 4 mm in width and spaced 3 mm apart and 1 mm from each side. FIG. 2G depicts another cigarette paper sample  160  which has a plurality of random longitudinal bands, three bands at each end identified by the numeral  162  and two middle bands identified as  162 A. The additives bands  162  have a width of 5 mm and are spaced 4 mm apart and 2 mm from each side. Each band  162  is 20 mm in length. The two middle bands  162   a  have a width of 4 mm and are 28 mm. long which fits in between the gaps of the 3 ends bands  162  on each end with an overlap of 4 mm. with each of the three end bands  162 . In the cigarette wrapper sample of FIG. 2H the cigarette wrapper paper  170  is shown with a plurality of random longitudinal bands identified by the numeral  172 . Each additive band  172  has a width of 7 mm and is 21 mm in length. An offset of 7 mm exists between adjacent bands  172 . The distance from axially aligned bands from the first row of bands  172  to the second row of bands  172  is 20 mm.  
         [0024]    The foregoing description has been set forth with reference to a preferred process and specific examples of geometric configurations illustrating additive stripes or bands on cigarette paper. It is realized that other geometric configurations can also be used, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Moreover, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as understood by one skilled in the art.