AN IMPROVEMENT IN CIGARETTES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Goodwin Emery, of the City of Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, in the United States of America, Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CIGARETTES."
Sealed the 7th March 1879, and dated the 9th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Goodwin Emery at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1878.
CHARLES GOODWIN EMERY, of the City of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, in the United States of America, Manufacturer. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
CIGARETTES."
My Invention has for its object the production of a wrapper or cover made of
paper or similar fibrous material for a cigarette, and which shall be light, tough,
and strong, and which will not readily disintegrate and fall to pieces by reason of
the action of the saliva upon it, thereby leaving the loose tobacco in the mouth of
the smoker, but will be capable of withstanding the action of the saliva at least for
as long a time as is required to consume the cigarette, and which will also be
rather slow than quick in combustion, and less unpleasant than ordinary cigarette
paper to taste and smell when burning. The wrapper prepared according to my
said Invention is also repellant of or but slightly an absorbent of moisture, and
thus the tobacco of the cigarette, which is highly absorbent, is protected from
moisture. This wrapper also neutralizes to a great extent or takes up the nico-
tianine produced by the burning of the tobacco, and also the creosote or other
products caused by the combustion of the paper, and thus renders the cigarette
inuch more pleasant and harmless to the consumer.

page_text: My said Invention consists essentially in a cigarette whose wrapper is a light
thin paper or similar fibrous covering, the surface or surfaces of which are coated
with a thin pellicle or coat of some combustible, but not inflammable, gum or
resinous substance which is soluble in alcohol, ether, or similar volatile substance,
so that it can be applied to the wrapper, but which is not soluble in the saliva.
Gums which are comparatively tasteless and inoffensively odorous, as for
instance, benzoin, piney dammarine, or myrrh may be used, but shellac is found
preferable, and gives most satisfactory results when applied to unsized paper, such
as is known as rice paper," and which is used for such wrappers.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Goodwin Emery in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
April 1879.
CHARLES GOODWIN EMERY, of the City of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, in the United States of America, Manufacturer. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
CIGARETTES."
My Invention relates to the manufacture of what are known as "cigarettes,"
which are composed of a quantity of cut or granulated tobacco rolled in slips of
some thin unsized paper or similar fibrous material.
It has for its object the production of a wrapper or cover made of paper or
similar fibrous material, which shall be light, tough, and strong, which will not
readily disintegrate and fall to pieces, thereby leaving the loose tobacco in the
mouth of the smoker, and which will be capable of withstanding the action of the
saliva, at least for as long a time as is required to consume the cigarette, and which
will also be rather slow than quick in combustion and less unpleasant than ordinary
cigarette paper to the taste and smell when burning.
The wrapper prepared according to my Invention is also repellent of or but
slightly an absorbent of moisture, and thus the tobacco of the cigarette which is
highly absorbent is protected from moisture and the dampness of the atmosphere.
This wrapper also neutralizes to a great extent or takes up the nicotianine pro-
duced by the burning of the tobacco, and also the creosote or other products caused
by the combustion of the paper, and thus renders the cigarette much more pleasant
and harmless to the consumer.
It is well known that the paper heretofore in general use for wrappers or covers
of cigarettes is of so light a texture and so fragile and absorbent as to readily disin-
tegrate and go to pieces from the action of the saliva upon it, leaving the loose
tobacco in the mouth of the smoker. This is very disagreeable to many sınokers,
besides being the reverse of economy, as nearly a third of the cigarette' is
wasted.
To avoid the above defects various mouth-pieces have been devised for cigarettes,
comprising paper saturated with paraffine and other inflammable waxen substances,
but these have been too expensive when applied as mouth-pieces, and if applied
to the whole wrapper make it inflammable, which is highly objectionable.
My Invention consists essentially in a cigarette whose wrapper is of light thin
paper or similar fibrous covering, the surface or surfaces of which are coated with a
thin pellicle or coat of some combustible, but not inflammable, gum or resinous
substance, and not soluble in the saliva, but soluble in alcohol, ether, or other
similar volatile vehicle, substantially as herein-after specified.
or
In preparing my improved cigarette wrappers I preferably employ "clarified"
bleached shellac as the coating material, but any other material possesing sub-
stantially the qualities herein set forth may be used in its stead. To apply this
material I generally make a weak solution thereof in alcohol or ether, and then
brush this solution lightly over the thin unsized paper or similar fibrous material,
preferring that kind of paper known to the trade as "rice paper." The solvent
penetrates the pores of the paper or covering and thoroughly saturates it, leaving
when it evaporates an almost imperceptible skin or pellicle of shellac behind.
skin while it is or should be too thin to affect the suppleness or flexibility of the
paper, or even to prevent slight capillarity when applied to the tongue, adds
greatly to the strength of the paper when it is under the influence of the saliva, and
prevents its disintegration.
This
The presence of the shellac rather retards than hurries combustion, and in some
degree destroys the disagreeable taste and odor of the burning paper. Indeed I
contemplate perfuming the solution or combining with the gum used a sinali
quantity of some aromatic gum or resin, which will give off a pleasant odor when

page_text: burning. The wrapper or paper thus prepared is also found to take up or
neutralize to a great extent the nicotianine produced from the burning of the
tobacco, and also the creosote and other products produced from the combustion of
the paper, and thereby rendering the cigarettes much more pleasant and harmless to
the consumer.
Very few non-inflammable gums, resins, or resinoids will answer my purpose
owing to their disagreeable odor or taste; of course those which are comparatively
tasteless and inoffensively odorous will be preferred, as benzoin, piney dammar, or
dammarine or myrrh, but none answer so well as shellac, which gives the most
satisfactory results when applied to unsized paper, such as is known as "rice
paper."
Having thus described my Invention I wish it understood that I am aware that
paper has before been coated with gums or resins dissolved in alcohol, and I make
no claim to this.
What is claimed is,―
1. As an improved article of manufacture a cigarette, the wrapper of which is
composed of a thin paper or similar fibrous material coated with a thin pellicle or
covering of shellac or equivalent slowly-combustible gum resinoid or material, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
2. As an improved article of manufacture cigarette wrapper paper or covering
coated with a solution of shellac or equivalent slowly-combustible gum or other
substance, substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Goodwin Emery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
1879.
CHARLES GOODWIN EMERY. (L.S.)