Biopolymer foams as filters for smoking articles
Patent No. 9,226,524
A process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) freeze-drying a solution of a biopolymer to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby prepare a filter plug for a smoking article. Another process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) extruding a mixture of a foaming agent and a biopolymer comprising a protein to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby form a filter plug for a smoking article.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.), Shengsheng Liu (Richmond), William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Peter J. Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 5, 2016
Pneumatic tire
Patent No. 9,227,467
This invention pertains to a tire comprising at least one carcass ply and at least one breaker ply, the carcass and breaker plies each comprising continuous filaments having a tenacity of at least 15 grams force per dtex and a modulus of at least 400 grams force per dtex wherein the carcass ply turn-ups terminate under the at least one breaker ply. The invention further pertains to a tire comprising a plurality of apex components and carcass ply turn-ups that terminate within the apex region of the tire. The invention also discloses a tire wherein the carcass ply turn-ups terminate in the upper sidewall region of the tire and ply spacers are located between ply-turn-ups.
Inventors: Mark Allan Lamontia (Landenberg, Penn.), William Herbert Coulter (Wilmington, Del.), Monty C. McNeil (Midlothian, Va.), Harish Viswanathan (Hyderabad, India)
Assignee: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Co. (Wilmington, Del.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Method and apparatus for reactive gas remediation
Patent No. 9,227,156
Disclosed are methods, materials, apparatus and systems for removing or suppressing ambient levels of reactive gas contaminants, particularly acidic gases, using particles of zeolite, sepiolite or other suitable carrier material impregnated with at least one treatment compound selected to react with the acidic gas(es). The methods involve contacting a contaminated gas stream with the impregnated carrier materials whereby at least a portion of the reactive gases contacts the treatment compound and reacts, thereby consuming the reactive gas molecules.
Inventors: John Richardson (Hanover, Va.), Kevin Gottschalk (Maidens, Va.), Douglas McIlwaine (Ashland, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Systems and methods for marking individuals with an identifying substance
Patent No. 9,228,388
The present application discloses systems and methods for marking an individual with an identifying substance. The system includes a spray delivery device configured to release a pressurized substance in response to an activation signal, an activation device configured to transmit an activation signal to the spray delivery device, and a power supply, configured to provide power to at least one of the activation devices and the spray delivery devices. The method includes storing a pressurized substance, receiving an activation signal at a spray delivery device, and releasing the pressurized substance in response to the received activation signal.
Inventors: Thomas G. Bolden (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Fabric having ultraviolet radiation protection, enhanced resistance to degradation, and enhanced resistance to fire
Patent No. 9,234,310
A method for treating a fabric for ultraviolet radiation protection, enhanced resistance to degradation, and enhanced resistance to fire is disclosed which comprises the steps of adding zinc oxide nanoparticles to a solution of 3-glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane, placing a fabric in the mixture of zinc oxide particles and 3-glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane, curing the fabric, and washing the fabric. Other methods of treating a fabric are disclosed.
Inventors: Robert B. Kramer (St. Louis, Mo.), Ronald Kramer (St. Louis, Mo.), Nicholas Marshall (Charleston, S.C.), Jason Rosenberg (Shorewood, Wisc.), Ram B. Gupta (Richmond)
Assignee: The Sweet Living Group LLC (St. Louis, Mo.)
Jan. 12, 2016
Amphiphile-modified sorbents in smoking articles and filters
Patent No. 9,232,821
Smoking articles which involve the use of amphiphile-modified sorbents are disclosed. The amphiphile-modified sorbent has at least one amphiphilic compound bound to an inorganic molecular sieve substrate. The amphiphile-modified sorbent selectively removes certain constituents from cigarette smoke, while maintaining other constituents, such as those that contribute to flavor. Methods for making cigarette filters and smoking articles using amphiphile-modified sorbents, as well as methods for smoking a cigarette containing an amphiphile-modified sorbent, are also provided.
Inventors: Jay A. Fournier (Richmond), Zhaohua Luan (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 12, 2016
High speed object inserter and related methods
Patent No. 9,232,820
An apparatus for inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod includes a storage apparatus that stores a plurality of the objects, each object having a predetermined volume; an inserter wheel that receives the objects stored in the storage apparatus, and inserts the objects into a band of filter material, the inserter wheel having an outer periphery with a plurality of pockets defined in the outer periphery and distributed about the outer periphery. Each pocket has a shape configured to support one of the objects with between about one quarter and about one half of the volume of the object received in the pocket. The remainder of the volume of the object protrudes from the pocket above the outer periphery of the inserter wheel. A method of inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod is also described.
Inventors: Shawn Henley (Mechanicsville, Va.), Robert Amiss (Lanexa, Va.), Wilfried Hoffmann (Locust Hill, Va.)
Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG (Hamburg, Germany)
Jan. 12, 2016
Stave hone assembly for use with rotating shafts
Patent No. 9,233,447
A hone insert is adapted for use in a rotating shaft system that has a segmented stave bearing housing. The stave bearing housing includes multiple stave bearing inserts that retain the rotating shaft. The hone insert is supported by a mounting bar section and a support pad that bears a hone layer against the face of the rotating shaft. Accordingly, as the shaft rotates against the hone layer, the surface of the shaft is made more smooth.
Inventors: Robert Alan Shortridge Sr. (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: N/A
Jan. 12, 2016
Biopolymer foams as filters for smoking articles
Patent No. 9,226,524
A process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) freeze-drying a solution of a biopolymer to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby prepare a filter plug for a smoking article. Another process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) extruding a mixture of a foaming agent and a biopolymer comprising a protein to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby form a filter plug for a smoking article.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.), Shengsheng Liu (Richmond), William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Peter J. Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 5, 2016
Pneumatic tire
Patent No. 9,227,467
This invention pertains to a tire comprising at least one carcass ply and at least one breaker ply, the carcass and breaker plies each comprising continuous filaments having a tenacity of at least 15 grams force per dtex and a modulus of at least 400 grams force per dtex wherein the carcass ply turn-ups terminate under the at least one breaker ply. The invention further pertains to a tire comprising a plurality of apex components and carcass ply turn-ups that terminate within the apex region of the tire. The invention also discloses a tire wherein the carcass ply turn-ups terminate in the upper sidewall region of the tire and ply spacers are located between ply-turn-ups.
Inventors: Mark Allan Lamontia (Landenberg, Penn.), William Herbert Coulter (Wilmington, Del.), Monty C. McNeil (Midlothian, Va.), Harish Viswanathan (Hyderabad, India)
Assignee: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Co. (Wilmington, Del.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Method and apparatus for reactive gas remediation
Patent No. 9,227,156
Disclosed are methods, materials, apparatus and systems for removing or suppressing ambient levels of reactive gas contaminants, particularly acidic gases, using particles of zeolite, sepiolite or other suitable carrier material impregnated with at least one treatment compound selected to react with the acidic gas(es). The methods involve contacting a contaminated gas stream with the impregnated carrier materials whereby at least a portion of the reactive gases contacts the treatment compound and reacts, thereby consuming the reactive gas molecules.
Inventors: John Richardson (Hanover, Va.), Kevin Gottschalk (Maidens, Va.), Douglas McIlwaine (Ashland, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Systems and methods for marking individuals with an identifying substance
Patent No. 9,228,388
The present application discloses systems and methods for marking an individual with an identifying substance. The system includes a spray delivery device configured to release a pressurized substance in response to an activation signal, an activation device configured to transmit an activation signal to the spray delivery device, and a power supply, configured to provide power to at least one of the activation devices and the spray delivery devices. The method includes storing a pressurized substance, receiving an activation signal at a spray delivery device, and releasing the pressurized substance in response to the received activation signal.
Inventors: Thomas G. Bolden (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 5, 2016
Fabric having ultraviolet radiation protection, enhanced resistance to degradation, and enhanced resistance to fire
Patent No. 9,234,310
A method for treating a fabric for ultraviolet radiation protection, enhanced resistance to degradation, and enhanced resistance to fire is disclosed which comprises the steps of adding zinc oxide nanoparticles to a solution of 3-glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane, placing a fabric in the mixture of zinc oxide particles and 3-glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane, curing the fabric, and washing the fabric. Other methods of treating a fabric are disclosed.
Inventors: Robert B. Kramer (St. Louis, Mo.), Ronald Kramer (St. Louis, Mo.), Nicholas Marshall (Charleston, S.C.), Jason Rosenberg (Shorewood, Wisc.), Ram B. Gupta (Richmond)
Assignee: The Sweet Living Group LLC (St. Louis, Mo.)
Jan. 12, 2016
Amphiphile-modified sorbents in smoking articles and filters
Patent No. 9,232,821
Smoking articles which involve the use of amphiphile-modified sorbents are disclosed. The amphiphile-modified sorbent has at least one amphiphilic compound bound to an inorganic molecular sieve substrate. The amphiphile-modified sorbent selectively removes certain constituents from cigarette smoke, while maintaining other constituents, such as those that contribute to flavor. Methods for making cigarette filters and smoking articles using amphiphile-modified sorbents, as well as methods for smoking a cigarette containing an amphiphile-modified sorbent, are also provided.
Inventors: Jay A. Fournier (Richmond), Zhaohua Luan (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 12, 2016
High speed object inserter and related methods
Patent No. 9,232,820
An apparatus for inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod includes a storage apparatus that stores a plurality of the objects, each object having a predetermined volume; an inserter wheel that receives the objects stored in the storage apparatus, and inserts the objects into a band of filter material, the inserter wheel having an outer periphery with a plurality of pockets defined in the outer periphery and distributed about the outer periphery. Each pocket has a shape configured to support one of the objects with between about one quarter and about one half of the volume of the object received in the pocket. The remainder of the volume of the object protrudes from the pocket above the outer periphery of the inserter wheel. A method of inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod is also described.
Inventors: Shawn Henley (Mechanicsville, Va.), Robert Amiss (Lanexa, Va.), Wilfried Hoffmann (Locust Hill, Va.)
Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG (Hamburg, Germany)
Jan. 12, 2016
Stave hone assembly for use with rotating shafts
Patent No. 9,233,447
A hone insert is adapted for use in a rotating shaft system that has a segmented stave bearing housing. The stave bearing housing includes multiple stave bearing inserts that retain the rotating shaft. The hone insert is supported by a mounting bar section and a support pad that bears a hone layer against the face of the rotating shaft. Accordingly, as the shaft rotates against the hone layer, the surface of the shaft is made more smooth.
Inventors: Robert Alan Shortridge Sr. (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: N/A
Jan. 12, 2016