US3183914A - Cigarette - Google Patents

Description

y 8, 1965 c. c. COHN 3,183,914

CIGARETTE Filed Jan. 24, 1962 INTUMESGENT COMPOSITION TOBACCO PARTICLES F l G. I.

INVENTOR. CHARLES C. COHN ATT 3,183,914 Patented May 18, 1965 3,183,914 CIGARETTE Charles C. Colin, Atlantic City, N.J., assignor to Samuel L. Cohn and Charles C. Cohn, doing business as Colonial Alloys Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a partnership Filed Jan. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 168,532 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Apr. 23, 1979, has been disciaimed 8 Claims. (Cl. 1314) This invention relates to an improved cigarette characterized by a combination of outstanding beneficial features including fireproofing effects as well as properties tending to make smoking more healthy and enjoyable.

In my copending application, Serial No. 71,868, filed November 18, 1960, now Patent No. 3,030,963, dated April 24, 1962, I have disclosed a cigarette having a wrapper on which there are deposits of a Water-soluble silicate that foams under the burning heat of the cigarette, thereby producing protuberances to insulate the burning cigarette from a supporting surface. This phenomenon is known as intumescence which, for purposes of the invention, may be described as the swelling up or pufiing of the material upon heating thereof, with accompanying violent escape of moisture. The present invention is concerned rather with the application of this phenomenon in a somewhat different manner comprising, namely, the use of an intumescent material as a constituent in combination with the tobacco filler. Many surprising beneficial effects result from the presence of such material in the cigarette, as will be discussed hereafter.

The invention is strikingly different from, and not to be confused with, certain prior art expedients of which I am aware and which involve certain materials added to the tobacco for various purposes. Silicones, vermiculite and silica gels, as examples, have been added but they do not possess the foaming properties which are significant to the present invention.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention a sodium silicate is mixed with or applied to the tobacco although, as will be seen, the use of other non-toxic alkali metal silicates, and alums is contemplated. Taking sodium silicate as an example, if it is mixed with tobacco in the form of granules, or applied thereto in solution, when the cigarette is smoked the heat generated will cause a foamy pulling up of the silicate and release of its water of hydration. The fused silicate prevents dropping of tobacco ash and also acts as an insulation to prevent burning of any surface, such as furniture, on which the cigarette may be placed. As to smoking qualities, the released moisture cools the smoke and acidity of harmful products in the smoke tends to be neutralized by virtue of the silicate alkalinity. Silicate provided in granular form also filters the smoke.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the invention to provide an improved cigarette which is characterized by more enjoyable and healthful smoking while also minimizing the dangers of fire normally resulting from dropping ash and contact of the burning cigarette with combustible materials.

The above and other objectives and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a showing of a cigarette constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of FIG- URE 1.

Passing now to a detailed disclosure of the invention, water-soluble silicates are comm-on and are commercially available in a broad scale of c ompositions in both solid' and liquid forms. Sodium silicates, for example, are Widely used, particularly in liquid form, as detergents, preservers, adhesives and fireproofing and many other uses. In its dry state (water glass) sodium silicate takes a lump form and, of course, may contain variable amounts of water. Accordingly, available compositions are listed commercially in terms of various percentages and ratios of the component sodium monoxide (Na O) and silicon dioxide (SiO and of water content. Therefore, similar terms will be employed hereafter in specific examples of usable silicate compositions.

Of essence is the fact that the silicate composition contains a suificient percentage of water to result in intumes cence when heated, the temperature at which this occurs being approximately at the boiling temperature of Water. As will be seen from the specific examples given hereafter, commercial silicates typically contain from 11% to 68% water content by weight. However, high water content is desired and it will be understood that compositions of over 68% water content by Weight are within the scope of the invention. The weight and/or molecular ratio of Na O to SiO (weight ratio and molecular ratio for their constitucuts are approximately equal because of their identical molecular weights) in such commmercial compositions will be found to range from 2:1 to 1:4.

Considering next the granular forms of silicates, in accordance with the invention the following commercially listed compositions may be used successfully:

The above percentages are in terms of total weight. It has been found that the above granular composition preferably should have a mesh size of 50 to 65. Depending upon the mesh size, the above granular compositions are combined with the shredded tobacco in a mixture comprising up to 50% by weight of silicate, the silicate percentage being greater for larger particles and less for finer particles.

An example of a cigarette according to the invention may contain 50 milligrams of Composition A, of a mesh size of 50 to 60, per milligrams of tobacco. This composition as furnished is in the form of larger particles and if so used only 40 milligrams of this composition per 100 milligrams of tobacco are mixed. Prefer-ably, however, a tobacco-silicate mixture containing less than 25% of the above silicates is used.

When a. cigarette containing a silicate composition according to the above examples is smoked, the sodium silicate in the area of burning foams up and forms a hard insulating mass interspersed with tobacco ashes. This is accompanied with a release of the water of hydration, which effects a humidifying and cooling of the smoke stream. Furthermore, particularly in the case of silicates having higher alkali ratios, there is a neutralizing effect on acid vapors contained in the smoke stream. The fusing of silicate and ashes, of course, has the effect of preventing the dropping of ashes as well as of insulating the burning zone from any surface with which it is brought into contact. Damage to furniture and the starting of fires thereby are prevented. A further effect is that silicate granules ahead of the burning zone, i.e., toward the mouth end of the cigarette, have a filtering effect;

It has been found that silicates having high Water content are preferred. A highly desirable silicate may be produced by the evaporation of a silicate solution until.

it reaches a semi-solid or plastic state. Take, for example, a solution as furnished having the following Composition D in terms of weight:

Percent SiO 26.30 Na G 10.50 H O 63.20

When this composition is partly dried by exposure to the atmosphere it reaches a plastic consistency, the loss of Water in this process being approximately 3%. A composition thereby results having a desirably high Water content of approximately 60% by weight, the percentages by weight of silicon dioxide'and sodium monoxide then being, respectively approximately 28.6% and 11.4% The plastic matter is then ground to a mesh size of 50* to 80. Afurther decided advantage of this granular silicate is that it weighs about 4 pounds per cubic foot as compared to approximately 59 pounds for Composition A above. These high-water content particles also disperse themselves more uniformly through the tobacco, because their bulk density more closely approximates that of the tobacco shreds.

The silicate can be applied to the tobacco directly in solution form. Further examples of commercially available silicates which can be so applied have the following compositions by weight as furnished.

The solutions are applied to tobacco in drops, the size of foamed silicate deposits created in the burned tobacco being dependent on the size of the drops applied. The silicate dries readily on the tobacco and when a cigarette made therefrom is smoked the intumescent effects are the same as described hereinabove in connection with granular forms of silicate. A considerably lower percentage of silicate solution by weight is added to the tobacco, however, than in the case of granular silicates.

It will be understood that the scope of the invention is intended to include other compositions having the physical foaming and Water-releasing properties described I above. The'alums, for example, have similar properties and may be used. These include ammonium-aluminumsulphates, sodium-aluminum-sulphates, potassium-alumihum-sulphates, and the corresponding non-toxic, iron and manganese alums involving the same alkali metal sulphates, all of which alums contain large amounts (24H O) of water of crystallization. (From the standpoint of their intumescence chrome alums might be used; but there is an aspect of possible toxicity involved. Similarly various other alums have more or less toxicity and are, therefore, contraindicated.) Also usable are the intumescent non-toxic mineral silicates which contain substantial amounts of water. These silicates are, in general, insoluble, but may be mixed in granular or powdered form with the tobacco, producing, on smoking,

, results similar to those described above in connection with the soluble silicates and the alums. Among such mineral silicates which are usable are the following: cancrinite, chabazite, epistilbite, gismondite, gmelinite, laumonite, levynite and thomsonite.

It will be understood that although the invention has been describedas applied to cigarettes, it is applicable also to and includes cigars and pipe tobacco.

"It will befurther understood that various departures from the specifically disclosed embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the following claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic alkali metal silicate composition interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filter and being intumescent to such an extent that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition having a weight ratio of sodium oxide to silicon dioxide within the range of 2:1 to 1:4.

2. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained Within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition in granular form interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition having a weight ratio of sodium monoxidezsilicon dioxide within the range of 2:1 to 1:4.

3. A cigarette or the like comprising a Wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition in granular form interspersed. with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition comprising in terns of total weight approximately 29.5% silicon dioxide, 28.7% sodium monoxide, and 41.7% Water.

4. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition in granular form interspersed with thertobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition comprising in terms of total weight approximately 24.2% silicon dioxide, 36.7% sodium monoxide, and 38.1% water.

5. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition in granular form interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting struc- 'ture to prevent burning thereof, said composition com hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition comprising in terms of total weight approximately 28.6%

silicon dioxide, 11.4% sodium monoxide, and 60% water.

7. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition intersperesd with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition being applied in solution and comprising in terms of total weight approximately 25.30% silicon dioxide, 6.75% sodium oxide, and 67.95% Water.

8. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco filler contained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate composition interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition being distributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition being applied in solution and comprising in terms of total weight approximately 33.20% silicon dioxide, 13.85% sodium oxide, and 52.95% water.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,724,185 8/25 Elias 106-75 2,049,320 7/ 36 Ruben et al. 131--4 X 2,114,281 4/38 Allen 131-17 2,307,088 1/43 Whitely 131-4 2,327,991 8/43 Betts 131-15 2,839,065 6/58 Milton 131-17 2,914,072 11/59 Tyrer et al. 131-17 2,976,190 3/61 Meyer 131-17 2,985,175 5/61 Rich 131-15 X 2,996,065 8/61 North 131-10 3,030,963 4/62 Cohn 131-15 3,034,932 5/62 Donovan et al. 131-17 FOREIGN PATENTS 626,721 5/27 France.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

MELVIN D. REIN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 2. A CIGARETTE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A WRAPPER, A TOBACCO FILLER CONTAINED WITHIN SAID WRAPPER AND A NONTOXIC SODIUM SILICATE COMPOSITION IN GRANULAR FORM INTERSPERSED WITH THE TOBACCO PARTICLES, SAID SILICATE COMPOSITION BEING DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE FILLER AND BEING INTUMESCENT SO THAT IT FOAMS UP AND FUSES UNDER THE HEAT OF THE BURNING CIGARETTE TO SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT TO HOLD THE TOBACCO ASH ON THE CIRARETTE AND TO INSULATE THE BURNING PORTION OF THE CIGARETTE FROM A SUPPORTING

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