US3419013A - Smoking article - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1968 TAR CONTEN T E. J. CALHOUN ET AL.

SMOKING ARTICLE Filed Aug. 17, 1967 K ROLY G. PINTER EDWARD J.CALHOUN BY m ATTORNEYS INVENTORS United States Patent 3,419,013 SMOKING ARTICLE Edward J. Calhoun, 578 Hunt Lane, Manhasset, N.Y.

11030, and Karoly G. Pinter, 1626 S. Jefferson Davis 5 Parkway, New Orleans, La. 70125 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 520,892, Jan. 17, 1966. This application Aug. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 661,282 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Apr. 25, 1984, has been disclaimed 8 Claims. (Cl. 131-15) 10 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE cigarette or similar smoking article.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 520,892, filed Jan. 17, 1966.

The present invention relates to a cigarette or similar smoking article having a reduced tar and nicotine content and, more particularly, such a cigarette or similar smoking article wherein a portion of the tobacco is replaced by glass fiber shreds. Additionally, the present invention relates to the employment of a mineral paper casing or wrapper for a cigarette or similar smoking article.

Various attempts have been made in the past to prepare additive materials for the tobacco, which materials supposedly aid in the elimination of the deleterious materials found in the tobacco smoke. Exemplary materials that have been proposed include non-colloidal bentonite, colloidal clays, oil decolorizing clays, e.g. fullers earth, thermally treated attapulgite and similar materials.

The above materials, however, have not been found satisfactory since such materials create an unwanted taste in the cigarettes and such materials have not tended to eliminate those deleterious materials found within the tobacco smoke.

Similarly, it has been proposed to eliminate a portion of the tobacco in a cigarette or similar smoking article and replace the same with a synthetic or other vegetable material. Again, such attempts have not been found satisfactory since the added materials tend to destroy the pleasant taste and aroma of the tobacco of the cigarette or other smoking article and create in such article a taste associated with the additive. Moreover, while such replacements of the tobacco have been fairly successful in eliminating the deleterious substances of the tobacco smoke in an amount proportional to that amount of the tobacco which has been replaced, such replacements of the tobacco smoke had not effectively removed enough of the tars and nicotines to warrant their use. Thus, for eX- ample, to eliminate any appreciable proportion of the tars and nicotines found in the tobacco smoke it has been necessary to replace an equivalent proportion of the tobacco with one of the tobacco substitutes, such a replacement yielding an unwarranted taste and aroma to the cigarette or other similar smoking article.

In view of the adverse effects associated with the intake of the deleterious materials found within the tobacco smoke, there has been a long desire of the tobacco industry to produce a pleasant tasting and smelling cigarette or other similar smoking article which has a reduced tar and nicotine content etc. Until the present invention, however, it has not been possible to economically produce such a cigarette without greatly affecting the taste and aroma thereof.

It has now been found in accordance with the present invention however that it is possible to reduce the tars and nicotine of a cigarette by substituting glass fiber shreds for a portion of the tobacco within the smoking article. It has been found in accordance with the present invention that such incorporation of glass fiber shreds within the tobacco charge reduces the tars and nicotine found in the tobacco smoke in an amount greater than that which would be expected by the mere replacement of the tobacco by a non-deleterious substance. Moreover, it has been found in accordance with the present invention that the inclusion of the glass fiber shreds within the tobacco charge in no way adversely affects the pleasant aroma and taste of the tobacco.

Additionally, it has been found in accordance with the present invention that the burning of cigarette paper is a contributing factor towards the total intake of undesirable products of cigarette combustion. Therefore, a further embodiment of the present invention comprises a cigarette or similar smoking article wherein the fiberglass paper is employed as a replacement for the wood-pulp derived paper conventionally employed as the Wrapper or casing for a cigarette or similar smoking article.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel cigarette or similar smoking article which is free from the inherent deficiencies and disadvantages of prior art products.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a novel cigarette or similar smoking article which has a reduced tar and nicotine content.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a novel cigarette or similar smoking article wherein a portion of the tobacco charge has been replaced with glass fiber shreds.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel cigarette or similar smoking article wherein the paper wrapper has been replaced by a glass fiber casing.

Still further objects and advantages of the cigarette or similar smoking article of the present invention will become more apparent from the following more detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings.

The principal embodiment of the present invention comprises the replacement of a portion of the tobacco charge of a cigarette or similar smoking article with glass fiber shreds. Generally, it has been found that the replacement of up to about 50% of the tobacco charge with such glass fiber shreds reduces the tars and nicotines to the desired level while still allowing for the pleasant taste and aroma of the cigarette or similar Smoking article. Thus, the glass fiber shreds employed as an additive or replacement for the tobacco charge of a cigarette or similar smoking article neither add a taste of their own nor detract from the natural flavor of the burning tobacco. This is due to the fact that such glass fiber shreds have no intrinsic combustible organic materials associated with them.

It appears as though an important parameter with respect to the amount of tars and nicotines in the efiluent smoke of a cigarette or similar smoking article relate essentially to the degree of completion of the combustion of the tobacco during the smoking process. Thus, there are many substances such as 3,4-benzpyrene, certain anthracenes, and other polycyclic hydrocarbons that cannot be detected in tobacco until combustion of the tobacco takes place. While such materials are sometimes designated as products of the combustion of the tobacco, these materials can be more accurately designated as products of the incomplete combustion of the tobacco of the cigarette or similar smoking article. Thus, it is only because of the incomplete combustion of the tobacco charge in a cigarette or similar smoking article that a great deal of tars and nicotines are usually present in the efiluent smoke. Because of the incomplete combustion of such particulate organic material during the smoking of the cigarette or similar smoking article, such organic particulate material is carried to the smoker in varying amounts in the smokestream during pyrolysis. It is theorized that the tars and nicotines are eliminated by the employment of the process of the present invention because the glass fiber shreds tend to create zones of oxidation, thereby effecting the more complete oxidation of the organic material within the tobacco charge. Thus, because of such a more complete combustion or oxidation of the organic material, such material is not passed to the smoker in its undesirable state in the effluent smoke but is eliminated as a harmless carbon dioxide gas.

Furthermore, it has also been theorized that the glass fiber shreds employed in the tobacco charge of the present invention aid in the removal of the tars and nicotines because of an electrostatic trapping of the uncombusted solid particles during the smoking process. Such an electrostatic trapping apparently takes place between oppositely charged, heat agitated, rapidly moving molecules, mostly hydrocarbon polycyclics, and the non-flammable glass fiber sheds dispersed throughout the tobacco charge. Accordingly, by the employment of the glass fiber sheds of the present invention as an additive or replacement of a portion of the tobacco charge in a cigarette or similar smoking article, it is possible to reduce the tars and nicotines in an amount greater than that which would be ex pected by the mere fact that some of the tobacco has been replaced with a non-combustible material.

In the cigarettes or similar smoking articles of the present invention wherein glass fiber shreds are added to or replace the tobacco charge, the fiberglass shreds combine with the smoke particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of the tobacco during pyrolosis. Additionally, the organic particles are oxidized as the burning point reaches the glass fiber shreds, thus effectively completing the combustion of organic elements to the gaseous carbon dioxide. Because of the electro static charge associated with the glass fibers in the tobacco charge, any uncombusted materials come down with the ash together with the glass fiber shreds. Therefore, such uncombusted materials as well as the glass fiber shreds are withdrawn from the efiiuent smoke stream before reaching the smokers upper respiratory tract. Accordingly, the glass fibers which are present within the tobacco charge do not pass into the smokers upper respiratory tract with the gaseous efiluent but rather, form a portion of the ash which is eliminated upon smoking.

Therefore, it is to be understood that it is completely unexpected in accordance with the present invention that in addition to diminishing the tars and nicotine present in the elfiuent smoke in direct proportion to the mass of the glass fibers in the tobacco charge, such use of glass fibers further diminishes tars and nicotine because of the allowing of a more complete combustion and by the electrostatic afiinity of such glass fibers for the particulate molecules in the effluent smoke.

The present invention can be illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a smoking article in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a further cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a graphical illustration of the improvement realized by the present invention.

In all of the figures like numerals represent like elements.

FIGURE 1 represents a typical cigarette 1. While a cigarette is illustrated, it should be clear that the present invention is applicable to cigarettes and similar smoking articles such as cigars, pipe charges, etc.

In FIGURE 2, a cigarette is shown comprising a wrapper or casing 3, a tobacco charge 5, and a filter 9. The tobacco 5 of the cigarette can be any conventionally employed tobacco material now utilized in smoking articles. Similarly the filter 9 can comprise any suitable filtering material 11 which is now conventionally employed as a filtering medium for cigarettes, pipes, etc. Thus, for example, it is possible to employ cellulosic materials as well as inorganic materials such as carbon, clays, and organic polymeric materials such as polyurethane etc. While FIGURE 2 illustrates a filtered cigarette, it should be clear that the present invention is also applicable to non-filtered smoking articles.

As shown in FIGURE 2, glass fiber shreds 7 are incorporated within the tobacco charge 5 as an additive to or a replacement for a portion of the tobacco charge.

The glass fiber shreds 7, which are incorporated in the tobacco charge, can be of any practical size. Thus, for example, the glass fiber shreds can vary from a size which approximate the size of the toacco shreds themselves or such glass fiber shreds can be made much smaller. It is noted, however, that the glass fiber shreds should not be pulverized so that they are withdrawn with the effluent smoke into the upper respiratory tract of the smoker. When glass fiber shreds of a length which approximates the length of the tobacco shreds are used, or smaller glass fiber shreds are used, the glass fiber shreds come down with the ash of the cigarette when the cigarette is smoked and thus, none of the glass fiber shreds reaches the upper respiratory tract of the smoker.

Generally, the glass fiber shreds 7, which are used as a replacement of a portion of the tobacco charge 5, are produced from glass microfibers diameters which vary between about 0.005 millimeter and 0.5 millimeter although smaller or larger materials can be advantageously employed. The glass fiber shreds are generally formed by pressing the fiber materials into sheets or cylinders of any desired shape without the use of an organic binding agent with subsequent cutting of the sheets, etc., to produce the individual fiber shreds of the desired size.

The glass fiber shreds 7 are generally employed as a replacement of up to about 50% of the tobacco charge 5 although a greater amount could be used if desired for a particular purpose. It has been found that by the employment of up to about 50% of the tobaco charge, the pleasant taste and aroma of tobacco still remains while the glass fiber shreds tend to eliminate the tars and nicotines from the effluent smoke. Preferably, the glass fiber shreds 7 constitute a replacement of from about 10% to about 25% of the tobacco charge 5.

While the employment of the glass fiber shreds 7 as a partial replacement of the tobacco charge 5 can be utilized both with a filtered or non-filtered cigarette or similar smoking article, it has been found particularly suitable to combine the glass fiber shreds in the tobacco charge of the present invention with the glass matrix filtering medium disclosed in our co-pending application, Ser. No. 520,892. The materials employed in the smoke filters of US. patent application Ser. No. 520,892, are glass micro-fiber sheets developed and currently employed for chromatographic separation of organic materials. Such materials are soft and pliable and have a feel similar to velvet. The individual fibers of the sheets are commercially produced in diameters from about 0.005 millimeter to about 0.5 millimeter. These individual glass fibers are either rolled, woven, laminated or compressed into sheets, cylinders or any other desired shape for use as the filtering medium for tobacco smoke and the like.

The filtering elements are so disposed within the cigarette or cigar or pipe, or cigarette holders, etc., so that the tobacco smoke passes through the filtering element and the objectionable constituents are removed therefrom.

As stated previously, the thickness of the individual glass fibers usually varies from diameters of about 0.005 millimeter to about 0.5 millimeter although somewhat smaller or larger diameter materials can be effectively employed to meet varying requirements.

The novel filtering elements disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 520,892 can be prepared in accordance with methods known in the art. It is thus within the teachings of that application to not only employ the aforementioned materials alone, but also in combination with other materials and proven tobacco filtering materials. This is true whether the materials are to be employed as permanently attached filters in cigarettes Wherein the glass fiber matrix is in fixed relationship to the tobacco charge as Well as when the filter is to be incorporated in pipes, or in cigarette or cigar holders wherein the filters are disposable in nature.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 520,892, glass fiber discs are stamped out in thicknesses of approximately 1.0-1.5 mm., i.e., of sufficient porosity to allow the passage of smoke therethrough. From 1 to 6 of these discs can be employed as the sole filtering medium adjacent to the burnable tobacco charge of a cigarette by encasing them in a tube made of paper, metal, cork, or plastic, etc. Alternatively, a lesser number of such discs can be used in conjunction with conventional filtering media, e.g., cellulosic filters. For instance, glass fiber matrix discs can be placed either between the cellulosic filter and the burnable tobacco charge, or the cellulosic filter and mouth of the smoker in order to produce satisfactory filtering elements, Additionally, glass filter discs can be inserted between commercial filtering elements.

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Here, a cigarette is shown having a tobacco charge 5, a filter 9 and a filter medium 11, it being understood of course that such cigarette or similar smoking article can be employed both in the filtered or non-filtered form. Here, however, the conventional cellulosic wrapper or casing is replaced by a mineral paper 13, preferably made from a glass fiber sheeting. As with tobacco, it has been found that many other plant derivatives, when subjected to combustion, yield polycyclic and monocyclic hydrocarbons and inorganic radicals in the efiluent smoke. Therefore, the combustion of the cigarette paper, conventionally prepared from a cellulosic or woodpulp material, is a contributing factor towards the total undesirable products in the efiluent smoke from the burning of the cigarette or other similar smoking article. This can be readily perceived by a burning of the twisted cigarette paper after removing of the tobacco and observing the acrid smelling residue of the burning of such paper.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIGURE 3 however, wherein a mineral paper such as fine fiberglass paper is used in lieu of the wood-pulp derived paper, the undesirable products associated with the combustion of the conventional paper are eliminated. Although the glass fiber paper 13 is not flammable, such paper will come down with the cigarette ash just as will the interspersed fiberglass shreds or particles in a tobacco charge. Also, in a similar manner as was pointed out above with respect to the inclusion of glass fibers as a replacement of a portion of the tobacco charge, the glass fiber paper will add no taste of its own during the combustion of the cigarette or similar smoking article. Additionally, the properties of combining electrostatically as described for the interspersed fiberglass particles will also be true for the fiberglass paper casing or wrapper which is employed in the cigarette or similar smoking article.

While FIGURE 3 illustrates the employment of a mineral paper wrapper or casing in a conventional cigarette having a tobacco charge, it is of course obvious that this embodiment of the present invention can be combined with that embodiment previously described so that the cigarette or similar smoking article can have both the wrapper or casing made from a glass fiber material and also have a portion of the tobacco charge replaced by glass fibers. In this respect, such a cigarette or similar smoking article will have the beneficial effects associated with both embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, as set forth previously, the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURE 3 can advantageously be employed in conjunction with the glass matrix discs as filter elements as set forth in co-pending application, Ser. No. 520,892.

A particularly suitable cigarette or similar smoking article, therefore, would combine either one or both of the embodiments of the present invention in combination with that invention disclosed in co-pending application, Ser. No. No. 520,892. Thus, co-pending application, Ser. No. 520,892, shows the removal of 36%, 72% and 97% far by the employment of 2, 4 and 6 filter discs made from a glass fiber matrix. Even with the employment of up to 6 filter discs, the glass fiber matrix allows for a sufficient draw so that a pleasant taste and aroma remains.

It can thus be clearly seen that by combining the invention set forth in co-pending application, Ser. No. 520,892, with either or both of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to produce a cigarette or similar smoking article having a greatly reduced tar and nicotine content.

FIGURE 4 presents in graphical form the improved reduction in tar associated with the incorporation of glass fiber shreds into the tobacco charge. Thus, the tar content that would be expected merely because a portion of the tobacco had been replaced by a non-combustible material is shown as a dotted line in the graph of FIGURE 4, while the found tar content produced in accordance with the present invention is shown as a solid line. It can clearly be seen, that the employment of the glass fiber shreds in accordance with the present invention allows for the reduction of tars and nicotines in an amount greater than that which would be expected by the mere replacement of a portion of the tobacco charge with a non-combustible material. This is certainly an unexpected and unobvious result associated with the present invention.

The following specific examples illustrate the various embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood however that such specific examples are for purposes of illustration only and the present invention is in no way to be deemed as limited thereto.

Example 1 Cigarette tobacco of conventional sized shreds was mixed with glass fiber paper cut to similar shapes and sizes. Variable mixtures of these two substances were prepared containing 0-5101520-2530-35 percent by weight of the glass fiber additive. Conventional cellulose encasing were used to make cigarettes of these mixtures. Groups of 8 cigarettes of each mixture were smoked in a smoking machine, and the tar was trapped in two different solvent systems; the first was chloroform-methanol 2:1 solution, and the second isopropyl ether-ethanol 2:1 solutions. All the solvents were combined at the end of the experiment and were evaporated under nitrogen gas, and the amount of tar weighed on a microbalance.

The tobacco-containing glass fiber additive gave a tar content of 12.0 mgm. per cigarette. The theoretical tar content of mixtures containing glass fiber shreds was calculated as 12.0 mgm. minus the percent weight of the 7 8 fiber glass additive in the mixture. The following tar proto about 50% by Weight of shreds of a velvet-like duction was obtained, as shown in Table I. sheet of glass micro-fibers, said shreds being randomly TABLE I arranged within said tobacco charge so as to allow free passage of tobacco smoke therethrough while removing Tar 5 some of the objectionable material in said tobacco smoke.

Expected Found 2. The tobacco smoking article of claim 1 wherein said Percent glass fiber Shred shreds of a velvet-like sheet of glass micro-fibers comadlitive: 19 p 12 prise from about to about 25% by weight of said 1 In tobacco charge.

lg? 3- 2 1 3. The tobacco smoking article of claim 1 wherein said shreds of a velvet-like sheet of glass micro-fibers approxigg mate the size of the tobacco shreds in said tobacco charge.

8 9 4. The tobacco smoking article of claim 3 wherein said shreds of a velvet-like sheet of glass micro-fibers com- It is obvious from the foregoing example, that there is Prise from about 10% to about 25% y Weight of Said a disproportionately greater reduction of tar than would tObaCCO g be expected by the ratio of mass displacement of tobacco The tobacco smoking article of claim 1 wh r in b h ddi i 310116, Since, i about ne-thi d f h said tobacco smoking article comprises a cigarette.

tobacco is displaced, more than one-half reduction of tar The tobacco Smoking art cle of claim 5 wherein i b d said cigarette contains a tubular casing surrounding said It is self-evident, therefore, that factors other than mass tobacco charge, Said tubular casing comprising a Sheet alone are involved. The measurable discrepancy, thereof glass fibersfore, must be due to additional trapping of tar, relative The tobacco Smoking article of Claim 5 wherein said to the efficiency f tha g1ass fib Shred additive as an cigarette contains a filter element disposed at the mouth i m b charge filt end thereof, said filter element comprising a matrix of a velvet-like sheet of glass micro-fibers.

Examplez 8. The tobacco smoking articles of claim 7 wherein T b were d f fib glass filte papers f the said matrix of a velvet-like sheet of glass micro-fibers purpose of encasing smoking tobacco and a conventional of said filter element is in the form of discs. tobacco cigarette charge was encased by such paper. The cigarettes were made to weigh the same as those with References Cited conventional cellulose paper casings, i.e., 0.8 gram. Eight UNITED STATES PATENTS cigarettes from each kind were compared by the use of a smoking machine. Tar was trapped and weighed in the g z g same manner as described in Example 1. 5 2999775 9/1961 M a rk The conventional cigarettes with the cellulose casings 3068873 12/1962 An S produced approximately 13.0 milligrams tar per cigarette, man at a while the glass fiber-encased cigarettes produced only 7.0 FOREIGN PATENTS milligrams tar per cigarette. This indicates the unex- 863,398 3/1961 Great Britain pected property of the glass fiber wrapper, or casing, to 40 eliminate a portion of the deleterious materials found SAMUEL KQREN P i Examiner th t griticlz'efiluen smoke of a ci arette or similar smo lng D. I. D ON OHUE, Assistant Examiner.

We claim: 1. A tobacco smoking article containing a tobacco charge wherein said tobacco charge contains from about

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