US2985175A - Cigar - Google Patents

Description

y 23, 1961 s. L. RICH 2,985,175

CIGAR Filed July 6, 1959 INVENTOR. S/DNEY L. R/CH United States Patent 2,985,175 1C Patented May 23, 1961 j This invention pertains to cigars, and particularly to cigars comprising ash reinforcing means, and also pertains to methods of making ash-reinforcing binders for cigars. 1

A object of the invention is to provide a cigar wherein normal smoking characteristics and normal appearance are retained but which forms, upon being smoked, an ash which adheres firmly to the body of the cigar.

Another object is to provide an improved method of making an ash-reinforcing binder sheet for cigars.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive cigar construction, wherein the normal appearance of the cigar and of the cigar ash are retained, which has the smoking characteristics and taste of a normal cigar, but'which possesses the quality of burning, when being smoked, to form a strong, reinforced ash.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of acigar according to the invention;

' Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the cigar partially unwrapped to expose an internal construction according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of binder sheet employed in the preferred embodiment of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cigar partially unwrapped to expose internal construction'in accord with. a modification of the invention; and

v Fig. 5 is aplan view of a fragment of binder sheet employed in the modified embodiment of Fig. 4.

The cigar 1 of Fig. l is of normal appearance in every respect, and, as shown, comprises a bunch 2 which is to be seen in the figure at the trimmed lighting end 3. The bunch is made up of folded or partially shredded tobacco leaf in accord with the usual practice. The cigar is formed with spirally wrapped outer wrapper 4 of attractive tobacco leaf extending from the trimmed end 3 to and around the closed or punched tapered mouth or bit end 5.

Interposed between the bunch and wrapper is a binder 6, as best shown in Fig. 2 wherein the wrapper 4 has been broken and partially rolled back at 7 to expose the binder. Binder 6'comprises a rectangular sheet 8 having a breadth, as measured between side edges 9 and 10, as seen in Fig. 3, approximately equal to or slightly greater than the circumference of the bunch, and having a length substantially equal to the length of the cigar. When rolled around the bunch, edges 9 and 10 extend longi-. tudinally" of the cigar and, preferably, overlap for, for example, a fraction of an inch. The wrapper is spirally wrapped around the binder.-

I, The binder sheet 8 according to the invention is formed of comminuated tobacco particles. Such sheets may be formed by grinding dry tobacco leaf, wetting the particles with water and pressing and drying to form the sheet. It is preferred that a binder material should be incorporated with the comminuted tobacco particles, and appropriate binder materials include, among others, cellulose derivatives such as ethers of cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polysaccharides, gelatine, and agar-agar. If no binder material is embodied in the sheet, it is preferred that small tobacco fibers be incorporated of suflicient length to add strength to the sheet. Rather than forming the sheet from a water slurry of the tobacco particles, the liquid phase of the slurry may be dilute ethyl alcohol, for example.

A satisfactory binder sheet may be formed specifically by depositing a layer of damp or wet tobacco particles of between about 10 and 40 mesh size on a smooth surface, covering this layer with a polysaccharide material and then applying a further layer of tobacco particles. The deposited materials are pressed and heated or otherwise permitted to dry to about 10 to 20 percent moisture content. 7

In the preparation of the sheet the dry or wet ground or milled comminuted tobacco may be mixed with water to a creamy or syrupy consistency, and binder materials, if used, together with desired flavoring or moistening agents, mixed in the slurry or colloidal suspension thus formed, the mixture spread on a smooth surface and pressed and dried, with heat if desired.

In order for the binder sheet to be flexible and not subject to cracking and crumbling when it is being wrapped about the bunch, it, like other parts of the cigar, is moist when applied to the bunch and thereafter. Specifically, all parts of the cigar for proper making, as well as for proper smoking, should contain at least about 10 percent and preferably about fifteen to twenty percent of moisture. Accordingly, it will be understood that the binder sheet to be satisfactory for use in cigars must be moistena-ble and not waterproof. Homogenized or reconstituted comminuted tobacco sheet material of the general types referred to above, and which has approximately the thickness of a normal or average tobacco leaf" and which is wetta-ble with water, and which has a strength at least approximately equal to the strength of a tobacco leaf is suitable for use in this invention.

, In accord with the preferred embodiment, the manufactured tobacco sheet 8 is imprinted with stripes or bands 11, extending longitudinally of the sheet parallel to the side edges 9 and 10, comprising alkali metal silicate. The bands 11 are separated each from the next by about twice the width of one band, whereby about one-third of the sheet surface is covered by silicate and two-thirds of the surface are untreated. Each band is between about one-sixteenth of an inch and one-quarter of an inch in breadth, with a separation between adjacent bands of between about one-eighth and one-half of an inch. If more. than about one half of the sheet surface is coated with the silicate, the cigar may be too slowly burnable during smoking and may burn unevenly around the burning end; if less than about one sixth of the sheet surface is coated, insufficient strength will have been added to the ash.

The alkali metal silicate is preferably applied to the manufactured sheet by means of transfer rolls from a bath of sodium silicate in the form of dilute Water glass. Commercial syrupy liquid water glass of 40 Baum diluted by the addition of water in proportions by volume between 100 parts water glass to 60 or parts of water and parts water glass to parts of water is appropriate, while approximately equal parts of 40 Baum water glass and of water are, under most conditions, the preferred proportion. Thus, suitable water glass for use in this invention may be between about 19- and 28 Baum.

A metal pick-up roll rotating in the silicate bath supplies the material to a rubber transfer roll which, in turn, contacts and transfers the liquid to a rubber impression cylinder or printing roller which consists of printing sur faces one-sixteenth to one-fourth of an inch in width, with spaces between each printing surface equal to ap: proximately twice the width of an individual printing surface. The total width of the printing roller or rollers should be at least as great as the binder sheet width. When the printing surfaces contact the sheet, appropriately effective stripe coating on the sheet results. Preferably the sheet is coated in this manner on both surfaces simultaneously with printing surfaces engaging each sheet surface and thus forming each band on both sheet surfaces, i.e. with each printing surface engaging one sheet surface aligned exactly opposite an identicalprinting surface of" the other roller in contact with the oppo: site sheet surface.

Printing of the binder sheet, which may be of about 0.003 to about 0.006 of an inch in thickness, in the manner described, while the sheet contains about 8 to 20 percent moisture, causes the dilute water glass to penetrate into the sheet material through its whole thickness, apparently substantially uniformly. When coated in this manner on only one face, some penetration through the whole thickness is apparent, although'the distribution may not be constant throughout the thickness of the sheet. If the sheet is too dry, it may crumble under the printing roll; if too moist, the sheet loses its tensile strength and may tear.

The coating or printing is effective on sheets, whether homogeneous or laminated, formed of tobacco particles offrom dust size to about 20 or 15 mesh size. For binder sheets prepared from smaller particles, it is preferred to print somewhat broader strips of the silicate than for sheets formed of larger particles, within the ranges indicated hereinabove, although the invention herein described is operative throughout the ranges specified for strip breadth and spacing with binder sheets formed of particles between dust size and about mesh 15. More dilute water glass material, and slightly heavier applications thereof, may be found appropriate for binder sheets having a thickness as great as, for example, 0.005' of an inch, whereas binder sheet of 0.003 of: an inch is' appropriately printed with 40 'Baum water glass diluted with slightly less than an equal quantity of water. The penetration of the dilute water glass can be increased if desired, or if found desirable with any one or another binder sheet, or with one or the other face which may be found less penetrable, by the addition of a small quantity of a wetting agent. From three to six drops of vinegar added to each print of dilute water glass has been found satisfactory for this purpose, for example.

Following the coating or printing step, the moisture content of the sheet is suitably made uniform and adjusted, such as by drying to set the silicate and remoistening to obtain the approximately 10-20 percent overall moisture content desired for workability of the sheet in extend generally along or longitudinally of the cigar, as.

opposed to circling around the cigar. The cigar is completed by a spiral wrapped wrapper 15, preferably spiralling in the direction opposite to the spiral direction ofthe binder.

Sheet 12 is in all respects, except as specifically noted above and except that its breadth between edges'16 and 17 may be somewhat less, identical to sheet 8, the bands 13 being of the same material as bands v11 and similarly applied and of similar dimensions and spacing. The bunch 14 and wrapper 15 may be identical with bunch 2 and wrapper 4 of the first embodiment, and the appearance of the finished cigar 18 will be as shown in Fig. 1. It will be apparent that the description herein relating to Figs. 1 through 3, accordingly, is generally applicable to the construction in accord with Figs. 4, and, 5, except as particularly pointed out above.

The cigar is lighted for smoking, and is smoked, in the usual manner, but it is found that the ash, though entirely normal in appearance, is substantially increased in strength by the longitudinal bands of silicate. The impregnated and coated portions of the binder smolder at a rate not appreciably affected by the impregnation. While the ash of the impregnated portions of the binder tends to be black, rather than gray, the gray ash of the wrapper covers the ash of the binder hiding it from view, and, unless the ash is, very. carefully broken apart and carefully examined, one would not recognize any unusual, appearance thereof.

The reinforcement or strengthening of the ash in accord with the invention is such as to greatly reduce the in-' advertent knocking off of the ash up. to an ash about. oneinch or one and one-quarter-inches long, and to make possible smoking to an ash about two inches long with-, out extraordinary care. At the same time, the ash is not so much strengthened as to impose any'difificulty in. intentionally knocking oif the ash. While a very soft tap on an ash tray, or a gentle shake, maybe suflicient to dislodge the ash on a cigar not in accordwith the invention, an appreciably sharper tap, or more vigorous shake is necessary to knock off 'an ash of the same length, in a cigar in accord with the invention.

Tests indicate that'cigars in accord with the invention are indistinguishable asto. smoking. taste and aroma. and as to other smoking characteristics, except that the, ash' is stronger, from cigars inade up of'the. same materials but with the homogenized leaf binder. uncoated with silicate.

'While only certain preferred embodiments ofthis invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilledin the art and it is, therefore,desired that it be understood; that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scopeof this invention.

W is i i d. s. ne a d hat s de i ed e u e.- by Letters Patent of the United States is;

1-. In a cigar, a in a n h. n ex e n l w a n r i reconstituted comminuted tobacco leaf binder interposed; er be nr a urali o as d alk li meta sili a r s s W li 21 a a of i bin er andori nted.

9 exte d e er l 1Qn di al r Qt e dea a .1 a i r. having a u ch n n. x ern l. Wr pper a er he nw p i unch a n posed:

be w en id b nq an pp r, and rmed f small: wba co. part c es. ound together, in pa t by alkali" metal l cate mpr gn ted, he n long r s ri ted. areas. thereof extending generally longitudinally of the cigar.

, 3. In a cigar comprisinga bunch, and an outer wrapper, a binder. disposedwrappingly around thebunch and within. the. wrapper comprising a sheet of substantially the thickness of a leaf; of tobacco consisting essentially ofcomprising between about one tenth te'one-third'of the,

. areaof said sheet.

'4'. The method of making ,a shrein forcing sheet for a cigar comprising the steps of forming a sheet of tobacco particles of between dust size and 15 mesh bound together with an organic binder material, adjusting the moisture content of said sheet to between about 8 and 20 percent moisture and printing a pattern of parallel stripe areas of said sheet with water glass of between about 19 and 28 Baum, and thereafter reducing the moisture content of said stripe areas to provide a sheet of uniform moisture content suitable for wrapping about a bunch in the making of the cigar.

References Cited in the file of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Low Apr. 25, 1933 Sartoretto et al. Oct. '14, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1901 France May 27, 1953

Images