Difficultly flammable cigarette wrapper

Sept. 3, 1935.

S. E. SEAMAN 2,013,508

DIFFICULTLY FLAMMABLE CIGARETTE WRAPPER

Filed May 25, 1933

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INVENTOR

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Patented Sept 3, 1935

2,013,508

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,013,508

DIFFICULTLY FLAMMABLE CIGARETTE WRAPPER

Stewart Elmer Seaman, White Plains, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1933, Serial No. 672,836

Claims. (Cl. 131—52)

My invention is concerned with the production of a cigarette wrapper, which when used to surround tobacco as in a cigarette in condition to be smoked, reduces the fire hazard when the unsmoked portion of said cigarette is discarded.

One object of my invention is to produce a wrapper for a cigarette or a cigarette so wrapped, that when the unsmoked portion is discarded, said unsmoked portion will be almost immediately and automatically extinguished, instead of being left around where ignition with inflammable material may take place, and a conflagration initiated.

Another object of my invention is to so place or locate that inflammability-retarding element in respect to its length, that it will be that distance from the mouth portion of the cigarette where experience has shown that a smoker normally discards the cigarette. Experience has indicated that this distance is usually from a fourth to half the distance from the mouth of the usual length of the cigarette, that is, when the same has been from one-half to three-quarters consumed. Such a cigarette if discarded while still lighted—as it usually is—will normally continue to smoulder and burn until the cigarette has been entirely consumed. Ln time tests made by me, this period has varied from five to fifteen minutes, during all of which time it was a distinct fire hazard.

Statistics of the fire insurance companies attest to the enormous loss sustained, directly traceable to this cause.

Other objects will appear in the description following.

My invention, therefore, comprehends a cigarette wrapper and a cigarette so wrapped, with a difficultly flammable band, colorless or colored, placed on the ordinary paper wrapper at a position or positions desired, so that when the cigarette is consumed to the point of contact with the band, which point is that distance from one end of the original cigarette which experience has shown is at that degree or stage of smoking where the cigarette is normally discarded, that said cigarette when discarded will almost immediately go out of its own accord. When a cigarette is discarded, it is seldom under observation by the smoker while continuing to smolder until substantially the balance of the cigarette is consumed. However, if the smoker does not desire to discard the cigarette at this predetermined point or points, by continually drawing on the same, it may be further consumed.

Paper found suitable for a cigarette wrapper is an especial quality, must be free from pinholes and porous portions in order to obviate local air leaks and insure uniformly burning qualities, while permitting sufficient air to penetrate therethrough to permit of proper combustion of de- 5 sired speed, and therefore insure free and uniform smoking qualities.

My invention comprehends the covering of a portion of a cigarette with a band, either by placing said band on the paper before the latter 10 has been made into cigarette form and condition, or attaching said band in any suitable manner to the otherwise apparently finished cigarette. Where a single band is provided for the cigarette, a band from one-fourth to an inch in 75 diameter has been found suitable, although I do not limit myself to a specified diameter of the band or bands. Normally it has been found in the use of a single band of fire-retardant composition, that the portion of the band nearest ₂₀the lighted end of the cigarette should be so adjusted that the band will be reached when one-half to three-quarters of the cigarette has been consumed. ·φ is not intended that the band shall be sufficiently near the lighted end as ₂₅to interfere with the normal smoking of the cigarette, and shall not be so close to the end of the cigarette intended to be inserted in the mouth, that it will be in contact with the smoker’s lips.

My film, band or pellicle, when attached to a ₃₀cigarette, will cause the same to be almost immediately and automatically extinguished when normally burned to contact with the band or strip, unless the smoker continues to actively draw on the same. My fire-retarding band, is ₃₅inodorous, tasteless, sanitary, pleasing in appearance, resistant to the admission of air, of very light weight, susceptible of printing thereon if desired, and is inexpensive.

I prefer to make this covering band of a cellu- ₄₀losic compound or derivative, such as a cellulose ester or cellulose ether, or cellulose regenerated therefrom or from other cellulosic compounds. Regenerated cellulose from an inorganic cellulose ester as cellulose nitrate, or cellulose regen- ₄₅erated from an organic cellulose ester as cellulose acetate, or cellulose regenerated · from a product such as xanthated cellulose or copperammonia cellulose has been found suitable for this purpose, or an organic cellulose ester or a ₅₀cellulose ether may be used as such, that is, without de-esterification or de-etherification. Obviously on account of inflammability, it is contra-indicated to employ a nitrocellulose without partial or complete denitrification. It is 55

2,013,608 of advantage that the fire-retarding cigarette paper band or covering be substantially waterresistant.

In the preparation of the band or film from 5 which a band may be obtained, I may add thereto additional fire-retardants as inorganic salts, examples being calcium sulfate, or other alkaline earth metal sulfate, carbonate or phosphate, or other difficultly-burnable, non-toxic, odorless in and tasteless salt or compound of inflammability-reducing properties. If a salt of this nature is employed to increase the fire-resistance of the attached band or film, said salt is preferably incorporated with the film when the latter is in a 15 dissolved or plastic condition. Colored inorganic oxides, hydroxides or other combinations may likewise be employed, provided they fulfill the conditions above enumerated.

In general inorganic “delustering” materials as 20 used in rayon manufacture are suitable for this purpose. The fire-retardant may be incorporated as such, or it may result as the result of a doubledecomposition, as the introduction of a soluble barium salt into a viscose solution, casting the 25 same into film form, then immersing in a sulfuric acid solution of suitable concentration, wherein by double decomposition, barium sulfate results. Or, I may incorporate a body as barium sulfide in the cellulosic composition, cast the 50 film, and then immerse in a zinc sulfate solution, whereby a double decomposition will ensue with the formation of the two white pigments, zinc sulfide and barium sulfate. I take a solution of a cellulose ester in a volatile solvent, as an ace35 tated cellulose dissolved in a solvent mixture containing acetone, evaporate the volatile portion therefrom, and casting the same in a pellicle or film form, cut up the same into the length and width desired, for attaching to the cigarette at 40 the point or place desired. Or a film produced from the evaporation of the volatile portion from a cellulose ether may likewise be used, or a regenerated cellulose film be prepared as from a de-nitrated nitrocellulose, de-acetylated cellulose ₄₅ acetate, or from a viscose solution or a copperammonium mixture with cellulose.

As a specific embodiment of my invention, given for illustrative purposes only, and to be understood as not limiting the same, I may take a ₅₀ viscose solution of the strength of cellulose contained therein and other physical characteristics suitable for rayon production, cast the same into sheet or film form by ways now known, cut the film so obtained into strips of one-fourth to three55 fourths of an inch in width, and of suitable length to encircle the cigarette, attaching the same, to said cigarette by means of a suitable agglutinant, and allowing the adhesive attaching the band to the cigarette paper to dry at ordinary atmos₆₀ pheric or elevated temperature. If the film or band has had fire-retarding components added thereto, the general method of procedure as substantially outlined above is still adhered to. Or, I may encircle the cigarette with the paper ₆₅ wrapper therein with a regenerated cellulose or esterified or etherified cellulose band in the wetted or partially dissolved or plasticized condition, and allow the same to adhere by the normal contraction induced by the evaporation of the aqueous 70 or non-aqueous portion.

Or, I may attach the band or film to the cigarette paper wrapper before the wrapper has been placed in contact with the tobacco, or I may proceed otherwise so that the finishedjcigarette has attached to the paper portion, an infiam- 5 inability-reducing band of such distance from the end that is inserted in the mouth as not to normally touch the lips, and of such distance from the lighted end or end normally lighted as to come in contact with the burning cigarette, 10 when said cigarette has been but partially consumed, usually when one-third to two-thirds of said cigarette has been burned.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a cigarette carrying a single movable band thereon; Fig. 2 15 shows a cigarette with a plurality (in the drawing, 2) such bands attached thereto; and Fig. 3 represents a water-insoluble fire-retardant band before attachment to the cigarette.

l am aware of the patent of Felix Meyer, U. S. 20 Patent 931,629 for “impregnating or coating the ends of cigars” , with “a solution of acetylcellulose mixed with a coloring matter”, but this invention is the antithesis of Meyer in that it is not desired to coat or impregnate the end of a cigar or a 25 cigarette “to protect the lips of the smoker”.

I am also aware of the mechanical patent of George Butler, U. S. Patent 779,687, who has described a “mouthpiece for a cigarette or cigar” which mouthpiece is so constructed that the to- 30 bacco does not come in contact with the mouth or the lips of the smoker, and the German Patent 378,122 of Dorendahl et al., who encases the entire cigarette in a cellophane wrapper. I do not claim anything embodied in the above. 35

Instead of providing but one band indicating the length of a cigarette which may be discarded with its fire-hazard reduced, two or a plurality of bands may be attached to the same at varying distances. If a smoker reaches the first band and 49 desire to consume a larger proportion of the cigarette, he may actively and continuously' draw on'the same until the cigarette is consumed in the banded portion, whereupon it may be smoked in the usual manner until the next band is 45 reached.