Linear puffer

Abstract

The linear puffer includes (a) at least one smoking cylinder having an inlet and outlet side and a flow-through passage between said sides; (b) holder means operatively connected to the inlet side of the smoking cylinder for holding a suction end of a smoking article; (c) a piston located within the flow-through passage of the smoking cylinder; (d) a push bar connected to the outlet side; (e) a linear actuator connected to the push bar; and (f) activating means operatively connected to said linear actuator.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A device for smoking at least one smoking article to be analyzed comprising: 
 (a) a smoking cylinder having an inlet and outlet side and a flow-through passage in-between said sides;    (b) holder means operatively connected to the inlet side of the smoking cylinder for holding a suction end of said smoking article;    (c) a piston located within the flow-through passage of the smoking cylinder;    (d) a push bar connected to the outlet side of said smoking cylinder;    (e) a linear actuator connected to the push bar;    (f) activating means operatively connected to said linear actuator.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said activating means is a linear actuator controller.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 (g) processing means operatively connected to said activating means.  
 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said processing means is a programmable logic controller.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said processing means further comprises: 
 a programming terminal.  
 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said actuator controls test variables.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said test variables are selected from the group consisting of volume, puff duration and cycle time.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said smoking cylinder and piston are a syringe.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said linear actuator is a sinusoidal synchronous linear actuator.