Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing tobacco smoke filters wherein a continuous tube of smoke filtration material is ensheathed in a smoke-pervious layer of fibrous material. The ensheathed tube is cut into discrete lengths and in each of the lengths a cross section of the ensheathed material is rendered impervious to the passage of tobacco smoke and the tube is closed at a distance spaced longitudinally from the cross section.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing tobacco smoke filter having an improved tar/carbon monoxide ratio is disclosed. The filter is obtained by sealing off the center portion of the filter with an inner member which is impermeable to the passage of smoke, thus directing all of the smoke to the periphery of the filter. In one embodiment, the inner member is formed as a thin walled tube of a material such as polypropylene, with the tube being crimped to seal one end of the tube. The crimped tube is then overwrapped with a smoke permeable material.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing axially elongated, self-sustaining, dimensionally stable smoke rods or the like from filamentary tow by feeding the tow into a confined zone having a non-porous section and a porous section, simultaneously feeding gas under pressure into the inlet end of the confined zone at a feed rate sufficiently high so as to pneumatically convey the tow through the confined zone in a rod-like formation substantially conforming to the cross-sectional size and shape of the confined zone, and sufficiently low so as to permit escape of at least a major portion of the feeding gas from the confined zone along the porous section, introducing a heated gas into the tow in a third section of the confined zone downstream from the porous section, maintaining the tow in contact with the heated gas for a time sufficient for the gas to contact the tow across substantially its entire cross-section and render the tow bondable and cooling the heated tow to bond the same into the rod-like shape.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing a cigarette filter unit, in which filter elements are disposed on a porous or perforated covering strip and at least partially wrapped thereby and adhesively joined. The adhesive substance is applied to the covering strip along coating tracks which are at least approximately equidistant from each other and extended at an angle to the longitudinal orientation of the covering strip. The filter strand formed in this manner is subdivided by a cutting device.

Abstract: The trailing end of a running tow of filamentary filter material in a filter rod making machine is spliced to the leader of a fresh tow, and the splice is held at a preselected location ahead of the first tow treating station in the machine. An optoelectric or pressure-responsive detector generates a signal when the splice advances beyond such location on expiry of the running tow, i.e., when the second tow begins to advance through the machine. The signal is used to reduce the speed of the prime mover of the machine during travel of the splice therethrough, to increase the width of passages which are defined for the tow by the banding, spreading, stretching, plasticizer-applying and/or other units for the tow so that the splice can readily advance therethrough, and/or to effect automatic segregation of those filter rod sections which contain portions of the splice.

Abstract: In apparatus for making transverse-flow cigarette filters, a rod of cellulose acetate impregnated with a plasticizing agent and having a porous covering is cut into sections each having a length of several filters. From the cutting station, the rod sections are fed longitudinally into longitudinal grooves in the periphery of a first revolving drum. The rod sections are then transferred into longitudinal grooves in the periphery of a second revolving drum having in such grooves projections for forming indentations in one side of the rod sections. While carried by the second revolving drum, the rod sections are engaged by a third revolving drum having on its periphery projections for forming longitudinally offset indentations in the opposite side of the rod sections. In another embodiment of the apparatus, the rod sections are received in transverse grooves in a conveyor belt, and are transferred in groups between opposed punches which form indentations in opposite sides of the rod sections.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing a cigarette filter unit, in which filter elements are disposed on a porous or perforated covering strip and at least partially wrapped thereby and adhesively joined. The adhesive substance is applied to the covering strip along coating tracks which are at least approximately equidistant from each other and extended at an angle to the longitudinal orientation of the covering strip. The filter strand formed in this manner is subdivided by a cutting device.

Abstract: The apparatus is provided with a cutter having pairs or rotary knives for cutting a filter rod into plural filter plugs and a pin wheel for positively ejecting the filter plugs in spaced array onto a conveyor. The apparatus also has a rotary feed means for the granular filter material which employs an independently rotatable cam wheel with pins for pushing out the plungers of the feed wheel to expel the charges of granular filter material. The garniture also laterally compresses the filter plugs to form a restricted pocket between two filter plugs to receive the granular filter material.

Abstract: Filter plugs of double unit length are fed sideways into successive flutes of a rotating drum which moves successive plugs past a rotary knife so that each plug yields two coaxial sections of unit length. Each flute contains two spaced apart mechanical stops at the opposite sides of the cutting plane and each flute has two suction ports which are overlapped by the corresponding stops. The ports draw streams of air which attract the respective sections immediately upon completion of the cutting step so that the sections move away from each other and against the respective stops. Plugs of a different second type are thereupon inserted into the gaps between successive coaxial sections. The cutting station is overlapped by a stationary shroud having an opening through which the knife extends with sufficient clearance to allow streams of atmospheric air to flow into that flute which is located at the cutting station and into the respective suction ports.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing a cigarette filter unit, in which filter elements are disposed on a porous or perforated covering strip and at least partially wrapped thereby and adhesively joined. The adhesive substance is applied to the covering strip along coating tracks which are at least approximately equidistant from each other and extended at an angle to the longitudinal orientation of the covering strip. The filter strand formed in this manner is subdivided by a cutting device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a longitudinally creped paper web for use in the manufacture of filter rods. In order to improve the filtering capacity and resistance to flow therethrough without weakening filter plugs formed from the web in respect of resistance to radial crushing the longitudinally creped web is provided with linear indentations transversely thereof which are sufficiently closely spaced one from the other longitudinally of the web to provide consistency in draw of short length sections cut from filter plugs made from the web. The invention also relates to the process and apparatus for forming such a filter web using co-operating spaced rollers for forming controlled linear compression zones extending transversely of the web, at least one of these two rollers being provided with ribs extending at least approximately axially of the roll.

Abstract: A continuous strand consisting of loose filamentary and/or fibrous material is brought into engagement with a conveying and forming belt in at least approximately tension-free condition by means of at least one continuously moving conveying element which extends into the strand-gripping zone of the conveying and forming belt and which engages the interior of the strand. Next the strand is enveloped and brought to the desired cross-section by said belt. After achieving the desired cross-sectional form of the strand, the strand material is interfixed. The thus formed form-stable rod is then divided into rod-shaped portions by a cutting-device.

Abstract: A filter is formed by placing increments of glue in spaced apart relation on a moving stream of plug wrap paper and thereafter depositing alternating fibrous filter sections on the glue increments. Particulate material is then deposited between the fibrous filter sections and the plug wrap paper wrapped about the filter sections to form an endless rod. Two-filter filter plugs are severed from the rod by cutting through the unglued fibrous filter section and thereafter the charges of particulate filter material are compacted by moving the unglued outer filter sections of each plug inwardly. Each plug is then joined to two tobacco columns and cut in half. The resultant filters each have a fibrous filter section at the exposed end glued to the plug wrap paper, a compacted particulate section and an unglued fibrous filter section at the tobacco end.

Abstract: A filter tipping machine wherein pairs of coaxial plain cigarettes are united with filter plugs of double unit length by adhesive-coated bands. When a filter plug is missing, a mechanical or a photosensitive filter plug detector transmits a signal to a valve which admits compressed air to two nozzles to cause the plain cigarettes which are not separated by a filter plug to move toward each other so that a uniting band which is applied around the adjacent inner end portions of the thus shifted plain cigarettes can adequately connect the plain cigarettes to each other during further transport to a station where the united plain cigarettes can be readily segregated from satisfactory products.

Abstract: A continuous filter rod wherein dissimilar filter rod sections alternate with each other is monitored by a photosensitive detector which detects changes in the degree to which different sections absorb and/or reflect radiation. A pulse generator transmits signals for each unit length of the rod and such signals are multiplied and transmitted to several counters one of which ascertains whether or not the number of signals between two successive changes of the intensity of radiation is too low (this denotes that the length of filter rod sections of a certain type is insufficient), another of which ascertains whether or not the number of signals between two successive changes of the intensity of radiation is excessive (this denotes that the length of filter rod sections of a certain type is excessive), and a third of which ascertains whether or not the cutoff severs the filter rod at desired locations, e.g., midway across successive filter rod sections of a given type.