Abstract: For shaping a component of a smoke filter, a rod of the material to be shaped and a heated former are relatively moved in contact with each other, in an arcuate path, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod, whereby an impression, for example an annular or helical groove, is produced in the rod by the former. For the said relative movement, the rod may be supported at the periphery of a rotor, while the former comprises a heated arcuate stator element or elements projecting inwardly towards the rotor. The rod may be turned about its axis during the relative movement, for example by a pair of rollers by which it is supported at the periphery of the rotor. A surface or surfaces bounding the impression, for example the bottom surface of a groove, may be sealed, during the shaping operation, so as to be smoke-impervious.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for conditioning and/or drying or otherwise treating tobacco, in which cut tobacco is treated with a liquid and/or vapour medium in a chamber in which a columnar bed of the tobacco is maintained in a fluidized state by air, which may be heated. The treatment medium may comprise water, which is introduced as a spray into the bed and/or in co-current with the fluidizing air through diffusing means at the bottom of the bed, and/or steam. The tobacco may be treated in continuous flow or batchwise.

Abstract: A filter element for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, comprises a generally cylindrical body having at least one helical groove in its peripheral surface and closely wrapped in a material pervious to vapor-phase constituents of the smoke, whereby such constituents are removed by diffusion thereof through said material during passage of the smoke along the groove. The body may be wholly or in part of a filter material capable of removing particulate-phase constituents from the smoke during its passage through the element. Suitably the groove extends from the upstream end face of the body to a point short of the downstream end face, where it opens into a space separated from the downstream end by an ungrooved portion of smoke-filter material. One or more faces of the groove and/or said upstream end face may be partially or wholly sealed against penetration of smoke into the body.

Abstract: A method for the treatment of tobacco, including curing and drying thereof, comprises applying a leaf-wilt accelerating chemical agent to parts of growing mature tobacco plants, allowing the leaves to wilt over a period of 2 to 50 days to effect a reduction of the water content of the leaves of at least one quarter by weight without killing the whole plant, harvesting the leaves and processing the harvested leaves for use as tobacco-smoking, chewing or snuff products. The agent may be applied by spraying the leaves or by way of the roots or stalks of the plants.

Abstract: This invention concerns improvements relating to tobacco-smoke filters, particularly cigarette filters, and to a method and apparatus for their production. According to the invention in a tobacco-smoke filter composed of absorbent paper and a filtering composition comprising a tow of fibrous or filamentary material, such as cellulose acetate, fibrillated or filamentary polypropylene, viscose or the like, associated with the paper in superimposed layers which are rolled or folded substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filter, the absorbent paper and filtering composition are in the form of strips extending longitudinally of the filter, the filtering-composition strip having a greater width than the paper strip and being so associated with the paper strip that it covers one face of the latter and is folded over along the two longitudinal edges of the paper strip to cover at least part and preferably the whole of the other face thereof.