Abstract: A method and apparatus for reordering hot, dry expanded tobacco comprises a first reordering step in which the tobacco moisture content is raised to a first value, an intermediate cooling stage in which the tobacco is cooled to about ambient temperature (20.degree.-25.degree. C.) followed by a final reordering step in which the tobacco moisture content is raised to a final desired value.

Abstract: A simple form of pneumatic transporter is provided by making two pairs of lines of cut in the wall of a length of ducting and bending outwardly the portions of the wall between each pair of lines of cut. A nozzle means is mounted at the outer end of each of the bent-out portions.

Abstract: For the manufacture of filter rod, filtration material and plugwrap being a thermally mouldable paperlike material, are fed, continuously to a rod maker, said plugwrap and rod being brought into contact with a heated moulding means to produce an impression in the peripheral surface of said plugwrap whilst preserving the continuity of the said wrap. The plugwrap includes not less than 25%, suitably 45 to 95%, by weight of synthetic thermoplastic material. At least a substantial proportion of the said thermoplastic material may be in the form of fibrillated fibre. The thermoplastic material may comprise polyethylene and/or cellulose acetate. The thickness of the plugwrap advantageously does not exceed 140 microns and its permeability prior to contact with said heated moulding means does not exceed 100 Coresta Units. By the said impression, the plugwrap is transformed from a paperlike material to a filmlike material of reduced permeability.

Abstract: The disclosure is of improved apparatus and a method for producing tobacco rod from cut tobacco filler. The apparatus and the method include the use of a fluid bed of the tobacco particles to convey the tobacco particles from a source to the rod making machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying web material from reels thereof to a web-utilizing machine comprises a reel changer including a reel store, means for advancing reels in the store in succession to a reel-unwinding location, a web-transport system for feeding and guiding to the machine a web extending from a reel at that location, which system comprises at least one air mover, means for sensing the absence of web from a portion of the extent of the system and control means responsive to signals from said sensing means to activate air-supply to the air movers, whereby a leading end of a web length extending from a said reel is fed to the outlet end of the system. The web path of the transport system may include at least one curved portion defined by an air bearing.

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: Apparatus for capturing the outer end of a web to be unreeled from a reel comprises rotatable reel-holding means, driving means adapted for rotating a reel in the reel-unwinding direction and in the contrary direction, an elongate air mover operable for moving the web and so mounted that the inlet end thereof is movable nearer to and further from the axis of rotation of the reel-holding means to permit the maintenance of the said inlet end in close proximity to the periphery of a reel, held by the said holding means, over a range of reel radii. The air mover suitably has a pivotal mounting at the outlet end and rests at its inlet end in contact with the reel, descending under gravity as the reel is unwound and thus accomodating its position to the decreasing radius of the reel. Sensing means may operate to detect the capture of a web end at the said inlet end and to produce a signal for changing the direction of reel drive to the unwinding direction from the contrary direction.

Abstract: A tobacco-treatment process comprises mechanically expressing cell-sap from yellowed, substantially undried, tobacco-leaf material, impregnating the fibrous material remaining after the expression with said cell-sap or with parts or components of said cell-sap or with cell-sap expressed from other yellowed, substantially undried, tobacco leaf material, and drying the sap-impregnated material. The tobacco leaf material may comprise leaves harvested in a fully developed and mature state. The leaves may be at least partly yellow when harvested. They may have been yellowed by the application of a yellowing agent to tobacco plants or yellowing may have been effected or completed by heaping or rack-hanging the harvested leaves in an enclosed atmosphere, suitably with a relative humidity of 70% or more and a temperature in the range of 20.degree. to 40.degree. C. Ethylene gas may be introduced into the atmosphere to promote the yellowing.

Abstract: A smoking article which comprises a rod of smoking material contained within a wrapper has an air-permeability in a range of from 20 to about 120 Coresta units and is provided in the region of the mouth end, with ventilation means to give a degree of ventilation of 15 to 90%, the ratio of carbon-monoxide yield to tar yield of the smoking article being significantly less than 0.9. If the article has a tip means, the ventilation means may be provided, at least partially, in the tip means. The smoking material may include a high proportion of lamina-leaf tobacco having a relatively high nicotine content. Tobacco in the smoking material, possibly including stem tobacco, is coarsely cut or shredded. The smoking material may include up to 60% of expanded tobacco. The wrapper may contain an addition of a burn-promoting agent.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for modifying the peripheral conformation of a cigarette, which has an external, heat deformable, wrapper comprising a proportion of thermoplastic fibers or filaments. The method comprises the application of heat to the wrapper. Heat is applied by a heat forming means moved relatively and in contact with the cigarette, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.

Abstract: For manufacturing rod for cigarette use, rod filler and paper wrapper web are fed continuously to a rod-forming machine in which wrapper web is wrapped about said filler to provide rod and the wrapper is longitudinally lap seamed by bringing heated sealing means into contact with the outer of overlapping web portions intended to provide the seam, one at least of said portions comprising at least 50% by weight of thermoplastic fibers or filaments. The rod filler and paper wrapping web, comprising at least 50% by weight of thermoplastic fibers or filaments, may be fed to the rod-forming device with the margins of the web overlapping and the heated sealing means brought into contact with one of the overlapping margins. The machine may be a cigarette-making machine or a filter-rod making machine.

Abstract: A device or method for monitoring the gas-permeability of a sheet material is disclosed. The device comprises a first gas-flow chamber having an inlet, which, during operation of the device is closed by the sheet material extending across the inlet. A second flow chamber has an outlet by which a gaseous medium can be directed towards the sheet material with a leakage path whereby a significantly greater proportion, suitably 90%, of the gas-flow in the second flow chamber is permitted to leak to the atmosphere. This leakage path is provided by spacing the gas outlet of the second chamber from the position in which the sheet material extends across the gas inlet of the first chamber. A measurement means, preferably a pressure transducer is connected across a low-impedance laminar-flow device.

Abstract: A device for the determination of the gas permeability of a material such as paper includes a holder 1 for holding a sample across a gas flow passage of predetermined cross section and a pump 2 for drawing air through the passageway via one or more constant flow device C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 arranged in parallel. Each constant flow device has a closable control valve V.sub.1 -V.sub.6 respectively. A first pressure transducer measures the pressure drop across the sample and a second pressure transducer, in cooperation with a lamina flow element measures the rate of air flow through the sample. A by-pass by-passes selectively three of the control valves of the constant flow devices. The by-pass has valves B.sub.1 -B.sub.3 arranged in parallel and operable to close the by-pass to gas flow therethrough to the respective constant flow devices C.sub.1 -C.sub.6.The by-pass also includes an atmospheric bleed 11 and a valve B.sub.4 closable to stop the flow of air into the by-pass.

Abstract: A smoking article such as a cigarette has a rod of smoking material wrapped in a wrapper of which the substantially uniform air permeability due to viscous flow is not more than 3 and preferably not more than 2 Coresta Units and of which the Do/t value is in the range of 0.08 to 0.65 cm sec.sup.-1, preferably 0.15 to 0.25 cm sec.sup.-1. The length of the rod of smoking material may suitably be within a range of 25 to 55 mm. A reduction in sidestream TPM delivery of 40% or more can be obtained.The invention is also concerned with a smoking-article wrapper material which satisfies the above permeability and Do/t value requirements.

Abstract: The filter comprises a tobacco smoke filtration tube ensheathed in a layer of smoke pervious thermoplastic material. The layer is encased in a plugwrap. The layer has a transverse cross-section rendered impervious to smoke tobacco by use of an annular sealing groove. The tube is closed at a location spaced longitudinally from the groove by a V-shaped annular groove.

Abstract: A smoking article comprises a smoking material rod and, to one end thereof, a flow-impedance device comprising a rod-like element of foam or fibrous material which is or has been rendered impervious to the flow of smoke therethrough and one or more open-ended smoke-flow passages extending from one end to the other of the element, the pressure drop of the passage or passages being in the range from 40 to 200 mm, preferably 50 to 100 mm, water gauge and said device being enclosed in a wrapping permitting inward flow of ambient air into the device, which has air-conducting means whereby air flowing inwardly through the wrapping is conducted to the mouth end of the device, the device being effective to remove not more than 25%, preferably 20%, of the total particulate matter of the smoke. The passage or passages may be formed by a bore or bores in the material or by a capillary tube or tubes.

Abstract: Web-splicing apparatus comprises a web splicer and, associated therewith, an air mover and web-presentation means operable to present to the inlet end of the air mover the leading end of a first web extending from a reel and the leading end of a second web extending from another reel, which air mover is operable to feed the leading end of said first web from said presentation means to and through a splicing zone, to serve as a guide for subsequent continuous passage of that web and further operable to feed the leading end of the second said web from said presentation means to said splicing zone during continuous passage of the first web through the air mover. Web-severing means may be disposed for operation in the splicing zone and web-withdrawal means, suitably further air-mover means, downstream of that zone.

Abstract: A smoke-filter rod comprises a body of rod form consisting or having as at least major constituent a thermoplastics cellulose acetate or polypropylene smoke-filtration material, preferably of a fibrous or filamentary nature, and wrapped in a plugwrap comprising at least 50%, suitably at least 90%, by weight of fibres or filaments of, respectively, cellulose acetate or polypropylene material of substantially the same chemical identity as said major constituent of the filtration material, said plugwrap being bonded to said body and having a permeability for air of not less than 10,000 Coresta units. The bonding is by an agent which is a bonding agent for the material of said plugwrap and said filtration material, suitably triacetin in the case of cellulose acetate. Portions of such filter rod can be subjected to a hot-shaping process.

Abstract: A liquid-spraying device, particularly for applying an additive to a moving bed of smoking material. The device includes a body and an elongate narrow unshrouded tubular spray tip carried by the body. First and second ducts are in the body through which the liquid and an atomizing medium respectively can be supplied to the tip. A third duct is provided for supplying a cleaning medium such as air. A jet structure is located remotely from the discharge end of the spray tip, is connected to the third duct and is arranged to direct the cleaning medium along and around the outside of the freely extending tip to the discharge end thereof. The spray tip may be mounted on and extend from a nozzle head connected to the body. The jet structure is provided in the nozzle head, for example, in the form of a plurality of jet orifices equi-angularly spaced around the spray tip. The spray tip and jet can be used in a method of applying a liquid additive to a moving bed of smoking material.

Abstract: A rod-form body of smoke filtration material, preferably fibrous or filamentary, is wrapped in a fibrous or filamentary plugwrap comprising at least 50% by weight of fibres or filaments of thermoplastics material. The plugwrap may have premeability for air of not less than 10,000 Coresta units. The majority, suitably at least 80% by weight, of the material of the rod-form body is a material other than the said themoplastics material of the plugwrap. Thus the smoke-filtration material may comprise crimped polypropylene tow and the plugwrap be composed substantially wholly of fibrous cellulose acetate or conversely. Portions of such filter rod may be subjected to a hot-shaping process to provide grooved filter elements.