Abstract: System and method for applying glue to a moving web. The system includes a glue nozzle coupled to glue reservoir. The glue nozzle has an outlet opening arranged to apply glue to the moving web while the moving web moves along a direction. A device delivers a substance to a region of the outlet opening. The device delivers the substance behind the outlet opening relative to the direction. The method includes applying the glue onto the moving web while the moving web moves along a direction and feeding the substance behind the outlet opening relative to the direction. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A method of operating a rod maker for tobacco processing that includes sifting a tobacco flow in a chamber of the rod maker with a first air flow to separate tobacco ribs from the tobacco flow and conveying the sifted tobacco flow in the chamber by at least one of the first air flow and a second air flow. Moreover, the method includes conveying air out of the chamber via a third air flow and a fourth air flow, where a sum of an air throughput of the third air flow and the fourth air flow is substantially constant, irrespective of a productive capacity of the rod maker. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: System and method for applying glue to a moving web. The system includes a glue nozzle coupled to glue reservoir. The glue nozzle has an outlet opening arranged to apply glue to the moving web while the moving web moves along a direction. A device delivers a substance to a region of the outlet opening. The device delivers the substance behind the outlet opening relative to the direction. The method includes applying the glue onto the moving web while the moving web moves along a direction and feeding the substance behind the outlet opening relative to the direction. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A continuous rod with a composite filler having a core constituting a small-diameter cigarette rod and a tube surrounding the core and being confined within a converted web of cigarette paper has axially spaced-apart densified sections in the core as well as in the tube. When the continuous rod is converted into a series of discrete cigarettes, it is severed simultaneously across the densified sections of the core as well as across the densified sections of the tube. If the densified sections of the core are not confined within the densified sections of the tube, a trimming device of the maker of the core is adjusted to shift the locations of the thereafter formed densified sections of the core until such densified sections register with those of the tube.

Abstract: A cigarette rod wherein a flexible tubular insert is surrounded by smokable material which, in turn, is surrounded by a wrapper of cigarette paper is formed by advancing the insert from a source at a variable speed toward one or more stations where the running insert is confined between two layers of smokable material. A combined monitoring and regulating system is provided to monitor the extent of sag of the insert between the outlet of the source and the confining station(s), to generate signals denoting the extent of sag, and to regulate the speed of a motor for the insert at the outlet of the source in response to such signals. The purpose of the combined signal generating and regulating system is to maintain the extent of sag of the insert between an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value.

Abstract: A cigarette maker or a filter rod making machine wherein a continuous rod-like filler is advanced by an endless foraminous belt conveyor toward a wrapping or draping unit and a web of wrapping material is advanced toward the unit to be draped around the filler. In order to ensure that the leader of a fresh web properly enters the wrapping station, the path for the web is monitored and the belt conveyor for the filler is moved toward the path of the web when a monitoring device detects the leader. If the cigarette maker or the filter rod making machine is designed to simultaneously produce and drape two or more discrete fillers, the paths of the webs are monitored independently of each other and portions of the respective belts are moved toward the oncoming leaders of the webs whenever the respective monitoring devices signal the arrival of leaders in preselected portions of the paths.