Abstract: It has been found that the foregoing objects may be accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing compression garments of this invention having a low friction zone made with the addition of low friction material on the inside surface of a garment in discrete locations to decrease friction between skin and fabric, thus providing easier donning of a compression garments.

Abstract: A spread out foraminous tow of tensioned filamentary filter material is transported through a housing between an upper and a lower rotating cylindrical brush. The upper brush propels atomized liquid plasticizer against the upper side of the tow whereby a certain amount of plasticizer penetrates through the tow and is gathered in the housing within the range of bristles on the lower brush which propels the gathered plasticizer against the underside of the tow. The rate of feed of plasticizer to the upper brush is varied in response to changes in the speed of the tow, and the brushes are arrested when the transporting rolls for the tow are brought to a standstill. The lower portion of the housing constitutes a trough which surrounds the lower half of the lower brush and from which the gathered plasticizer is evacuated when the brushes are idle.

Abstract: A filter rod making machine discharges several parallel filter rods which move lengthwise and are severed at regular intervals to yield files of axially aligned filter rod sections. Such sections are transported axially to a first transfer station where they enter discrete flutes in the concave upper side of one of several rotary platforms which orbit about the axis of a rotary carrier and are rotated relative to the carrier by crank drives so that the orientation of their flutes remains unchanged. The flutes of a platform which arrives at the first station receive discrete filter rod sections from each of the files so that each platform accumulates a group of parallel sections which are transported to a second station for transfer into successive peripheral flutes of a rotary drum-shaped removing conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously severing plural parallel filter rods which issue from an extruder and move axially at the same speed has a knife mounted on a holder which is rotatable about an axis extending in parallelism with the axes of the rods. The knife holder moves along a circular path in a plane which is parallel to the axes of the rods. The knife holder and suitable guides for the rods are mounted on cranks whose crankshafts rotate about axes making a right angle to the direction of movement of the rods and causing the knife and the guides to move back and forth in and counter to the direction of axial movement of the rods. The shaft for the knife holder is rotated at twice the speed of the crankshafts and the cutting edge of the knife severs all of the rods in immediate proximity of the guides during each second revolution of the holder.

Abstract: A filter rod making machine wherein a continuous tow of fibrous filter material is flattened to form a foraminous layer prior to advancement through an impregnating station where a rotating brush sprays particles of atomized plasticizer against the underside of the layer. The brush is installed in the trough-shaped lower portion of a receptacle which flares upwardly and outwardly toward the underside of the layer and the bristles of the brush sweep along the internal surface of the lower portion of the receptacle. The lower portion receives a continuous stream of liquid plasticizer from the outlet of a variable-delivery pump whose intake receives plasticizer at a constant pressure. The brush is driven by an electric motor independently of the system which transports the layer of filter material.

Abstract: A spread out foraminous tow of tensioned filamentary filter material is transported through a housing between an upper and a lower rotating cylindrical brush. The upper brush propels atomized liquid plasticizer against the upper side of the tow whereby a certain amount of plasticizer penetrates through the tow and is gathered in the housing within the range of bristles on the lower brush which propels the gathered plasticizer against the underside of the tow. The rate of feed of plasticizer to the upper brush is varied in response to changes in the speed of the tow, and the brushes are arrested when the transporting rolls for the tow are brought to a standstill. The lower portion of the housing constitutes a trough which surrounds the lower half of the lower brush and from which the gathered plasticizer is evacuated when the brushes are idle.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes with multiplex filter mouthpieces wherein at least one filtering element constitutes an unwrapped filter plug having a reinforced porous peripheral layer are produced in a machine which is equipped with a perforating device for tubular envelopes connecting the mouthpieces to the respective plain cigarettes, or with a device for making holes in the web of wrapping material which is subdivided into uniting bands. The holes are provided in those portions of tubular envelopes which surround the reinforced porous peripheral layers. Filtering elements which constitute unwrapped filter plugs may be disposed at the free ends of the mouthpieces or adjacent to the plain cigarettes.

Abstract: The mass of successive increments of a wrapped rod-like filler of filamentary filter material is monitored by a beta ray detector and the signals which are generated by the ionization chamber of the dectector are utilized to adjust the ratio of a variable-speed transmission which regulates the rate of delivery of a stretched tow of filamentary material to the gathering horn of a filter rod making machine.

Abstract: A running tow of filamentary filter material is banded by a plurality of streams of compressed air which issue from the orifices of plenum chambers forming a row which extends transversely of the direction of transport of the tow. The streams which issue from the plenum chambers band discrete strip-shaped portions of the tow. The density of such strip-shaped portions is monitored at or downstream of the banding station, and the pressure of air in one or more chambers is increased or reduced when the monitored density of the respective strip-shaped portion or portions deviates from a desired density. The monitoring devices can utilize optoelectronic or electropneumatic transducers.

Abstract: Apparatus which ascertains the resistance of filter rod sections or filter cigarettes to axial flow of a gas through their fillers has a drum-shaped conveyor with a row of flutes at one axial end and a row of expandible and contractable hoses at the other axial end. Each hose registers with a flute and receives an article to be tested from the aligned flute during travel past a station where the hose is connected with a suction generating device and/or the flute is connected with a source of compressed air. The hose is thereupon caused to contract so as to sealingly engage at least the major part of the wrapper of the article therewithin, and the article is tested by conveying a stream of testing fluid through its filler. The hose is thereupon caused or allowed to expand, and the tested article is transferred back into the aligned flute.

Abstract: A filter rod making machine wherein a continuous tow of fibrous filter material is flattened to form a foraminous layer prior to passage through an impregnating station where an atomizing nozzle or a revolving brush sprays particles of atomized plasticizer against one side of the layer. An intercepting plate is placed in contact with the layer opposite the nozzle or brush so that the particles which penetrate across the layer and reach the plate are entrained by successive increments of the layer to thus insure that each unit length of the layer contains the same quantity of plasticizer. The rate of delivery of plasticizer to the brush or nozzle is changed in automatic response to changes in forward speed of the layer.

Abstract: Apparatus for making composite filter plugs for cigarettes or the like has a garniture which transports a web of cigarette paper or the like past a transfer conveyor which deposits on the web groups of aligned filter rod sections of two or more different types so that the sections are disposed end-to-end and form a continuous filler. Those portions of the web which are contacted by the sections are coated with a wet adhesive or a heat-activatable adhesive to insure that the sections cannot be shifted relative to the web, and the adhesive is heated or cooled in the region of the transfer conveyor to promote rapid setting.

Abstract: Composite filter plugs or mouthpieces for use in filter cigarette making machines are manufactured by moving rod-like filter components or elements of two or more types sideways or partly sideways and shuffling the filter elements to form a series of groups of assorted coaxial filter elements, pneumatically conveying successive groups of filter elements axially or substantially axially by directing a stream of compressed air against the last filter element of each group, converting the pneumatically conveyed groups of filter elements into a continuous line or file of filter elements, draping a continuous web of cigarette paper or the like around the line of filter elements to form a continuous filter rod, and subdividing the rod into discrete filter plugs each of which contains at least a portion of at least one filter element of each of the several types of filter elements.

Abstract: Filter rod sections are produced by moving a tow of filamentary filter material past a device which showers the filaments with atomized plasticizer and by thereupon converting the thus treated tow into a rod-like filler which is wrapped to form a filter rod. The latter is severed to yield a succession of filter rod sections which are transported by a fluted drum to storage or to a machine for the production of filter-tipped smokers' products. Groups of filter rod sections are withdrawn from the flutes of the drum at regular intervals for weighing to thus determine the quantity of filter material and/or plasticizer. The results of the weighing operation are utilized to adjust the feeding mechanism for the tow and/or plasticizer if the measured quantities deviate from desired quantities. The feeding mechanism for the tow employs rolls which can be driven at a variable speed to thereby subject the filaments of the tow to a more or less pronounced stretching action.