Abstract: An apparatus for laminating at least two strips of strip material and forming the laminate into lightweight, thin-walled tubular members that may be used in the construction of non-combustion smoking articles.

Abstract: An apparatus for precision cutting lightweight, thin-walled tubes that includes transfer drums for transporting rough cut, thin-walled tubes from a source of supply past a first inspection station to determine if the tubes are crushed beyond a predetermined amount, a flaring station to flare the tube ends, an aligning station to align the tubes from cutting, and a cutting station to cut the tube into multiple sections. Section drums are provided that have second and third inspection stations to determine if the tubes have been properly cut.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and forming tubular members useful for positioning heat sources inside a smoking article is disclosed. The tubular members are carried by a plurality of fluted drums from one operation to the next. The tubular members are cut to the desired size by a plurality of rotating circular knives. The ends of the tubular members are then formed by one or more dies that are caused to move into contact with the ends of the tubular members.

Abstract: Relatively fragile components for cigarette-like smoking articles are wrapped with an overwrap by bringing an exposed axial surface portion of the component into resilient contact with the overwrap, and by then rolling the component about its longidudinal axis, again by resiliently contacting the component. Smoking articles including the foregoing components as the distal component and at least one other proximal component are made by supplying a pair of distal components with their distal ends facing one another and pushed up against an interposed stop. The overwrap is slit parallel to the stop just prior to application to the distal components. After overwrapping, the distal components are reoriented so that their distal ends face away from one another. A pair of proximal components is then placed between the distal components, and each proximal component is joined to the adjacent distal component by a tipping overwrap.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating light particles from heavy particles in a stream of particulate matter, particularly for separating stems from the stream of tobacco filler fed to a cigarette maker, is provided. The tobacco is introduced into a first chamber in which it travels generally downward to a fourth chamber communicating with second and third chambers, the second chamber being the chimney of the cigarette maker and the third chamber extending downward from the fourth chamber. An air stream flowing upward through the third chamber reverses the momentum of most of the light particles and propels them into the chimney, while the heavy particles (stems) and some light particles travel downward into the third chamber. As the light particles fall through the third chamber, their momentum is gradually reversed by the air stream and they rise through the fourth chamber into the chimney. The heavy particles are collected at the bottom of the third chamber.

Abstract: Conveyor apparatus for changing the orientation and/or velocity of the objects being conveyed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for wrapping tipping material about an assembly comprising a non-circular tobacco rod and non-circular filter plug, the assembly having a circumference less than that of a standard cigarette, on a standard cigarette tipping machine. The cigarette assembly is rolled along the surface of a rolling drum by an adjacent pressure element that is moved in the same direction as, but with a different speed from that of, the peripheral surface of the drum. The difference in speed causes the cigarette assemby to roll along the drum surface from one of a plurality of uniformly spaced-apart receiving flutes to one of a plurality of uniformly spaced-apart discharge flutes distinct from the receiving flutes. The spacing between adjacent discharge flutes is the same as that between adjacent receiving flutes, but the two sets of flutes are offset one from the other.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for packing oval-shaped articles such as cigarettes to achieve a predetermined orientation of the articles in a container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for taking rod-shaped articles of oval cross section, such as oval filter plugs for cigarettes, from a hopper, with a predetermined spacing between consecutive articles, and for presenting the articles at a destination with a predetermined orientation. A plug drum having flutes shaped to accept a single oval filter plug in any angular orientation is used to remove the filter plug from the hopper. When each filter plug is released from the plug drum, it drops through a guideway preferably defined between two cooperating elements, which permit it to pass through only with a specific orientation. At the discharge end of the guideway is preferably a second drum, which has flutes shaped to accept a filter plug leaving the guideway only in the desired final orientation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed according to which a cylindrical object, such as a rod of smoke filter material, is pressed against a heated former element to form a permanent impression in one portion of the object as the former element and the object are simultaneously moved along a predetermined path. The object is then disengaged from the first former element, and pressed against a second heated former element to form a permanent impression in another portion thereof as the second former element and the object are moved along a second predetermined path, which may be an extension of the first, or not. Apparatus is disclosed, in one preferred embodiment of which the first and second former elements are disposed on the periphery of respective drums in such a manner that as the drums rotate in opposite directions, the object is transferred from the first to the second former element as the two former elements pass each other.