Abstract: Tobacco is reconstituted to provide a product of tobacco-filler size particles. Particulate tobacco, from 5 to 10 weight percent of starch, up to 10 weight percent binder and water are fed to an extruder, the operating conditions being such that in the sheet form extrudate water flashes off to steam, thus to expand the extrudate. Further, the cross-section of the extrudate when exiting the orifice of the extruder expands to a cross-section greater than that of the orifice of the extruder. After being cooled, the extrudate is cut to particle size. The particles, each of which comprises a cellular interior and a skin at two opposite sides, can be used as or in cigarette filler.

Abstract: Low sidestream cigarettes comprise cigarette rods not exceeding 20 mm in circumference. The cigarette rods comprise paper wrappers of a type which effect a sidestream reduction of at least 30% when used on rods of conventional dimensions.

Abstract: Tobacco is reconstituted to provide a product of tobacco-filler size particles. Particulate tobacco, starch, binder and water are fed to an extruder, the operating conditions being such that in the sheet form extrudate water flashes off to steam, thus to expand the extrudate. While in the plastic phase, the extrudate is subjected to a draw down step. The extrudate is then cut to particle size.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filtration element having a first smoke-flow passage of filtration efficiency less than that of a second smoke-flow passage, the first smoke-flow passage being provided with a heat deformable material which, upon smoking of a smoking article incorporating such a filtration element, deforms and thereby obturates the first smoke-flow passage causing smoke to pass along the second smoke-flow passage and thereby to be subjected to a higher degree of smoke filtration after the first stages of the smoking cycle.

Abstract: In the making of cigarette rod, which rod comprises an axial element of filler material and a wrapper surrounded by smoking material and an exterior wrapper, a web of the exterior wrapper material, a stream of the smoking material and a preformed rod, providing the axial element, are fed to the garniture of a cigarette rod making machine. The rod providing the axial element is made on a further rod making machine.

Abstract: A smoking article comprises a wrapped rod of smoking material, a filter element and a tipping wrapper by which the rod and filter element are interattached. The filter element comprises a body of fibrous filtration material and paper wrapper securing the filtration material. Opening means is provided in the paper wrapper extending longitudinally along the filter element and providing at least one ventillation-air distribution space bounded by the tipping wrapper. Ventilation air is permitted to ingress into the space at a first location, whereby air may flow through the space and then to enter the filtration material at a second location spaced longitudinally from the filter element. The smoking article of the invention has a number of advantages and represents an advance in the art in that it makes possible a more direct and better distributed flow of ventilation air into wrapped filter elements of smoking articles containing such elements.

Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a filter element of porous filtration material having an air permeable surface and equiangularly spaced lengthwise extending peripheral ventilation grooves. The element and the rod are interattached by a first air-impermeable wrapper which can extend into and line the grooves. A second wrapper is wrapped about the element and extends from the downstream end thereof for a distance short of the upstream ends of the grooves. The second wrapper does not line the grooves where it extends thereover. Ventilation air is then able to enter the upstream ends of the grooves not covered by the second wrapper and flow therealong. Ventilation is thereby achieved without the necessity for tipping wrapper perforations. A method of making such cigarettes is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a filter element interattached by an air-impermeable tipping wrapper, the rod and the element abutting each other along a flat, continuous plane inclined at 45.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette. The tipping wrapper does not reach to the maximum upstream extent of the element, therefore air is able to enter the exposed air-permeable periphery of the element without the need for perforations in the air-impermeable tipping wrapper.

Abstract: A cigarette comprises a filter element having an air-permeable surface and a tobacco rod, the filter element and the tobacco rod being interattached by an air-impermeable tipping wrapper. The tipping wrapper is attached to, but spaced from, the underlying peripheral surfaces of the tobacco rod and the filter element at first zones extending from the upstream edge of the wrapper across the rod/element juncture and is unattached and spaced from the peripheral surfaces at second zones circumferentially intermediate the first zones. There are thus provided ventilation air inlet ducts through which air is able to enter the filter element without the necessity for tipping wrapper perforations.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of operating on a cigarette, which comprises a tobacco rod and a filter element interattached by a thermoplastic tipping wrapper, to allow for the ingress of ventilation air. The filter element also comprises ventilation duct(s) extending therewithin. A heated former is brought into contact with the tipping wrapper in such a way as to form indentations which intersect with a ventilation duct(s) of the filter element and to seal upstream end portions thereof.

Abstract: Oval or other non-circular cross-section filter tipped cigarettes are assembled by feeding, in axial-orientation controlled manner, tobacco rods and filter rods along first and second feed paths to an intercalation station at which the filter rods are intercalated with the tobacco rods, closing the rods up to provide units each comprising two tobacco rods and an intermediately disposed filter rod, applying a wrapper to each unit to provide a double length cigarette assembly and severing the assembly to provide two cigarettes.

Abstract: A cigarette filter element comprising at least one duct extending from one end to the other of the element, which element is operated on by a heated former moving relatively to it in a rotary fashion. The heated former serves to provide a cavity or annular groove through filtration material of the element. The cavity or groove also extends through a section of the duct to provide a ventilation channel. The duct at least one may be of a smoke-impermeable nature and may be provided by one or more bores or thermoplastic tubes.

Abstract: A method of applying metal foil embellishment to cigarette paper or tipping paper comprises pressing foil against tipping using a heated former of a configuration corresponding to that of the desired embellishment. The method, which is preferably carried out on a filter tip assembly machine, may result in a depression in the tipping, in which case it is advantageous for the tipping to comprise a thermoplastic material.

Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod of tobacco filler wrapped in a paper wrapper, the circumference of the rod being within a range of 10 mm to 19 mm and the free burn rate of the rod being within a range of 25 to 45 mg min.sup.-1. The cigarette may comprise considerably less tobacco than a cigarette of orthodox circumference yet yield an equal or greater number of puffs.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to a device for operating upon a filter-rod lengths comprising a first conveyor for transferring the filter lengths from a supply outlet to a plurality of further conveyors. The further conveyors carry the filter lengths past a heat rod-forming elements and a barrier-depositing assembly. All the conveyors are driven from a single power source. The first conveyor may be selectively manually disengaged from the power source so that filter-rod lengths which have passed the first conveyor can be cleared from the device before the device is shut down.

Abstract: A method of marking a smoking-article exterior wrapping, particularly a cigarette wrapping, in which the wrapping, comprising a substance which causes or undergoes a permanent change of color under the action of the application or transmission of energy, is subjected to energy over an area of a conformation corresponding to the required marking, whereby a color change is caused over the area. The energy transmission may advantageously take the form of heat conduction. Alternatively, the energy transmission may take the form of electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation or irradiation.The wrapping and a heated former of conformation may be brought into contact with each other or may be maintained in contact with each other under pressure. The wrapping may already form part of a smoking article when wrapping is being subjected to energy transmission. The smoking article may in this case be rolled about the longitudinal axis thereof in contact with a former, which may mould an impression into wrapping.

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: A ventilated filter element comprising a fibrous filter element wherein a plurality of equiangularly spaced apart grooves extend in a parallel fashion along the longitudinal axis of the filter element from the mouth end of the element for a distance less than the total length of the element.

Abstract: A filter for a smoking article such as a cigarette, comprising several grooves of varying depth between a shallow inlet end and a deep outlet end thereof, the outlet end face being air permeable to an extent greater than are the floor or the sides of each groove. A tipping enwrapping the filter plug has ventilation perforations in the region of the inlet end of each groove.Alternatively, the grooves may have their median axes in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the filter plug, whereby the grooves extend circumferentially of the filter plug between the shallow inlet ends and the deep outlet ends.

Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod of tobacco filler wrapped in a paper wrapper, the circumference of the rod being within a range of 10 mm to 19 mm and the free burn rate of the rod being within a range of 25 to 45 mg min.sup.-1. The cigarette may comprise considerably less tobacco than a cigarette of orthodox circumference yet yield an equal or greater number of puffs.