Abstract: Smoking articles comprising a high density, relatively low porosity coherent mass of combustible tobacco-containing material having at least one passage extending therethrough are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the smoking article is a cylinder having at least one passage axially therethrough. The smoking article may further comprise a plug of ignitable material in passage blocking position at one end of the passage, said plug being such as to permit puff induced air flow therethrough. At least one additional plug may be similarly disposed at the opposite end of the passage or at an intermediate point in the passage. By adjusting the density, the surface area and/or the porosity of the mass available for combustion, the per puff delivery of tar by the smoking article upon combustion may be controlled.

Abstract: A method of making smoking articles wherein a combustible tobacco material is mixed with one or more other ingredients including a liquid, the mixture being subjected to further processing to produce a shaped coherent mass having a through passage. Shaping is effected by application of pressure to the mixture to form the coherent mass, and is followed by drying of same, the mixture composition being selected and the shaping pressure and drying being controlled to impart to the shaped mass a porosity and density such as to substantially occlude gas flow therethrough and a porosity sufficient to support combustion of the shaped mass when ignited.

Abstract: A practice for controlling cigarette rod firmness in a cigarette maker wherein a detected cigarette rod firmness signal is corrected for firmness variations resulting from changes in rod moisture relative to a preselected or target moisture via a suitably processed detected moisture signal and the corrected firmness signal is compared with a preselected or target firmness to derive an error signal for tobacco content control.

Abstract: The length and firmness of a cigarette rod during smoking are measured on automatic basis to determine the effects of blend, moisture and temperature on the firmness of a cigarette rod behind the coal of a burning cigarette.

Abstract: Strain gages are applied to opposite sides of the cantilever beam member of a short tongue in such locations that the strain gages exhibit stress changes of opposite sense on movement of the short tongue compression foot occasioned by a change in tobacco rod firmness. An existing short tongue is modified by provision of a reduced section in its cantilever beam for amplifying the signal output of a strain gage supported therein. Plural pairs of strain gages may be employed for further amplification of the signal indicating compression foot movement.