Abstract: Fibrous materials are opened from a metered flow thereof using an opening roller and are subjected to a controlled and adjustable further opening operation to input desirable properties to the fibers. The invention is particularly described with respect to cut tobacco fibers and glass fibers.

Abstract: Fibrous materials are opened from a metered flow thereof using an opening roller and are subjected to a controlled and adjustable further opening operation to input desirable properties to the fibers. The invention is particularly described with respect to cut tobacco fibers and glass fibers.

Abstract: Degradation of tobacco brought about by refuser and recycle procedures in conventional cigarette-making machine operations is eliminated by feeding, metering and opening tobacco from a reservoir directly onto the external surface of a rotary or rectilinear transportation device which conveys the tobacco to rod formation. Specific modifications to the Molins Mark IX and Hauni Protos cigarette-making machines are described.

Abstract: Degradation of tobacco brought about by refuser and recycle procedure in conventional cigarette-making machine operations is eliminated by feeding, metering and opening tobacco from a reservoir directly onto the external surface of a rotary or rectilinear transportation device which conveys the tobacco to rod formation. Specific modifications to the Molins Mark IX and Hauni Protos cigarette-making machines are described.

Abstract: A cigarette filler rod-forming method and apparatus therefor are described for production of a filler rod containing two different blends of tobacco, so as to provide to a cigarette formed from the filler rod more uniform smoking characteristics. Discrete bunches of tobacco of a first blend are formed by employing a vacuum wheel having a belt which forms chords of a circle, so that, after trimming, the bunches have a flat surface adjacent the belt and a curved outer surface. Spaces between the bunches are filled with tobacco of another blend at least to the maximum height of the bunches of the first blend of tobacco, by a variety of procedures.

Abstract: Degradation of tobacco brought about by refuser and recycle procedures in conventional cigarette-making machine operations is eliminated by feeding, metering and opening tobacco from a reservoir directly onto the external surface of a rotary or rectilinear transportation device which conveys the tobacco to rod formation. Specific modifications to the Molins Mark IX and Hauni Protos cigarette-making machines are described.

Abstract: The quality of a tobacco filler rod as formed in cigarette-making machines is improved. The improvement is achieved by by-passing all the metering and refusing mechanisms of a conventional cigarette-making machine and providing a wide carpet of opened tobacco particles directly to the filler rod-forming procedure.