Abstract: An apparatus arranged to form a continuous tobacco rod of a smoking article, comprises a conveyor conveying a tobacco material stream in a conveyance direction, and a wrapping material supply arrangement advancing a web of wrapping material in the conveyance direction adjacent to the tobacco material stream. A constriction member receives the tobacco material stream at an inlet end and reduces a cross-sectional area of the tobacco material stream. The reduced-area tobacco material stream exits the constriction member at an exit end, and the wrapping material web wraps about the reduced-area tobacco material stream exiting the exit end. An additive source supplies an additive material to the reduced-area tobacco material stream through a dispensing port disposed about the exit end of the constriction member, prior to the reduced-area tobacco material stream being wrapped by the wrapping material web to form the continuous tobacco rod.

Abstract: Method of separating tobacco from cigarette waste using an apparatus comprising a circular revolving screen, in which the cigarette waste is fed onto the said screen in order to be screened by gravity, the method including relocation the cigarette waste over the surface of the screen, the said relocation being aided by scraping means cooperating with said screen and the angular position of the screen in the apparatus relative to the horizontal plane being adjustable. Apparatus for separating tobacco from cigarette waste comprising a circular revolving screen which is adjustably mounted in such a way that the angular position of the screen in the apparatus relative to the horizontal plane is adjustable, provided with scraping means for aiding relocation of the cigarette waste on the surface of the screen during its rotational movement. Use of a circular revolving screen for separating tobacco from cigarette waste.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the separation of foreign bodies and a device for the separation of foreign bodies from a tobacco stream. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the tobacco stream is directly conveyed into the area of the foreign-body detection device with compressed air and whereby foreign bodies in the tobacco stream are identified by means of the foreign-body detection device based on at least one characteristic and subsequently removed from the tobacco stream. The A device according to the invention is characterized in that a device (feeding device) feeding the tobacco to a foreign-body detection device and a foreign-body separation device are provided, whereby the tobacco feeding device for conveying the tobacco stream comprises a source of compressed air.

Abstract: A filter attaching apparatus comprises a drum 20 for conveying an intermediate product of a filter cigarette and a receiving drum 36 for feeding a tip paper piece, and winds the tip paper piece around the intermediate product while rotating these drums with the tip paper piece adhered to the intermediate product. Suction chambers 48 and 50 are disposed in the vicinity of the drum 20 that conveys the intermediate product, and suction openings of the suction chambers extend in a conveying direction of the intermediate product along an outer periphery of the drum 20. Fine particles of shredded tobacco and the like that are scattered by rotation of the drum 20 are sucked through the suction openings into the suction chambers 48 and 50 and the like, so that the intermediate product is completely isolated from an atmosphere of the fine particles of the shredded tobacco and the like.

Abstract: A shower of tobacco particles is fed into the upper end of a downwardly sloping and downwardly tapering funnel-shaped part of a conveyor wherein the particles gather into a flow of interlaced particles. Successive increments of the flow are acted upon by one or more jets of air issuing from at least one nozzle which loosens successive foremost increments of the flow prior to admission into a tobacco filler rod forming unit in a cigarette rod making machine.

Abstract: A holder for compressing a filter of a cigarette includes a first portion having a cylindrical body having an axial through hole, the cylindrical body having an inner side formed with a semi-cylindrical recess, a first mouth piece hinged connected to an end of the cylindrical body and formed with a curved inner side which decreases in diameter from a top to a bottom thereof, the first mouth piece having two first engaging edges, a second portion having a second mouth piece and a semi-cylindrical portion at an end of the second mouth piece, the semi-cylindrical portion being configured to engage with the semi-cylindrical recess, the second mouth piece having two second engaging edges configured to engage with the first engaging edges of the first mouth piece, whereby when in use, a cigarette filter is inserted into the first portion and then the first mouth piece is engaged with the second mouth piece to compress the filter thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars form passing therethrough.

Abstract: A plurality of cigarette piling heads are provided on a cigarette piling drum. The same number of cigarettes as the number of cigarettes in a cigarette package are piled on each cigarette piling head. An intermediate drum includes the same number of cigarette holding heads as the number of the cigarette piling heads and is provided at an axial end of the cigarette piling drum. A pushing-out drum has the same number of pushers as the number of the cigarette piling heads and is disposed at the other axial end of the cigarette piling drum. The cigarettes on each cigarette piling head are transferred to the corresponding cigarette holding head. The intermediate drum is disposed adjacent to and at a side of the first drum of a packing apparatus. The cigarette holding heads swing synchronously with packing heads of the intermediate drum. The cigarette piling heads swing synchronously with the cigarette holding heads of the first drum.

Abstract: An apparatus for arranging, side by side, cigarettes to form three cigarette layers, seven, six and seven cigarettes in the corresponding layers, the total number being twenty cigarettes and piling the cigarette layers on one after another in a staggered way to form a three-layered cigarette package. Twenty cigarette supplying passages are provided so as to communicate with the bottom portion of a hopper. Cigarettes are supplied to the cigarette supplying passages in an aligned state. Cigarettes are taken out one by one from the bottom end of each cigarette supplying passage and supplied to three cigarette arranging drums on which three cigarette layers are formed. The cigarette layers on these cigarette arranging drums are transferred to a cigarette piling drum through transfer drums disposed between the cigarette arranging drums and the cigarette piling drum and piled on each cigarette piling head of the cigarette piling drum to form a three-layered cigarette stack.

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.