Abstract: This invention relates to a material application system for applying material to a wrapper. The material application system comprises a material applicator means and an electronic application control means. Also provided is a rod making machine comprising a rod making section and the material application system. The invention also provides a method of applying material to a wrapper used in the tobacco industry comprising supplying a wrapper and applying a material to the wrapper using a material applicator and an electronic applicator control means therefore, which electronic applicator control means ensures accurate location of material application in an electronically adjustable variable manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of processing tobacco fines, whereby the tobacco preparation for producing smoking articles from an initial material to be processed, which contains tobacco fines and tobacco material, is subjected to an increased mechanical pressure in order to bind the tobacco fines permanently to the tobacco material, and no extra or external binding agents are added the material to be processed in order to bind the tobacco fines to the tobacco material. It further relates to smoking articles containing smoking material produced on the basis of one of the methods proposed by the invention.

Abstract: A real-time cast sheet weight monitoring and control system in which the weight of a cast base sheet of wet laid tobacco slurry as well as the weight of a composite tobacco cast sheet formed by applying dry granular tobacco to the wet laid cast sheet prior to drying is disclosed in which two beta gauge sheet weight sensing devices are used to provide input signals to a controller which alternately uses those signals to monitor and control the weight of the cast base sheet by means of controlling the servo drive motors of a casting blade in a head box which is casting the wet laid sheet onto a stainless steel belt and which also uses those same signals to control the variable speed drive of a top loader for controlling the amount of dry granular tobacco which is uniformally applied to the wet laid cast base sheet prior to the drying of the composite tobacco cast sheet material formed thereby.

Abstract: A smoking article wrapper comprising a base web material having a first burn rate and one or more regions having a second burn rate is provided. The regions having a second burn rate are comprised of a composite layer structure of: said base web material, a layer is particulate material, and an adhesive layer which adheres to said base web material and to said layer of particular material. The particulate material is subsequently applied to the adhesive layer. An apparatus and method for applying the particulate material onto the base web is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for processing extruded tobacco-containing materials as they are continuously extruded by applying a powdery material to the surface of the extrudate, optionally wiping the coated extruded material in order to smear or embed the powdery materials along and into the surface of the extruded material. The powdery material may be a flavorant or other additive materials modifying the characteristics of the extruded material. The invention is useful particularly for use in processing foamed, extruded materials into smoking articles which can be used with conventional cigarette maker equipment to produce large quantities of foamed, extruded tobacco-containing smoking articles having properties substantially equivalent to those of a conventional cigarette.

Abstract: Rare or specialty cigar-type and pipe tobaccos can be uniformly applied within a blend of smokable material for use as cigarette cut filler. The rare or specialty tobacco is divided into a finely divided powder, suspended in liquid, and applied as a casing to one or more relatively major components of the blend. This invention provides for cigarette cut filler having low (e.g., less than about 5 weight percent) amounts of unique tobaccos contained uniformly throughout.

Abstract: A process for utilizing tobacco dust by affixing it to cut, shredded or otherwise comminuted tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitute by thoroughly mixing tobacco dust, a powdered water soluble hydrocolloid, optionally an organic solvent, the comminuted tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitute, water or an aqueous solution of the hydrocolloid and optionally an additional quantity of the comminuted tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitute and continuing the mixing until a dry or almost dry product is obtained. The water soluble hydrocolloid may partly or completely be replaced by micro-encapsulated flavors, so that flavored tobacco products are obtained.

Abstract: A combustible smoking material having a color other than that of conventionally cured tobacco leaves is coated with finely divided vermiculite that has previously been subjected to heat treatment to develop a brown color therein. The vermiculite coating imparts a tobacco-like brown color to the combustible smoking material.

Abstract: A combustible smoking material having a color other than that of conventionally cured tobacco leaves is coated with finely divided, toasted cereal grain to impart a tobacco-like brown color to the combustible smoking material.

Abstract: A process for employing tobacco fines in a system for preparing reconstituted tobacco is disclosed. The tobacco fines are incorporated into concentrated extract before the extract is recombined with the reconstituted sheet or into an aqueous carrier. The slurry of fines in extract or other carrier is passed through a homogenizer and then is applied as a coating to the sheet. The further drying and shredding are done in the conventional way.