Abstract: A method and means for making an improved tobacco smoke filter is characterized by the production of longitudinally continuous grooves running from end-to-end in the peripheral surface of a smoke-impervious filter plug wrap with the grooves having a transverse cross-sectional area that varies as a function of longitudinal displacement. Smoke-impervious tipping surrounds the plug wrap to seal the grooves except for small ventilation holes in the tipping which permit communication between the grooves and the ambient air. In the preferred embodiment, the grooves are restricted toward the mouth end of the filter and the degree of restriction determines the direction of air and smoke flow in the grooves. The grooves are each preferably formed as two longitudinal sections of different cross-section.

Abstract: A continuous rod of a product such as a cigarette filter material is coated with a treating liquid by being passed axially through a cylindrical applicator zone comprising a permeable cylindrical wall, the cylindrical wall being concentrically enclosed within a reservoir and manifold zone connected to a source of liquid. The feed supply for the liquid additive can be pressurized and/or heated, so that application of the additive can be in either liquid or vapor form. The process and apparatus of this invention may be used alone or in conjunction with prior art homogeneous applicators and processes.When used to apply a plasticizer to a rod of continuous filament tow, e.g. for use in producing cigarette filters, annular regions of varying concentrations of the plasticizer are produced in the rod. A relatively dense region of plasticized fiber can be produced on the outside of the filter. Filter rods having wrapping paper uniformly adhered about the periphery of the rod can be produced.

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 rod making machine wherein a garniture tape transports a web of cigarette paper and a stream of tobacco particles through a wrapping mechanism has a device which monitors the position of the tape in the wrapping mechanism and adjusts a pulley for the tape when the position of the tape relative to the adhesive applicator is unsatisfactory. The applicator delivers a film of adhesive against one marginal portion of the web on the tape before the web is converted into a tube which confines the particles of tobacco. The adjustments of the pulley are carried out with a view to move the tape sideways so as to maintain a predetermined part of the one marginal portion of the web in a position to receive the adhesive.

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: Apparatus for detecting and/or controlling tension of a moving web, for example, a filamentary tow, in a preselected zone of a longitudinal path traversed by the moving web. A sensing roller is journally supported by roller support structure, the latter having an opposing pair of deflection arms each of which is defined by edges which diverge from one another between inner supported and outer unsupported ends of the arms so that a region of reduced width (as measured in the general longitudinal direction of the web) is provided near each inner supported end. A reaction force which is indicative of the web's tension will thus be exerted against the sensing roller and transferred to the roller support structure so as to responsively cause the deflection arms to be resiliently flexed in the general direction of the reaction force.

Abstract: A machine for rolling bulk material, such as fiber filters and tobacco, and wrapping a sheet member around the bulk material has a flexible apron connected to a roller bar which is rotated with an electric motor. The apron is located over a convex support between side walls having track slots for guiding the roller bar as it rolls up the apron and moves relative to the support. Bulk material placed on the apron adjacent the roller bar is rolled into a generally cylindrical shape within a sheet member as the apron moves over the support. The cylindrical product is discharged from the apron when the roller bar reaches the rear of the slots.

Abstract: The pressure of compressed air in one or more nozzles which convert successive increments of a running tow of filamentary filter material into a rodlike filler in a filter rod making machine is regulated in response to variations in the speed of the filler. This ensures that the resistance which the filter rod sections offer the flow of tobacco smoke does not deviate from an optimum value when the speed of the filler is reduced below the nominal speed. The pressure of air which is admitted to the nozzle or nozzles is regulated by a variable-speed blower which compresses air preparatory to admission into the nozzle or nozzles, or by installing in the conduit or conduits for one or more nozzles a pressure regulating valve which is adjusted by a servomotor in response to signals denoting the speed of the filler.

Abstract: In the production of cigarette filter rod from filter tow the conveyance of tow into a tow shaping unit (12, 32, 56, 76) is aided by controlling tow tension so that excessive stretch (and hence possible loss of crimp) is avoided. The tension is controlled by two conveying arrangements upstream of the tow shaping unit and which may include air extracting devices and entraining devices (20-28), opposed tow engaging wheels (34, 36), a tow reservoir (64), a tow engaging refuser roller (70), or a tow spinning unit (74). In the tow spinning unit (74) the tow is gathered ad twisted in a converging conical guide which is rotated at high speed, and which may also impart an axial thrust to the tow to aid conveyance into the tow shaping unit (76).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing tobacco smoke filter of filamentous material with at least one end thereof having a preselected fused area embedded in and over at least a portion of the cross-sectional area thereof having a preselected fused area extending over at least a portion of the cross-sectional area thereof to provide a flow directing baffle to direct smoke through the unfused end portion. The method includes forming a longitudinally extending porous rod of fusible material, cutting the rod into filter unit lengths and conveying the filter units in a longitudinal path normal to the longitudinal axis of the filter units past a fusing station located to one side of the conveying path. The fusing station forms an indented and fused area in one end of each filter unit as the filter units are conveyed there past. The fusing station can be a rotating wheel with conical teeth corresponding to the configuration of the indented area which teeth are embedded into the filter units.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a filter rod having a hollow tube extending longitudinally through the filter rod. The apparatus includes a supply reel of hollow tubing, a supply of filter material web, and a garniture funnel into which the filter material web and hollow tubing are continuously, concurrently fed for wrapping the filter material web into a cylindrical configuration enclosing the hollow tube longitudinally therein. The apparatus also includes a plasticizer or adhesive applicator for coating the outside wall surface of the tube with a plasticizer or adhesive before it is fed into the garniture funnel, and a tube guide nozzle located at the inlet to the garniture funnel for positioning and guiding the hollow tube into the garniture funnel.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a pre-filter for the filteration of harmful substances in cigarettes by using pine needles which have been steamed to eliminate the odor of the pine resin. The steamed pine needles then are dried in a shaded lot and formed into powder. A dough is made by mixing up fine powder crushed from the dried pine needles with water. The dough is then crushed into granular form and the pre-filter is obtained by forming the granules into a rod shape.

Abstract: An apparatus for, in one advantageous embodiment, concurrently forming a plurality of generally longitudinally extending grooves in a filter rod, and in another advantageous embodiment, for making small apertures in the grooves as the grooves are being formed in the filter rod. The apparatus includes a reciprocating die having an upper die block and a lower die block. Each die block includes protruding, elongated projections which are adapted to be imbedded into the filter rod upon closing of the die to impress grooves in the filter rod located in the die. In the embodiment wherein apertures are to be formed in the grooves, aperture forming punches are associated with each of the groove forming projections for punching apertures in the grooves as they are being formed.

Abstract: A rod-like smoking article with a rod-like mouthpiece core at the mouth end of a tobacco rod, the entire periphery of said mouthpiece core being enveloped by an adhered wrapping paper which is suitable for contact with the lips and which overlappingly follows a covering paper surrounding the tobacco rod and with secondary air channels covered by the wrapping paper on the periphery of the mouthpiece core and an apparatus for producing such an article.

Abstract: A cigarette has a cylindrical impermeable mouthpiece located in coaxial abutment to one end of a tobacco column of the cigarette. The mouthpiece includes an annular groove in its peripheral surface and a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed in its peripheral surface extending from the annular groove to the mouth end of the mouthpiece. A plurality of smoke flow capillaries are formed through the mouthpiece from one end to the other. Each capillary is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece except for the portion beneath the annular groove which is curved to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece.

Abstract: Filler material, particularly for cigarette filters, is produced by feeding a stream of substantially continuous fibres of filter material onto a pin roller having a surface carrying sharp projections in the form of pins and the pin roller is driven at a speed such that the fibres are rapidly accelerated so as to be broken by the pins into irregular lengths and are projected from the roller in random orientations. The broken fibres may be collected as a stream for delivery to a rod-making unit by showering onto a conveyor band, by continuously rolling the fibres between cooperating rollers, or pneumatically. More than one stream could be supplied to the pin roller, so that the broken fibres can comprise a mixture of fibres of different filter materials. The broken fibres may be received on a substantially continuous carrier stream, comprising similar or different filtering material, before the fibres and carrier stream are formed into filter rod.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter includes a corrugated tape-like wrapping which, together with an outer perforated or otherwise air-permeable paper, defines a set of longitudinal grooves. Each of the grooves includes a blocking member, so as to inhibit direct smoke flow through the grooves and promote a ventilation effect. The blocking members in each groove are longitudinally staggered from one groove to the next to simplify the production of the device.

Abstract: An apparatus having rotary shearing and forming dies which expand a web of formable material by imparting to the web a surface configuration having rows of generally sinusoidal convolutions extending longitudinally along the web, each row lying 180.degree. out of phase from abutting rows. The meshing rotary dies include flat portions defining a neutral zone wherein no web deformation occurs, with the result that each convolution in a row is joined to the next longitudinally succeeding convolution by a flat web section lying in the original plane of the formable sheet material. The expanded web is laminated to a flat web of paper-like material and the resulting composite web is converted to expanded cigarette wrappers.

Abstract: An improved tobacco smoke filter is characterized by grooves defined in its outer periphery and extending to the smoke discharging end of the filter. The grooves are totally exposed to ambient air along their entire length and serve as open air dilution passages to conduct air into the smoker's mouth with each puff or draw. In one embodiment, the filter rod contains no plug wrap and is joined to a tobacco rod with tipping paper, the grooves being defined in both the tipping paper and the filter rod. These grooves may be defined in the final assembled product by forming the grooves in the tipping paper and the filter rod at the same time. Alternatively, the filter rod is pre-grooved and the tipping paper is attached thereto so as to conform to the grooves.

Abstract: A device for concurrently forming a plurality of generally longitudinally extending grooves in a filter rod includes at least one pair of groove forming rollers located in a common plane, with their axes of rotation generally parallel and with their peripheries spaced apart. A plurality of elongated, generally arcuately shaped groove forming projections are spaced apart from each other around the circumference of each of the rollers. Each groove forming projections of one roller is in opposed facing, coextensive, aligned relationship with a different one of the groove forming projections of the other roller across the space separating the peripheries of the rollers. As a filter rod to be grooved passes through the space between the peripheries of the rollers, the rollers are rotated and the groove forming projections embed into the peripheral surface of the filter rod thusly forming grooves into the peripheral filter rod surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to high speed process and apparatus suitable for the preparation of cigarette filter rods having high tow utilization in terms of pressure drop per unit rod weight without producing substantial tow density variations. In accordance with this invention, it has been discovered that in a process for manufacturing filter elements from opened and deregistered crimped continuous filament tow, wherein said tow is conducted from a mechanical forwarding means through an aspirating jet positioned adjacent a compacting means and wherein means are provided for dissipating aspirating fluid, that filter rod pressure drop and weight variations are reduced by aspirating at low pressures and more specifically, at fluid pressures of not more than about 3 pounds per square inch gauge and by causing the aspirating fluid, at its point of contact with the continuous filament tow, to flow substantially in a direction axial to that of the tow.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for withdrawing a bloomed, continuous multifilament filter tow from a jet device and conveying the filter tow to filter rod-forming means in such a way that compaction or compression of the filter tow prior to its entry into the rod-forming means is minimized.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming grooves in the peripheral surface of a filter rod includes an endless conveyor device having a generally horizontal top conveyor flight which intermittently moves the filter rods through the apparatus. The endless conveyor device has a plurality of filter rod receiving pockets at spaced apart intervals along its length. The pockets in the horizontal top conveyor flight hold cigarette filters to be grooved at predetermined spaced apart intervals as the endless conveyor device moves the filter rods through the apparatus. A plurality of pairs of articulated grooving fingers are located generally below the horizontal top conveyor flight at predetermined spaced intervals along the top flight, and a plurality of pairs of articulated grooving fingers are located generally above the horizontal top flight at predetermined spaced intervals along the top flight. A groove forming blade is attached to the tip of each finger of each pair of fingers.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing tobacco smoke filters wherein a continuous tube of smoke filtration material is ensheathed in a smoke-pervious layer of fibrous material. The ensheathed tube is cut into discrete lengths and in each of the lengths a cross section of the ensheathed material is rendered impervious to the passage of tobacco smoke and the tube is closed at a distance spaced longitudinally from the cross section.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing axially elongated, self-sustaining, dimensionally stable smoke rods or the like from filamentary tow by feeding the tow into a confined zone having a non-porous section and a porous section, simultaneously feeding gas under pressure into the inlet end of the confined zone at a feed rate sufficiently high so as to pneumatically convey the tow through the confined zone in a rod-like formation substantially conforming to the cross-sectional size and shape of the confined zone, and sufficiently low so as to permit escape of at least a major portion of the feeding gas from the confined zone along the porous section, introducing a heated gas into the tow in a third section of the confined zone downstream from the porous section, maintaining the tow in contact with the heated gas for a time sufficient for the gas to contact the tow across substantially its entire cross-section and render the tow bondable and cooling the heated tow to bond the same into the rod-like shape.

Abstract: In apparatus for making transverse-flow cigarette filters, a rod of cellulose acetate impregnated with a plasticizing agent and having a porous covering is cut into sections each having a length of several filters. From the cutting station, the rod sections are fed longitudinally into longitudinal grooves in the periphery of a first revolving drum. The rod sections are then transferred into longitudinal grooves in the periphery of a second revolving drum having in such grooves projections for forming indentations in one side of the rod sections. While carried by the second revolving drum, the rod sections are engaged by a third revolving drum having on its periphery projections for forming longitudinally offset indentations in the opposite side of the rod sections. In another embodiment of the apparatus, the rod sections are received in transverse grooves in a conveyor belt, and are transferred in groups between opposed punches which form indentations in opposite sides of the rod sections.

Abstract: The air dilution filter of the cigarette is provided with an annular zone in the plug wrap paper which enables air to pass directly into the fibrous body of the filter material after passing through apertures in the tipping paper.The annular zone can be comprised of a groove which is fabricated by a pair of rotating knives and a rotatable spacer with radial cutting edges which rout out material from each filter plug during conveyance of the plug on an alignment drum of a cigarette making machine. Alternatively, a plurality of closely spaced rotating knives which cut through the plug wrap paper only may be used to form a series of closely spaced annular grooves or slits in the filter periphery.

Abstract: The sensory effect of cigarette smoke is improved by using a disc (24) to shape the flow of smoke (32) leaving smoking article (10) into a divergent pattern, thus increasing the perceived flavor of the cigarette. The effect is most useful with cigarettes having relatively low delivery of particulate matter.

Abstract: Cigarette filters having grooves therein are prepared by subjecting cigarette filters to a groove-making device which includes heated groove-making elements therein, the grooves being formed by the use of heat and pressure as the cigarette filters come in contact with the groove-making elements.

Abstract: A ridge remover for smoothing and shaping rod surfaces where jointure marks occur in fibrous rod manufacture when made using a porous belt garniture device.

Abstract: A non-woven cellulose ester fibrous filter sheet material comprising cellulose ester staple fibers and cellulose ester fibrets which exhibits improved filtration properties and the method of its preparation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a longitudinally creped paper web for use in the manufacture of filter rods. In order to improve the filtering capacity and resistance to flow therethrough without weakening filter plugs formed from the web in respect of resistance to radial crushing the longitudinally creped web is provided with linear indentations transversely thereof which are sufficiently closely spaced one from the other longitudinally of the web to provide consistency in draw of short length sections cut from filter plugs made from the web. The invention also relates to the process and apparatus for forming such a filter web using co-operating spaced rollers for forming controlled linear compression zones extending transversely of the web, at least one of these two rollers being provided with ribs extending at least approximately axially of the roll.

Abstract: A filter is formed by placing increments of glue in spaced apart relation on a moving stream of plug wrap paper and thereafter depositing alternating fibrous filter sections on the glue increments. Particulate material is then deposited between the fibrous filter sections and the plug wrap paper wrapped about the filter sections to form an endless rod. Two-filter filter plugs are severed from the rod by cutting through the unglued fibrous filter section and thereafter the charges of particulate filter material are compacted by moving the unglued outer filter sections of each plug inwardly. Each plug is then joined to two tobacco columns and cut in half. The resultant filters each have a fibrous filter section at the exposed end glued to the plug wrap paper, a compacted particulate section and an unglued fibrous filter section at the tobacco end.

Abstract: A machine for making cigarette filters from filter tow includes a tow fluffing unit for blowing air into the tow before it is compressed; a suction wheel which compresses the tow while extracting air therefrom; and a tongue which further compresses and shapes the tow and includes longitudinally spaced pressure tappings by which the pressure drop through the tow is detected. The tow feed rate is adjusted automatically to maintain a constant pressure drop. Also, the consumption of tow is monitored and the amount of tow stretching is adjusted automatically to minimize the consumption.