A method of recovering tobacco from a plurality of cigarettes with a tobacco recovery machine, each of the cigarettes including a filter rod and a tobacco rod surrounded by tipping paper, the method comprising:
- individually transporting, by a feeder, each of the plurality of cigarettes to a chopping mechanism, the feeder comprising a feed drum having a curved outer surface;
- maintaining, by a first tobacco rod rail, a second rod rail and a filter rod rail of a guide assembly, individual cigarettes within the feeder as the feeder transports the individual cigarettes past the chopping mechanism, each of the first tobacco rod rail, the second tobacco rod rail, and the filter rod rail having a curvature so as to partially surround the curved outer surface of the feed drum, the first tobacco rod rail positioned adjacent to the second tobacco rod rail and separated therefrom, and the filter rod rail positioned adjacent to the first tobacco rod rail opposite the second tobacco rail, the filter rod rail separated from the first tobacco rod rail and selectively movable therefrom so as to adjust a distance therebetween;
- separating, by a chopping knife of the chopping mechanism, the filter rod from the tobacco rod for each of the plurality of cigarettes;
- transporting, by a transportation mechanism including a belt drive system and a guide rail, the tobacco rod surrounded by the tipping paper to a slitting mechanism, the guide rail comprising an entrance guide comprising a first top entrance plate and a second top entrance plate positioned over a bottom entrance plate, the first and second top entrance plates defining a central opening therebetween and comprising sloping sidewalls structured to receive the tobacco rod from the guide assembly, a guide channel formed by a first top slit plate and a second top slit plate positioned over a bottom slit plate, the guide channel positioned downstream of the entrance guide, the guide channel being circular in cross-section and defining an axial knife opening between the first top slit plate and the second top slit plate, and an exit ramp positioned downstream of the guide channel, the exit ramp having a first end proximate to the guide channel and defining a first cross-section, and a second end distal from the guide channel and defining a second cross-section larger than the first cross-section, and the belt drive system comprising a transportation belt positioned so as to pass between the bottom entrance plate and the first and second top entrance plates, and to also pass between the bottom slit plate and the first and second top slit plates;
- and
- slitting, by a slitting knife of the slitting mechanism, the tipping paper surrounding the tobacco rod as the tobacco rod is transported past the slitting mechanism by the transportation mechanism.