Method of wrapping smoking article rods

An apparatus for wrapping a smoking article rod with a wrapper, said apparatus comprising:

• a bobbin comprising a wound web and individual spaced wrappers arranged side by side on the web, with each of the wrappers having a longitudinal axis;
• a support;
• means for unwinding the bobbin and guiding an unwound section of the web across the support wherein the wrappers on said section of the web exposed;
• means for feeding individual smoking article rods, which have their longitudinal axes generally arranged in parallel, towards the support when the smoking article rods are arranged such that an oblique angle is defined between the longitudinal axes of the smoking article rods and of the wrappers;
• and
• means for rolling each smoking article rod over a corresponding one of the wrappers wherein said corresponding one of the wrappers is taken up by said smoking article rod and helically wound about said smoking article rod.

A method of manufacturing smoking articles, said method comprising a process for wrapping smoking article rods said process including the steps of:

• providing a bobbin comprising a wound web and individual spaced wrappers arranged side by side on the web, with each of the wrappers having a longitudinal axis;
• unwinding the bobbin and guiding an unwound section of the web across a support, wherein the wrappers on said section of the web are exposed;
• feeding individual smoking article rods, which have their longitudinal axes generally arranged in parallel, towards the support when the smoking article rods are arranged such that an oblique angle is defined between the longitudinal axes of the smoking article rods and of the wrappers;
• and
• rolling each smoking article rod over a corresponding one of the wrappers, wherein said corresponding wrapper is taken up by said smoking article rod and helically wound about said smoking article rod.

A smoking article comprising a wrapper wrapped about a smoking article rod by a method comprising the steps of:

• providing a bobbin comprising a wound web and individual spaced wrappers arranged side by side on the web, with each of the wrappers having a longitudinal axis;
• unwinding the bobbin and guiding an unwound section of the web across a support, wherein the wrappers on said section of the web are exposed;
• feeding individual smoking article rods, which have their longitudinal axes generally arranged in parallel, towards the support when the smoking article rods are arranged such that an oblique angle is defined between the longitudinal axes of the smoking article rods and of the wrappers;
• and
• rolling each smoking article rod over a corresponding one of the wrappers, wherein said corresponding wrapper is taken up by said smoking article rod and helically wound about said smoking article rod.