Method and apparatus for producing rod-like tobacco fillers

Abstract

A growing tobacco stream is formed at the underside of a foraminous belt conveyor and is transported past two trimming devices to be converted into a rod-like filler which is thereupon draped into cigarette paper and severed to yield discrete plain cigarettes which are united with filter plugs to form filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. The resistance of successive identical sections of the filler to axial and/or transverse flow of air therethrough is monitored, and the resulting signals are used to adjust the second trimming device when the monitored resistance deviates from a desired value. The envelopes of filter plugs on successive filter cigarettes are perforated by a laser which is adjustable by signals denoting deviations of the mass of tobacco per unit length of the filler from a preselected value, deviations of the resistance of filter plugs to axial flow of air therethrough from a preselected value and/or deviations of the permeability of cigarette paper from a preselected value. This insures that the column of gaseous fluid which enters the mouth of a smoker contains a mixture of tobacco smoke and of a predetermined quantity of cool atmospheric air.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.