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AssigneeAmerican Filtrona Corporation
InventorsRichard M. Berger, Robert G. Hemsworth
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A method for forming successive spaced crimps in a tow of fibrous material by passing the tow along a path defined by an apparatus comprising a plurality of crimping wheels disposed around the path, each wheel including teeth having crimping surfaces and adjacent sealing surfaces which slide over one another during crimping to prevent material from being squeezed between the teeth thereby forming crimped sections with elongate edges which are substantially free of flashing connecting non-crimped sections. A second crimping step may be incorporated to form longitudinal grooves in alternate non-crimped sections. The rod-like member produced by these techniques may be overwrapped to provide pockets surrounding the crimped sections which may be filled with a smoke-modifying material, for example, activated charcoal particles. Discrete elements cut from the rod-like member may be used in cigarettes and the like such as in the production of filtered cigarettes.
An elongate rod-like member for use in a cigarette or the like, said member comprising a polymeric material and including spaced bulbous sections of relatively large cross-section alternating lengthwise of the member with connecting sections of relatively small cross-section integrally interconnecting said bulbous sections, said bulbous sections each including intercommunicating passageways defining an air-pervious plug, and said connecting sections having elongate edges substantially free of flashing.
An element for use in a cigarette or the like comprising a length of polymeric material having spaced bulbous ends integrally interconnected by a central section of relatively smaller cross-section, said bulbous ends each comprising an air-pervious plug, and said central section having elongate edges extending between said bulbous ends, said edges being substantially free of flashing.
A tobacco smoke filter having a core element comprising a length of tobacco smoke filter material with smoke-pervious bulbous ends integrally interconnected by a crimped central section of relatively smaller cross-section than said bulbous ends, said central section having elongate edges extending between said bulbous ends, said edges being substantially free of flashing, and a tubular wrapping secured over said bulbous ends of said core element and defining an annular pocket around said central section of said core element.
Apparatus for forming a rod-like member from a travelling length of crimpable material, the rod-like member having crimped sections of relatively small cross-section alternating lengthwise with non-crimped sections of relatively larger cross-section, said apparatus including a first crimping means for forming said crimped sections, said first crimping means comprising a plurality of crimping wheels disposed around a path along which the material is to travel, each wheel having an axis of rotation in a plane perpendicular to said path, the axes of the respective wheels being angled with respect to each other, each wheel having spaced circumferentially disposed teeth, each tooth having an outwardly facing crimping surface and an adjacent sealing surface angled with respect to said crimping surface, said wheels being located for engagement of corresponding teeth on the respective wheels when the wheels are rotated about said axes to form a crimped section in said material between said crimping surfaces of the respective teeth with each crimping surface sliding over a sealing surface of an adjacent tooth to prevent material being squeezed between the teeth during formation of the crimped section, thereby forming longitudinal edges on the crimped section substantially free of flashing.
Apparatus for crimping a travelling length of crimpable material comprising a first crimping means positioned in the path of travel of the material for forming crimped sections in the material of relatively small cross-section alternating with non-crimped sections of relatively larger cross-section, and a second crimping means following said first crimping means in the path of travel of the material for forming further crimps in selected ones of the non-crimped sections.
A crimping device comprising a plurality of crimping wheels each of which has a central axis, each wheel including a plurality of teeth equally spaced around an outer circumference, each tooth having an outwardly facing crimping surface inclined with respect to said axis and a sealing surface at an angle to said crimping surface, each of said wheels being rotatably mounted about its axis with said crimping surface of the teeth of each wheel sliding over a sealing surface of the teeth of a juxtaposed wheel as said wheels are rotated to produce crimped sections in material passing between said crimping surfaces, which crimped sections include longitudinal edges substantially free of flashing.
A method of forming a rod-like member from a travelling length of crimpable material which includes the steps of successively forming spaced crimped sections in the material alternating with non-crimped sections by successively squeezing the material between cooperating peripheral teeth of a plurality of crimping wheels spaced around a path along which the material travels and causing crimping surfaces of the teeth on each wheel to engage and slide across sealing surfaces of the teeth on an adjacent wheel while forming each crimped section thereby preventing material being squeezed between the wheels and forming the crimped sections with longitudinal edges substantially free of flashing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.