The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

A smoking product includes a cylindrical crutch in substantial axial alignment with a hollow conical mold, and a tobacco leaf rolled cone formed around the cylindrical crutch and the hollow conical mold. A truncated minor diameter end of the hollow conical mold forms a circular rim in contact with an end of the cylindrical crutch, where the cylindrical crutch and the circular rim have substantially the same outer diameter. The hollow conical mold may remain inside the tobacco leaf rolled cone until use, but is easily removable from the tobacco leaf rolled cone without damaging the tobacco leaf rolled cone.

A smoking product includes a cylindrical crutch in substantial axial alignment with a hollow conical mold, and a tobacco leaf rolled cone formed around the cylindrical crutch and the hollow conical mold. A truncated minor diameter end of the hollow conical mold forms a circular rim in contact with an end of the cylindrical crutch, where the cylindrical crutch and the circular rim have substantially the same outer diameter. The hollow conical mold may remain inside the tobacco leaf rolled cone until use, but is easily removable from the tobacco leaf rolled cone without damaging the tobacco leaf rolled cone.

A method of constructing a cigar includes the providing of a plurality of frusto-conically shaped tubes, each tube being of a smokable material such as a spirally wrapped layer of tobacco material. The tubes are nested, one tube inside the other tube. The nested tubes are then attached to a mouthpiece having a socket that is internally threaded. The nested tubes and mouthpiece are packaged either filled with tobacco filler material, partially filled, or unfilled in a container.

A method of constructing a cigar includes the providing of a plurality of frusto-conically shaped tubes, each tube being of a smokable material such as a spirally wrapped layer of tobacco material. The tubes are nested, one tube inside the other tube. The nested tubes are then attached to a mouthpiece having a socket that is internally threaded. The nested tubes and mouthpiece are packaged either filled with tobacco filler material, partially filled, or unfilled in a container.

An apparatus for the formation of machine-made tobacco rods for use in the production of smoking articles, such as cigars, from tobacco comprising a tacky material. The apparatus includes a pair of transfer and compression belts for receiving and compressing the stream of tobacco, the transfer and compression; a pair of squeeze bars for compressing the tobacco in a direction perpendicular to the pair of transfer and compression belts, the pair of squeeze bars produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); a tongue for receiving the compressed tobacco, the tongue produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); and a folder for folding a wrapper material around the compressed tobacco so as to form a continuous rod of tobacco, the wrapper material provided from a source of wrapper material, the folder produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone).

An apparatus for the formation of machine-made tobacco rods for use in the production of smoking articles, such as cigars, from tobacco comprising a tacky material. The apparatus includes a pair of transfer and compression belts for receiving and compressing the stream of tobacco, the transfer and compression; a pair of squeeze bars for compressing the tobacco in a direction perpendicular to the pair of transfer and compression belts, the pair of squeeze bars produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); a tongue for receiving the compressed tobacco, the tongue produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); and a folder for folding a wrapper material around the compressed tobacco so as to form a continuous rod of tobacco, the wrapper material provided from a source of wrapper material, the folder produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone).

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.