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 garniture device for a machine used in tobacco industry for manufacturing a continuous rod comprising a loose material wrapped with a wrapper. The garniture device has an upper garniture part having forming parts for forming the wrapper around the loose material; a lower garniture part; a garniture duct extending along at least a portion of the lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable in the garniture duct for transporting the wrapper along the garniture duct. The garniture duct further has an inlet part for transforming the garniture belt from a flat configuration into a U-shaped configuration; an outlet part for transforming the garniture belt from the U-shaped configuration into the flat configuration; and a U-shaped part disposed between the inlet part and the outlet part for guiding the garniture belt in the U-shaped configuration.

The invention relates to a method for adjusting the diameter of an elongated rod, said method comprising: providing an elongated rod having a preliminary diameter; selecting a desired final diameter of the elongated rod; providing a diameter adjusting device including a first tubular element having an inlet and an outlet and a channel connecting the inlet and the outlet; adjusting the diameter of the outlet as a function of the desired final diameter of the elongated rod, wherein the diameter of the inlet is bigger than the diameter of the outlet when adjusted; and inserting the elongated rod in the diameter adjusting device from the inlet and outputting it from the outlet so that said elongated rod is compressed to the desired final diameter when outputted from the outlet of the first tubular element.

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.

This filler element 6 is used in a flavor inhaler 1, and comprises: a folded part 36 in which one sheet 34 composed of a nonwoven fabric has been folded in the width direction Z intersecting the longitudinal direction X thereof, and the diameter thereof has been reduced to a size not greater than the diameter of the filler element 6; and wrapping paper 18 that is wrapped on the folded part 36. The sheet 34 is subjected to a compression process in which at least a portion thereof in the width direction Z is compressed, such that if the total of the widths D1 of the compressed sections of the sheet 34 in the width direction Z is defined as the total compressed width Dt1 of the sheet 34, the ratio of the total compressed width Dt1 relative to the sheet width Ds of the sheet in the width direction Z is a prescribed ratio.

A gathering assembly for production of an aerosol generating article is provided, the assembly including a gathering element and a support assembly, the element to receive and to gather a material on the support assembly, the element including an inlet to receive the material, an outlet for outward passage of the material, and a converging portion to receive the material from the inlet and to gather the material on the support assembly as the material passes between the inlet and the outlet, the support assembly including a first portion having a fixed position relative to the support assembly, a second portion movable relative to the first portion, the gathering element being coupled to and movable with the second portion, and a sacrificial member to couple positions of the first and the second portions, and to fail when force applied on the gathering element by the material exceeds a predetermined level.

A method of manufacturing a compressed rod of web material for the filter rod of an aerosol-generating article, comprising: supplying a feed of web material from a supply apparatus; drawing the web material through a filter rod manufacturing apparatus; introducing a curved ridge into the central portion of the width wise cross-section of the web material as it approaches contact with the interior of a folding funnel, by drawing the web material across a forming surface of a former that contacts a central portion of the web material, in which the forming surface deflects the central portion of the web material from a line extending between where the web material leaves the supply apparatus and the center of an outlet of the folding funnel; and folding the web material in the folding funnel to form a compressed rod of web material.

A conveyor for conveying strands of aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The conveyor comprises a conveying surface, comprising a plurality of openings, on which the strands of aerosol-generating material are conveyed, and an air flow generator for generating a flow of air through the plurality of openings in the conveying surface to provide an air cushion between the conveying surface and the strands of aerosol-generating material. Apparatus for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material comprising a slitting unit arranged to slit a web of aerosol-generating material into a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material that are received by the conveyor is also disclosed, as well as a method of conveying strands of aerosol-generating material.

A machine for making a continuous tubular element with filling from web material, including first and second means for feeding respective continuous webs, a forming station configured to perform a folding and/or deformation of a first continuous web in a shaped configuration, and a wrapping station wherein the second continuous web is wound in a tubular shape around the first continuous shaped web to obtain the continuous tubular element. Upstream of the wrapping station there is a first gluing device configured to apply at least one longitudinal line of glue on at least one of the continuous webs in such a way as to define at least one gluing zone, said longitudinal line of glue being positioned in such a way as to coincide with a zone of superposing and contact between the two continuous webs feeding out of the wrapping station.