Cigarette filter rods having individual objects positioned at predetermined intervals therein are prepared by transferring the individual objects from a rotating horizontal pan to a rotating vertical wheel and then depositing the object into a web of filter tow. Each object is positioned within the moving web of tow. The web filter material and the objects positioned within the web are introduced into a rod-forming unit wherein the rod is formed. The rate of feed of the filter tow, the rate of rotation of the horizontal pan and the vertical wheel are controlled relative to one another such that objects are positioned at predetermined intervals along the rod. Cigarette filter elements having well controlled amounts of flavorant contained therein can be made from the rods.

A smoking product with one or more filters, such as a cigar or cigarette. The filters may comprise micro-fibers, nano-fibers, or a combination thereof, wherein the fibers are provided by electrospinning. The filters may be disc-shaped, hemispherical-shaped, convex lens-shaped, and/or may comprise one or more folding structures. The smoking product may be a tobacco product, and may comprise a plurality of filters comprising one or more materials and one or more sizes and/or shapes, and the filters may comprise fibers of provide a size gradient from a first end of the product to the second end. In addition, the filters may further comprise one or more catalysts adapted to adsorb or filter to reduce or remove one or more materials, which may be toxic. Methods of making the filters and tobacco products are provided.

A filter segment for use in a filter of a smoking article includes a substrate loaded with at least one smoke-modifying agent. The substrate is located within the body of the filter segment and is formed from filter plug wrap having an air permeability ranging from about 6,000 Coresta units to about 24,000 Coresta units.

A cigarette filter manufacturing apparatus, includes, a stuffer jet which sends a tow together with air, a tongue which molds the tow into a bar, a convergence guide which is provided in a position between the stuffer jet and the tongue, and converges the tow while guiding the tow toward the tongue, and a plurality of thread introducing tubes, intervals between which are reduced toward downstream in a position between an outlet of the stuffer jet and an introducing part of the tongue, the thread introducing tubes supplying respective threads into the tow from respective downstream distal ends.

Shown is a filter material for manufacturing a segment for a smoking article, wherein the filter material is web-shaped and contains at least 50% and at most 100% cellulose fibers, each with respect to the mass of the filter material, wherein the filter material has a basis weight of at least 15 g/m.sup.2 and at most 60 g/m.sup.2, wherein the thickness of one layer of the filter material, measured in accordance with ISO 534:2011, is at least 25 m and at most 1000 m, wherein the filter material has a machine direction and a cross direction orthogonal thereto and lying in the plane of the web of the filter material, and wherein the filter material has a characteristic plastic deformability in the cross direction which is characterized in that in a tensile test in the cross direction in accordance with ISO 1924-2:2008, the nonlinear portion of the deformation energy absorbed by the filter material up to half the elongation at break is at least 10% and at most 50% of the total deformation energy absorbed by the filter material up to half the elongation at break.

A method and a device for supplying filter material to a filter rod forming machine, according to which a flat band of filter material, obtained working a single tow, is longitudinally cut in at least two strips, each of which is fed to a respective pneumatic device adapted to transform the respective strip in a respective cord. The cords are then fed to an inlet of the forming machine at positions evenly distributed about a central axial portion for forming a peripheral axial portion.

A filter segment for use in a filter of a smoking article includes a substrate loaded with at least one smoke-modifying agent. The substrate is located within the body of the filter segment and is formed from filter plug wrap having an air permeability ranging from about 6,000 Coresta units to about 24,000 Coresta units.

The present invention provides a method of forming a filter rod (R) of separated fibres and/or randomly oriented filter material fibres (F) for the tobacco processing industry, the method comprising: supplying separated filter material fibres (F) to an inlet (I) of a conveyor device (2), conveying the separated filter material fibres (F) along a process path (P) in a conveying direction (D) from the inlet (I) to an outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2), whereby a strand (4) of the filter material fibres (F) is formed along the process path (P), introducing at least one additive (A), especially a binder, to the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) on the process path (P) in the conveyor device (2) at a position that is closer to the outlet (O) than the inlet (I), and consolidating the filter material fibres (F) into a filter rod (R) by wrapping the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) with a wrapper material (6) after the strand (4) exits the outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2) in the conveying direction (D). Desirably, the at least one additive (A) is introduced or applied to the strand (4) of filter material fibres (F) proximate or adjacent to the outlet (O) of the conveyor device (2). The invention also provides an apparatus (1) for forming such a filter rod (R) of separated and/or randomly oriented filter material fibres (F).

Provided is a material (cigarette component) that enables the elimination or minimization of illicit cigarette production. Specifically, related is a cigarette filter tow band including a crimped bundle of filaments. The tow band includes a detectable marker for identifying the source of the tow band.

A component for an article for use in or as an aerosol provision system, including a body having a crimped sheet of cellulose-based material. The crimped sheet of cellulose-based material includes a first region with a first level of crimping and a second region, longitudinally offset from the first region, having a second level of crimping which is different from the first level of crimping. An article including the component, a method for manufacturing the component, and an apparatus configured for manufacturing the component are also described.