There is disclosed a method for making a filter element comprising the steps of: advancing two or more sheets of filtering material in a longitudinal direction; separating the two or more sheets of longitudinally advancing filtering material; gathering the separated sheets of longitudinally advancing filtering material to form a partially gathered rod of filtering material having a longitudinally extending recess; inserting an additive release vessel into the longitudinally extending recess; gathering the filtering material around the additive release vessel to close the recess and thereby form a rod comprising a longitudinally extending core of filtering material and one or more additive release vessels.

A feeding device (8, 8, 8, 8) for feeding a continuous strip (9) into a continuous fibrous band, in a tobacco industry machine for manufacturing rod-like elements, wherein the fibrous band is formed to a form of a continuous rod (CR) comprising the continuous strip (9) surrounded by the continuous fibrous band, the feeding device (8, 8, 8, 8) comprising: a strip supply unit (10) for feeding the continuous strip (9); a strip feeding unit (11) for feeding the continuous strip (9) into the middle of the continuous fibrous band; wherein the feeding device (8, 8, 8, 8) is configured such that the strip feeding unit (11) is located in the machine for manufacturing the rod-like elements between a fibrous band preparation unit (4) and a garniture unit (15) for forming the continuous rod. The feeding device (8, 8, 8, 8) further comprises: a feeding wheel (7), having a circumferential surface (20) comprising a cylindrical guiding surface (20A) for guiding the continuous strip (9); and guiding surfaces (21A; 22A; 31A; 32A; 41A; 42A; 51A; 52A). The guiding surfaces (21A; 22A; 31A; 32A; 41A; 42A; 51A; 52A) and the cylindrical guiding surface (20A) form a duct for guiding the continuous strip (9).

An apparatus and method for forming a rod member used to manufacture cigarette filter elements, involve an insertion device for inserting objects into and along the rod member formed from a continuous filter material supply. The insertion device includes an insertion member adjacent to the filter material supply and defining a series of receptacles about a periphery thereof. The insertion member rotates in a first rotational direction to receive the objects in the receptacles at a first rotational position and to insert the objects from the receptacles into the rod member at a second rotational position. A cleaning element is adjacent to the insertion member between the second and first rotational positions in the first rotational direction, and engages each of the receptacles upon rotation of the insertion member between the second and first rotational positions to remove residual material from the receptacles prior to the first rotational position.

The present disclosure relates to a component for a delivery system. The component includes a body formed from a sheet of material and at least one object held in a space within the body. The sheet material includes a first internal edge at least partially defining a boundary of the space. The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing a component for a delivery system and to an apparatus for manufacturing a component for a delivery system. The present disclosure also relates to a rod configured to be cut at least once to form a plurality of components and to a delivery system including a component.

An apparatus for continuous production of a filter rod for smoking articles includes a belt conveyor system for advancing a rod of filter material. The belt conveyor system has separate conveyor belts, having respective upper conveying runs arranged one downstream of the other. Speeds of the conveyor belts are controlled according to a predetermined ratio, which controls an axial stretching or compacting effect of the material of the filter rod from the transition between conveyor belts, to influence the characteristics of the produced filter rod. Additional operations can be performed in the area between the upper runs of the conveyor belts, which modify the configuration and/or structure of the filter rod, including shaping, marking or embossing of the filter rod; or filter material may form a filter rod outer layer. The apparatus can produce a filter rod having a coaxial configuration.

A cleaning unit for tobacco industry machines, wherein the tobacco industry machine is configured to process a moving train (ST2) of rod-like elements (S1, S2) separated by compartments (105) and partially wrapped with a wrapper (101), wherein the compartments (105) are filled with a loose material (102) forming segments of the loose material (SC). The cleaning unit (104) includes an outlet partition (34) at an outlet from a cleaning zone (Z2) for limiting an uncontrolled displacement of contaminations from the cleaning zone (Z2) to a garniture zone (Z3), located above the train (ST2) of the rod-like elements and having a passage (35) through which the covering elements (10) pass.

There is provided a method of making rods having predetermined values of cross-sectional porosity, and a cross-sectional porosity distribution value for use as an aerosol-forming substrate in a heated aerosol-generating article, including providing a continuous sheet of aerosol-forming material having a specified width and a specified thickness; gathering the sheet transversely relative to a longitudinal axis thereof; circumscribing the gathered sheet with a wrapper to form a continuous rod; severing the rod into a plurality of discrete rods; determining values of cross-sectional porosity and cross-sectional porosity distribution for at least one of the discrete rods; and controlling one or more manufacturing parameters to ensure that the cross-sectional porosity and cross-sectional porosity distribution values of subsequent rods are within the predetermined values.

A machine for making cigarette filters and which includes a forming beam having an internal channel whose transverse cross section changes shape along the main longitudinal direction of the channel. Porous conveyor means carry the tow along a feed path in the channel complying with the shape thereof and thereby being wrapped around the tow. At least one treatment station located along the feed path includes a nozzle for blowing a flow of steam into the channel. The nozzle includes a plurality of planar sectors positioned transversely to the channel and defining an overall planar flow orifice placed directly in communication with a steam feed duct. Each planar sector defines a respective planar flow orifice and at least two flow orifices have different thicknesses.

There is disclosed a mouth piece, filter element or cooling element for an aerosol generating article comprising: a first section comprising a longitudinally extending core of filtering material having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a channel extending longitudinally from an end of the first section; a second section comprising a longitudinally extending core of filtering material; wherein the first section and the second section are adjacent and integral; wherein the channel has a non-circular transverse cross section which varies in the longitudinal direction by rotating about a longitudinal axis of the first section.

There is provided a method of making rods having predetermined values of cross-sectional porosity, and a cross-sectional porosity distribution value for use as an aerosol-forming substrate in a heated aerosol-generating article, including providing a continuous sheet of aerosol-forming material having a specified width and a specified thickness; gathering the sheet transversely relative to a longitudinal axis thereof; circumscribing the gathered sheet with a wrapper to form a continuous rod; severing the rod into a plurality of discrete rods; determining values of cross-sectional porosity and cross-sectional porosity distribution for at least one of the discrete rods; and controlling one or more manufacturing parameters to ensure that the cross-sectional porosity and cross-sectional porosity distribution values of subsequent rods are within the predetermined values.