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 component for an article for use in or as an aerosol provision system, the component including a body of fibrous material and first and second objects circumferentially surrounded by said fibrous material, said first object being different from said second object. Also described is an article including the component, a method of manufacturing a component, and an apparatus configured for manufacturing a component.

A method of preparing an additive assembly for insertion into tobacco industry product filter tow, comprising: providing a web comprising an array of discrete portions of additive disposed in or on the web, the array comprising columns of at least two discrete portions of additive across a width of the web; and forming a chain of discrete portions of additive in the web. The chain comprises: connecting portions that connect adjacent discrete portions of additive in a column of the array; and connecting portions that are configured to be nonlinear to connect discrete portions of additive in respective adjacent columns of the array.

A component for an article for use in or as an aerosol provision system, the component including a body of fibrous material. First and second tubular elements extend through the body of fibrous material, substantially along a common axis, and each of the first and second tubular elements are circumferentially surrounded by said fibrous material. A component can include a body of fibrous material and a tubular element embedded within the body, such that it is circumferentially and longitudinally surrounded by the fibrous material forming said body. An article can have a downstream end, and include a body of fibrous material and a tubular element circumferentially surrounded by said fibrous material, wherein the tubular element extends to a first longitudinal end of said body and is spaced from a second longitudinal end of said body, and wherein the longitudinal end of said body to which the tubular element extends is spaced from the downstream end of the article.

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus including a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction, and a forming device connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a rod-shaped continuous filter body and deliver the formed continuous filter body. The forming device includes: a tubular element adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter material into the continuous filter body; a heat source adapted to heat the filter material passing in the tubular element. A diameter measuring device is positioned at the outlet of the forming device and adapted to measure a diameter of the continuous filter body.

The forming apparatus comprises a feed path for continuously feeding a continuous tow material along a transport direction, a forming device connected to a downstream end of the feed path and adapted to form the continuous tow material into a continuous tubular rod. The forming device comprises a tubular element adapted to allow the continuous tow material to pass through the tubular element to form the continuous tubular rod and a steam generator adapted to generate overheated steam. The steam generator is in fluid connection with the tubular element to provide overheated steam to the continuous tow material. The forming device further comprises several fluid conduits to provide overheated steam from the steam generator to several injection sites arranged along a length of the tubular element, wherein at least one fluid conduit of the several fluid conduits comprises a temperature control unit including a temperature sensor and a temperature influencer.

The forming apparatus comprises a feed path for continuously feeding a continuous tow material along a transport direction, a forming device connected to a downstream end of the feed path and adapted to form the continuous tow material into a continuous tubular rod. The forming device comprises a tubular element adapted to allow the continuous tow material to pass through the tubular element to form the continuous tubular rod and a steam generator adapted to generate overheated steam. The steam generator is in fluid connection with the tubular element to provide overheated steam to the continuous tow material. The forming device further comprises several fluid conduits to provide overheated steam from the steam generator to several injection sites arranged along a length of the tubular element, wherein at least one fluid conduit of the several fluid conduits comprises a temperature control unit including a temperature sensor and a temperature influencer.

A method of producing a flavoured tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising a self-sustaining longitudinally extending cylindrical core comprising fibres or filaments of tobacco smoke filtering material which are bonded at their points of contact; the method comprising a step of applying a flavouring agent to a longitudinally advancing flow of filters and/or filter elements and/or multiple filter rods. Filters and filter elements are also provided.

The present invention relates to an article (10). The article comprises an aerosol-generating substrate (12) and a region (14) positioned longitudinally relative to the aerosol generating substrate. The region comprises a rod segment (16) formed from a plurality of elongate strips (17) of sheet material (18) extending longitudinally through said rod segment. The present invention also relates to a segment of sheet material for a rod segment. The segment of sheet material comprises a segment of a web (44) of sheet material (18) of discrete length comprising a plurality of elongate strips (17) and a band (22) of sheet material extending transversely to the plurality of elongate strips. The plurality of elongate strips extend from the band of sheet material. The present invention also relates to an apparatus (40) for manufacturing rod segments and a method of forming a rod segment.