The object of the application is an apparatus for processing rod-like articles of the tobacco industry wherein the rod-like articles are conveyed in flutes of a conveyor along a path of movement transverse to the axis of the rod-like article with a pair (6) of circular knives (6A, 6B) adjacent to each other, whereas the axes of rotation (Z, Z′) of the circular knives are situated on two sides of the path of movement (P), characterized in that the path of movement (P) passes through an area (6C) of overlapping of the adjacent circular knives (6A, 6B), whereas in the pair (6) of the adjacent circular knives (6A, 6B) one circular knife (6A) is situated above the carrier surface (2A, 2A′) of the conveyor (2, 2′), whereas the other circular knife (6B) is situated beneath the carrier surface (2A, 2A′) of the conveyor (2, 2′). The object of the application is also a method for processing rod-like articles (1) of the tobacco industry.

There is provided an aerosol-generating article (10) comprising an aerosol-generating substrate (12) and a mouthpiece (14). The mouthpiece (14) comprises at least one segment of filter material (18, 20, 22), a breakable capsule (26) containing an aqueous liquid (32), and a plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) dispersed within the at least one segment of filter material (22). Each of the microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) comprises a flavourant encapsulated within a shell comprising a water sensitive material, such that the plurality of microencapsulated flavourant particles (38) are adapted to release a flavourant upon contact with the liquid (32) contained within the breakable capsule (26).

A machine for manufacturing tobacco industry filter rods, the filter rods comprising single-length longitudinal objects, wherein the machine comprises: a preparation unit for preparing a strand of filtering fibers; a forming unit for forming a continuous filter rod from the strand of the filtering fibers; a feeding unit for feeding multiple-length longitudinal objects; a cutting unit for cutting the multiple-length longitudinal objects into the single-length longitudinal objects; a transferring unit for transferring the single-length longitudinal objects; a positioning unit for placing the single-length longitudinal objects in the continuous filter rod while it is being formed; a cutting head for cutting the formed continuous filter rod that comprises the filtering fibers and the single-length longitudinal objects, into individual filter rods. The cutting unit for cutting the multiple-length longitudinal objects into the single-length longitudinal objects comprises a multi-flute drum conveyor.

A filter part (1) for use in an aerosol generating article and a method of manufacturing the filter part (1). The filter part (1) includes an aerosol permeable core (11) surrounded by a sleeve (12). The sleeve (12) is formed of linear, axially oriented fibres and the core (11) is formed of expanded, randomly oriented fibres. The method includes forming two or more strips (2a, 2b) into segments surrounding a conveying path, bringing the segments together into a sleeve former (7) to form the sleeve (12) and introducing loose fibres (52) between the segments upstream of the sleeve former (7) such that they are drawn therein in a random orientation and compressed between the segments as they are brought together to form a filter rod (8) with an aerosol permeable core (11) within the sleeve (12). The filter rod (8) is then cut to form the filter part (1).

A system includes system at least one dispenser configured to dispense to dispense a plurality of segments on a first conveying path and a spacing drum configured to receive a number of the plurality of segments per revolution of the drum and configured to release the number of segments on a second conveying path at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed along the conveying path, the number of the plurality of segments being at least three and the number of segments released by the spacing drum forming a filter element.

A filter for a smoking article has improved biodegradability and improved taste during smoking of the smoking article. The filter includes a segment having a filtration substrate including natural cellulose fibres, and a wrapper at least partly surrounding the segment. The filtration substrate contains a composition including an additive for reducing phenols.

A filter element suitable for use in smoking articles may include: cellulose acetate fibers bonded together using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) surrounding the cellulose acetate fibers, bonded together using PHA on surfaces of the cellulose acetate fibers, and/or bonded together using PHA. A process for producing the filter element suitable for use in the smoking articles may include: embedding a bundle of the cellulose acetate fibers with an aqueous suspension of the PHA to obtain a wet bundle of the cellulose acetate fibers covered by the aqueous suspension; shaping the wet bundle into a continuous elongated element; heating the elongated element to temperature greater than or equal to 140 C. and less than or equal to 180 C. to melt the PHA and to evaporate water from the elongated element; cooling the heated elongated element to obtain crystallization of the PHA; and/or cutting the elongated element into segments.

A machine for producing multi-segment rods for use in tobacco industry, the machine comprising: at least one feeding module for placing segments in a train, one after the other, on a collecting transporter for transporting the segments along a predefined transporting path in a direction towards a garniture transporter; a transferring module for transferring the segments from the collecting transporter onto the garniture transporter; the garniture transporter for transporting segments on a wrapper; a garniture device for wrapping the wrapper around the train of the segments to form a continuous rod; a cutting head for cutting the continuous rod into multi-segment rods; and a shifting mechanism for dislocating the collecting transporter with respect to the predefined transporting path to a cleaning position, wherein the segments while being transported on the collecting transporter are not in contact with any of the feeding modules.

A filter part (1) for use in an aerosol generating article and a method of manufacturing the filter part (1). The filter part (1) includes an aerosol permeable core (11) surrounded by a sleeve (12). The sleeve (12) is formed of linear, axially oriented fibres and the core (11) is formed of expanded, randomly oriented fibres. The method includes forming two or more strips (2a, 2b) into segments surrounding a conveying path, bringing the segments together into a sleeve former (7) to form the sleeve (12) and introducing loose fibres (52) between the segments upstream of the sleeve former (7) such that they are drawn therein in a random orientation and compressed between the segments as they are brought together to form a filter rod (8) with an aerosol permeable core (11) within the sleeve (12). The filter rod (8) is then cut to form the filter part (1).

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.