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).

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.

A filter included in an aerosol-generating article, according to embodiments, includes a first filter segment including a first filter element in which at least one heterogeneous material particle is contained, a second filter segment including a second filter element, and a wrapper wrapping the first filter segment and the second filter segment, wherein the first filter segment and the second filter segment are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the filter, and the first filter segment and the second filter segment are not physically separated.

A device for moving tubular bodies, includes a conveyor belt for feeding a plurality of tubular pieces, each extending along a respective axis of extension, in such a way as to provide a succession of groups of tubular pieces where each group is defined by a predetermined number of tubular pieces positioned in succession along the respective axis of extension and transversely offset therefrom. The device includes at least one housing for containing at least one tubular piece inside of which an air cushion is produced by which the tubular piece is transferred translationally outside the housing along its respective axis of extension.

An apparatus for forming a circumferential slit in a tobacco industry rod article is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a drum and a rolling hand spaced apart from one another so as to form a space for a tobacco industry rod article, and a cutting element extending into the space and configured to form a circumferential slit in the tobacco industry rod article.

Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus for cutting and arranging rods for use in a tobacco industry product assembly machine. The apparatus comprises a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods. Each double-length rod has respective remote ends. A positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other. Also disclosed is a method of cutting and arranging rods for tobacco industry product assembly, and a method of tobacco industry product assembly.

The object of the application is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, provided with circular knives situated in knife units mounted in the housing of the head, characterized in that it comprises a housing of the head (8) provided with a reference surface (23) for positioning in the apparatus for feeding filter segments; seatings (20, 21) for positioning the knife units (10) and lead-out channels (25), knife units (10) with circular knives (6), whereas the positioning seatings (20, 21) are situated so that the circular knives (6) do not overlap. Furthermore, the object of the application is a drive apparatus of a cutting head and a method of coupling a cutting head.

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 method for concurrently manufacturing two different types of smoking articles using a smoking article manufacturing machine. The machine comprises a filter rod feeder, a rod attachment unit for attaching rods of smokable material to each longitudinal end of a dual length filter rod received from the filter rod feeder, and a cutter to cut the dual length filter rod into two filter rod segments so that each segment, together with the rod of smokable material attached to each segment, forms a smoking article. The method supplies the filter rod feeder with filter rods comprising filter tow. The filter rods being configured so that the two filter rod segments cut from a dual length filter rod by the cutter will each have different characteristics. A pack of smoking article industry products, and an intermediate product made during the concurrent manufacture of two different types of smoking articles, are disclosed.

A system and method for manufacturing a filter includes a filamentary material delivery apparatus, a support structure for supporting a continuous stream of filamentary material, and a particle distribution apparatus. The particle distribution apparatus includes an apertured distribution belt positioned above the support structure and in communication with an outlet of a particle storing hopper. The belt defines a plurality of spaced openings through which particles are distributed onto the continuous stream of filamentary material to form a particle-bearing stream of filamentary material.