A method and device for examining rod-shaped products of the cigarette industry, having a cylindrical lateral surface and two end faces formed by two filter elements arranged at opposite ends, the product having smokable material between the two end faces, by: a) irradiating the lateral surface using examination light whereby the examination light penetrates through the lateral surface at least partially into the product and at least partially exits again through one end face, the beams of which are incident on the lateral surface at an angle of at least 30° in relation to the longitudinal extension of the product; b) acquiring the examination light exiting the end face of the product using an electro-optical receiver, the main viewing direction of which is directed onto the end face; and c) evaluating the brightness or light intensity of the examination light exiting the end face and acquired by the electro-optical receiver.

A method for producing filters for smoking articles includes: providing a filter rod, the filter rod having a cylinder shape with a first filter rod end, a second filter rod end and a circumferential filter rod surface; providing an outer wrapper; wrapping the outer wrapper around the filter rod along a filter rod circumferential direction covering at least parts of the circumferential filter rod surface; obtaining a wrapped filter rod; cutting the wrapped filter rod perpendicular to a filter rod longitudinal direction into outer and inner wrapped filter rod segments, wherein first and second outer wrapped filter rod segments include the first and second filter rod ends, respectively, and have a length being less than 10% of a total length of the filter rod and/or less than 10 mm; and obtaining the inner wrapped filter rod segments as the filters and disposing the outer wrapped filter rod segments.

A smoking system according to the invention includes a smoking substance holding or bowl end and a mouthpiece or tip end. The holding end defines a compartment for holding smoking material. The mouthpiece end defines a smoke egress and a filter or tip piece. The filter or tip piece comprises a compartment for a flavor piece. The flavor piece is crushable and holds a flavoring substance, usually a liquid. A substantial airtight piece conducts smoke from the substance holding end to the mouthpiece end where the smoke egresses. The smoke passes over the activated flavor piece which imparts a secondary flavor on the smoke.

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.

A smoking article comprises a tobacco rod and a filter component. The filter component comprises a first filter segment of filtration material having a diameter measured perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the filter, and a flow restrictor embedded in the filter segment. At least one cross sectional dimension of the flow restrictor, measured in a transverse direction of the filter segment, is at least about 50 percent of the diameter of the filter segment. The flow restrictor is made from an air-impermeable, non-compressible and water-soluble or water-dissolvable material. Further, the flow restrictor comprises a composition that promotes degradation of the filtration material.

An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system is described. The article includes an aerosol generating material and a mouthpiece connected to the aerosol generating material, the mouthpiece including a first body of material, and a second body of material downstream of the first body. The second body is offset from the first body so as to define a cavity between the first body and the second body. A breakable capsule is disposed in the cavity, and a diameter of the capsule can be less than the length of the cavity and the diameter of the cavity can be greater than the length of the cavity. A method of manufacturing an article is also described.

A device for discharging particulate material, for example powder material, granules or capsules, or in general free-flowing material, such as adhesive material, on a substrate moving along a conveying direction, includes at least one drum rotor having at least one helical track carrying the material to be discharged. The drum rotor is arranged adjacent to the moving substrate, with its axis substantially parallel to the conveying direction so that the portion of the at least one helical track which is closest to the substrate moves in the conveying direction during rotation of the drum rotor and discharges the material carried thereby on the substrate.

An apparatus for manufacturing of rods of a continuous material strand comprising a feeding unit for feeding material strand, a guiding unit for guiding material strand, a compressing unit for compressing the strand and forming a continuous rod of the material strand, and an object feeding unit for feeding an object to the compressing unit. The apparatus is characterised by being provided with a cutting unit for lengthwise cutting of the material strand into at least two partial strands, whereas the partial strands are fed through the guiding unit to the compressing unit. It is provided with a system for adjusting the position of at least one cutting element in the cutting unit so as to adjust the widths of the partial strands thus determining the point of insertion of the object being inserted.

The object of the application is an apparatus for the manufacturing of rods of a continuous material strand comprising a feeding unit for feeding the material strand, a guiding unit for guiding the material strand, a compressing unit for compressing the strand and forming a continuous rod of the material strand, and an object feeding unit for feeding an object to the compressing unit, the apparatus being adapted to feed three partial strands of the material strand, whereas the partial strands are fed through the guiding unit to the compressing unit characterised in that the object feeding unit is adapted to insert the object in the radial direction of the formed continuous rod into the compressing unit between the partial strands. The object of the application is also a method for the manufacturing of rods of the continuous material strand.

A system for portioning a beaded substrate in a rod. The system includes a suction conveyor belt. The suction conveyor belt includes a belt suction chamber, a first belt end, and a second belt end, the second belt end opposite and downstream of the first belt end. The system also includes a metering device configured to provide the beaded substrate to the suction conveyor belt, and more specifically to the first belt end. The metering device includes a reach and a hopper. The metering device may provide the beaded substrate to the first belt end prior to the suction conveyor belt biasing a filler material onto the first belt end. The system may further includes a cutting mechanism that cooperates with the metering device to position the beaded substrate a first distance away from a first cut end.