The method includes transporting tobacco into and through a shaft of a tongue of a compression box, and compressing the tobacco into a tobacco rod as the tobacco is transported through the compression box, the compression box including a first plate, a first portion of the first plate being formed over an upper portion of the shaft, the first portion running along a majority of a longitudinal length of the shaft.

The present application relates to a rod article distribution apparatus (10) for distributing rod articles (50) between at least two storage columns. The apparatus (10) has a rod article infeed (20), a rod article distributor (30) having an epicyclic drum arrangement, and at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The rod article distributor (30) is configured to distribute rod articles (50) between the at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The present application also relates to a rod article making apparatus and a method of distributing rod articles between at least two storage columns.

The present application relates to a rod article distribution apparatus (10) for distributing rod articles (50) between at least two storage columns. The apparatus (10) has a rod article infeed (20), a rod article distributor (30) having an epicyclic drum arrangement, and at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The rod article distributor (30) is configured to distribute rod articles (50) between the at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The present application also relates to a rod article making apparatus and a method of distributing rod articles between at least two storage columns.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for crimping a sheet (40) of material, the apparatus comprising a first and second facing crimping roller (11, 21) defining a first and second rotation axis, respectively, the first roller including: •a first plurality of circumferential ridges (16), each ridge defining a ridge amplitude; •wherein each of said first plurality of ridges is interrupted along its circumferential extension forming an interruption gap where for a given interruption angle an amplitude of the ridge differs from the ridge amplitude in the remaining circumferential extension of the ridge; •wherein said plurality of interruption gaps forms an interruption band defining a direction of extension, said direction of extension being angled with respect to a direction defined by the first rotation axis of an angle comprised between about 2° to about 25°. The invention also relates to a method for crimping a sheet of material as well as a crimped sheet of material and a rod made of a crimped sheet.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for crimping a sheet (40) of material, the apparatus comprising a first and second facing crimping roller (11, 21) defining a first and second rotation axis, respectively, the first roller including: •a first plurality of circumferential ridges (16), each ridge defining a ridge amplitude; •wherein each of said first plurality of ridges is interrupted along its circumferential extension forming an interruption gap where for a given interruption angle an amplitude of the ridge differs from the ridge amplitude in the remaining circumferential extension of the ridge; •wherein said plurality of interruption gaps forms an interruption band defining a direction of extension, said direction of extension being angled with respect to a direction defined by the first rotation axis of an angle comprised between about 2° to about 25°. The invention also relates to a method for crimping a sheet of material as well as a crimped sheet of material and a rod made of a crimped sheet.

The invention relates to a method or apparatus (10) for crimping a sheet (70) of material The apparatus comprises a transport device to transport the sheet of material along a transport direction (1), and a set of crimping rollers (11, 21). The set comprises a first (11) and a second (21) main crimping roller, defining a first (18) and a second (28) rotational axis and being faced one in front of the other, the first roller including a first plurality of ridges (17) across a portion of its width (16), and the second roller having a second plurality of ridges (27) across a portion of its width; and a pre-crimping roller facing the first roller and having a third plurality of ridges across a portion of its width, the pre-crimping roller having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first and second main roller.

The invention relates to a method or apparatus (10) for crimping a sheet (70) of material The apparatus comprises a transport device to transport the sheet of material along a transport direction (1), and a set of crimping rollers (11, 21). The set comprises a first (11) and a second (21) main crimping roller, defining a first (18) and a second (28) rotational axis and being faced one in front of the other, the first roller including a first plurality of ridges (17) across a portion of its width (16), and the second roller having a second plurality of ridges (27) across a portion of its width; and a pre-crimping roller facing the first roller and having a third plurality of ridges across a portion of its width, the pre-crimping roller having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first and second main roller.

The tongue includes a major body, where the major body has a first longitudinal length that runs from a first end to a second end of the major body. The major body includes a first channel defined along a first edge of the major body, and a second channel defined along a second edge of the major body. The first channel and the second channel is hollow and runs substantially along the first longitudinal length from the first end to the second end of the major body. The first channel and the second channel oppose each other and face away from each other. The tongue support assembly and the rod forming apparatus include the tongue. The method aligns the tongue with a lower plate of a compression box.

A method for reducing stress of a garniture belt in a tobacco industry machine for manufacturing rods from a continuous rod comprising a garniture belt, guiding bars configured for guiding the garniture belt, a filling material receiving section, a rod diameter setting section, and a rod stabilizing section, the method comprising adjusting a resistance of motion of the garniture belt in at least one of the filling material receiving section or the rod stabilizing section by adjusting a width of the garniture channel by changing positions of the guiding bars in the horizontal direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the garniture channel.

An apparatus for the formation of machine-made tobacco rods for use in the production of smoking articles, such as cigars, from tobacco comprising a tacky material. The apparatus includes a pair of transfer and compression belts for receiving and compressing the stream of tobacco, the transfer and compression; a pair of squeeze bars for compressing the tobacco in a direction perpendicular to the pair of transfer and compression belts, the pair of squeeze bars produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); a tongue for receiving the compressed tobacco, the tongue produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone); and a folder for folding a wrapper material around the compressed tobacco so as to form a continuous rod of tobacco, the wrapper material provided from a source of wrapper material, the folder produced from a material comprising a poly(aryl ether ketone).