The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.

A system for manufacturing cigarettes is provided. The system can include an easily removable and/or replaceable metering device that use a cavity drum to dispense a filler material, a modular garniture format parts bank that can be removed and replaced as a single unit from the cigarette manufacturing machinery, and a cutter head having components operated with a single motor that turns a spline shaft.

An aerosol-generating article is provided for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the article including: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate extending from a rod proximal end to a rod distal end upstream from the proximal end; a downstream section downstream of the rod; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the rod, the wrapper including a wrapping base material having a basis weight, at least a treated portion of the wrapper extending between the rod proximal and distal ends includes a flame retardant composition including one or more flame retardant compounds, such that the treated portion has an overall basis weight greater than the basis weight of the wrapping base material, and in which the treated portion extends over at least about 90 percent of an outer surface area of the rod. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article for generating an inhalable aerosol upon heating is also provided.

An aerosol-generating article is provided for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the article including: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate extending from a rod proximal end to a rod distal end upstream from the proximal end; a downstream section downstream of the rod; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the rod, the wrapper including a wrapping base material having a basis weight, at least a treated portion of the wrapper extending between the rod proximal and distal ends includes a flame retardant composition including one or more flame retardant compounds, such that the treated portion has an overall basis weight greater than the basis weight of the wrapping base material, and in which the treated portion extends over at least about 90 percent of an outer surface area of the rod. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article for generating an inhalable aerosol upon heating is also provided.

An aerosol-generating article is provided for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the aerosol-generating article including: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate including at least an aerosol-former, in which the aerosol-generating substrate has an aerosol former content of at least about 10 percent on a dry weight basis; a downstream section at a location downstream of the rod of aerosol-generating substrate; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the rod of aerosol-generating substrate, in which a density of the aerosol-generating substrate is greater than about 300 milligrams per cubic centimeter, and in which the wrapper includes a flame retardant composition including one or more flame retardant compounds. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article for generating an inhalable aerosol upon heating is also provided. An aerosol-generating system including an electrically operated aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article is also provided.

An aerosol-generating article is provided for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the aerosol-generating article including: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate including at least an aerosol-former, in which the aerosol-generating substrate has an aerosol former content of at least about 10 percent on a dry weight basis; a downstream section at a location downstream of the rod of aerosol-generating substrate; and a wrapper circumscribing at least the rod of aerosol-generating substrate, in which a density of the aerosol-generating substrate is greater than about 300 milligrams per cubic centimeter, and in which the wrapper includes a flame retardant composition including one or more flame retardant compounds. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article for generating an inhalable aerosol upon heating is also provided. An aerosol-generating system including an electrically operated aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article is also provided.

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.