A reconfigurable wrapping mechanism (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) for forming a substantially cylindrical wrapped element by wrapping a core (160, 560) within a web material, comprising: a reconfigurable garniture bed (110, 210, 310, 410) having an elongate formation channel (212) that has an elongate open side; a conveying belt (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) extending along the length of the elongate formation channel (212) for entraining the web material; a drive mechanism for driving the conveying belt (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) along the length of the elongate formation channel (212).

The method for shaping a continuous web material (1) into a rod comprises providing a continuous web material (1) having a glass transition temperature below 150 degree Celsius and gathering the continuous web material (1) from a flat shape into a rod-shape by means of a shaping device (2). The method further comprises providing a cooling means (34) providing a temperature below four degree Celsius, cooling a material contact surface of the shaping device (2) to a surface temperature below four degree Celsius, and cooling the continuous gathered web material by the cooled material contact surface in contact with the continuous gathered web material. Also provided is an apparatus for shaping a continuous web material (1).

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 machine for making a continuous tubular element with filling from web material, including first and second means for feeding respective continuous webs, a forming station configured to perform a folding and/or deformation of a first continuous web in a shaped configuration, and a wrapping station wherein the second continuous web is wound in a tubular shape around the first continuous shaped web to obtain the continuous tubular element. Upstream of the wrapping station there is a first gluing device configured to apply at least one longitudinal line of glue on at least one of the continuous webs in such a way as to define at least one gluing zone, said longitudinal line of glue being positioned in such a way as to coincide with a zone of superposing and contact between the two continuous webs feeding out of the wrapping station.

An orbital plant material feed assembly includes a drum structure and hopper assembly. An external surface of the drum structure has a curved shape and includes a peripheral groove. A width of the peripheral groove varies along the external surface of the drum structure. The hopper assembly may define a compression space between the drum structure and a portion of the hopper assembly that covers a portion of the peripheral groove.

Abnormally-shaped tobacco granules are provided. The tobacco granules comprise a tobacco granule body and a coating attached to the surface of the tobacco granule body. The coating contains an adhesive. The surface of the abnormally-shaped tobacco granule has one or more grooves and/or ridges, and/or, the abnormally-shaped tobacco granule has through holes therein. The surface grooves of the abnormally-shaped tobacco granules can serve as smoke channels after the tobacco granules are bonded, cured and shaped, so that the air permeability inside a total-granule tobacco product is greatly improved. The smoking resistance of cigarettes is reduced. The flammability of cigarettes is improved and the consumption of tobacco raw materials is reduced. A preparation method of the abnormally-shaped tobacco granules, a tobacco product comprising the abnormally-shaped tobacco granules, and a preparation method thereof are also provided.

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 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).