British American Tobacco (investments) Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute (proprietary) Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute Limited

British American Tobacco Limited

Arnold Leslie Herholdt

Karl Kaljura

Gary Fallon

Gerhard Malin Le Roux

John Richardson

Ian King

Gerhard Malan Le Roux

Thomas Brice

Samuel Whiffen

A die or die assembly for forming a bundle of fibres into a rod or tube includes a body defining a passage for conducting the bundle fibres through the die from an inlet to an outlet, a constriction in the passage having an entrance shaped to form the fibres of the bundle into a desired configuration as the bundle passes through the die, and one or more conduits through which a treatment fluid e.g. steam, for curing the bundle of fibres may be introduced into the passage, and wherein at last one conduit is arranged to discharge fluid in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the constriction to facilitate passage of the fibres through the die and reduce the risk of blockage.

Die, die assembly, equipment and method for forming rods of fibrous material

Equipment for forming a tubular rod from a bundle of fibrous material comprising a mandrel constructed to form a space within the bundle of fibres; the mandrel includes a passage for delivering a treatment fluid to facilitate the formation of the fibres into a tubular structure as the fibre bundle as the bundle passes over the mandrel.

Methods and equipment for forming tubes of fibrous material

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure having an inlet, through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres may be directed into the enclosure, a fibre outlet from which an assembly of gathered fibres may be withdrawn from the enclosure and an exhaust outlet through which gas may pass out of the enclosure. The enclosure is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres from the inlet to the fibre outlet in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres and directed to the exhaust outlet, thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres in the enclosure which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

Methods and equipment for gathering fibres

Equipment for forming a tubular rod of fibrous material comprises: a gathering station constructed to receive a continuous supply of fibres and to gather the fibres into a bundle as the fibres advance through the equipment; a divider arranged in the path of the fibres through the equipment and constructed to from a cleft along the length of the bundle as it advances through the equipment; a mandrel positioned in the path of the bundle of fibres in alignment with the divider and constructed to form the cleft into a passage through the bundle of fibres as the bundle of fibres advances over the mandrel; and a die constructed and arranged to cooperate with the mandrel to form the fibres in a tubular configuration around the mandrel.

A die or die assembly for forming a bundle of fibres into a rod or tube comprises a body () defining a passage) for conducting the bundle fibres through the die from an inlet to an outlet, a constriction () in the passage having an entrance shaped to form the fibres of the bundle into a desired configuration as the bundle passes through the die, and one or more conduits () through which a treatment fluid e.g. steam, for curing the bundle of fibres may be introduced into the passage, and wherein at last one conduit is arranged to discharge fluid in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the constriction to facilitate passage of the fibres through the die and reduce the risk of blockage.

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres () entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure () having an inlet (), through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres () may be directed into the enclosure (), a fibre outlet () from which an assembly of gathered fibres () may be withdrawn from the enclosure () and an exhaust outlet () through which gas may pass out of the enclosure (). The enclosure () is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres () from the inlet () to the fibre outlet () in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres () and directed to the exhaust outlet (), thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres () in the enclosure () which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

A smoking article assembly apparatus is disclosed. It comprises a first cutting station configured to cut a filter rod into filter segments, a tipping station configured to join the filter segments to tobacco rods so as to form a smoking article assembly, and a second cutting station configured to cut the smoking article assembly in the region of the filter segments so as to form two smoking articles.

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Stellenbosch, South Africa

Arnold Leslie Herholdt