Philip Morris Inc.

Ronald D Honaker

Martin T Garthaffner

Charles Gary Atwell

Andrew J Gillespie

William H Smick, Iii

Ricky N Cooper

William H Pettigrew

Grier S Fleischhauer

A drum elevator and method of elevating cigarettes, the apparatus including a series of rotatable cigarette transferring drums including a first plurality of horizontally disposed drums at a first elevation and a second plurality of vertically disposed drums extending to a second elevation, the second plurality of vertically disposed drums receiving output from the first plurality of drums, the series of drums adapted to receive a procession of cigarettes at the first elevation and to elevate the cigarettes along a transfer path to the second elevation while maintaining the cigarettes arranged substantially in the procession; a rejection station at a location along the transfer path; a controller operative to selectively actuate the rejection station; and a stack former at the second elevation, the stack former receiving output of the second plurality of vertically disposed drums.

Drum elevator system

A drum elevator and method of elevating cigarettes, the apparatus having a series of rotatable cigarette transferring drums including a first plurality of horizontally disposed drums at a first elevation and a second plurality of vertically disposed drums extending to a second elevation, the second plurality of vertically disposed drums receiving output from the first plurality of drums, the series of drums adapted to receive a procession of cigarettes at the first elevation and to elevate the cigarettes along a transfer path to the second elevation while maintaining the cigarettes arranged substantially in the procession; a rejection station at a location along the transfer path; a controller operative to selectively actuate the rejection station; and a stack former at the second elevation, the stack former receiving output of the second plurality of vertically disposed drums.

A filter tipped cigarette making machine and method in which spaced apart generally cylindrical components are supplied to flutes in processing drums. Gaps between the components are partially closed in a motion limiting spreader drum.

Alignment of filter and cigarette components

Apparatus and method for forming combined filter tipped cigarettes

An apparatus is disclosed for forming annular grooves or slits in rod-shaped articles such as cigarette filter plugs. The apparatus comprises a first endless belt or similar device and, spaced therefrom, a second element defining with the belt a channel of predetermined width. Preferably, the channel size can be adjusted by moving the belt, the second element or both toward or away from each other. The belt is driven to enable it, in cooperation with the second element, to transport a rod-shaped article along the channel. A forming device, preferably a rotating disk knife, has a portion disposed in the channel and cuts any article moved therealong. The second element is preferably contoured to be spaced a constant distance from the profile of the forming device, to insure that the groove formed in the article is concentric with the longitudinal axis of the article.

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Powhatan, VA, United States of America

Ronald D Honaker