1008347 Making cigarette filters LIGGETT & MYERS TOBACCO CO 23 April 1964 (11 July 1963 16977/64 Heading A2C Apparatus for the production of cigarette filter tips having multi-sectional internal construction comprises means for feeding a rod of fibrous filter material to a cutter, means for spacing the cut rod and feeding spaced elements with a paper mouthpiece wrapping strip to means for injecting a charge of granular filter material into the spaces between the filter elements, means for wrapping the paper around the filter elements and granular material to form a composite rod and means for cutting the rod in multiple length filter elements. As shown, Fig. 1, a rod of cellulose acetate filter material 24 is cut into elements 26 by a cutter 22. The elements 26 pass into the conduit of a ledger 88 which is reciprocated in timed relationship to the cutter 22 so as to space the elements 26 a desired amount. A mouthpiece paper strip 72 is fed over a pulley 86 under the elements 26. The strip 72 is drawn off a reel 74 and led over pulleys 81 and 82, and guide 84 to the pulley 86. The paper strip and filter element assembly are supported by an endless belt 46 which passes over a plate 94 having side guides 95, 95<SP>1</SP>, a drive pulley 48, tensioning pulley 52, idler pulleys 54 and 56, through guides 58 and over a pulley 60 back to the plate 94. The elements 26 are held in spaced relation on the belt 46, before the granular material is injected therebetween, by a pair of hold down belts 96, Fig. 16, which pass over pulleys 98 and 99, the drive being derived from a granular material injection wheel 104 via sprockets 222 and 226 and chain 224. During the passage of the elements 26 from the ledger 88 to the point under the wheel 104 where the granular material is injected the paper strip 72 is bent by the guides 95, 95<SP>1</SP> into a U-shaped cross-section, Fig. 17. The device for injecting granular material between the elements 26 comprises a material hopper 106, Figs. 1 and 6, containing granular charcoal 116, the level of which is controlled by an electric eye sensing system, having sensing points 114, which controls the operation of a filling gate 104. The hopper fits closely the rim 105 of wheel 104, Fig. 7. Rim 105 is provided with radial holes 120 and is mounted on a hubbed plate 122 carried by shaft 124. Mounted on plate 122 is a ring 126 concentric with rim 105 having holes 127 aligned with holes 120. Plungers 128 are slidably mounted in the holes 127, 120 having shouldered parts between the ring 105 and ring 126. As the wheel 104 rotates the holes 120 passing under the upper 106 are filled with granular material, the plungers being in a retracted position. Excess material is removed by a blower nozzle 132 and the material is retained in the holes during subsequent rotation by shroud 134. The drive of the belt 46 and wheel 104 are synchronized so that a hole 120 corresponds and aligns with a space between filter elements 26. At this point the plunger is operated by a hammer mechanism to expel the material into the space between the elements. To prevent escape of material a seal is made between the wheel 104 and the adjacent elements 26 by causing the wheel to compress the elements slightly as shown in Fig.17. The plungers are returned to their retracted positions by a cam 136. The hammer mechanism includes a hammer 144, Figs. 6 and 7, having vertical channelled tracks 145 formed therein so that it can reciprocate vertically between rollers 146 and members 148, 149. The hammer 144 is connected by a pin 150 to one end of a pitman 152 the other end of which is connected to an eccentrically mounted pin 154 on the flange end 155 of the drive shaft 156. The shaft 156 is driven in timed relation to the shaft 124. In an alternative form of hammer mechanism the hammer is mounted for oscillatory as well as vertical motion, the tracks 145, rollers 146 and members 148, 149 being replaced by a pin and slot connection. The pin, as 154, is connected to the hammer. As the hammer contacts a plunger it moves a short distance with the wheel 104 as the latter rotates. This allows two plungers to be operated at each reciprocation of the hammer which need thus reciprocate only half as fast as in the case of the first embodiment. After insertion of the granular material the paper strip is folded around the composite rod and so held by a finger element 160 until sealed by passage under the metal band 166 of a heat sealer 165 shown in dot and dash lines in a retracted position in Fig.1. After sealing the rod is cut into multiple (e.g. sextuple) length filters by a second cutter 168. Specification 1009348 is referred to.