GB2168587A

GB2168587A - Filter tip cigarette and manufacture thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2168587A
Application number: GB08531454A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Wyn Bassett; David Thomas Westcott
Original assignee: Imperial Group PLC
Current assignee: Imperial Group PLC
Priority date: 1984-12-21
Filing date: 1985-12-20
Publication date: 1986-06-25
Also published as: GB8432411D0; GB8531454D0; GB2168587B

Abstract

A filter cigarette comprises an adhesive bond (28) extending radially inwards (54) from the tipping wrapper (16) into the abutment between the filter plug (34) and the tobacco rod (36). Also disclosed is an apparatus and a method for making a such a cigarette. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of filter tip cigarettes This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the manufacture of filter tip cigarettes. In particular it relates to an improved method of attaching- a filter plug to a rod of smokable material with which the filter plug is already in abutment, and to the combination of a filter plug with a rod of smokable material so attached.

The invention has advantages over prior proposals in that it provides for a reduction in the amount of tipping paper required to overlap the rod of smokable material, and for a firmer adhesion of the rod of smokable material to the filter plug.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there os provided an apparatus for attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material with which the filter plug is in abutment, the apparatus comprising, means for applying an extended area of adhesive to a filter plug tipping paper so that the adhesive covers at least a portion of the tipping paper adapted to overlap an end of an abutting rod of smokable material and covers at least a portion of the remainder of the tipping paper, means for applying a raised line of adhesive to that region of the tipping paper adapted to overlie the abutment between the plug and the rod, means for wrapping the tipping paper round the plug and said end of the rod so that said line of adhesive overlies said abutment, and means for applying pressure to the tipping paper so that said line of adhesive is pressed into the abutment between the filter plug and the rod.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material with which the filter plug is in abutment, the method comprising, applying an extended area of adhesive to a filter plug tipping paper so that the adhesive covers at least a portion of the tipping paper adapted to overlap an end of an abutting rod of smokable material and covers at least a portion of the remainder of the tipping paper, applying a raised line of adhesive to that region of the tipping paper adapted to overlie the abutment between the plug and the rod, wrapping the tipping paper round the plug and said end of the rod so that said line of adhesive overlies said abutment, and applying pressure to the tipping paper so that said line of adhesive is pressed into the abutment between the filter plug and the rod.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an elongate smoking article comprising a cylindrical plug of filter material, a rod of smokable material in end-toend abutment with the plug of filter material, a tipping wrapper wrapped round the plug and overlapping that end of the rod in abutment with the plug, wherein there is provided an adhesive bond extending radially inwards from the tipping wrapper into the abutment between the rod and the plug.

The smokable material may be tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or a tobacco substitute.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying purely diagrammatic non-scale drawings in which, Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of apparatus for applying adhesive to a tipping wrapper and then applying the wrapper to a filter plug and a tobacco rod; and, Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-section through a cigarette made according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown an end view of an apparatus for applying adhesive to a tipping wrapper. Fig. 2 is an oblique perspective view of the same apparatus.

The apparatus includes a reservoir 10 containing liquid polyvinyl acetate adhesive (pva), a pick-up roller 12 partly submerged in the pva, a transfer roller 14 for transferring adhesive from the pick-up roller 12 to a web of tipping wrapper material 16, and a suction drum 38 to receive the web 16.

The pick-up roller 12 is made of stainless steel and is provided at each end with a circumferential land 20, and in the middle with a third circumferential land 22. The lands all have the same overall diameter. The parts of the roller 12 between the lands 22 and the land 20 are by definition of lesser diameter than the parts providing the lands and thereby provide circumferential depressed regions 24 between the lands.

Each depressed region 24 is provided, near one of the lands 20, with a circumferential groove 26 about 2 mm wide and 0.25 mm deep.

The depressed regions 24 pick up adhesive from the reservoir 10 and apply it to the stainless steel transfer roller 14 in the form of continuous areas of adhesive. The grooves 26 pick up extra adhesive and apply it to the transfer roller in the form of two raised lines of adhesive corresponding to the grooves.

The lands 20, 22 come into intimate contact with the surface of the transfer roller 14 and accordingly prevent any transfer of adhesive to those circumferential parts of the transfer roller 14 that come into contact with the lands. This prevention of transfer of adhesive is assisted by scraper blades (not shown) acting on the lands.

The transfer roller 14 will accordingly have an adhesive-free circumferential region at each end and an adhesive-free circumferential region between the areas of adhesive.

The transfer roller 14 transfers the adhesive to the web of tipping wrapper paper 16 so that the wrapper leaving contact with the transfer roller 14 bears two longitudinally extending areas of adhesive 28 separated by a medical longitudinal dry line 30; and each area of adhesive 28 further has a raised longitudinal line of adhesive 32 near the outer edge of the web.

There is provided, held in channelling (not shown), a doubie length acetate filter rod 34 which has at each end an abutting tobacco rod 36.

The adhesive-coated tipping paper 16 passes onto the suction drum 38 which wraps the paper round the filter 34 and the abutting ends of the tobacco rods 36 in such a manner that: (i) the raised lines of adhesive 32 lie immediately over the abutments of the filter rod 34 with the tobacco rods 36; (ii) the dry line 30 overlies the middle point of the filter; and, (iii) adhesive-coated portions of the tipping paper 16 between the raised lines of adhesive 32 and the edges of the paper overlap onto the tobacco rods 36.

The suction drum 38 acts to press the raised lines of adhesive 32 into the abutments between the filter rod 34 and the tobacco rods 36 so that there are provided adhesive bonds extending radially inwards into the said abutments.

The tipping wrapper wrapped round the filter and tobacco rods is severed from the remainder of the web and the wrapped filter is cut transversely into two along the dry line 30 so as to provide a pair of cigarettes.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal cross-section through a cigarette 50 made according to the method described above in relation to Figs. 1 and 2.

The cigarette 50 comprises the tobacco rod 36 wrapped in cigarette paper 52 and abutting the filter plug 34. The filter plug 34 is wrapped in the tipping paper 16 which is coated on its underside with the adhesive 28 and which overlaps the tobacco rod 36. An annular region of adhesive 54, provided by one of the aforesaid raised lines of adhesive 32, provides an adhesive bond in the abutment between the tobacco rod 36 and the filter plug 34. Consequently, there is provided by the invention adhesion of the tobacco in the rod to the the filter plug 34, and less tipping paper is required to overlap the tobacco rod 36 than without the presence of the adhesive bond in the abutment. This enables a saving to be effected in the amount of tipping paper used in cigarette production.

It will be uderstood that the dimensions of the raised lines of adhesive 32 will be chosen so as to provide the required degree of adhesion in the abutment but without interfering noticeably with the draw or other smoking characteristics of the cigarettes produced.

It will be further understood that smoking materials other than tobacco may be used in the invention, such as reconstituted tobacco, or substitutes for tobacco. Further, The invention may be used with filters of various designs. Adhesives other than pva may be used provided they are suitable for use with smoking articles.

In an alternative embodiment the transfer roller 14 may have circumferential regions of relief to accommodate the extra adhesive from the grooves 26.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material with which the filter plug is in abutment, the apparatus comprising, means for applying an extended area of adhesive to a filter plug tipping paper so that the adhesive covers at least a portion of the tipping paper adapted to overlap an end of an abutting rod of smokable material and covers at least a portion of the remainder of the tipping paper, means for applying a raised line of adhesive to that region of the tipping paper adapted to overlie the abutment between the plug and the rod, means for wrapping the tipping paper round the plug and said end of the rod so that said line of adhesive overlies said abutment, and means for applying pressure to the tipping paper so that said line of adhesive is pressed into the abutment between the filter plug and the rod.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for applying the extended area of adhesive comprises a reservoir containing liquid adhesive, a pick up roller partly submerged in the adhesive, and a transfer roller for transferring adhesive from the pick up roller to the tipping paper.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pick up roller is provided with a circumferential groove comprising the means for applying said raised line of adhesive.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for wrapping the tipping paper round the plug and pressing said line of adhesive into the abutment is provided by a suction drum in cooperation with means for holding the mutually abutting plug and rod.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adhesive is polyvinyl acetate.

6. A method of attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material with which the filter plug is in abutment, the method comprising, applying an extended area of adhesive to a filter plug tipping paper so that the adhesive covers at least a portion of the tipping paper adapted to overlap an end of an abutting rod of smokable material and covers at least a portion of the remainder of the tipping paper, applying a raised line of adhesive to that region of the tipping paper adapted to overlie the abutment between the plug and the rod, wrapping the tipping paper round the plug and said end of the rod so that said line of adhesive overlies said abutment, and applying pressure to the tipping paper so that said line of adhesive is pressed into the abutment between the filter plug and the rod.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the adhesive is polyvinyl acetate.

8. An elongate smoking article comprising a cylindrical plug of filter material, a rod of smokable material in end-to-end abutment with the plug of filter material, a tipping wrapper wrapped round the plug and overlapping that end of the rod in abutment with the plug, wherein there is provided an adhesive bond extending radially inwards from the tipping wrapper into the abutment between the rod and the plug.

9. An elongate smoking article as claimed in claim 8 wherein the smokable material is tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, a tobacco substitute, or any combination thereof.

10. An elongate smoking article as claimed in claim 9, being a cigarette.

11. An apparatus for attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of attaching a filter plug to a rod of smokable material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. An elongate smoking article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.