MX2012005478A - Registered banded cigarette paper, cigarettes, and method of manufacture. - Google Patents

Abstract

A registrable banded wrapper (23) for a smoking article (20) is disclosed. The banded regions (32) are spaced from each other by distance equal to the length of the tobacco rod of the smoking article divided by an integer. This results in banded regions which begin at substantially the same location on each cigarette. Each banded region is thus positioned at a preferred predetermined distance from the end of the cigarette; cigarettes made with such paper exhibit a consistent and improved ignition propensity compared with random or quasi-randomly positioned banded regions. Cigarettes made with the registrable banded wrapper are disclosed and methods of making cigarettes with the registrable banded paper are dislcosed.

Description

PAPER OF CIGARETTES OF REGISTERED BAND. CIGARETTES AND MANUFACTURING METHOD Short description This description broadly concerns cigarettes and cigarette wrapping paper having one or more ignition propensity modulating structures, such as circumferential bands. Furthermore, this description deals with a method for making wrapping paper of band cigarettes so that the individual cigarette bands are positioned substantially uniformly in relation to structural characteristics of the cigarette. In other aspects, the description refers to cigarettes in which the bands are positioned uniformly in relation to characteristics of a finished cigarette.

Heretofore, the cigarette wrapping paper exhibited bands of longitudinally preferred widths spaced along the length of the paper by a preferred nominal distance. Using that paper, the finished cigarettes had bands randomly, or quasi-randomly, positioned relative to the structural characteristics of the cigarette, such as the ignitable end, or the filter end, or the nozzle end or the filter itself.

Where cigarettes incorporate band wrapping paper to regulate self-extinguishing, burning promotion and the like, that random or quasi-randomized band positioning can give inconsistent results to characteristics such as self-extinction, promotion of burning and the like. Currently, regulatory agencies have begun to impose requirements for characteristics such as self-extinguishment in cigarettes offered for sale in particular jurisdictions. Such randomness or quasi-randomness in structural features of cigarettes can complicate compliance with such regulations.

According to a method of this description, a nominal finished length for a cigarette tobacco rod can be selected. A field of the predetermined position of bands in relation to the nominal length is determined. The ratio of a band position to a structural characteristic of the finished cigarette can be selected or determined based on the field. The number of bands for each finished cigarette can be chosen or selected. A predetermined width for the band or bands can be selected from a preferred range of bandwidths, the width being measured along the longitudinal length of the tobacco rod. The predetermined bandwidth and predetermined position are then correlated with the nominal finished length of the tobacco rod by adjusting the band gap on the cigarette paper, so that band positioning occurs at substantially the same location on each cigarette finished.

Cigarette paper according to this disclosure has transverse bands spaced apart from each other, so that the ratio between one or more bandwidths and the inter-band separation corresponds to a fraction of the nominal length of a tobacco rod. Preferably, the cigarette paper has bands positioned according to the features described above.

A finished cigarette according to this description has a tobacco rod of nominal length, can include a filter, and is preferably manufactured with a cigarette paper as described above. The cigarette, specifically the tobacco bar, has an ignitable end. The tobacco rod also has a nozzle end or filter end. Where a filter is used, it is attached to the filter end of the tobacco rod in a conventional manner. The wrapping paper for the cigarette preferably includes at least one band located at a first predetermined distance from either the ignitable end or the filter end, where the predetermined distance is essentially constant from one cigarette to the next. If desired, another band can be positioned at a second predetermined distance from the other one of the ignitable end and the filter end. In addition, more than two bands can be provided in each cigarette if desired.

Preferably, the first predetermined distance is selected such that the first band is separated from the ignitable end by a distance corresponding to approximately half the field between adjacent bands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article for smoking according to this description; FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a wrapping paper mode according to this description; FIG. 3 shows a graph of the percentage of full-length burns of cigarettes having a region with bands beginning 12 mm to 18 mm from the lit end of the cigarette versus the percentage of full-length burns for cigarettes having a region with randomly positioned bands; Y FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing portions of the cigarette manufacturing process.

Description of preferred modalities As used herein, "registration" or "registered" or "registrable" means making or adjusting in order to correspond substantially exactly. The "lighted end" or "lighted end" of a cigarette or bar of cigarette tobacco to the end of the cigarette or bar of cigarette tobacco that is intended to ignite when smoking is started. The recording of the location between the beginning of a region with bands of the lit end of a cigarette can be used additionally to minimize the number of self-extinctions of cigarettes. Where the term "approximately", "substantially" or "generally" is used, that term is intended to include equivalents within the modified characteristic. When any of these terms is used in relation to a number, it is intended that such number have a tolerance of plus or minus 5%.

Tobacco For cigarettes made in accordance with this description, suitable types of tobacco materials that may be used include, but are not limited to, smoke-cured tobacco, Burley's tobacco, Maryland tobacco, Oriental tobacco, rare tobacco, specialty tobacco, mixtures thereof and the like. The tobacco material may be provided in any suitable form, including but not limited to, (i) cut filler tobacco, (ii) sheets of tobacco, (iii) processed tobacco materials, such as swollen or expanded tobacco by volume, (iv) stems of processed tobacco, such as swollen-cut or rolled-cut stems, (v) reconstituted tobacco materials, (vi) mixtures thereof and the like. Tobacco substitutes can also be used. Cut filler tobacco is preferred.

In traditional cigarette manufacturing, tobacco is normally used in the form of cut filler, ie, in the form of shreds or filaments cut into widths ranging from about 2.5 mm to about 1.2 mm (1/1 0 in. about 1/20 in) or even about 0.6 mm (1/40 in). The length of individual tobacco filaments varies from about 6 mm to about 75 mm (0.25 in. To about 3.0 in.). Tobacco materials used for cigarettes may also include one or more flavorings, or others suitable additives (for example, burn additives, combustion modifying agents, coloring agents, binders, etc.).

Structure of cigarettes Returning to FIG. 1, a cigarette 20 according to this disclosure normally includes a tobacco rod 22 having an ignitable end 26 and a second end 34. The second end 34 can be the nozzle end or can be provided with a filter 24 having an end 28 Conventionally, the filter 24 is attached to the tobacco rod 22 by tipping paper 256. The tobacco paper 22 includes a quantity of tobacco material as discussed above, and is surrounded by a wrapping paper 23.

Certain jurisdictions now require that cigarettes offered for sale must meet ignition propensity requirements, which statistically define the portion of cigarettes that will be burnt from the lit end 26 to the filter end 34 when resting on a predefined substrate under specific conditions. For example, the ASTM E21 87-04 standard is a trusted test protocol for the satisfaction of such ignition propensity requirements. One method to meet those requirements involves providing one or more band regions 30, 32 spaced apart along the tobacco rod 22. These bands 30, 32 are part of the wrapping paper 23 and may extend circumferentially around the tobacco rod 22. Normally, the bands have a width, measured along the longitudinal axis of the tobacco rod in the range of about 5 mm to about 7 mm.

In conventional cigarette making, the tobacco rod is formed as the wrapping paper which moves along its longitudinal axis. The tobacco material is deposited on the wrapping paper in motion, which is then wrapped around the tobacco, sealed and cut to form the tobacco rod 22. Up to now, the conventional cigarette manufacturing process led to random positioning. or quasi-random of the band 30 in relation to the ignitable or lit end 26 of the cigarette.

According to this description, it is preferred that the first band 30 is located at a first predetermined distance from the lit or ignitable end 26 of the cigarette. The band 30 comprises an ignition propensity modulator structure and can be modeled from (i) an addition layer of material from which the base web is constructed, (ii) one or more printed layers of web-forming solutions. aqueous or non-aqueous films, or (iii) other materials, so that the ignition propensity of the tobacco rod 22 is modulated, controlled, regulated or adjusted.

Preferably, the first predetermined distance corresponds to approximately 50% of the field between regions of adjacent bands, and more particularly about 25% of the length of the cigarette rod in the finished smoking article, where the smoking article has two regions of bands Moreover, the predetermined distance also preferably falls in the range of about 1 2 mm to about 1 8 mm. Distance The preferred predetermined can be adjusted by selecting the number of band regions in the tobacco cigarette or bar, so that 50% of the field falls within the preferred range. Moreover, it is preferred that the predetermined distance be substantially constant for all smoking articles in a conventional package of smoking articles. When that predetermined distance is maintained substantially uniformly during the manufacture of cigarettes, the resulting cigarettes 20 have not only improved the ignition propensity performance when tested, but also the ignition propensity performance is more uniform among smoking articles than It has been previously observed.

Band paper cigarette The band cigarette paper 23 described herein may be manufactured by one method and using an apparatus as described in commonly owned US 6 596 1 25, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which refers to a method and apparatus for applying a predetermined pattern of addition paste material to a base web, preferably in the form of transversely extending strips. More particularly, that patent concerns a method and apparatus for producing cigarette paper having regions of bands of additional material. As described therein, the band regions may exhibit a slower burn rate than those regions of the base frame located between the band regions. Additional descriptions related to the role of band cigarettes include US 5 41 7 225, US 5 474 095 and US 5 534 14 commonly possessed, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The regions with bands can also be formed by other techniques such as printing, specifically printing by engraving. See US 541 7 228 and US 5 144 964 commonly owned, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The widths of the band regions preferably fall in the range of about 5 mm to about 7 mm, and more preferably about 6 mm.

The resulting wrapping cigarette wrap paper 23 is usually wrapped in a coil. Each coil can hold, for example, a strip of paper with a length in the order of 6000 meters. The width of the paper strip in a coil is related to the circumference of the cigarettes to be formed. Usually, the width exceeds the circumference of the cigarettes enough to include a strip area of glue.

Production of cigarettes With reference to FIG. 4, in the production of cigarettes, cut filler tobacco 1 01 is continuously deposited along an advancing strip of cigarette wrapping paper 23, which is provided by a coil 1 04 in a tobacco bar maker 1 03. The paper 23 is wrapped around the filler tobacco, making a column, long, substantially continuous 1 06. That column 106 is cut into two-tailed bars 108 suitable for making two individual cigarettes 20, 20 '. For example (see FIG 2), the column can be cut transversely at locations 40, 44 in the bar processor 103 to produce tobacco bars 108 having a nominal length 21. The two-tailed tobacco bars 108 are then fed. in a tipping machine 110 such as a Hauni MAX, wherein the two-tailed tobacco rods 108 are cut at a location 42 into two tobacco rods 22, 22 ', which are separated to receive a filter segment of two. Tails 112 between them. The two-tailed filter segment 112 is attached to the longitudinally spaced pair of cigarette tobacco rods 22, 22 'using tipping paper 20, 21 (see FIG 1). It is possible that the multiple tobacco bar is two tails, four tails, six tails or the like and that other tipping operations are used.

The band regions 30 may comprise additional aggregate material and / or burn rate modifiers to achieve desired reductions in ignition propensity. In addition, or instead of, band regions 30 can be used to impart subjective qualities of the cigarette. For example, band regions may comprise flavored. Flavor-comprising band regions may exhibit a burn rate equal to non-band regions of the cigarette paper or may exhibit a slower burn rate as compared to adjacent non-band regions of the cigarette paper.

Each band 30, 32 (see FIG 1) is configured to have a conductive edge 31 and a trailing edge 33, in the sense that a burning coal advancing from the burning end 26 first approaches the conductive edge 31.

The location or position of the bands in a finished cigarette depends on the normal length / bars of divided cigarette tobacco of a tobacco rod made using the paper of cigarette bands. As you can see, the bands usually have a constant width. Where all the bands of the cigarette wrap paper strip have uniform spacing (i.e., the distance from the end of a band region - the final end 33 - to the start of the next band region - the leading edge 33 - it is a constant value), the band regions will be arranged randomly or quasi-randomly in the finished cigarettes.

Registry The cigarette paper currently described 23 (see FIG.1) is preferably designed so that band regions of a finished cigarette are positioned, or recorded, in relation to a structure of the finished cigarette 20, such as the ignitable end 26, or the nozzle end 34, or both. The described cigarette paper 23 can be designed so that each tobacco rod 22 made of the cigarette paper 23 has at least two band regions 30, 32, one being registered in relation to the lit end 26, and one being registered in relation to to the filter end 34 or 28. Normally, each block 30, 32 exhibits a slower burn rate in comparison with adjacent non-band regions of the cigarette paper 23 and thus modulates the ignition propensity of an associated tobacco rod.

The center of a first band region 30 is preferably positioned at a predetermined distance, d, from a first end (i.e., the burning end 26). Thus, the conductive edge 31 of the band region is separated by a distance from the burning end 26 corresponding to that predetermined distance, d, less than half the width of the band region 30. The cigarette tobacco rod preferably includes a second band region 32, the center of which is separated by the predetermined distance, d, from a second end ( that is, nozzle end or filter end) of the cigarette tobacco rod 22. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a portion of a continuous strip of cigarette paper with four band regions to form two cigarettes is shown - each cigarette would have two band regions 30, 32. The P field or separation between adjacent band regions can be measured from the conductive edge 31 of a band region 30 to the conductive end 31 of an adjacent band region 32, or between the trailing edges 33 of adjacent band regions.

The band regions, for example, 30, 32, are preferably substantially uniformly spaced along the length of the base web 23. Moreover, each band region 30, 32 extends transversely through substantially the full width of the base web 23, running from the longitudinal edge to the longitudinal edge thereof. Each band region 30, 32 also has a common width measured in the longitudinal direction of the base frame. Typically, each width falls in the range of about 4 mm to about 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of about 5 mm to about 7 mm.

Preferably, the distance d from the on end to the center of the adjacent band region 30 corresponds to one half of the P field between adjacent regions. Moreover, a predetermined distance from the on end to the conductive edge 31 of the adjacent band region falls in the range of about 12 mm to about 18 mm. The typical tobacco rod lengths used in the manufacture of cigarettes falls in the range of about 55 mm to about 90 mm. Recognizing that the predetermined distance of the on end to the conductive edge 31 corresponds to PI2 minus half the width of the band region 30 (the width being measured along the longitudinal dimension of the base web or along the axis of a smoking article along the longitudinal dimension of the base web or along the axis of a smoking article), selection of the bandwidth, and the number of bands for each length of tobacco rod, allows the distance predetermined to be selected in the preferred range of approximately 12 mm to approximately 18 mm. Ordinarily, it will be from 1 to 10 band regions on a tobacco rod, and preferably in the range of 2 to 4 band regions.

Preferably, the distance d from the center of a second band region 32 to the second end (nozzle end) of the cigarette tobacco rod also falls in the range of about 10 mm to about 20 mm, more preferably about 15 mm for a king size 84 mm cigarette, gripped with a filter. Moreover, the separation of band regions together with the tobacco rod is preferably arranged symmetrically in relation to the burning end and the nozzle end of the tobacco rod.

Thus, the cigarette paper of registered bands comprises band separation, starting from a first registered location 40 on the paper of band cigarettes 23 and ending at a second registered location 44 on the registered band paper of cigarettes 23. The registered locations 40, 44 are where the cutter of the tobacco bar maker (see Fig. 4) repetitively cuts a substantially continuous tobacco bar to form a two-tailed tobacco bar 22, 22 '. The recorded location 42 is where the cutter in the tipping machine cuts the two-tailed tobacco rod 22, 22 'to form two cigarettes 20.

The paper (wrapper) 23 is provided with a pattern that is repeated every length 21: ??, 2, K-i¡ where / is the nominal tobacco bar length, K-, corresponds to the separation between the first registered location 40 on the paper of cigarettes of registered bands 23 and the central part or center of the first band 30 (or the first predetermined distance) d). K2 corresponds to the center-to-center separation between the first band 30 and the last band 32 of the wrapping paper (the second band in Figures 1 and 2) within the length /. The separation between the first recorded location 40 and the second recorded location 42 is preferably selected to correspond to an integral number of times the length of the tobacco bar / to be used.

Preferably, the pattern is repeated multiple times along the length of the wrapping paper 23, and more preferably the pattern is repeated along the entire length of the wrapping paper 23. Where the preferred separation of the bands is the same for the fired end and the nozzle end of the tobacco rod, K2, can be equal to 2Ki, so that the pattern would be equivalent to: Ki 2K-, K2.

In general, a tobacco rod 22 having a predetermined length, /, formed from the paper of cigarettes of registered bands, can have n bands, with n being greater than or equal to 2, and with the separation of band-a- band being P. Preferably, n is less than or equal to 10. Most preferably, n can be equal to 2 or 3. P can be measured from the band center to the adjacent band center, band conductive edge to conductive edge of adjacent band, or end edge of band to end edge of band. For one tobacco bar having length / and n bands, 2[. { n - 1) + 1] Ki = 2 [. { n - 1) + 1] d = nP = I Accordingly, with the above relationship, knowing the nominal length /, the number of n-bands for each cigarette, the separation P required between adjacent bands is determined, as well as the predetermined distance, d, between the burning end and the center of the first band region.

To avoid randomly or quasi-randomly arranged band regions in the cigarettes, the continuous tobacco rod 106 (see FIG.4) is cut exactly in (or as close as is reasonably practical) half the center distance-a -center between two adjacent band regions. That location for cutting is identified in FIG. 2 for example, as 40, 42, 44. Because the uniformity of band regions and their respective separation in the paper web, after the first cut is made in the continuous tobacco bar, all successive cuts for forming two-tailed tobacco bars occur in the same relative location between regions of adjacent bands. Accordingly, the predetermined distance d between the lit end and the first band is substantially uniform for all smoking articles mantured from the tobacco rod made from a web wrapping coil.

From the previous description and FIGs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the wrapping paper 23 exhibits a pattern of repetition along its longitudinal length. That pattern has a predetermined length, preferably corresponding to twice the nominal length / of a tobacco rod for a cigarette. That predetermined length is measured from the first recorded location 40 to the second recorded location 44. Additionally, within the predetermined length, the pattern is symmetric about a transverse axis corresponding to the registered location 42. During the manture of an article for smoking, the tobacco bar maker 1 03 (see FIG 4) cuts or otherwise divides the continuous tobacco bar 1 06 into the first and second registered locations 40, 44, so as to form, for example, a Two-tailed tobacco bar having the predetermined length. The 1 1 0 embossing machine cuts or otherwise divides the two-tailed tobacco rod into the axis of symmetry for the pattern, so that the resulting smoking articles have substantially uniform spatial positioning of the band regions relative to the end. ignition or ignition of the article to smoke.

Examples A series of prototype cigarettes has been prepared using several levels of gis charge, all less than 12%. The prototype series is identified in the following table as A, B, C and D. The table below summarizes the test of these prototype cigarettes, which was conducted in accordance with the ASTM E21 87-04 standard.

The results of the test are tabulated in the following table according to the prototype, and in accordance with the distance from the on end to the first band region. The first column of data summarizes the results for cigarettes where the first band region 30 starts 1 2mm to 1 8 mm from the lit end of the cigarette (i.e., d or Ki). The second column of data summarizes the results for cigarettes where the first band region begins outside the region of 1 2 mm to 1 8 mm from the lit end of the cigarette. For each prototype, the number of full length burns (FLB) and Extinctions (EXT) is recorded when tested, along with the total number of cigarettes of that tested prototype that also fall within the range of distance from the lit end of the cigarette. As used herein, the extinction refers to a burn not of full length. In brief, the data indicates that cigarettes having the first band region in the range of 12 mm to 1 8 mm from the ignited or ignited end exhibit a substantially reduced percentage of cigarettes that produce a free-length burn when contrasted with cigarettes where the first band region is outside that range.

Table At the end, the table summarizes the results achieved with all the prototypes. For cigarettes with the first band in the preferred range, the free-length burn occurred in only about 4.6% of the cigarettes tested. In contrast, for cigarettes in which the first band is outside the preferred range, free-length burn occurred in approximately 31.2% of the cigarettes tested. Because the percentage of free length burn is related to ignition propensity, these tests show that the ignition propensity of cigarettes outside the preferred range is approximately 7 times the ignition propensity of cigarettes with the first band within the preferred range.

FIG. 3 compares the percentage of full-length burns for the four prototype cigarettes listed in the Table as well as four additional prototype cigarettes, all with band regions initiating 1 2 mm to 1 8 mm from the lit end of the cigarette, the percentage of burns full length for the four prototype cigarettes listed in the Table as well as four additional prototype cigarettes, all with regions of randomly placed bands. Randomly placed strip regions may start at less than 12 mm from the lit end of the cigarette, 1 2 mm to 18 mm from the lit end of the cigarette, or greater than 18 mm from the lit end of the cigarette. The dotted line is the best fit for data points. FIG. 3 illustrates that cigarettes having a band region starting at 12 mm to 1 8 mm from the lit end of the cigarette are less likely, specifically up to about three times less likely, to exhibit full length length burns when compared to cigarettes having a region of randomly placed bands.

To make effective the use of these data in the manufacture of cigarettes, the wrapping paper is prepared with regions of bands which are repeated along the longitudinal section thereof according to the pattern of K2, discussed above. The wrapping paper having the predetermined banding pattern is fed into the garnishing machine during the making of cigarettes and a first cut of the tobacco column is made at a location separate from the first band region 30 (see FIG 2) by a predetermined distance preferably falling in the range of about 12 mm to about 18 mm. Accordingly, each successive cut of the tobacco column prepares a double length tobacco rod, which is then cut to make two cigarettes. A filter can be applied as discussed earlier. Referring now to FIG. 4, the desired cutting operations are achieved in the bar processor 1 03 with a sensor 1 20 adapted to generate a signal on detection of a region of bands 30 and / or 32 and a processor 122 adapted to cause operation of the cutter 1 24. responsibly to the signal generated by the sensor 1 20.

With this process, each cigarette 20 (see FIG 1) will have the first band region positioned at the predetermined distance from the lit or ignited end of the cigarette. Moreover, each cigarette in a pack of 20 such cigarettes will also have the first band region positioned at the predetermined distance from the cigarette end. Using this recording method, and envelope construction process, it is also possible to treat bands selected differently from other bands, depending on the desired characteristics. For example, it would be possible to add a flavor to the first region of bands to intensify the enjoyment of smoking. It would also be possible to modify the last region of cigarette shades in a manner that can cause statistically more often than a cigarette to be extinguished when left unattended on a substrate. For example, the last band region could comprise additional aggregate material or a larger width.

Although several embodiments have been described, it will be understood that numerous modifications, variations and equivalents may be reclassified as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications, variations and equivalents are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the claims appended thereto.

Claims (9)

1. A reglastrable wrapper for a smoking article having a nominal length, comprising a base web having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, and a plurality of ignition-prone modulating structures substantially uniformly spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the web. base, which extends in the transverse direction of the base web and having a nominal width measured in the longitudinal direction of the base web, where the field between adjacent ignition propensity modulator structures in the longitudinal direction of the base web is selected as the nominal length divided by an integer.

2. The recordable wrapper of claim 1, wherein the ignition propensity modulator structures are substantially continuous webs that extend across the width of the base web.

3. The recordable wrapper of claim 2, wherein the integer is 1, 2, 3 or 4.

4. An article for smoking that includes: a tobacco rod that includes a quantity of tobacco having a longitudinal direction and a length of bar; Y an envelope surrounding the tobacco and including a plurality of ignition-prone modulating structures substantially substantially uniformly in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, extending substantially around the tobacco rod, and having a nominal width measured in the direction longitudinal of the tobacco bar, where the field between the adjacent ignition propensity modulator structures in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod is selected as the bar length divided by an integer greater than 1.

5. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the ignition propensity modulator structures comprise at least one web printed from an aqueous starch material.

6. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the tobacco rod has one end, and the center of the ignition propensity modulator structure very closely adjacent to the end is separated from the end by ½ of the field between the propensity modulator structures. ignition.

7. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the ignition propensity modulator structure has a width in the range of about 5 mm to about 7 mm.

8. The smoking article of claim 4 further including a filter attached to one end of the tobacco rod.

9. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the nominal length falls in the range of about 50 mm to about 100 mm. 1 0. An article for smoking according to claim 4, wherein the integer is 2, 3 or 4. eleven . A method for intensifying the ignition propensity performance of smoking articles for which the tobacco rod has a nominal length comprising: determine the default field for band regions as the nominal length divided by an integer, x; establish regions of bands along a tobacco bar with the predetermined field; dividing the tobacco bar at the midpoint between two regions of adjacent bands in a bar maker to create a tobacco bar in which x regions of bands occur for each nominal length of the tobacco bar; Y cutting the tobacco rod into lengths to establish a portion of tobacco rod with the center of a first of said strip regions separated from an ignited end of said portion of tobacco rod by a distance corresponding to ½ of the predetermined field.