Patent ID: 6701934
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: A24C,A24D

Abstract:
An apparatus for producing filter cigarettes with composite filters from different rod-like filter components, comprising:a separate supply for each of the different rod-like filter components, one of the supplies containing filter rods having a length that is six times a final length of filter plugs to be cut the filter rods of the one supply, and a second of the supplies containing filter rods having a length that is twelve times a final length of filter plugs to be cut from the filter rods of the second supply; a separate feed path for feeding filter plugs from a respective one of the supplies, each feed path including feed drums for cutting apart, grouping and inserting the rod-like filter components between two tobacco rods oriented coaxially with one another, wherein one of the feed paths comprises: five feed drums arranged for: (a) making two cuts on each of the filter rods from the one supply to produce intermediate filter rods having twice the final length of filter plugs cut from the filter rods from the one supply, (b) staggering, cross-axially lining up and cutting apart the intermediate filter rods that are twice the final length into single-filter plugs, and (c) longitudinally axially spreading and cross-axially increasing spacing between the single filter plugs for insertion of the single-filter plugs between the two tobacco rods; and wherein the another of the feed paths comprises: six feed drums arranged for (a) making two cuts on each of the filter rods from the second supply to produce first intermediate filter rods that are four times the final length of filter plugs cut from the second supply, (b) staggering, cross-axially lining up and cutting apart the first intermediate filter rods that are four times the final length to produce second intermediate filter rods that are twice the final length of the filter plugs cut from the second supply, and (c) staggering, cross-axial lining up and cross-axial increasing spacing between the second intermediate filter rods for inserting the second intermediate filter rods between the two tobacco rods.