Patent ID: 7481757

Claim:
A method of forming filter tubes comprising: delivering a filter element to a flute on a first drum, the flute having a vacuum for securing the filter element thereto; axially engaging opposite ends of the filter element with first and second tube forming rollers; delivering a continuous web with a glue pattern thereon to a second drum; cutting the web into discrete pieces; delivering at least a portion of the web piece to at least a portion of the filter element in the flute of the first drum; rolling the web piece around the filter element and the tube forming rollers to form a cylindrically shaped structure; and axially disengaging the tube forming rollers to produce a filter tube with hollow ends and a centrally positioned filter element; wherein the first drum further comprises left and right cowls that circumferentially engage around the filer element with a gap between each of the cowls and the filter element for guiding the web piece during the step of rolling the web piece around the filter element and the tube forming rollers, the step of rolling the web piece around the filter element and the tube forming rollers further comprising engaging the cowls and guiding the web piece through the gap between each of the cowls and the filter element.