Patent ID: 7827994

Claim:
A method for forming a hollow core tobacco rod comprising: feeding a trimmed tobacco column to a wheel; scraping the trimmed tobacco column from a porous drive belt; pulling paper under the trimmed tobacco with a drive belt, wherein sides of the trimmed tobacco column are contained between front and rear rails; widening and flattening the trimmed tobacco column against the paper; forming the paper into a cylindrical shape around the tobacco column with a garniture; passing tobacco column and paper under a tongue that further widens and flattens the tobacco column; forming the paper into a cylindrical shape; forming an inner hollow core with the tongue and a center mandrel; rolling the rear portion of the tobacco and paper into a cylindrical shape with the garniture and a rear folder; rolling the front of the trimmed tobacco column and paper into a vertical position with the garniture; applying glue to the inner edge of the paper with a glue applicator; forming the hollow core into a cylindrical shape with the center mandrel; rolling the tobacco and paper into a circular shape with a front folder; maintaining the hollow core shape with the center mandrel; releasing the rear of the drive belt from the rear folder; wrapping the front edge of the paper over the rear edge with the front folder; sealing the hollow core tobacco rod with glue from a glue applicator; releasing the drive belt and lifting the sides of the belt into a vertical position; and outputting the sealed hollow core tobacco rod.