TOBACCO BLEND FORMATION

摘要

A cigarette filler rod-forming method and apparatus therefor are described for production of a filler rod containing two different blends of tobacco, so as to provide to a cigarette formed from the filler rod more uniform smoking characteristics. Discrete bunches of tobacco of a first blend are formed by employing a vacuum wheel having a belt which forms chords of a circle, so that, after trimming, the bunches have a flat surface adjacent the belt and a curved outer surface. Spaces between the bunches are filled with tobacco of another blend at least to the maximum height of the bunches of the first blend of tobacco, by a variety of procedures.