Method of manufacturing filter tip cigarettes and the like

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING FILTER TIPPED SMOKERS'' ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBDIVIDING AN ELONGATED FILTER ROD OF A FIRST TYPE INTO A PLURALITY OF COAXIALLY ALIGNED FILTERS; STAGGERING THE FILTERS IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES AND THEREUPON MOVING THE FILTERS IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF TO FORM A FIRST ROW OF CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED PARALLEL FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE; SUBDIVIDING AN ELONGATED FILTER ROD OF A SECOND TYPE INTO A PLURALITY OF COAXIALLY ARRANGED FILTERS PARALLEL TO THE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE; STAGGERING THE THUS OBTAINED FILTERS OF THE SECOND TYPE IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES AND THEREUPON MOVING SUCH FILTERS IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF TO FORM A SECOND ROW OF CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED PARALLEL FILTERS OF THE SECOND TYPE; HALVING EACH CONSECUTIVE FILTER OF THE SECOND TYPE INTO A PAIR OF COAXIAL FILTER ELEMENTS AND INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE THUS OBTAINED FILTER ELEMENTS SUFFICIENTLY TO PROVIDE ROOM FOR A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE; INTRODUCING CONSECUTIVE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF FILTER ELEMENTS TO FORM CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED COMPOSITE FILTERS CONSISTING OF COAXIAL FILTERS AND FILTER ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE DISPOSED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN BUT NOT CONNECTED WITH THE FILTER ELEMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIR; INTRODUCING CONSECUTIVE COMPOSITE FILTERS BETWEEN SPACED PAIRS OF COAXIAL TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS WHICH ARE PARALLEL TO SUCH COMPOSITE FILTERS; MOVING THE FILTERS, THE FILTER ELEMENTS AN THE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES DURING INTRODUCTION OF FILTERS BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE FILTER ELEMENTS AND DURING INTRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE FILTERS BETWEEN THE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS; APPLYING A WRAPPER AROUND EACH CONSECUTIVE COMPOSITE FILTER AND AROUND THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE STICKS SO THAT THE WRAPPERS CONSTITUTE THE SOLE CONNECTORS BETWEEN THE PAIRS OF FILTER ELEMENTS, THE RESPECTIVE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE, AND THE RESPECTIVE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS; AND HALVING THE COMPOSITE FILTERS TO OBTAIN FILTER TIPPED SMOKERS'' ARTICLES EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICK, A FILTER ELEMENT OF THE SECOND TYPE AND A PORTION OF A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING FILTER TIPPED SMOKERS'' ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBDIVIDING AN ELONGATED FILTER ROD OF A FIRST TYPE INTO A PLURALITY OF COAXIALLY ALIGNED FILTERS; STAGGERING THE FILTERS IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES AND THEREUPON MOVING THE FILTERS IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF TO FORM A FIRST ROW OF CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED PARALLEL FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE; SUBDIVIDING AN ELONGATED FILTER ROD OF A SECOND TYPE INTO A PLURALITY OF COAXIALLY ARRANGED FILTERS PARALLEL TO THE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE; STAGGERING THE THUS OBTAINED FILTERS OF THE SECOND TYPE IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES AND THEREUPON MOVING SUCH FILTERS IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF TO FORM A SECOND ROW OF CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED PARALLEL FILTERS OF THE SECOND TYPE; HALVING EACH CONSECUTIVE FILTER OF THE SECOND TYPE INTO A PAIR OF COAXIAL FILTER ELEMENTS AND INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE THUS OBTAINED FILTER ELEMENTS SUFFICIENTLY TO PROVIDE ROOM FOR A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE; INTRODUCING CONSECUTIVE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF FILTER ELEMENTS TO FORM CONSECUTIVELY ARRANGED COMPOSITE FILTERS CONSISTING OF COAXIAL FILTERS AND FILTER ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE DISPOSED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN BUT NOT CONNECTED WITH THE FILTER ELEMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIR; INTRODUCING CONSECUTIVE COMPOSITE FILTERS BETWEEN SPACED PAIRS OF COAXIAL TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS WHICH ARE PARALLEL TO SUCH COMPOSITE FILTERS; MOVING THE FILTERS, THE FILTER ELEMENTS AN THE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEIR AXES DURING INTRODUCTION OF FILTERS BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE FILTER ELEMENTS AND DURING INTRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE FILTERS BETWEEN THE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS; APPLYING A WRAPPER AROUND EACH CONSECUTIVE COMPOSITE FILTER AND AROUND THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE STICKS SO THAT THE WRAPPERS CONSTITUTE THE SOLE CONNECTORS BETWEEN THE PAIRS OF FILTER ELEMENTS, THE RESPECTIVE FILTERS OF THE FIRST TYPE, AND THE RESPECTIVE TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICKS; AND HALVING THE COMPOSITE FILTERS TO OBTAIN FILTER TIPPED SMOKERS'' ARTICLES EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A TOBACCO-CONTAINING STICK, A FILTER ELEMENT OF THE SECOND TYPE AND A PORTION OF A FILTER OF THE FIRST TYPE.