Continuous cigarette rod making machines

Claim 1

IN A CIGARETTE ROD MAKING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST CONVEYOR DEFINING A FIRST ELONGATED TOBACCO-RECEIVING CHANNEL WHICH IS OPEN AT ONE SIDE THEREOF; DISTRIBUTOR MEANS FOR SHOWERING TOBACCO THROUGH THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL AT SUCH A RATE THAT TOBACCO ENTERING SAID CHANNEL FORMS A STREAM WHICH CONTAINS TOBACCO IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED IN THE CIGARETTE ROD; A ROD FORMING CONVEYOR DEFINING A SECOND ELONGATED TOBACCO-RECEIVING CHANNEL WHICH IS SPACED FROM AND WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH AND LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SAME ELEVATION AS SAID FIRST CHANEL; TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE STREAM FROM SAID FIRST CHANNEL TOWARD SAID SECOND CHANNEL ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PATH WHICH CONSTITUTES AN EXTENSION OF THE PATH OF TOBACCO IN SAID FIRST CHANNEL AND FOR CONTINUOUSLY GUIDING THE TOBACCO STREAM FROM THE POINT WHERE THE STREAM LEAVES SAID FIRST CHANNEL TO THE POINT WHERE THE STREAM ENTERS AND SECOND CHANNEL, SAID TRANSFER MEANS DEFINING AN ELONGATED TOBACCO-RECEIVING GROOVE OPEN AT ONE SIDE SO THAT ONE SURFACE OF THE TOBACCO STREAM