Apparatus for forming rods from continuous filament tow

Claim 1

A HEATED FORMING DIE ADAPTED FOR FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID FILTER ROD FROM CONTINUOUS FILAMENT TOW HAVING (1) A TONGUE POSITIONED AT THE ENTRANCE THEREOF WHEREBY FILAMENT CLOGGING IN SAID DIE IS SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATED, (2) A CONTINUOUS BELT IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAID DIE, (3) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH SAID DIE AND WRAPPING SAID BELT IN A CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION WITHIN SAID DIE AS IT MOVES THERETHROUGH AND (4) MEANS FOR UNWRAPPING SAID BELT AS IT LEAVES SAID DIE AT AN OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID HEATED FORMING DIE COMPRISING THREE SECTIONS, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS AN ENTRANCE END WITH A CONVERGING FUNNEL SECTION CONTAINING THE TONGUE WHEREBY SMOOTH SHAPING OF THE BELT IS PERMITTED, SAID ENTRANCE END BEING HEATED, THE SECOND OF WHICH IS AN UNHEATED AND UNCOOLED INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND THE THIRD OF WHICH IS A COOLED SECTION FORMING AN EXIT PORTION OF SAID DIE.