Method of and machine for producing a continuous tobacco rod

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO FILLER WHICH CONTAINS TOBACCO IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED IN THE TOBACCO ROD; SUBJECTING THE FILLER TO A MECHANICAL COMPACTING ACTION TO TRANSFORM THE SAME INTO A FILLER OF CONSTANT DENSITY; SUBJECTING THE THUS COMPACTED FILLER FOR CONSTANT DENSITY TO AN EQUILIZING ACTION BY TRIMMING EXCESS TOBACCO THEREFROM SO AS TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD; MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH OF THE TOBACCO ROD; AND ADJUSTING THE COMPACTING AND EQUILIZING ACTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURED RESULT TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH THEREOF, SAID ADJUSTING STEP INCLUDING REDUCING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING MORE TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY, AND INCREASING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING LESS TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD IS LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO FILLER WHICH CONTAINS TOBACCO IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED IN THE TOBACCO ROD; SUBJECTING THE FILLER TO A MECHANICAL COMPACTING ACTION TO TRANSFORM THE SAME INTO A FILLER OF CONSTANT DENSITY; SUBJECTING THE THUS COMPACTED FILLER FOR CONSTANT DENSITY TO AN EQUILIZING ACTION BY TRIMMING EXCESS TOBACCO THEREFROM SO AS TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD; MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH OF THE TOBACCO ROD; AND ADJUSTING THE COMPACTING AND EQUILIZING ACTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURED RESULT TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH THEREOF, SAID ADJUSTING STEP INCLUDING REDUCING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING MORE TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY, AND INCREASING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING LESS TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD IS LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY.