Apparatus for manufacturing composite filter plugs

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE FILTER ROD CONTAINING PORTIONS OF POWDERED FILTER MATERIAL, COMPRISING A POWDER HOPPER, A ROTATABLE TRANSFER MEMBER HAVING POCKETS ARRANGED TO RECEIVE POWDER FROM SAID HOPPER, MEANS FOR FEEDING A STREAM OF FILTER PLUGS WITH GAPS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE PLUGS AT REGULAR INTERVALS ON TO A CONTINUOUS WRAPPER AND FEEDING SAID WRAPPER, CARRYING SAID PLUGS, BENEATH SAID TRANSFER MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TRANSFER MEMBER IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE FEEDING OF SAID PLUGS SO THAT AS EACH GAP PASSES BENEATH THE TRANSFER MEMBER ONE OF THE POCKETS IS TRAVELLING IMMEDIATELY ABOVE SAID GAP, INCLUDING MEANS FOR PERFORATING THE WRAPPER BELOW EACH GAP BEFORE THE GAP PASSES BENEATH THE TRANSFER MEMBER AND MEANS FOR APPLYING SUCTION TO EACH GAP THROUGH THE PERFORATED WRAPPER AS THAT GAP PASSES BENEATH THE TRANSFER MEMBER SO AS TO ACCELERATE MOVEMENT OF POWDERED FILTER MATERIAL FROM THE POCKETS TO THE GAPS.