EP0100215B1

EP0100215B1 - Cigarettes and methods of manufacture

Info

Publication number: EP0100215B1
Application number: EP83304257A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Reginald Wayne Newsome; Richard Allan Thesing; Willie Gray Houck, Jr.; Walter Allen Nichols
Original assignee: Philip Morris Products Inc
Current assignee: Philip Morris Products Inc
Priority date: 1982-07-23
Filing date: 1983-07-22
Publication date: 1988-11-09
Also published as: AU1725983A; ATE38465T1; AU559188B2; WO1984000478A1; EP0247702A3; DE100215T1; JPH0228318B2; JPH01273575A; JPH0262228B2; DE3378400D1; EP0100215A2; EP0247702B1; CA1210297A; EP0100215A3; JPS59501443A; EP0247702A2

Abstract

A cigarette is provided which comprises a wrapped filter plug 202,203 aligned in end-to-end abutting relationship with a substantially cylindrical tobacco rod 201. The filter plug and tobacco rod are circumscribed and joined by a substantially air permeable first layer of tipping paper 204. Circumscribing the first layer of tipping paper is a second layer of substantially air impermeable tipping paper 206. The second layer has a circumferentially extending row of closely spaced perforations 210 intermediate the two ends of the second layer which divides it into a mouth-end sleeve 207 attached to the first layer at the mouth end of the cigarette and a second rod-end sleeve 208 detachable from the mouth end sleeve by rotating the sleeve relative to the first sleeve so that it can move axially between the mouth-end sleeve and positions along the tobacco rod allowing air to enter the filter through the exposed portions of the air permeable layers.

Description

The present invention relates to cigarettes. More particularly, the present invention relates to cigarettes which are adjustable to provide a wide range of air dilution values.
Various mechanisms have been disclosed in heretofore issued patents which provide for adjustment of the air dilution value of a filter cigarette, but these mechanisms are not without certain disadvantages. While many complicated mechanisms have been disclosed, the simpler mechanisms generally involve making one or more openings through a substantially air impermeable filter plug wrap and the overlying, substantially air impermeable, tipping paper and one or more corresponding openings in a sleeve which is placed over the tipping paper and which is then either rotated or moved axially to select the degree to which the two sets of openings are in registry. An example of a mechanism of this type is found in US-A-3 359 988, which describes a filter for a cigarette having a mouth end region open for the passage of air and smoke, the mouth end region being circumscribed by an impervious retaining wall and an outer sleeve. Each is provided with one or more holes to allow the passage of air. By axial rotation of the outer sleeve about the wall of the filter, these holes may be moved into and out of register with each other to allow the passage of air into the filter.
In another embodiment found in the art, the filter is not glued to the tipping paper and thus may be moved axially within the cylinder formed by the tipping paper. Openings are made in the filter plug wrap and corresponding openings are made in the tipping paper. The air dilution value is adjusted by axially moving the filter plug within the tipping paper to adjust the degree to which the two sets of openings are in registry.
Among the problems associated with such mechanisms are that the sleeve or filter plug may be removed from the cigarette by the smoker and not readily replaced, and that when dilution is desired, thus requiring some degree of registry between the two sets of openings, this registry may be inadvertently destroyed by a slight axial movement of the sleeve or plug. Accordingly, the dilution, once set by the smoker, is not ensured of any degree of consistency. Yet another problem associated with a number of these prior devices is that they have not been readily adaptable to a high rate of production on cigarette making machinery of conventional design.
According to the invention there is provided a smoking article comprising a column of combustible smoking material and a mouth end region open to permit the passage of air and smoke, the mouth end region being circumscribed by substantially air impermeable wrapping having an opening therein, and an outer substantially air impermeable tipping paper having an opening therein, one opening being rotatable relative to the other so that the openings may be in varying degrees of registry to admit varying amounts of air to the mouth end region characterised in that the mouth end is circumscribed by first, column end, second and third, mouth end, abutting bands, formed of the wrapping or the tipping, the second band being rotatable relative to the first and third bands and being retained against axial . movement by the first and third bands, one of the bands having an opening in it for movement into and out of registry with the opening in the one of the wrapping or the tipping which does not form the said abutting bands.
There is further provided a method of making such a smoking article, which is characterised in that it comprises making two parallel rows of closely spaced perforations in tipping paper to define first, second and third bands axially aligning a tobacco rod and a filter plug in abutting relationship, applying an adhesive to the first and third bands on the same side of the tipping paper, wrapping the adhesive coated side of the tipping paper around the tobacco rod and filter plug, forming an opening through the second band and the underlying wrapping, and then breaking the perforations so that the second band is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the filter plug and retained against axial movement.
In one preferred embodiment, the assembly comprises tipping paper and a wrapped cylindrical filter plug. The tipping paper is divided into three bands, the first of which circumscribes a portion of one end of the filter and the adjoining end of the tobacco rod and is attached both to the rod and to the filter plug adjacent the rod end. The middle band contains the opening in the tipping paper and the opening in the plug wrap is positioned beneath this band so that the openings may, through rotation of the middle band, be moved into registry. The third band is attached to the filter plug adjacent the mouth end thereof. Of the three bands, only the middle band is not attached to the filter plug or the tobacco rod and thus may be rotated about the filter plug, but is secured against axial movement by the fixed first and third bands.
In a second preferred embodiment, the assembly comprises tipping paper, an inner contiguous wrapping and a wrapped cylindrical filter plug. The tipping paper is continuous and the inner layer is divided into three bands. The first band is located at the tobacco rod end of the filter plug and is fixed to the plug wrap. This band contains an opening in registry with an opening in the plug wrap. The second or middle band is not fixed to the plug wrap but is attached to the tipping paper. The third band is located adjacent the mouth end of the filter plug and is fixed to the plug wrap. An opening in the tipping paper is located above the first band. Since the first and third bands are fixed only to the plug wrap and the middle band is fixed only to the tipping paper, the filter plug may be rotated about its longitudinal axis within the cylinder formed by the tipping paper and is retained against axial movement. The openings are positioned such that rotation of the filter plug will rotate the opening in the first band into registry with the opening in the tipping paper. It is preferred to have the mouth end of the filter plug extend a slight distance beyond the tipping paper so that it may be readily manipulated by the smoker to rotate the openings relative to each other to select the desired degree of dilution.
In a third preferred embodiment, which is an unfiltered cigarette, the assembly comprises at least two layers of a wrapping such as tipping paper. The outer wrapping is preferably tipping paper and is constructed as described in connection with the description of the outer wrapping of the first preferred embodiment. The innermost wrappings are either attached to or from the wrapping forthe tobacco rod and have an opening positioned beneath the middle band of the outermost wrapping such that the opening therein can be rotated into registry with the opening through the inner wrappings. Preferably, there is a single inner wrapping which comprises the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping is tipping paper which is wrapped around the tobacco rod adjacent the mouth end.
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the assembly comprises a tobacco rod, an integral axially aligned substantially cylindrical wrapped filter plug at the mouth end of the tobacco rod, and tipping paper surrounding the filter plug. The plug wrap is divided into a mouth-end band, a central band, and a rod-end band having an opening therethrough. The first and third bands are attached to the filter. The tipping paper circumscribes the filter plug and extends from the mouth end of the filter plug to a position on the-tobacco rod adjacent to the rod end of the filter plug. The tipping paper is divided into first and second bands, the first band extending from the mouth end to a position adjacent the tobacco rod overlying the third band of the plug wrap. The second band ofthetipping paper abuts the first band of the tipping paper and overlaps and attaches the rod end of the filter to the abutting end of the tobacco rod. The first band of the tipping paper has an opening which is positioned in registry with an opening in the third band of the plug wrap. The first band of the tipping paper is attached to the plug wrap only at the central band for rotation therewith about the longitudinal axis of the filter, whereby the opening in the tipping paper is rotated into varying degrees of registry with the opening in the underlying plug wrap to permit varying amounts of airto combine with the smoke, thereby varying the air dilution value of the cigarette. The air dilution value is the ratio of the volume of air to the volume of smoke exiting the mouth end of the filter and is expressed as a percentage.
The cigarettes of the present invention may be manufactured employing conventional equip- mentwith only minor modificiations and a method of manufacturing such cigarettes forms another aspect of the present invention. The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the elements of a cigarette according to a first embodiment of the present invention taken from the mouth end;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled cigarette of Fig. 1 taken from the mouth end;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette of Figs. 1 and 2 taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 4 is a length of laser perforated tipping paper;
Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the drag breakdown unit for use in the manufacture of the cigarettes of the present invention and showing a rotatable sleeve cigarette of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is an end view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one end of the drag breakdown unit of Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a laser system for use in making the openings in the tipping paper and inner wrappings of the cigarettes of the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a partial elevational view of an apparatus for use in making perforations in the tipping paper and inner wrappings of the cigarettes of the present invention;
Fig. 10 shows an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of Fig. 9 for use in making a plurality of openings in the tipping paper and innerwrappings of the cigarettes of the present invention;
Fig. 11 shows yet another embodiment of the apparatus of Fig. 9 for use in making the openings in the tipping paper and inner wrappings of the cigarettes of the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of Fig. 2 showing the relationship between the opening in the rotable sleeve portion of the tipping paper and the opening in the plug wrap.
Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the mechanical perforation apparatus of Fig. 9 taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 9;
Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the elements of a cigarette according to a second embodiment of the present invention taken from the filter end;
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the assembled cigarette of Fig. 14 taken from the filter end;
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette of Figs. 14 and 15 taken along the line 16-16 of Fig. 15;
Fig. 17 is an end view of the drag breakdown unit of Fig. 5, as shown in Fig. 6, but showing a rotatable filter plug cigarette of the present invention;
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of an assembled, unfiltered cigarette according to a third embodiment of the present invention taken from the mouth end and showing indicia printed on the tipping paper;
Fig. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, taken from the mouth end, of the wrapped filter plug and the tobacco rod of a cigarette according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 20 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, taken from the mouth end, of the elements of the cigarette of Fig. 1;
Fig. 21 is a perspective view, taken from the mouth end, of the assembled cigarette of Fig. 20;
Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette of Fig. 3 taken along the line 22-22 of Fig. 21.

In two preferred embodiments, the cigarette of the present invention is provided either with an axially retained rotatable sleeve or an axially retained rotatable filter plug with adjustably occludable openings for inter-mixing air with the smoke. The degree of dilution is controlled by the size of the openings, that is, the degree to which the two sets of openings are in registry.
The method of the present invention is such that the cigarette may be readily produced on conventional cigarette making equipment and the tipping apparatus with a minimum of modification. Forming and cutting the cigarette rod and forming and cutting the filter plug, when included, to length are done conventionally. Also, bringing the filter plug into axial alignment with the cigarette rod and the overwrapping with tipping paper are accomplished in the same manner as in conventional cigarettes.
Furthermore, additional simplicity in manufacturing is made possible in the present invention by simultaneously forming the openings in the tipping paper and the inner wrappings. This is accomplished, in one manner, simply by slitting or perforating the tipping paper and underlying wrapping on each cigarette as it passes through the conventional cigarette making machinery at or near a rolling shoe station.
A means for permitting the smoker to select the specific smoke to air dilution ration desired may be provided through indicia (72 and 73 in Fig. 18, for example) which are printed on the tipping paper during the passage of the cigarette through the tipping apparatus. Such indicia are made readily visible and are designed to show the degree of registry of the openings.
One preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and comprises a tobacco rod 1 which is aligned with and joined to a conventional, substantially cylindrical filter plug 8, which may be cellulose acetate filter or the like. The filter plug is wrapped by a substantially air impermeable plug wrap 7 which has openings 9 therein. The filter plug 8 is joined to the tobacco rod 1 by tipping paper 2 which comprises a first band 5, a second band 4, and a third band 3. The second band 4 contains openings 6 which are aligned with the openings 9 in the plug wrap. Band 3 and band 5 are attached to the plug wrap and band 4 is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the filter plug. As band 4 is rotated, the openings 6 are brought into varying degrees of registry with the openings 9 in the underlying plug wrap. Thus the amount of air entering the filter, which it is mixed with the smoke produced by the burning tobacco 10, can be selected by adjusting the degree to which the openings 6 and 9 are in registry. Band 4 is retained against axial movement by bands 3 and 5 and this, in conjunction with the frictional resistance to rotation, ensures that the degree of dilution, once selected, is maintained.
This rotatable sleeve embodiment may be readily manufactured employing conventional equipment. As shown in Fig. 4, a length of tipping paper is divided into banks 11, 12 and 13 by the two parallel rows of closely spaced perforations 14 and 15. These perforations may be made by any conventional means such as laser perforation, electrostatic perforation, or mechanical perforation using points or knives. It is preferred to employ a laser perforation device in order to make the perforations extremely small and minimize the possibility of even a slight axial slip in the assembled cigarette. In practice, the tipping paper is fed through a perforating zone where it is exposed to at least a pair of laser light beams focused laterally of the width of the travelling tipping paper so as to define the desired width of the rotatable sleeve. The power settings and focusing of the laser and the rate of feed of the tipping paper are selected so as to all but part the paper along the "break away" lines shown in Fig. 4. The attachment which remains is selected to retain only enough strength to hold the bands together during assembly. Preferably, a laser system is employed to make about 100 perforations per inch in the paper.
The perforated tipping paper is applied to the cigarette in a conventional cigarette making machine in which a filter is positioned between two tobacco rods, as in Fig. 8. The modification required in order to make the embodiments of the present invention using this conventional equipment is minor in that the adhesive applicator is adapted to provide a ribbon or the like of adhesive which, with reference to Fig. 8, is provided only along strips 3, 5, 19, and 21. This tipping paper is wrapped around the two cigarette rods and intermediate filter, then the openings are made in the tipping paper and the underlying plug wrap using conventional equipment and then the tipping paper and filter are severed through the center of the filter to form two filter cigarettes.
Preferably, as shown in Fig. 8, a laser perforation system is employed which uses a laser 23 to generate a laser beam that is passed through an initial focusing lens 24, then divided by beam splitter 25 with one half of the beam passing through lens 27 and being focused on the tipping paper to form opening 6 while the second half of the beam is reflected by mirror 26 through lens 28 which focuses the second beam onto the tipping paper to form opening 22. The laser beam is focused to traverse the rotating cigarette and is set to remain on for a time period sufficient to make a slit of a desired length through the tipping paper and the underlying plug wrap. Slits one millimeter wide are preferred. If it is desired to establish a line of perforations instead of slits, the laser beam may be pulsed a given number of times to provide a line of separate holes.
Once the openings are formed, the filter is severed at line 29 to form two cigarettes. The cigarettes may then be passed to a drag breakdown device, such as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, which employs rotating conveyor belts or rollers 16 and 17 and a skid plate 18. As shown in Fig. 6, an assembled cigarette is passed between rollers 16 and 17 and is aligned such that the middle band 4 of the tipping paper contacts a skid plate 18 which breaks the perforations in the tipping paper and frees band 4 for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the filter plug. The rates of rotation of conveyors 16 and 17 may be adjusted such that a preselected degree of rotation of band 4 occurs during breakage of the perforations and so that the cigarettes exiting the breakdown device are set at a uniform diluting value. Another view of this breakdown device is shown in Fig. 7.
The openings in the tipping paper and the underlying plug wrap may also be made by mechanical means as shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 13. As shown in Fig. 9, cigarettes 37 are passed between rotating drums 35 and 36 which feed the cigarettes beneath a fixed plate 30 and into contact with a rotating perforation device comprising rotating wheels 31 and 33, which, as shown in greater detail in Fig. 13, are rotatably mounted on shaft 48, and have pin- like projections 32 and 34 which penetrate the tipping paper and plug wrap and also penetrate a short distance within the filter.
As shown in Fig. 10, a device equivalent in function to that shown in Fig. 9 is disclosed which employs a fixed plate 38, a rotating drum 41, and sets of teeth- like projections 39 and 40 which are employed to perforate the tipping paper and plug wrap of cigarettes 42. Yet another such device is disclosed in Fig. 11 which also employs a fixed plate 43 and a rotating drum 46 and has knife-like projections 44 and 45 which make slits through the tipping paper and plug wrap of cigarettes 47.
Very thin bades or finely pointed elements are used so that the vents are made to appear virtually invisible to the naked eye when observed by the smoker. One millimeter wide slits are preferred.
The dilution value of the cigarette of the present may be readily adjusted as shown in Fig. 12 which is a partial cross-sectional view taken through the openings in the tipping paper and the plug wrap. As shown, opening 6 in the tipping paper 2 may be rotated into varying degrees of registry with opening 9 in the plug wrap 7 to permit varying amounts of air to enter through the two openings and into the filter material 8. Rotation of band 4 in Fig. 2 will move opening 6 relative to opening 9 thus varying the degree of registry and the amount of dilution. The tipping paper 2 and the plug wrap 7 are in close contact thus providing a frictional resistance to rotation which ensures that the degree of registry, once selected, will be maintained.
A second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 and again comprises a tobacco rod 49 which is axially aligned with and joined to a filter 58 by tipping paper 50. The filter 58 is wrapped with a plug wrap 57 which has openings 59 therein. As shown in this particular embodiment, the plug wrap is wrapped with a tipping-like paper 56 comprising three bands 52, 53 and 54 and having openings 55 therein. This twice wrapped filter 58 is then joined to the tobacco rod 49 by tipping paper 50 having an opening 51 therein. In this particular embodiment, the filter extends beyond the tipping paper 50 to provide a stub which may be manipulated by the smoker to adjust the degree of dilution. The intermediate layer 56 is preferably the same paper as layer 50 in order to present a uniform appearance to the smoker.
If desired, paper 56 may be eliminated and the plug wrap 57 may comprise three abutting bands corresponding to 52, 53 and 54 in Fig. 14. The following description will be understood to include this embodiment in which the intermediate wrapping is eliminated.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 16, the paper 56 is attached to the plug wrap 57 such that openings 55 and 59 are in registry. Band 53 is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the plug member while bands 52 and 54 are attached to the plug member. The filter plug with its wrapping 56 is then joined to the tobacco rod 49 by tipping paper 50 by attaching band 53 to the inner surface of the tipping paper. Openings 51 are positioned above the underlying openings 55 and 59 such that as the filter 58 is rotated, the openings 55 and 59 are brought into varying degrees of registry with the openings 51 thus selecting the amount of air which can enter the filter and combine with the smoke for the burning tobacco 60 to produce a specific air dilution value. Since band 53 is attached to the inner surface of the tipping paper and since bands 52 and 54 are attached to the plug wrap, the filter plus is freely rotatable within the cylinder formed by the tipping paper and yet is retained against axial movement. This, in conjunction with the frictional interaction of the paper 56 with the tipping paper 50, ensures that once a particular dilution value is selected it will be maintained.
The cigarettes of this rotatable plug embodiment are manufactured substantially as set for above for the rotatable sleeve embodiment. When an intermediate tipping paper layer is desired to be added, it is perforated, preferably using a laser system as set for above, and is then attached to the plug wrap, preferably with glue. Conventional equipment is again employed and modified such that the glue applicator will apply glue only to the plug wrap side of bands 52 and 54. A glue applicator is also modified such that the glue is applied to the plug side of the tipping paper 50 only on those portions which will contact the tobacco rod 49 and the sleeve 53. Otherwise, the manufacture of this second embodiment is substantially the same as the first.
It is preferred to make the openings through the outer tipping paper, the inner tipping paper or other such intermediate wrapping, and the plug wrap at the same time using the laser perforation system as shown in Fig. 8 although one of the mechanical systems shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 may also be employed. The assembled cigarettes are then passed through a drag breakdown devivce as described with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, but alignment of the cigarettes within the device is altered as shown in Fig. 17 such that the protruding end of the filter plug contacts the drag plate thereby breaking the perforations in the inner layer of tipping paper; thus permitting the filter plug to freely rotate within the outer cylinder of tipping paper while being axially retained therein.
A third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 18 and comprises a tobacco rod 64 comprising a column of tobacco 68 circumscribed by a substantially air impermeable wrapping 65, which is preferably cigarette paper, which is circumscribed adjacent the mouth end by an outer cylindrical layer 70 of substantially air impermeable tipping paper extending from the mouth end to a point between the mouth end and the middle of the tobacco column. The toacco rod is open at both the coal end and the mouth end to permit the passage of air and smoke. The outermost layer comprises three bands, 66, 67 and 68 which are formed and positioned as described in connection with the first preferred embodiment. There is an opening through the inner layer 65, and an opening 71 in band 67 positioned so that it can be rotated into varying degrees of registry with the opening in the inner layer by rotating band 67. This embodiment may be made according to the method described for making the first preferred embodiment with the step of inserting a double length filter plug between two tobacco rods being omitted.
A fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22, comprises a tobacco rod 101 which comprises a substantially cylindrical charge of tobacco 102 wrapped in cigarette paper 103 that is aligned with and joined to a conventional, substantially cylindrical, filter plug 104, which may be a cellulose acetate filter or the like. The filter plug is wrapped by a substantially air impermeable plug wrap 105 which comprises a mouth-end band 106, a central band 107, and a rod-end band 108, defined by circumferentially extending parallel rows 109 and 110 of spaced perforations. The filter plug 104 is joined to the tobacco rod 101 by tipping paper 111. The rod end band 108 has an opening 116 therein. Mouth-end band 106 and rod-end band 108 are attached to the filter; central 107 is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.
Tipping paper 111 is divided into a first band 112 and a second band 113 by a circumferentially extending row of closely spaced perforations 114. The inner surface of the first band 112 is attached to the outer surface of central band 107, preferably by a ribbon of adhesive material 117, for rotation with central band 107 about the longitudinal axis of the cigarette when the rows of perforations 109, 110 and 114 are broken. The inner surface of the second band 113 is attached to the outer surfaces of tobacco rod 101 and the rod-end band, preferably by a ribbon of adhesive material 118. An opening 115 is formed in the first band 112 at a position which overlies the rod-end band 108.
As the first band 112 is rotated by the smoker, the rows of perforations 109, 110 and 114 are broken and the opening 115 is rotated into varying degrees of registry with the opening 116 in the underlying plug wrap. Thus the amount of air entering the filter, where it is mixed with the smoke produced by the burning tobacco 102, can be selected by adjusting the degree to which the openings 115 and 116 are in registry, Central band 107 and thus the first band 112 are retained against axial movement by bands 106 and 108 and this, in conjunction with the frictional resistance to rotation, ensures that the degree of dilution, once selected, is maintained.
The method of the present invention is such that the cigarette may be readily produced on conventional cigarette making equipment and tipping apparatus with a minimum of modification, as described earlier. Forming and cutting the cigarette rod and forming and cutting the filter plug to length are done conventionally. Also, bringing the filter plug into axial alignment with the cigarette rod and overwrapping with tipping paper are accomplished in the same manner as in conventional cigarettes..
Furthermore, additional simplicity in manufacturing is made possible in the present invention by simultaneously forming the openings in the tipping paper and inner wrappings. This is accomplished, in one manner, simply by slitting or perforating the tipping paper and underlying wrappings on each cigarette as it passes through the conventional cigarette making machinery at or near a rolling shoe station. A means for permitting the smoker to select the specific smoke to air dilution ratio desired may be provided through indicia which are printed in the tipping paper during the passage of the cigarette through the tipping apparatus. Such indicia are made readily visible and are designed to show the degree of registry of the openings.
Various modifications to the fcregoing embodiments are possible for example, the first preferred embodiment could be modified by omitting the filter plug thus resulting in an integral mouthpiece; the second preferred embodiment could be constructed with the first and third bands glued or otherwise fixed to the tipping paper and the second band attached or fixed to the plug wrap; and, in the second preferred embodiment, the opening in the inner wrap could be made in the second band instead of or as well as in the first with corresponding openings being made in the outer layer of tipping paper.

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising a column of combustible smoking material (1), (49), (64), (101), and a mouth end region open to permit the passage of air and smoke, the mouth end region being circumscribed by substantially air impermeable wrapping (7), (56), (65),(105) having an opening (9), (59), (116) therein, and an outer substantially air impermeable tipping paper (2), (50), (70), (111) having an opening (6), (51), (71), (115) therein, one opening being rotatable relative to the other so that the openings may be in varying degrees of registry to admit varying amounts of air to the mouth end region characterised in that the mouth end is circumscribed by first, (3, 54, 108) column end, second (4, 53, 107) intermediate and third (5, 52, 106), mouth end, abutting bands, formed of the wrapping or the tipping paper, the second band being rotatable relative to the first and third bands and being retained against axial movement by the first and third bands, one of the bands having an opening in it for movement into and out of registry with the opening in the one of the wrapping or the tipping which does not form the said abutting bands.

2. A smoking article according to claim 1 in which the first, second and third abutting bands (3, 4, 5), (66, 67, 68) are formed of the tipping paper (2), (70), the first band being fixed to the wrapping (7), (65), the opening (6), (71), in the tipping paper being provided by an opening in the second band and the second band being rotatable around the mouth end region whereby one opening is rotatable relative to the other, and the third band being fixed to the mouth end, thereby retaining the second band against axial movement.

3. A smoking article according to claim 1 or 2 in which the mouth end region comprises a filter plug (8) abutting the column (1) of combustible material.

4. A smoking article according to claim 3 when dependent and 2, in which the first band (3) overlaps the column (1) of combustible material and is fixed to the said column and to the said mouth end region.

5. A smoking article according to any preceding claim, in which the wrapping (7), (57), (65) and the tipping paper (2), (50), (70) are each provided with a plurality of openings (6), (51), (71) so that the openings in the tipping paper may be rotated into registry with the openings in the wrapping in a one-to-one correspondence.

6. A smoking article according to claim 1, in which the mouth end region comprises a substantially cylindrical filter plug (58) having a substantially air impermeable peripheral surface (57) having an opening (59) therein, the tipping paper (50) circumscribing the said column (49) and the filter plug and having an opening (51) therein, and in which the first, second and third abutting bands (52, 53, 54) are formed of the wrapping, the first band having an opening (55) therein in registry with the opening in the peripheral surface of the filter plug and being fixed to the peripheral surface of the filter plug for rotation therewith, and the second band being fixed to the tipping paper whereby the filter plug is rotatable about its longitudinal axis within the second band and is restrained against axial movement, the third band being fixed to the peripheral surface of the filter plug adjacent the mouth end thereof for rotation therewith, so that the opening in the first band is rotatable, by rotation of the filter plug within the tipping paper, into registry with the opening in the tipping paper.

7. A smoking article according to claim 6, in which the first band (52) of the wrapping and the tipping paper (50) are each provided with a plurality of openings (55 and 51) so that the openings in the first band are rotatable into registry with the openings in the tipping paper in a one-to-one correspondence.

8. A smoking article according to claim 1, in which the mouth end region comprises a filter plug (104), axially aligned with the column of combustible smoking material, (101), and in which the first, mouth-end, second, central, and third, column-end bands (106, 107, 108) are formed of the wrapping (105), the column-end band having an opening (116) and the column-end and mouth-end bands being fixed to the filter plug, the central band being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the smoking article, the tipping paper (111) comprising a first band (112) abutting a second band (113) and the first band of tipping paper having an opening (115) therein overlying the opening in the column-end band of the wrapping so that the openings are rotatable into registry with each other, the first band of tipping paper being attached only to the central band of the wrapping for rotation therewith, and the second band of tipping paper extending from the first band to a position on the column of combustible material to join the column to the filter plug.

9. A smoking article according to claim 8, in which the first band (112) of tipping paper and the column-end band (108) of the wrapping are each provided with a plurality of openings (115 and 116) so that the openings in the first band of tipping paper are rotatable into registry with the openings in the column-end band of the wrapping in a one-to-one correspondence.

10. A method of making a smoking article according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that it comprises making two parallel rows of closely spaced perforations in tipping paper to define first, second and third bands axially aligning a tobacco rod and a filter plug in abutting relationship, applying an adhesive to the first and third bands on the same side of the tipping paper, wrapping the adhesive coated side of the tipping paper around the tobacco rod and filter plug, forming an opening through the second band and the underlying wrapping, and then breaking the perforations so that the second band is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the filter plug and retained against axial movement.

11. A method of making a smoking article according to claim 1 or 6, characterised in that it comprises making two parallel rows of closely spaced perforations in an intermediate wrapping to define first, second and third bands, applying adhesive to one side of the intermediate wrapping at positions corresponding to the first and third bands, wrapping the adhesive-coated side of the intermediate wrapping around the filter plug, axially aligning the tobacco rod and the wrapped filter plug in abutting relationship, applying the adhesive on one side of tipping paper at positions corresponding to the portion of the tobacco rod to be circumscribed by the tipping paper and to the second band, wrapping the adhesive-coated side of the tipping paper around the axially aligned tobacco rod and filter plug, forming an opening through the tipping paper, the intermediate wrapping and the first band, and then, breaking the perforations so that the filter plug is freely rotatable within the tipping paper and retained against axial movement.