Apparatus for making one or more rod-like fillers of shredded tobacco for use in the making of cigarettes or the like employs one or two pneumatic conveyors having endless foraminous belts trained over pulleys and including elongated stretches below communicating parts of a common suction chamber. A shower of intermixed tobacco shreds and smaller particles including tobacco dust and coarser particles is directed against the under sides of the elongated stretches. The shreds are attracted to and advance with the respective belts to form streams which are ready to be trimmed and thereupon draped into cigarette paper or the like. At least some smaller particles penetrate through the respective belts into the corresponding parts of the suction chamber. The contents of the suction chamber are evacuated by suction and are returned to the undersides of the elongated stretches of the belts for classification. At least some coarser particles advance with the belts and are incorporated into the respective streams of tobacco shreds. The smaller particles enter the respective parts of the suction chamber and are pneumatically conveyed to the main dedusting unit of the cigarette making plant.
展开▼
