Method and Apparatus For Making Slit-Banded Wrapper Using Moving Orifices

Abstract

A method and apparatus of manufacturing a web which is striped with add-on material, comprising: a first slurry supply which forms a sheet of base web and moves the sheet along a first path; a second slurry supply; and a moving orifice applicator operative so as to repetitively discharge the second slurry upon the moving sheet of base web. The moving orifice applicator includes a chamber box arranged to establish a reservoir of the second slurry across the first path, an endless belt having orifice groups, the endless belt received through the chamber box, and a drive arrangement operative upon the endless belt to continuously move the orifices along an endless-path and repetitively through the chamber box. The orifices communicate with the reservoir to discharge the second slurry as bands of add-on material to the base web. Orifices within the orifice groups can be spaced relative to one another to define bands of add-on material having a relative minimum in thickness or to define spaced apart bands. Orifices may also cooperate with a stationary or moving template to define segmented bands having gaps with complex edges. The web resulting from the method or the apparatus may be used for a smoking article. A smoking article may be constructed from wrapper made with the apparatus or the method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smoking article having a wrapper made by the steps of:
 moving a base web along a first path; preparing a slurry of add-on material;   repetitively discharging the slurry of add-on material upon the moving base web by establishing a reservoir of the add-on material across the first path and moving a belt having an orifice group along an endless path, wherein the orifice group includes at least two orifices spaced relative to one another such that the slurry of add-on material being discharged from the orifice group defines a banded region having a least a relative minimum thickness between the leading and trailing edges of the banded region, and   said belt moving step including the step of moving said belt along a first portion of said endless path where said at least one orifice group is communicated with said reservoir so as to discharge said slurry of add-on material from said reservoir through said at least one orifice group onto said base web as said at least one orifice group traverses said first path portion.   
     
     
         2 . A smoking article having a wrapper made by the steps of:
 moving a base web along a first path; preparing a slurry of add-on material;   repetitively discharging the slurry of add-on material upon the moving base web by establishing a reservoir of the add-on material across the first path and moving a belt having at least one orifice group along an endless path,   said belt moving step including the step of moving said belt along a first portion of said endless path where said at least one orifice group is communicated with said reservoir so as to discharge said slurry of add-on material from said reservoir through said at least one orifice group onto said base web as said at least one orifice group traverses said first path portion,   wherein the at least one orifice group has at least two generally circular orifice elements, the slurry of add-on material entering the at least one orifice group defines a group of spaced stripes, the number of stripes corresponding to the number of orifices.   
     
     
         3 . A smoking article having a wrapper made by the steps of:
 moving a base web along a first path;   preparing a slurry of add-on material;   repetitively discharging the slurry of add-on material upon the moving base web by establishing a reservoir of the add-on material across the first path and moving a belt having at least one orifice group along an endless path,   said belt moving step including the step of moving said belt along a first portion of said endless path where said at least one orifice group is communicated with said reservoir so as to discharge said slurry of add-on material from said reservoir through said at least one orifice group onto said base web as said at least one orifice group traverses said first path portion,   wherein the at least one orifice group comprises spaced apart orifice groups, each of the orifice groups having a length at least 1.5 times longer than its width and rounded end walls.   
     
     
         4 . A smoking article having a wrapper made by the steps of:
 moving a base web along a first path;   preparing a slurry of add-on material;   repetitively discharging the slurry of add-on material upon the moving base web by establishing a reservoir of the add-on material across the first path, moving a belt having a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced orifices along an endless path, and positioning a template having a plurality of windows therethrough between the belt and the base web,   wherein the orifices are spaced relative to one another such that the slurry of add-on material being discharged from the orifices defines a plurality of banded regions spaced longitudinally along the base web,   said belt moving step including the step of moving said belt along a first portion of said endless path where at least one orifice has fluid communication with the reservoir so as to discharge the slurry of add-on material from said reservoir the at least one orifice onto said base web as the at least one orifice traverses said first path portion; and   wherein the template periodically interrupts the define bars transverse to the slurry discharge from the reservoir so as to define a plurality of gaps in the banded regions.   
     
     
         5 . A smoking article comprising:
 a tobacco rod having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, a quantity of smoking tobacco, and a wrapper substantially surrounding the smoking tobacco in the circumferential direction,   wherein the wrapper includes at least one banded region between the first end and the second end, and the at least one banded region includes at least one gap extending in at least one of the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction, and   wherein the material from which the at least one banded region is constructed is the same as the material from which the wrapper is constructed.   
     
     
         6 . The smoking article of  claim 5  wherein the at least one banded region includes at least one gap extending in both the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         7 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein the at least one gap is defined by generally parallel edges. 
     
     
         8 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein the at least one gap is defined by symmetrical edges. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking article of  claim 5  wherein the at least one banded region is constructed from a plurality of patches spaced longitudinally and circumferentially from one another. 
     
     
         10 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein the at least one gap is defined by parallel edges extending in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         11 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein the at least one banded region is constructed from a plurality of patches spaced circumferentially from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The smoking article of  claim 11  wherein ends of the patches are pointed in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
         13 . The smoking article of  claim 11  wherein ends of adjacent patches are angled and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         14 . The smoking article of  claim 11  wherein ends of adjacent patches are pointed and facing each other in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
         15 . The smoking article of  claim 11  wherein ends of adjacent patches are arcuate and facing each other in the circumferential direction.