The granular media filtration process is often used as a physical means of separating solids in wastewater. These highly desirable characteristics of an apparatus for use in a filter tipping machine which is to turn out relatively short series of filter cigarettes are attributable to the feature that the magazine 3 need not store two sets of plain cigarettes and to the novel mode of converting a single row of plain cigarettes 4 which issue from the channel 9 into pairs of properly spaced-apart coaxial cigarettes 4' and 4" which provide room for insertion of filter rod sections 24 therebetween.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking article comprising a rod of smokeable material, and an elongate filter coupled adjacent to the rod of smokeable cigarette filter material, wherein the diameter of the whole, or a portion of the filter adjacent to the rod of smokeable material is greater than the diameter of the rod of smokeable material.

1). As the force of the vacuum applied through transport tape 12 ceases, the free-flowing material is no longer held on the surface of transport tape 12. Also at approximately point 21, pockets 16 pass directly over the free-flowing material 8 that is on transport tape 12. Also at point 21, pockets 16 pass under a vacuum hood or chamber 20. Vacuum hood 20 applies vacuum through apertures 39 of pockets 16. This vacuum draws the free-flowing material off transport tape 12 and up into the lower portion 38 of each pocket 16. Screen 22 is permeable enough to allow the pull of vacuum, yet tight enough to prevent passage of free-flowing material 8.
Screening tape 23 contains apertures 32. An independent electrical or electronic device may be used to coordinate the travel of belt 17 with the parallel travel of screening tape 23 such that apertures 39 of pockets 16 register with apertures 32 of screening tape 23. Likewise, an independent electrical or electronic device may be used to coordinate the travel of screening tape 23 with the parallel travel of the garniture tape 31. Thus apertures 32 in screening tape 23 directly register with discrete receiving spaces 26, while the non-apertured portion of screening tape 23 masks filter plugs 33.
The filter may be coupled to the rod of smokeable material via a cavity in the filter, increasing filtration of mainstream smoke where the rod is coupled to the filter, or using a moulded coupling extrusion, enabling a rectangular profile filter to be coupled to the rod.

Adjustment of the relative speed differences between the transport tape and the continuous belt carrying the pockets serves to significantly enhance the uptake of the free-flowing material by the pockets and results in essentially none of the free-flowing material remaining on the transport tape.
The continuous belt then carries the pockets, each containing a measured amount of free-flowing material held under vacuum, to a point where the belt begins a course parallel with and adjacent to a travelling garniture tape, such that the pockets are positioned over the garniture tape.
Endless belt 17 travels a course in part parallel with and directly above downward sloping transport tape 12. Belt 17 positions pockets 16 so that the lower portions 38 of pockets 16 travel directly above and proximal to the free-flowing material 8 held on transport tape 12 by vacuum.