rotate vacuum is released on the cut component 28 and the component is removed by a vacuum take off drum 32 the take off drum transfers the cut component to a feed vane 34 or drum not shown which then transfers the filter components to a filter combining operation the remaining portions of the original filter rods continue to rotate on the cutting drum as they again pass under the cowl vacuum holding them in the flutes is released and they are once again shifted back against the adjustable stops 26 by vacuum from the rear of the cowl and possibly air jets on the front of the cowl as they again pass the knife another group of individual components 28 is cut and later removed by the take off drum 32 this process continues until the original filter rod has been completely cut into individual filter components 28 if the original filter rod length is not a multiple of the cut length of the filter components 28 the rod portion remaining after the last cut is rejected by an air jet by way of example the cutting drum 22 and the blade 30 may be designed to cut each elongate filter rod 12 six times the transfer drums 16 18 deposit a filter rod in every sixth flute 20 of the cutting drum 22 and the cutting drum has thirty five flutes the adjustable stops 26 are positioned to cut 20 mm long filter components and the original filter rod is 122 mm long after six revolutions of the cutting drum six 20 mm long filter components have been cut from the original filter rod and the remaining 2.