CIGARETTE PAPER The present invention relates to a cigarette paper and in particular, but not exclusively, to a cigarette paper for hand-rolled cigarettes.

Cigarettes are conventionally cylindrical in shape. However, some smokers prefer tapered cigarettes that are wider at the lit end.

Commercially available cigarette papers are generally rectangular in shape. These are not suitable for rolling tapered cigarettes as they are not sufficiently wide to extend around the circumference of the cigarette at the wider end. Smokers rolling tapered cigarettes sometimes use an extra cigarette paper to overcome this problem, but this is complicated and increases the cost of the cigarettes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette paper that mitigates at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a cigarette paper for making a cigarette having a paper sleeve rolled from the cigarette paper and a filler made of tobacco, the cigarette paper being characterised in that it has a first end edge that forms a first end of the cigarette, a second end edge that forms a second end of the cigarette, said second end edge being longer than said first end edge, and first and second side edges that converge toward said first end edge, such that the rolled cigarette tapers from said second end to said first end.

The paper is shaped to help a smoker roll a tapered cigarette easily and without waste.

Advantageously, the cigarette paper is shaped such that the rolled cigarette is substantially frusto-conical.

Advantageously, the cigarette paper includes a strip of adhesive adjacent one of said side edges for adhering said side edge to the other said side edge to form a substantially frusto- conical shape.

Advantageously, the cigarette paper is substantially polygonal and said first and second end edges are substantially straight and parallel to one another. The first and second end edges may be substantially perpendicular to said first side edge.

Alternatively, the shape of the cigarette paper may be substantially a sector of a ring.

The first and second end edges may be substantially arcuate and co-axial.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cigarette paper before rolling; Figure 2 shows a rolled cigarette; and Figure 3 shows a second form of cigarette paper, before rolling.

The cigarette paper shown in Figure 1 has the shape of a quadrilateral having two short edges 1,2 that in the finished cigarette are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette and form the ends of the cigarette sleeve, a third edge 3 that extends substantially perpendicularly to the two short edges 1,2 and a fourth edge 4 that subtends an acute angle with the third edge 3. A strip of an adhesive 5 such as an water-soluble gum is provided on one side of the paper adjacent the fourth edge 4. The first edge 1 is shorter than the second edge 2 so that the rolled cigarette is tapered (substantially frusto-conical) in shape.

To make a cigarette, the smoker spreads a portion of finely cut tobacco on the cigarette paper as a filler. Optionally, a filter may also be placed on the paper, adjacent to first edge 1. He/she then begins to roll the filler on the paper into a tapered shaft-like form and continues rolling the cigarette paper around the filler until the angled fourth edge 4 overlies the third edge 3. He/she then wets the strip of adhesive 5, for example by licking, and sticks the fourth edge 4 of the paper to the third edge 3.

The cigarette paper may have other shapes, but it will generally be wider at one end than the other so that the finished cigarette has a tapered (or substantially frusto- conical) shape. For example, the shape of the cigarette paper may be sector of a ring, as shown in Figure 3, the first and second edges 6,7 being arcuate, the first edge 6 being shorter and having a smaller radius of curvature than the second edge 7, and the third and fourth edges 8,9 being radial and of equal length. A strip of adhesive 10 is provided adjacent the fourth edge 9.

The first and second edges 6,7 form the ends of the cigarette sleeve and are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the finished cigarette.

The finished cigarette is shown in Figure 2 and includes a sleeve 11 made from the cigarette paper and the filler 12 of tobacco. The cigarette is tapered having a wider end 13, which is lit, and a narrower end 14, which is placed in the smoker's mouth.

A filter (not shown) may optionally be included at the narrower end 14.

Various modifications of the invention are possible. For example, the paper may have different shapes and sizes, it may be provided in left or right-handed forms (which taper in opposite directions) and the adhesive strip may be provided against either of the longitudinal edges or omitted entirely.