Abstract: The filler of a cigarette rod has a tubular portion made of shredded tobacco and surrounding at least one row of spherical inserts made of aromatic material or aerosol. The tubular portion is made by feeding tobacco shreds against the underside of the horizontal lower reach of a foraminous conveyor belt advancing beneath a suction chamber to accumulate a first layer of shreds. The inserts are delivered to the underside of the first layer and are attracted thereto by suction. A second layer of shredded tobacco is assembled by showering shreds against the underside of the first layer where the second layer underlies the spherical inserts. The thus obtained filler is draped into a web of wrapping material to form a cigarette rod ready to be subdivided into sections of unit or multiple unit length. The spherical inserts are expelled from a revolving receptacle under the action of centrifugal force to form a row which is conveyed toward the underside of and advances with the first layer.

Abstract: A tool holder for machine tool capable of surely preventing the cutting fluid oil, fed into a passage through-hole (e) in a tool holder main body (1), from leaking the connection part between a cutter (10) and the tool holder during the machining of a workpiece; the cutter used in the tool holder; and a tool driver used in the tool holder; the tool holder for machine tool, comprising the passage through-hole (e) at the rotating center part (x) of the holder main body (1), allowing the cutter (10) having a cutting fluid path (e5) formed therein to be inserted into the front part of the passage through-hole (e), and being formed so that the cutter (10) is fixed by a fixing means (3) fitted to the tip of the holder main body (1), wherein a cylindrical female surface part for sealing (10b) is formed at the rear end part of the cutter (10), a cylindrical female surface part for sealing (e3a) allowing the cylindrical male surface part for sealing (10b) to be inserted closely therein is formed in the passage through

Abstract: There is provided an optical fiber to be coupled to a laser diode light source. The optical fiber has a wedge-shaped lens for decreasing the influence of reflection light BR1 and returning reflection light BR2, whereby the laser diode light source can be operated with stability. The wedged and lensed optical fiber according to the present invention is arranged such that the optical fiber is formed to have a wedge-shaped lens at the tip end thereof, a ridge as a rooftop is made to include the center tip end of a core, the ridge is inclined by an inclination angle &bgr; with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical fiber, and the ridge is formed into a semi-cylindrical surface or a conical surface.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes of unit or multiple unit length are produced in a tipping machine wherein successive groups of coaxial plain cigarettes and filter rod sections are caused to roll within a channel bounded by surfaces at least one of which moves relative to the other(s). This results in the conversion of uniting bands, which are carried by successive groups into the inlet of the channel, into tubular sleeves connecting the tubular wrapper(s) of the filter rod section(s) to the plain cigarette(s) of the respective group. The wrappers, and normally also the uniting bands, are perforated in the channel subsequent to, or in part simultaneously with, the conversion of uniting bands into the respective sleeves. Each filter cigarette can be provided with one or more arrays, such as annuli, of perforations, e.g., by mutually inclined laser beams.

Abstract: A device for creating a spread-out stream of tobacco fibers includes a concave-curved guide track along which the fiber stream of tobacco fibers are conveyed. The guide track has a generatrix based on a uniform generating curve. At least one air jet has an air flow opening interrupting the guide track so that air exiting the air flow jet acts in a conveyance direction of the fiber stream for spreading out the tobacco fibers.

Abstract: Double-filter cigarettes are produced by inserting different filter components between two rods of tobacco. This is attained by inserting filter components of different final lengths, obtained from separate supplies and processed along separate feed paths, successively between the tobacco rods.

Abstract: Internal climate comfort in a living room occupied by human users is controlled by natural ventilation, through at least two external adjustable openings and at least one internal opening, said natural ventilation being determined from a constant physical parameter of said living room and measured parameters relating to wind load and temperature difference to approximate a target air exchange rate for the room. An adjustment parameter (S1, S2) for each external opening is determined to provide air exchange (Qf) to the room on the basis of said target air exchange rate and is modified by application of a set of individual comfort functions (&mgr;) for each opening, taking account at least of outside and inside temperature, air exchange and wind speed and direction. The individual comfort functions (&mgr;) of said set are weighed by fuzzy optimization to produce optimized and substantially equally distributed comfort conditions in positions in the living room adjacent each opening.

Abstract: Blanks for conversion into hinged-lid packets for block-shaped arrays of cigarettes in metal foil envelopes are supplied by a first turntable to an assembling station where successive blanks are overlapped by successive arrays furnished by a second turntable. Each blank is draped around the envelope of the respective array in part at the assembling station and in part at a further station downstream of the assembling station, as seen in the direction of joint advancement of the arrays and the corresponding blanks toward an evacuating station. Each array is moved at the assembling station vertically downwardly from a pocket of the second turntable into a pocket of the first turntable; the latter thereupon advances the arrays and the blanks jointly to the further station, and the finished packets—with the arrays confined therein—to the evacuating station.

Abstract: Packs of rod-shaped smokers' products comprise containers of a material which permits monitoring of their contents by a suitable detector serving to generate signals which indicate the presence of characteristic indicia on one or more packed smokers' products. Such signals are encoded and the encoded information is applied to the respective containers. The information can be decoded and compared with signals furnished by the detector in order to ascertain whether or not the smokers' products are genuine, i.e., made by the manufacurer whose trademark(s) and/or other identifying information appear or appears on the containers.

Abstract: A sealing mechanism comprises a support member forming part of the semiconductor producing apparatus which has a vacuum chamber, a rotation shaft rotatably received in the support member, and at least three seal rings axially spaced apart from each other between the support member and the rotation shaft to form a first fluid chamber close to the atmosphere and a second fluid chamber close to the vacuum chamber. The first fluid chamber is vacuumized to have a first pressure, and the second fluid chamber is also vacuumized to have a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure. The first and second fluid chambers work together to enhance the sealing performance of the sealing mechanism.

Abstract: There is provided a variable rate digital switching system comprising steps of: arranging a plurality of incoming TDM buses and a plurality of sending TDM buses in lattice form; providing cross-point buffers at cross-points of the incoming buses and the sending buses; connecting the cross-point buffers belonging to respective sending TDM buses to respective scheduler; connecting respective contents analyzer to respective scheduler; checking frame headers of input TDM frames by respective cross-point buffers, thereby buffering only data of time slot of destined and belonged sending bus and transmitting contents of the frame header to the contents analyzer; checking the frame header by the contents analyzer, thereby deciding the contents of data stored in the respective cross-point buffers on the own-belonged sending TDM bus, and informing them to the scheduler; performing the scheduling by the scheduler as for how time slots in the sending TDM frame is allocated in respective cross-point buffers according to t

Abstract: Apparatus for increasing the permeabilities of central portions of tubular wrappers which form part of successive filter cigarettes of double unit length being turned out by a tipping machine. The central portions of the wrappers include adhesive-coated uniting bands which are convoluted around filter mouthpieces in a first portion of a rolling channel for successive filter cigarettes. A perforating unit which employs laser beams is set up to simultaneously perforate the central portions of the wrappers of several successive cigarettes in a second portion which immediately follows or partially overlaps the first portion of the channel. Each wrapper can be provided with two or more annular arrays of perforations.

Abstract: A packaging foil is continuously withdrawn from a supply. The foil is folded around the products to be packaged. Cut-off lengths of closing profile sections are inserted with a feed unit between the two longitudinal edges of the foil. In a sealing station, the two longitudinal edges of the foil are sealed together and the foil is then sealed onto the closing profile sections. In another sealing station, transverse sealing seams are formed between the free ends of successive closing profile sections and the tube is cut approximately in the center of the transverse seams. A high packaging output is achieved as a result of the continuous withdrawal of the foil.

Abstract: The invention refers to a bed with a mattress pad supported in a three-dimensionally movable manner and a bedstead with legs, which supports the mattress. The mattress pad is in springy or not springy, but yielding manner attached to the bedstead. Sensors are arranged spaced across the surface of the mattress pad, to detect the local lowering of the mattress pad during loading; and lifting means reacting to the local lowering also arranged spaced across the surface of the mattress pad between the mattress pad and the bedstead, to align the mattress pad in the horizontal disregarding the locally different loading. The sensors and the lifting means are formed as double-acting pressure cylinders, which are connected in cross-wise manner with regard to each other. (FIG.

Abstract: In an arrangement for reducing noise level in a tobacco-processing production machine having an operator region and reflection surfaces facing the operator region, sound-damping material is disposed on the reflection surfaces facing the operator region.

Abstract: An elevator includes a special propelling fluid dynamic device which uses as a plunger the duly balanced car counterweight. The car conveys people and things upwards and downwards within a vertical conduit or hoistway supported by a cable extending to an upper pulley. When changing the direction, a counterweight is extended to balance the car. The pulley is supported from the hoistway walls and is kept in a freely-rotating condition while the balanced counterweight is a hollow piston-counterweight, accommodated in the cylinder vertically disposed in the hoistway itself and adjacent to the car. Both are integral with the propelling fluid dynamic device that produces the upward and downward movements of the car, which is completed with a circuit having a fluid flow conduit and a driving pump coupled to the valve mechanism.

Abstract: A spontaneous breathing apparatus and method. The apparatus includes: a source of oxygen containing gas (7); a catheter (5) in flow communication with the source of oxygen containing gas (7) and configured to be introduced into a subject's trachea (1) through a tracheostomy for delivering oxygen containing gas therein; a tracheostomy tube (9) disposed adjacent the catheter (5) and having one end configured to be disposed in the subject's trachea (1); and a pressure actuated threshold valve (32) connected to another end of the tracheostomy tube (9), the valve (32) being configured for venting a gas existing within the subject's trachea (1) at the one end of the tracheostomy tube (9) when the gas exceeds a threshold pressure of the valve (32), the valve (32) thereby being effective for reducing pressure within the subject's trachea 1) when the pressure within the subject's trachea (1) exceeds the threshold pressure.