Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for preparing discrete blanks from a wound strip comprising a plurality of connected blanks. Each blank has a determined separation point and a marker at a determined distance from the determined separation point for making soft-type wrappers. First, the wound strip is unwound under tension. Next, at least a section of a particular blank of the unwound strip is cut and any other milling and preparatory steps are performed by appropriate rollers and mechanisms. The tension of the unwound strip is slackened periodically, e.g., via chocking these rollers, and the unwound strip is realigned relative to the marker of the particular blank during this slackening, e.g, by identifying the marker via a sensor and driving the strip via rollers. The particular blank of the realigned strip is separated at the determined separation point of the particular blank to separate the particular blank from the realigned strip.

Abstract: The present invention describes a package blank and a cigarette package which are formed from a single wrapper. The cigarette package has a tab as the opening means which extends the upper end surface of the package and extends over one of the two side surfaces of the cigarette package.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for folding by approximately 180.degree. a first surface portion of a blank on a rotating drum about a score line onto a second surface portion of the blank. A shaping rail comprises a first surface for acting on a first side of the first portion of the blank to initiate folding the first portion about the score line, a second surface for acting on a second side, opposite the first side, of the first portion of the blank to complete the approximately 180.degree. folding of the first portion about the score line, and a spiral edge for transferring the first portion of the blank from the first surface to the second surface. A first inner guide rail comprising a cylindrical outer surface facing the second surface of the shaping rail and a second outer guide rail having a cylindrical inner surface facing the first surface of the shaping rail are provided to further guide the blank during folding.

Abstract: A pack of cigarettes or of products of the tobacco industry is effectively protected against light, as well as against the loss or the penetration of humidity and the loss of aroma or off flavor of the products it contains, even though it is wrapped in a blank generally comprising only a single layer of material, when particular precautions are taken order to form the corners of the pack. Another advantage of the proposed package resides in the fact that it possesses several opening mechanism at the user's choice, permitting the latter to open his pack either as a conventional soft pack or as a hard pack. A package of this type is particularly ecological since it is preferably made up from a biodegradable material.

Abstract: The blanks (1) are withdrawn one after another from a storage part (20) by transfer means (21) and are disposed on the cylindrical support surface of a drum (3) driven rotatingly by portions of a revolution. Various processing operations are performed on the blanks either while the drum is rotating or while it is stopped, e.g., folding a flap (16), gluing this flap to a surface portion (15) of the blank, or printing a code (17) on part of the blank. The presence, correct positioning, and proper alignment of the blank on the drum are checked before the aforementioned operations are carried out. After they have been effected, the blank is withdrawn from the drum to be sent on to a packaging machine. The processing apparatus and method can be utilized on a line for processing boxes or the like, particularly cigarette boxes, just before they are assembled to receive their contents.

Abstract: The packaging box is made from a one-piece blank and comprises a receptacle portion and a lid portion bounded by perforation lines made in the receptacle portion. A closure flap is fixed to the lid portion. The box is opened for the first time by acting upon this flap to separate the perforated lid portion from the rest of the receptacle portion. When the box is reclosed, the lid portion is kept shut by inserting the closure flap into the box. The packaging box is fluid-tight after manufacture so that no additional wrapping sheet is needed. The blank may be made of thin cardboard and may be provided with a self-sealing coating.

Abstract: Cigarettes are restrained by arresting a cigarette oriented askew relative to the other cigarettes flowing into a hopper before that cigarette blocks the distribution channels of the hopper, thus stopping the manufacturing process. An arrested cigarette is furthermore detected. The hopper equipped with the restraining device, particularly a hopper for distributing cigarettes, contains a set of gratings (2) halfway up it, made up of a fixed grating (20) above which there is a movable grating (21) actuated with a translatory reciprocating movement. The set of gratings can restrain any cigarette (13A) presented and traveling crosswise in the hopper before this cigarette can go on to interrupt the flow through distribution channels (15) at the outlet of the hopper. A detection device (3) comprising in particular a photoelectric cell (31) and a light source (30) detects a space (13B) void of cigarettes, caused by the crooked cigarette restrained by the set of gratings, and transmits an alarm.