Abstract: A cutting unit for cutting continuous cigarette rods, wherein a cutting head is locked in position on a fixed supporting body by an automatically releasable locking device, and, to make a change in format, is rotated, with respect to the supporting body and after the locking device is released, about an axis of rotation by an actuating device negative-feedback-controlled by a detecting device for determining angular displacement of the cutting head about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A method and unit for transversely cutting cigarette portions or similar on a filter assembly machine, whereby a cigarette portion is fed transversely through a cutting station to intercept a rotary circular blade, which is maintained in a work position by an arm mounted to oscillate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the circular blade, so as to move the circular blade between the work position, a store for worn circular blades, and a store for new circular blades.

Abstract: A centring drum for filter assembly machines, the centring drum having external axial seats movable with the centring drum about a longitudinal axis of rotation, and for receiving respective double filters, at least some of which are offset laterally, along the relative seats, with respect to a central transverse reference plane; each seat housing a respective stop member movable with the relative seat about the longitudinal axis of rotation, and located on a respective side of the reference plane to define a centred position of the relative double filter, and a push device for moving the relative double filter axially onto the relative stop member; the stop members defining a first and a second succession of stop members, which are located on opposite sides of the reference plane and are both connected to a position adjusting device movable about the longitudinal axis of rotation and for moving the two successions equally and oppositely along the longitudinal axis of rotation.

Abstract: In a cigarette maker comprising a descent channel filled with shredded tobacco by a carding unit and with reclaimed tobacco by a conveyor, the shredded tobacco and the reclaimed tobacco are taken up and transferred by a toothed unit toward an ascent channel, from where both are attracted onto a belt by suction and formed into a continuous stream; the descent channel is split into two distinct portions serving respectively to admit the shredded tobacco and the reclaimed tobacco, whilst the toothed unit comprises a first and a second roller positioned to take up the shredded tobacco and reclaimed tobacco and operating in conjunction with respective impeller rollers.

Abstract: Printed slips are applied to packets in a cigarette packer by a unit comprising a first device designed to feed slips procured as single items and ordered in a stack, or a second device designed to feed slips obtainable as cuts generated from a continuous strip; the two feed devices are conceived as mutually interchangeable accessory components that can be mounted in identical manner to a universal pickup and application device that is installed permanently in the machine and able to take up the slips with equal facility from either the first or the second feed device at a pickup station.

Abstract: A method and machine for packing a group of cartons of cigarettes in a flat tubular package, whereby a first portion and a second portion of a suction gripping head respectively engage a first lateral wall of the flat tubular package, and a second lateral wall of the flat tubular package separated from the first lateral wall by a respective preformed fold line; a rotational movement is then generated between the first and second portion of the suction gripping head to rotate the first and second lateral wall engaged by the suction gripping head with respect to each other, and so convert the flat tubular package from the flat configuration to an open configuration; the group of cartons of cigarettes is then pushed inside the open tubular package, and the suction gripping head is moved to feed the open tubular package to a sealing station where the open tubular package is sealed.

Abstract: A unit for feeding filters to a filter assembly machine, wherein at least one deflecting device receives a respective succession of filter portions in an axial direction, and feeds the filter portions to the filter assembly machine in a transverse direction crosswise to the filter portions; the deflecting device being defined by a fixed frame supporting an input and an output, and by an extractable box fitted movably to the fixed frame and supporting a first conveying device for conveying the filter portions in the axial direction, a second conveying device for conveying the filter portions in the transverse direction, and a deflecting member for diverting the filter portions to the transverse direction.

Abstract: Filter plugs or sticks are directed from a filter maker onto a pair of conveyor rollers counter-rotating substantially in contact one with another at a point of tangency and furnished with equispaced peripheral flutes by which the single sticks are taken up and transferred from an infeed position to a release position. The flutes occupying a limited sector of each roller are connected selectively to a source of suction by an internal valve mechanism composed of a slide positionable to set the width of the sector, and a selector sleeve slidable axially between operating positions in which suction is generated across the sector through flutes spaced apart respectively at a longer pitch, and at a shorter pitch equivalent to half of the longer pitch.

Abstract: A rigid carton type wrapper (1; 80; 86) for packets (2) of cigarettes is fashioned as a box-like container (8) with a hinged lid (10) erected from a flat blank (42; 81; 99) presenting a main portion (43), and an appendage (44) extending from the main portion (43) parallel with a longitudinal axis (L?) of the blank; the appendage (44), which appears U-shaped and functions as a frame (27) projecting from an open end (9) of the container (8), is folded double into contact with the main portion (43) to bring the frame (27) into position relative to container (8).

Abstract: A drum for a filter-tipped cigarette manufacturing machine is fitted to and projects from a frame of the manufacturing machine, and has a drive shaft; an outer shell connected in angularly fixed and axially sliding manner to the drive shaft; and an axial guide member interposed between the shell and the drive shaft, and connected telescopically to the drive shaft to enable the shell to be withdrawn axially from the frame, from a work position power-connected angularly to the drive shaft, while still remaining supported by the drive shaft; the drum also has a device for releasably locking the shell, in the work position, axially to the drive shaft.

Abstract: In a method for packing groups (3) of cigarettes (4) in soft packets (1) comprising a single wrap (2) consisting of a single blank (18) comprising a first length (20) of wrapping material printed with a first graphical design (D) and a second length (21) of the same wrapping material printed to look like a metal foil or of another material, juxtaposed and sealed along corresponding join portions (22, 23), the first and second lengths (20, 21) are made by feeding two webs (25) and (36) of the aforementioned wrapping materials presenting, respectively, a longitudinal portion (28) printed to look like a metal foil, and then overlapping and sealing the two portions (27, 28) along the join portions (22, 23) so as to make a single sealed web (37) which is then cut transversely into separate blanks (18), each of which is folded and wrapped around a group (3) of cigarettes (4) in such a way as to place the join and seal portions (22, 23) along a defined perimetric portion (24) of the packet (1) adjacent to its top fa

Abstract: A cigarette filter assembly machine wherein a rolling unit is defined by a rolling drum and a guide drum coaxial with each other and connected to each other in angularly-fixed, axially-sliding manner; and wherein the rolling drum has a number of suction rollers (54) rotated, with respect to the rolling drum, by respective independent drive units; the guide drum has a number of semicylindrical cavities, each coaxial, and defining a relative rolling channel, with a relative suction roller; the suction rollers receive, with a first spacing, relative groups of component parts of a relative double cigarette; and each drive unit rotates the relative suction roller to roll the relative group inside the relative rolling channel and to extract a relative double cigarette from the relative rolling channel, and reverses the relative suction roller to release the relative double cigarette with a second spacing smaller than the first spacing.

Abstract: Composite filters are assembled initially by an upstream unit as groups of at least two plugs having different filtration properties. A single flow of the groups is directed from the assembling unit onto a pair of drums and divided into two flows, whereupon these are taken up by two pitch-adapting drums rotating substantially tangential one to another about parallel axes, and released to a rotating member turning on an axis normal to the axes of the drums and equipped with a plurality of carriers by which pairs of the groups are transferred from the drums to the twin channels of a garniture tongue along which two continuous rods of composite filters are formed. The carriers are equipped with an arm presenting a portion angled relative to the axis of the rotating member, so that two groups can be picked up at a time from the drums and deposited simultaneously in the channels.

Abstract: A pack for tobacco products consists in at least one rigid packet (2) appearing as a container (3) presenting a bottom end face (4), surmounted by a hinged lid (5) presenting a top end face (6) and rotatable between a position in which the packet is open, and a position of interaction with an inner frame (9) anchored to the container (3), in which the packet is closed. The packet (2) presents at least two main faces of which a first face (14) appears flat and a second face (15) is composed of a substantially central flat portion (16) and two curved portions (17) by which the flat portion (16) is connected to the longitudinal edges (18) of the flat first face (14), so that when viewed in cross section the packet (2) presents a substantially semicircular shape, or that of a rounded isosceles trapezoid.

Abstract: A method of packing packets (2) of cigarettes, in particular an orderly group (1) of packets (2) of cigarettes, wherein the orderly group (1) is packed solely in a sheet (11) of transparent heat-seal plastic packing material, which is folded about the orderly group (1) to form a tubular wrapping having two tubular portions (21) projecting with respect to the orderly group (1), each tubular portion (21) being defined by four flaps (18b, 18c, 18d, 18f) facing in pairs; the flaps (18b, 18c, 18d, 18f) are folded squarely onto the orderly group (1) in a given sequence, so as to at least partly superimpose the flaps (18b, 18c, 18d, 18f); and the superimposed flaps (18b, 18c, 18d, 18f) are then sealed.

Abstract: A strip of wrapping material is advanced by a feed unit that includes a gumming device composed of a gumming roller and a transfer roller contra-rotating about horizontal and parallel axes and in tangential contact one with another along an area coinciding with a straight line generator common to both.

Abstract: In a method of detecting and eliminating foreign bodies in tobacco, a flow of tobacco advances first through a preparation zone where it is gathered into a continuous ribbon of tobacco filler, then through a forming station at which the filler is used to fashion a continuous cigarette rod, and finally through a cutter device that divides the rod into cigarette sticks; the advancing flow is directed at a given point through a detection device and exposed to electromagnetic radiation of microwave frequency emitted and received in such a way as to generate output signals reflecting any variations in moisture content along the flow of tobacco, caused by the inclusion of foreign bodies and associated with given portions of the flow each coinciding with a singly identifiable cigarette stick.

Abstract: Tipping papers are cut from a continuous strip of material advancing along a set feed path by a unit comprising a suction roller and a roller equipped with blades, which combine to separate the single papers from the strip at a prescribed frequency; the tension of the advancing strip is varied cyclically by diverter elements associated with the suction roller and capable of movement at intervals coinciding with the frequency of the cutting stroke between two limit positions, one located externally and the other internally of the outer surface presented by the suction roller.

Abstract: Filter plugs for cigarettes are supplied to a filter tip attachment machine by a feed unit comprising a hopper into which filter plugs of at least one type are directed in succession from a filter maker. The hopper is positioned above a row of rotating drums, each furnished peripherally with a plurality of aspirating axial flutes by which the filters are taken up singly from the hopper and directed to a transfer station; here, the flutes are aligned axially one by one with the inlet of a pneumatic feed duct connecting with the filter tip attachment machine. The hopper is equipped with sliding baffles by which it can be partitioned to create at least two sectors, each serving at least one drum, so that filters of different length can be handled simultaneously, and the unit is able to operate in conjunction with filter makers and filter tip attachment machines of more than one type upstream and downstream.

Abstract: A pack of rigid type for tobacco products, substantially of prismatic geometry and presenting a plurality of side faces (15, 16, 17; 34, 35, 36, 37), comprises a container (3; 29; 40), a lid (5; 30; 41), and a coupon (24) inserted inside the pack (1), disposed in contact with at least one of the side faces (15, 16, 17; 34, 35, 36, 37). At least one of the side faces (15, 16, 17; 34, 35, 36, 37) of the pack (1) presents a window (25) serving to expose a predetermined area (27) of the inserted coupon (24) bearing advertisements, messages and written matter addressed to the consumer. Where the pack (1) has a reinforcing frame (20) positioned internally of the container (3; 29), the window (25) is afforded by a face (7) of the container occupied by the frame (20) and the frame itself affords a respective window (26) substantially coinciding with the window (25) in the container.