Abstract: The moisture content of the fillers of cigarettes is maintained at a preselected value by feeding to the stream building zone of the cigarette rod maker a flow of tobacco particles whose moisture content exceeds the desired value and with a surplus which is removed by an adjustable trimmer to convert the flow into a trimmed stream which is ready for draping into a web of cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod which is subdivided into cigarettes of desired length. The removed surplus is heated by a drying device and the heated surplus with its reduced moisture content is returned into the distributor of the cigarette rod maker to be admixed to the already advancing flow of fresh tobacco particles whose moisture content is excessive. The heating action is regulated as a function of signals generated by one or more moisture detectors which can monitor the moisture content of fibrous material in the surplus prior or subsequent to drying and/or the moisture content of the filler or trimmed stream.

Abstract: A laser or a spark discharge apparatus which is used to perforate the wrapping material for rod-like fillers of tobacco and/or filter material is adjusted in dependency on variations of the characteristics of signals which denote the mass per unit length of a trimmed filler having a predetermined hardness. The wrapping material is tipping paper or cigarette paper and can be perforated prior or subsequent to draping around the trimmed filler, and the draped filler is thereupon subdivided into sections of desired length. Signals denoting the mass per unit length of the filler can be influenced by signals denoting the hardness of the filler, the filling power of the filler, the temperature of fibrous material of the filler, the moisture content of fibrous material of the filler and/or other parameters of the fibrous material and/or filler.

Abstract: A rod-like filler for the making of a cigarette rod is obtained by showering particles of tobacco onto a foraminous belt conveyor which is located in front of a suction chamber and is flanked by two additional foraminous belt conveyors or by two stationary sidewalls so that the particles form a thin layer having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional outline with a centrally located web and two legs. The legs are thereupon moved toward each other to convert the layer into a tube having a relatively soft core or a centrally located channel which is devoid of tobacco, and the filler is then draped into a web of cigarette paper and simultaneously densified to reduce its cross section to that of a cigarette before the resulting cigarette rod is subdivided into discrete cigarettes of desired length. The thickness of the layer is a fraction of its width.

Abstract: The wrappers of filter cigarettes are tested during transport in the peripheral flutes of a drum-shaped conveyor through a testing station where at least one end of the wrapper receives air at a previously stabilized pressure. The stabilized pressure is monitored by an electropneumatic transducer which further monitors the pressure differential between the interior and the exterior of the wrapper at the testing station and transmits appropriate signals to a computer which generates test signals by forming a quotient from the signals denoting the pressure differential and the signals denoting the stabilized pressure. The computer can further process and evaluate signals denoting a selected reference pressure as well as the pressure of air which is used to reduce the likelihood of leakage of air from the interior of the wrapper at the testing station.

Abstract: The duct which delivers tobacco shreds to the underside of the lower reach of an air-permeable belt conveyor contains a guide with a concave surface which tapers gradually toward the underside of the lower reach, as considered in the direction of advancement of the lower reach. A nozzle discharges a current of compressed air against the concave surface so that the current flows along the concave surface toward the underside of the lower reach in the aforementioned direction and entrains the particles which tend to impinge upon the concave surface so that the current and the particles therein form a fluidized bed which is delivered to the underside of and is attracted to the lower reach because the upper side of the lower reach is adjacent to a suction chamber.

Abstract: A tobacco filler is formed in a machine which turns out two trough-shaped tobacco streams whose concave sides face each other. The two streams are thereupon caused to merge and to form a single stream whose central portion is less dense than the outer layer. The single stream is then compacted in the wrapping mechanism of the machine so that its cross section matches that of a cigarette, and the resulting filler is draped into cigarette paper prior to subdivision into discrete cigarettes of desired length. The density of the central portion of the filler in each cigarette is less than the density of the layer which is immediately adjacent to the wrapper. This improves the burning characteristics of the cigarettes and allows for a reduction of the quantity of tobacco which is needed to make a cigarette exhibiting a desired firmness.

Abstract: A stream of agglomerated short, medium long and long tobacco shreds as well as clumps or lumps of shreds and elongated fragments of tobacco ribs is fed onto a vibrating sieve which permits the short and medium long shreds to descend onto a first vibrating conveyor and causes the long shreds, clumps and fragments of ribs to advance onto a second vibrating conveyor whose upper surface has longitudinally extending grooves for the fragments. The long shreds and clumps are removed from the conveyor by a rotating carded drum which breaks up the clumps and delivers the long shreds and the shreds of the broken up clumps into a duct. The latter also receives short and medium long shreds from the first conveyor which is mounted below the second conveyor. The latter has openings for short and medium long shreds which might have been entrained by the long shreds, clumps and fragments of ribs. A metering device regulates the rate of admission of long shreds and shreds of the broken-up clumps into the duct.

Abstract: The diameter of a continuous filter rod is monitored in a tubular nozzle through which successive increments of the rod are conveyed axially and which directs against the external surface of the tubular envelope of the rod a narrow annular stream of compressed air at a pressure which does not result in deformation of the envelope. The thus admitted air is permitted to escape into the atmosphere only by way of two narrow passages which flank the region of contact between the air stream and the envelope. A flow meter indirectly monitors the rate of flow of air through such passages and generates signals which are indicative of the diameters of successive increments of the envelope. The pressure of the air stream which impinges upon the envelope is constant.

Abstract: A running web of cigarette paper or the like is perforated in a first portion of its path, thereupon tested for permeability by a pneumatic detector in a second portion of the path, and finally tested for permeability by an optical detector in a third portion of the path. Signals which are generated as a result of pneumatic testing are used to adjust the perforating unit in the first portion of the path. Signals which are generated as a result of testing by the optical detector are compared with a reference signal denoting the desired permeability of the web, and the web and perforating unit are arrested, or the cigarettes which contain defective portions of the web are segregated from satisfactory cigarettes, if the deviation of generated signals from the reference signal exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: Apparatus for making holes in a running web of wrapping material in a filter tipping machine has a housing which defines an elongated passage for the running web and contains rows of first and second electrodes which are disposed at the opposite sides of the passage and define spark gaps forming part of the passage. When the web is drawn through the passage and the electrodes receive high voltage impulses from the secondary winding of a transformer, sparks which are caused to jump across the gaps burn holes in the running web with attendant heating of the electrodes as well as development of dust and ozone. The intake end of a conduit is connected to the housing to draw through the passage a stream of cool atmospheric air when a blower which is connected to the discharge end of the conduit is in operation. The air stream cools the electrodes to thereby prolong their useful life and to reduce the likelihood of charring of the web.

Abstract: Apparatus for testing the contents of successive cells in a chain which transports arrays of cigarettes in or to a packing machine has a support for reciprocable sensing pins, each of which is caused to engage a discrete cigarette when the support is moved toward a cell. The pins are shifted relative to the support as the latter continues to move toward the array whereby the shanks, heads or collars of the pins at least partially seal openings which connect a pneumatic monitoring unit with the atmosphere. If all of the openings are properly sealed or nearly sealed, the array of cigarettes which are engaged by the pins contains a requisite number of articles and all of the cigarettes have satisfactory tobacco-containing ends.

Abstract: The wrappers of filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products and wherein portions of the wrappers have perforations are tested while moving sideways in the flutes of an endless conveyor. The testing involves establishing a less pronounced pressure differential between the interior and exterior of unperforated wrapper portions and a more pronounced pressure differential between the interior and exterior of perforated wrapper portions. An electropneumatic transducer generates first signals which denote the rate of fluid flow through the perforated and unperforated wrapper portions. Such signals are compared with first and second reference signals which respectively denote the maximum permissible and minimum acceptable permeability of wrappers, and the articles wherein the permeability of wrappers exceeds the maximum permissible permeability or is less than the minimum acceptable permeability are segregated from other articles.

Abstract: The making of perforations in the tubular envelopes of finished filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped smokers' products for the purpose of admitting cool atmospheric air into the column of tobacco smoke is regulated automatically in dependency on one or more variable parameters including the resistance of the rod-like filler of a product to axial flow of a gaseous fluid therethrough, the permeability of the entire tubular envelope, the resistance which the entire filler or the tobacco filler of a filter cigarette offers to axial or transverse flow of a gaseous fluid or to penetration of corpuscular radiation across successive increments of the filler, the resistance which successive increments of a web of cigarette paper offer to the penetration of air or light therethrough, and/or the quantity of tobacco particles in the smokers' products.

Abstract: An upright duct in the distributor of a cigarette rod making machine receives identical quantities per weight of tobacco particles per unit of time. The volume of the column of tobacco particles in the duct is monitored by two photoelectric cells which transmit signals to a speed regulating device for the motor which drives a carded drum below the outlet of the duct so that the drum removes more tobacco when the volume of the tobacco column in the duct increases and vice versa. The particles which are removed from the drum are converted into a sliver which is thereupon converted into a narrow tobacco stream. The volume of the tobacco column in the duct fluctuates due to unforeseen changes in the size, moisture content and/or temperature of tobacco particles. The mechanism which delivers tobacco particles to the duct includes a weighing device which receives particles from a magazine and from a source of short tobacco.

Abstract: A distributor for use in a cigarette maker has a relatively long and relatively narrow upright duct whose upper end receives particles of tobacco from one or more magazines by way of an endless belt. The resulting column of tobacco descends through the lower end of the duct and into the range of orbiting needles at the periphery of a horizontal drum. An oscillating barrier is interposed between the lower end of the rear wall of the duct and the path of needles close to the apex of the drum. The barrier has a profiled rib which extends into the lower end of the duct to homogenize the lower end of the descending column of tobacco as well as to promote uniform filling of gaps between the neighboring needles with particles of tobacco along the full axial length of the drum. The particles are expelled from the gaps by a picker roller and are converted into a wide carpet, thereupon into a narrow stream and finally into a rod-like filler.

Abstract: The permeability of portions of or entire wrappers of successive filter cigarettes is tested with a gaseous fluid independently of the permeability of perforated portions of wrappers around the filter mouthpieces. Signals denoting the permeability of major portions of or entire wrappers are compared with a reference signal denoting the maximum permissible permeability, and the cigarettes having wrappers of excessive permeability are segregated from satisfactory cigarettes. Signals denoting the permeability of perforated wrapper portions are made visible to attendants or cause the generation or audible signals, for example, to facilitate proper adjustment of perforating instrumentalities if the permeability of perforated wrapper portions is too low.

Abstract: The wrappers of filter cigarettes wherein wrapper portions surrounding the filter mouthpieces have holes for admission of atmospheric air into the column of tobacco smoke are tested during sidewise movement at the periphery of a rotary drum. A first testing device establishes a first pressure differential between the interior and exterior of successive wrappers, and a second testing device establishes a second pressure differential between the interior and exterior of those wrapper portions which surround tobacco as well as a different third pressure differential between those wrapper portions which surround the filter material. An evaluating circuit has two electropneumatic transducers which furnish first and second signals respectively denoting the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of successive wrappers and the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of successive wrapper portions which surround tobacco.

Abstract: A continuous tobacco filler is formed by feeding tobacco shreds at a variable rate into a first portion of an elongated path wherein the shreds are transported by a conveyor to form a growing stream which is fully grown as soon as its particles leave the first portion of the path. The fully grown tobacco stream contains a surplus of tobacco, and such surplus is removed in a second portion of the path to convert the fully grown stream into a filler. The quantity of tobacco in the growing or fully grown stream and in the filler is measured by two detectors which furnish corresponding signals to a dividing circuit. The latter transmits a further signal which is a quotient of the received signals and is used to regulate the rate of feed of tobacco shreds into the first portion of the path.

Abstract: For each rod-shaped article or group of articles there is generated a respective first signal dependent upon both the density and the moisture of the filling material. There is also generated a second signal dependent upon the moisture of the filling material. The first and second signals are processed to form for the respective articles respective third signals dependent upon the mass of the filling material but not exhibiting the moisture dependency of the corresponding first signals. The second signal is generated by determining from the generated third signals which of the articles are defective because they contain insufficient filling material and which are non-defective because they contain sufficient filling material. An average signal is derived from only those first signals derived from non-defective ones of the articles. The second signal is derived from the average signal.

Abstract: A filter cigarette making machine wherein the web which is to yield adhesive-coated uniting bands is flexed by a curling device before it reaches the paster. The curling device is rigid with or is movable relative to a supporting device which is mounted in the frame of the filter cigarette making machine. A safety device can be activated to disengage the web from the curling device during starting of the web and/or to temporarily disengage the web from the curling device when a splice in the web approaches the curling station. The safety device has a rod which can bodily disengage the web from the edge of the curling device or a shaft which can rotate the supporting device to thereby move the curling device out of the way.