Abstract: Apparatus for imparting rotary and sidewise movements to receptacles for cigarettes has a rotary conveyor carrying pairs of levers pivotable about discrete axes which are parallel to and surround the axis of the conveyor. One lever of each pair is pivotable about the respective discrete axis relative to the conveyor under the action of a stationary cam which is tracked by a follower on the lever, and each pair of levers carries two shafts for a receptacle. The shafts are caused to turn the respective receptacles through at least 360.degree.

Abstract: A cigarette rod which is repeatedly severed by the orbiting knife of a cut-off is supported by a tubular guide which has a slot for the knife and is moved with the rod in the course of each severing operation to thereupon move back to a starting position. The guide is rigidly connected to and is moved back and forth by the head of a connecting rod which is driven by an eccentric pin and is fixedly connected to the upper end of a single leaf spring. The lower end of the leaf spring is affixed to a stationary support. The head of the connecting rod moves the guide forwardly while the pin advances along the lower portion of its circular path, and the internal surface of the guide is designed in such a way that it supports the rod from below during severing but is spaced apart from the rod during movement to starting position.

Abstract: A filter rod making machine discharges several parallel filter rods which move lengthwise and are severed at regular intervals to yield files of axially aligned filter rod sections. Such sections are transported axially to a first transfer station where they enter discrete flutes in the concave upper side of one of several rotary platforms which orbit about the axis of a rotary carrier and are rotated relative to the carrier by crank drives so that the orientation of their flutes remains unchanged. The flutes of a platform which arrives at the first station receive discrete filter rod sections from each of the files so that each platform accumulates a group of parallel sections which are transported to a second station for transfer into successive peripheral flutes of a rotary drum-shaped removing conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously severing plural parallel filter rods which issue from an extruder and move axially at the same speed has a knife mounted on a holder which is rotatable about an axis extending in parallelism with the axes of the rods. The knife holder moves along a circular path in a plane which is parallel to the axes of the rods. The knife holder and suitable guides for the rods are mounted on cranks whose crankshafts rotate about axes making a right angle to the direction of movement of the rods and causing the knife and the guides to move back and forth in and counter to the direction of axial movement of the rods. The shaft for the knife holder is rotated at twice the speed of the crankshafts and the cutting edge of the knife severs all of the rods in immediate proximity of the guides during each second revolution of the holder.

Abstract: Apparatus for converting a file of coaxial cigarettes into one or more rows of parallel cigarettes has a fixed sun gear which is coaxial with a driven rotary planet carrier for several equidistant groups of coaxial first and second pinions. The sun gear meshes with a first intermediate gear which is rotatable in the carrier and further meshes with the internal teeth of a ring gear which is coaxial with and rotatable relative to the carrier. The ring gear has first and second annuli of external teeth which respectively mesh with the first and second pinions. The first pinions are rigid with inclined crank arms for turnable cigarette holders which are coupled to the respective second pinions by universal joints. Successive holders receive successive cigarettes or pairs of cigarettes of the file at a first station where the holders are nearest to the axis of the carrier and move at a maximum tangential speed.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing composite filter plugs for cigarettes or other smokers' products has two sets of conveyors which feed filter rod sections of different types to the flutes of a rotary assembly conveyor. The latter assembles the sections into groups each having a section of first and second type and moves the groups to an auxiliary conveyor which transports the groups sideways to successive pneumatic holders of a transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor has two carriers which rotate about parallel axes and are coupled to each other by linkages, one for each holder. The linkages cause the holders to rotate relative to that carrier which supports the holders so that the orientation of holders remains unchanged during travel through 90.degree. or 270.degree. when the groups are taken over by successive increments of a web which is moved lengthwise and is draped around the resulting rod-like filler to form therewith a rod.

Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping cigar bunches has a first conveyor consisting of two endless belts having filler-engaging stretches which cross each other in space and move a single file of bunches lengthwise while simultaneously rotating the bunches about their axes. One of the stretches feeds an adhesive-coated web which is convoluted around successive bunches to form a tube consisting of partially overlapping helices. The tensile strength of the tube is reduced between successive wrapped bunches by a row of needles mounted on an endless toothed belt or drum which makes with the path of the tube a first angle equal to the angle between the plane of one belt of the first conveyor and the axis of the tube. The row of needles on the toothed belt or drum makes with the plane of the toothed belt or drum a second angle which equals 90.degree. minus the first angle.