Abstract: A board-like connector, a dual-arm bridge of a board-like connector, and a wafer testing assembly are provided. The board-like connector includes a plurality of dual-arm bridges spaced apart from each other and an insulating layer. Each of the dual-arm bridges includes a carrier, a first cantilever, a second cantilever, a first abutting column, and a second abutting column, the latter two of which extend from the first and second cantilevers along two opposite directions. The first cantilever and the second cantilever extend from and are coplanar with the carrier. The insulating layer connects the carriers of the dual-arm bridges. The first abutting column and second abutting column of each of the dual-arm bridges respectively protrude from two opposite sides of the insulating layer, and are configured to abut against two boards, respectively.

Abstract: The apparatus and method for splicing substantially flat continuous material (10) comprises a transport unit (1) for transporting a first substantially flat continuous material (70) and a second substantially flat continuous material (71) to a splicing location. The transport unit is adapted to transport the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material parallel to each other forming an overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material in the splicing location. A pressure unit (3) is arranged in the splicing location. The pressure unit is adapted to apply a mechanical impact onto at least a part of the overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material, thereby at least partially merging the first substantially flat continuous material with the second substantially flat continuous material.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for a filter cigarette FT having a perforation line (6) in the outer circumferential surface of a filter (4) for introducing the outside air has a filter socket assembly (86) that is capable of receiving the filter (4) and includes a ring holder (124) defining in the inside an end chamber for surrounding the mouthpiece of the filter (4) and a surrounding chamber for surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the filter (4) including the perforation line (6), a guide pipe (102) for supplying a compressed fluid of the given pressure into the surrounding chamber of the ring holder (124), and a guide pipe (100) that outputs the pressure in the end chamber; and a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure outputted from the guide pipe (100) that outputs the pressure in the end chamber.

Abstract: A method for analysing cigarette smoking, which includes equipping a smoker with a portable assembly including a cigarette holder equipped with a detector to detect smoking-related parameters and a processor connected to the detectors. The processing module includes memory with date/time recording of the detected parameters and transfer devices for transferring data related to these parameters. A smoking test is performed during which the smoker equipped with the assembly smokes cigarettes with the cigarette holder over a period of time. Real-time detection is performed by the detectors and the results are stored so as to obtain a smoking profile specific to the smoker over the time period. The above data is then transferred to a processing center including a smoking machine, and the smoking machine is controlled using the transferred data so as to obtain the mechanical reproduction (duplication) of smoking in accordance with the smoking profile.

Abstract: A conveyor for testing successive plain or filter cigarettes or other rod-shaped smokers' products having non-circular (such as oval) cross-sectional outlines employs a rotary drum-shaped conveyor for sidewise transport of smokers' products toward, through and beyond a station where the products are tested by streams of a gaseous fluid entering the products at one axial end and issuing from satisfactory products at the other axial end. The end portions of the products are sealingly received in complementary sockets of elastically deformable sealing sleeves which are connected to their tubular fluid-conveying carriers in a manner to ensure that each sleeve remains in a selected position for optimum testing of the products.

Abstract: A cigarette testing apparatus includes a ventilation-characteristic measuring section having a ventilation vessel which is disposed horizontally so as to reduce the vertical dimension of the apparatus. A cigarette is supplied in a horizontal position from a cigarette supplying section to a weight measuring section where the cigarette weight is measured. The cigarette ejected therefrom is transferred to a circumference measuring section, a ventilation-characteristic measuring section and a length/hardness measuring section in this order in a condition that the horizontal position is kept unchanged. In these sections, the circumference, ventilation characteristic, length and hardness of the cigarette are measured in sequence.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine is provided with a pressure drop measuring unit (1) located at or close to the garniture of the making machine. The pressure drop of a gas stream of constant volume is introduced into the compacted tobacco rod beneath the format finger (2) on the making machine at a point at which that pressure drop measurement correlates with the bound pressure drop of the finished cigarette. The unbound cigarette pressure drop or draw resistance experienced by the smoker can be calculated using the bound tobacco rod pressure drop obtained by correlation with the measured pressure drop across the rod in an algorithim processed by calculation means. The degree of ventilation of the cigarette may also be utilised in the algorithim calculation. Comparator means allows the unbound cigarette pressure drop to be maintained within pre-set limits by varying cigarette parameters which affect the overall unbound cigarette pressure drop.

Abstract: A dilution monitoring system for filter cigarettes has pairs of pressure sensors provided individually for left- and right-hand manufactured filter cigarettes, a dilution processor card adapted to receive pressure signals from the pressure sensors through an A/D converter, and a server computer connected to the processor card by means of a communication line and including a CRT. The dilution processor card computes the respective dilutions of the individual filter cigarettes in accordance with the pressure signals, and stores the computation results in a RAM. Thereafter, the processor card obtains quality data, such as the average, frequency distribution, and standard deviation of the stored dilutions, for each group of the left- and right-hand filter cigarettes, also stores the quality data in the RAM. The server computer receives the quality data transmitted from the processor card, and displays them in the form of a graph or table on the CRT.

Abstract: An apparatus has an inspection drum, suction grooves arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the inspection drum and adapted to receive and transport filter cigarettes as the inspection drum rotates, and pads arranged on the inspection drum so as to be situated on either side of the suction grooves. Each pad has a pad face opposed to its corresponding suction groove and an elastically deformable, ring-shaped bulging portion formed on the pad face. When a filter cigarette in the suction groove is transported to a predetermined position, the respective bulging portions of the paired pads on either side of the suction groove are pressed individually against the opposite ends of the filter cigarette, so that the bulging portions are elastically deformed to be brought into intimate contact with the end faces of the filter cigarette.

Abstract: A sealing element for use in the testing of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body with an end portion having an axially movable end wall and an annular lip extending beyond the external surface of the end wall. The latter has a central opening constituting the inlet or the outlet of an axial passage for testing fluid. When the end of an article to be tested is caused to bear against the external surface of the end wall, the latter yields axially of the tubular body and causes the lip to flex radially inwardly into engagement with the periphery of the adjacent end of the article to be tested. In order to reduce the likelihood of damage to the end wall and/or the lip by sharp edges surrounding the ends of certain articles which are caused to bear against the external surface of the end wall, such external surface is provided with an annular recess which is inwardly adjacent the lip and can have a substantially semicircular cross-sectional outline.

Abstract: A sealing element for the end portions of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body defining a longitudinally extending passage for the flow of air or another testing fluid from one end of an article being tested or in the opposite direction. The end face of the article being tested is engaged by a deformable membrane at one end of the passage, and such membrane has a central opening for the flow of testing fluid from or into an enlarged chamber between the membrane and an internal fluid deflecting baffle of the tubular body. The baffle causes the testing fluid to flow in the chamber radially inwardly toward or radially outwardly from the opening in the membrane and thus prevents the accumulation of tobacco particles and/or particles of filter material for tobacco smoke in the chamber. The stream of testing fluid in the major portion of the passage flows in the axial direction of the article being tested.

Abstract: A statistical ventilation control device for ventilated cigarettes, wherein an annular conveyor presents a number of seats, each receiving a respective ventilated cigarette arranged perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor; one of the aforementioned seats being a movable seat supported on a slide fitted to the conveyor so as to move the movable seat axially in relation to the conveyor and to and from an operating position wherein a ventilated portion of the cigarette engages a ventilation control unit fitted to and moving with the conveyor.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting micro-holes of a cigarette having a filtered section, cigarettes are successively carried to a support section which is rotated and each of the cigarettes is supported between pads 14a and 14b. The supported cigarette is moved to a pre-pressuring stage in which one end face of the cigarette is closed and a pre-pressure is applied to other end face of the cigarette from a pre-pressure source. Therefore, the cigarette is reached to a measuring stage in which a measuring pressure is applied to the other end face of the cigarette so that air flows through micro-holes of the filter section and a reduced pressure is appeared in the one end of the cigarette. The measuring and reduces pressures are detected by pressure transducers and electrical signals from the transducers are proceed so that dilution value of the cigarette is calculated.

Abstract: In an apparatus for forming micro-holes on a cigarette, a laser beam is divided into first and second laser beams by a two-dividing mirror. Parts of the laser beams are detected by photo detectors, respectively and the other parts of the laser beams are guided to polyhedron mirrors through first and second optical paths and divided into segment beams by the mirrors, respectively. The segments beams are focused on the corresponding cigarette so that micro-holes are formed on the cigarette. The cigarette is transferred to a dilution detection stage and the dilution is detected in mode, detection signals from the photodetector are processed and a first driving signal is generated. Thus, the two-dividing mirror is driver by a driving mechanism in accordance with the first driving signal so that the intensity of the laser beams guided in the first and second optical paths are maintained in substantially equal level.

Abstract: A smoking machine includes, for controlling the conditions in which each article to be smoked is smoked, only a servo-control device for controlling, to a reference value, the pressure difference between the suction end and the rest of the body of the cigarette. The support of each article is mounted for rotating so as to allow, for example, more accurate detection of the position of the incandescent zone by optical sensors and a processing circuit.

Abstract: A machine for simultaneously manufacturing two continuous cigarette rods, whereby a continuous stream of shredded tobacco particles is fed to the bottom end of conveying means by which it is fed on to a pair of parallel suction conveyors traveling in a given direction, for forming on each conveyor a layer of tobacco of a given thickness; which conveying means comprise an upright defining internally a single upflow duct defined laterally by two walls extending in the traveling direction of the conveyors, and closed at the top by the two suction conveyors and by a separating member located between the same; provision also being made for pneumatic means for regulating the tobacco stream fed on to the conveyors.

Abstract: The invention is based on the realization that for a rod-like article, a cigarette for example, having a plurality of ventilation gas flows, the flows can be equated to a single equivalent flow nominally occurring at an "equivalent ventilation point". By establishing one or more flow regimes in a rod-like article and measuring gas pressures, the articles can be monitored for displacement of the equivalent ventilation point, such displacement being indicative of the position of out-of-specification gas flows.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting open longitudinal seams in the continuous wrapper of cigarette or cigarette filter rod produced by a continuous rod-making machine relies on detection by a microphone (54) of disturbance caused by the defective seam to an air stream. The air stream is generated from a narrow slot (44) and normally follows a fixed, preferably flat, surface (40) closely adjacent to the longitudinal path of a rod (12). The surface (40) is part of a body (22) which contains the microphone (54) and connecting leads (56, 58), together with a passage (36) allowing sound to reach the microphone. Air is bled through a small bore (52) and through a further bore (30) containing a sound-insulating filter (66) to provide a purging air flow in the passage (36).

Abstract: On a continuous cigarette rod manufacturing machine the paper strip enveloping the rod is fed by the combined action of a conveyor, for forming the rod, and a layer of tobacco fed by a suction conveyor from a supply duct into a loading position on the paper strip; means being provided for detecting any variation in the flow of tobacco on the suction conveyor, which means, in the event of clogging, activate retaining and guide means designed to prevent swerving or tearing of the paper strip.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous determination of two physical properties of the constituents of a smokable article from the mechanical properties of a rod of tobacco or filter fibres during the production of said rod employs a format finger for compacting the rod of tobacco or filter fibres to a predetermined diameter; the format finger made from hard metal comprises at a first point, at which the diameter of the rod corresponds substantially to the diameter of the finished rod, at least one opening for subjecting the rod to a gas stream; the one or each opening is connected via a critically traversed nozzle in a supply conduit to a gas source; a measuring-value transducer determines the pressure drop of the gas stream with constant volume occurring at the rod and thus the draw resistance.

Abstract: A shower of fibrous material is directed against the underside of the lower reach of a foraminous endless belt conveyor so that the fibrous material gathers into a continuous stream which is attracted to the conveyor by suction and is moved longitudinally past a trimming device which removes the surplus. The density of the stream is monitored upstream and downstream of the trimming device, and the corresponding signals are processed in an evaluating circuit into additional signals which are indicative of the quantity of the removed surplus. The removed surplus is weighed and the weighing device generates signals also denoting the quantity of the surplus. Such signals are compared with the additional signals and further signals, which denote the differences between the intensities of the compared signals, are used to modify signals denoting the density of the stream downstream of the trimming device. The thus modified signals are used to adjust the trimming device.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous measurement of the draw resistance of a cigarette, comprising transducer which detects the pressure drop of a gas stream with constant volume, said gas stream being introduced at a format finger of a rod-producing machine into a rod of tobacco fibres. The measured value depending on the flow resistance of said rod is continuously determined and correlates very well with the usual static measurement of the draw resistance of cigarettes, i.e. of the tobacco rod of a cigarette, so that this continous draw resistance measurement during the cigarette production replaces not only the conventional random check but can also be used for controlling the production operation.

Abstract: A continuous rod-like filler is formed in a cigarette rod making machine on an endless foraminous belt conveyor by depositing a row of spaced-apart batches consisting of a first type of tobacco at one side of the conveyor, holding the batches by suction, and showering tobacco particles of a second type onto and/or into the spaces between the batches. The density of successive increments of the filler is monitored by a pneumatic and/or radiation type detector, and the thus obtained density signals are used to generate control signals which regulate the density of the filler as well as control signals which are used to influence the batches, if and when necessary. For this purpose, the density signals can be processed to single out those which are attributable to monitoring of the density of successive batches, and the singled out density signals are then analyzed and used to vary one or more parameters of the batches.

Abstract: A continuous rod-like filler which is ready for draping into a web of cigarette paper is obtained by removing the surplus of tobacco from a continuous tobacco stream which is formed at one side of a foraminous belt conveyor the other side of which is adjacent to a suction chamber serving to attract the particles of tobacco to the conveyor. The surplus is removed downstream of the zone where the particles of tobacco are delivered to the conveyor. The density of the filler is monitored subsequent to draping, and the signals which are generated by the density monitoring device are used to vary the pressure in the suction chamber, to vary the speed of a first rotary conveyor which propels particles of tobacco against the belt conveyor and/or to vary the rate of feed of tobacco particles to the belt conveyor by adjusting the speed of a second rotary conveyor which draws tobacco particles from the lower end of a duct.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine includes apparatus for determining the internal pressure of an axially moving cigarette rod comprising forming a continuous rod in which a wrapper web surrounds a tobacco filler including an endless impervious flexible tape arranged to be wrapped around at least part of the circumference of the rod, a guide through which the rod and tape are arranged to pass, means for supplying air under pressure to the guide to enter a gap between the guide and the tape; and a monitor for monitoring a physical characteristic of the supplied air. Also included is compensating for the effect which moisture in the tobacco has on the internal pressure of the cigarette rod.

Abstract: Pileups of tobacco particles at or between the inlet of the draping mechanism and the stream forming station in a cigarette maker are ascertained by a device which monitors the density of successive increments of the cigarette stream prior or subsequent to trimming or the extent of deformation of the finger which compresses the trimmed stream in the garniture of the cigarette maker. The monitoring device generates signals which are utilized to automatically interrupt the admission of tobacco particles into the stream forming channel.

Abstract: A continuous twin rod cigarette making machine operable to permit the simultaneous formation of two continuous rods of cigarette starting from two layers of tobacco supported by suction beneath respective suction conveyors located above respective ascending shafts, the flow of tobacco along the ascending shafts being adjusted in dependence on signals emitted by sensors of the density or weight of the layers by adjustment elements including two channels coupled to respective vibrators, the frequency of which is adjustable, and communicating on one side with respective descending shafts extending from a carding unit to the ascending shafts, and on the other with a recycled tobacco particle supply device.

Abstract: Cigarettes, as they are grouped in batches to be packed, have their ends detected for firmness or for missing filter tips, by having an array of individually actuated plungers (9) applied to their ends. Each plunger is actuated by air pressure acting on a piston (13) integral with the plunger. If a cigarette (C) is faulty a protuberance (21) on the plunger engages a common impingement plate (20), whose oscillation causes a piezoelectric transducer (22) to emit a fault signal, enabling that cigarette group subsequently to be rejected.

Abstract: A growing tobacco stream is formed at the underside of a foraminous belt conveyor and is transported past two trimming devices to be converted into a rod-like filler which is thereupon draped into cigarette paper and severed to yield discrete plain cigarettes which are united with filter plugs to form filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. The resistance of successive identical sections of the filler to axial and/or transverse flow of air therethrough is monitored, and the resulting signals are used to adjust the second trimming device when the monitored resistance deviates from a desired value. The envelopes of filter plugs on successive filter cigarettes are perforated by a laser which is adjustable by signals denoting deviations of the mass of tobacco per unit length of the filler from a preselected value, deviations of the resistance of filter plugs to axial flow of air therethrough from a preselected value and/or deviations of the permeability of cigarette paper from a preselected value.