Abstract: A cutting device having cutting means for cutting a cigarette rod transversely along a cutting plane; a carriage for accompanying the rod through the cutting plane; an operating unit for moving the carriage back and forth in a travelling direction crosswise to the cutting plane; and a control unit, in turn having two proximity sensors, and which determines at least one fault on the operating unit as a function of recording signals emitted by the sensors.

Abstract: Lack of balance of a crank mechanism, which reciprocates a ledger having one or more guides for one or more cigarette rods or filter rods each issuing from a maker and being subdivided into a row of cigarettes or filter mouthpieces, is at least partially counteracted by at least two counterpoises one of which orbits about the axis of the crank mechanism in a first direction and the other of which orbits, in a second direction counter to the first direction, about a second axis laterally offset relative to the axis of the crank mechanism. A third counterpoise can be mounted for orbital movement about the axis of the crank mechanism and, if utilized, is angularly offset relative to the first counterpoise. The prime mover for the crank mechanism orbits the first and third counterpoises in the first direction, and the second counterpoise in the second direction.

Abstract: A method is provided for cutting tying elements of successive tobacco leaf bundles, wherein the butt ends of the leaves of each bundle are grouped and secured together by a transversely extending tying element disposed in surrounding relation to the grouped together butt ends. The method comprises moving successive bundles along a predetermined path past a cutting station with the grouped butt ends of successive bundles disposed transverse to the path within a predetermined transverse position within the path. A liquid jet configuration is established at the cutting station and moved through a repetitious path having a transverse extent greater than the transverse extent of the tying elements within the transverse position of the butt ends of the bundles. The moving jet configuration is directed onto the butt ends of successive bundles during the movement thereof along the predetermined path through the cutting station to transversely cut the tying elements thereof.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing machine having a shaving device for shaving at least one bead of tobacco, wherein two superimposed, mutually contacting disks with respective serrated outer edges are rotated about a common axis at different peripheral speeds to shave the bead of tobacco fed against the disks.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing machine having a shaving device for shaving a bead of tobacco fed along a given path, wherein two tubular shaving bodies, arranged eccentrically one inside the other and having respective serrated annular end edges having a tangent portion located along the path of the bead, are rotated at different angular speeds about axes substantially parallel to the path to shave the bead; the inner tubular shaving body communicating pneumatically with a suction device.

Abstract: A ledger device suitable for use in a cigarette making machine, for supporting one or more cigarette rods while being cut into predetermined lengths, comprises two similar ledger support members (10; 12) mounted respectively on two pairs of cranks (30,32; 42,44) and arranged to orbit two ledger parts (22; 28) in the same plane along the same circular path, 180.degree. out of phase with one another, each ledger part being arranged to support the rod or rods during alternate cuts.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for removing tie elements from hands of tobacco leaves on a conveyor belt involve a rotating drum having radially emergent cutting blades that contact the tie elements without contacting the belt. The axle of the drum is disposed at an angle to the direction of belt travel, and the blades are disposed at a compensatory angle with respect to the axle, whereby the drum provides an advancing effect on the leaves, yet the blades cut along the mid-rib of the leaves.

Abstract: A tobacco bale slicing machine having a support structure with an inlet opening for the insertion of a bale, and with an outlet portal. A conveyor transfers a bale from the inlet opening to the outlet portal in which there is a guillotine-like cutting device. A thrust device bears against the rear end surface of the bale to urge it towards and through the outlet portal in a controlled manner. The thrust device includes a motor-driven carriage disposed above the conveyor and has a thrust member mounted on an arm which moves between a raised and lowered position. When in a lowered, working position the thrust member can be brought to bear against the rear end surface of a bale carried by the conveyor in order to urge it toward the outlet portal in a controlled manner.

Abstract: A rotary cutter for cutting a block of tobacco includes a support structure having a rotatable shaft and a plurality of blade-holder carriages rotatable with the shaft. Each carriage includes a cutting blade for cutting through and penetrating a block of tobacco. Each carriage is capable of a translatory movement relative to the shaft along a line parallel to the axis of the shaft. A drive device includes plurality of rotary pinions which bring about the translatory movement of each carriage in synchronism with the rotation of the shaft during cutting the block of tobacco.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting a longitudinally advancing a rod of tobacco-containing material into lengths including a cut-off wheel having two or more blades equally spaced around the wheel periphery, a sharpening stone driven independently by a motor at a fixed location to sharpen one side of each blade as the wheel rotates, and a deburring stone oscillating in a path between two points at a frequency such that the stone intersects the path of travel of each blade for deburring the other side of each blade. The deburring stone may be located on the ledger device of a cigarette manufacturing machine where the ledger is oscillating at a frequency that is a multiple of the number of blades of the cutoff wheel for each revolution of the wheel.

Abstract: A flexible automatic test facility for measuring physical parameters of smoking articles and components of smoking articles, e.g., filter portions. The test facility includes a microprocessor based controller device, apparatus for severing the filter portion from the article, a plurality of instruments for performing the desired measurements and a computer-controlled robot for gripping and maneuvering one cigarette at a time to one or more of the instruments or severing apparatus to measure one or more physical characteristics of each article or its components in accordance with software instructions. A hopper feeder device containing a plurality of sample sets in separate bins in an indexing mechanism may be provided for extended unattended operation. Each sample set is provided with a code and a database including the nominal physical characteristics of the samples in the set and the test sequence for the cigarettes in the sample set.

Abstract: In a method of adjusting and controlling a cutting device comprising two rollers counter-rotating about parallel axes and provided each with a set of blades where each blade of one roller combines with a blade of the other roller to create a scissor by which discrete pieces are cut from a continuous strip of material, heat is applied to raise the temperature of the cutting device to a selected value higher than the normal operating temperature of the machine; thereafter, having set the blades of each scissor initially by way of a system of adjusters associated with at least one of the two blades, the temperature of the cutting device during operation of the surrounding machine is maintained at a value substantially equal to the selected value by way of monitoring and control media.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for cutting or paring a slice of material from a block (17) of material which has a lamina or strata structure, comprising a reciprocable blade (11) having a cutting edge (20, 21) arranged to enter and traverse the block of material to remove a slice therefrom during a forward or cutting stroke of the blade, in which means is provided to move the cutting edge of the blade in a direction having a component transverse to the direction of reciprocation of the blade after the blade has penetrated a short distance into the block thus to pare the slice from the remainder of the block substantially following the path of a boundary between lamina or strata in the block. In a preferred form the blade is wider than the slice to be cut and is formed with inclined portions 11c, 11d) at its leading or cutting edge, which portions are arranged so that the cutting edge of the blade is in the form of wide angled "V".

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: The present invention provides a rotary drum (22) cutting machine for cutting or shredding lamina material such as tobacco leaf, comprising a support frame (10), means for compressing and feeding material to be cut, as a plug, to a mouth (14) mounted on the support frame, a cutter carriage (20) movably mounted on a track (23) on the support frame, a cutter drum (22) mounted for rotation on said cutter carriage, and drive means (26,27,51,52,28) arranged to move the cutter carriage between an open inoperative position with the cutter drum away from the mouth to a closed operative position to cut or shred material as it issues from the mouth.