Abstract: This so-called"rod-breaker" device is adapted to break and deflect the cigarette rod between the feed and the cutting machine, and comprises a cutter unit consisting of a rotatably movable blade adapted to accomplish alternating angular movements of about 90 degrees in a plane perpendicular to the rod from a position about 45 degrees to the horizontal, a fixed drying iron peen and a fixed counter-blade disposed in parallel relationship above and beneath the rod, respectively, and adjacent the movable blade for co-action therewith, and a deflector rotatably driven by the movable blade with an angular displacement causing said deflector to become operative after the breaking step.

Abstract: This device for longitudinally-moving rod-like cylindrical objects in a transversal direction, notably for transferring cigarettes issuing in end-to-end relationship and in-line from a cigarette making machine to a conveyor drum formed with spaced peripheral grooves each adapted to receive a cigarette comprises a pair of cams adapted to off set the leading cigarette and to accelerate same as required for causing the cigarette to penetrate accurately into the corresponding groove of the drum while avoiding any detrimental contact between the cigarette and the walls of the groove. The velocity of rotation of the cams expressed in number of r.p.m. is equal to the number of cigarette delivered by the cigarette making machine.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided for checking finished cigarettes or other similar products in order to detect and reject detective cigarettes. The method consists essentially in filling a chamber with compressed gas in order to establish therein a pressure higher than a minimum pressure corresponding to an acceptable cigarette, cutting off the communication between said chamber and the source of compressed gas, connecting said chamber with one end of the cigarette while its other end is momentarily sealed, measuring the pressure drop resulting from the coupling of said chamber with the cigarette, and generating a rejection signal when the instantaneous value of the measured pressure drops below said minimum pressure valve. This invention is applicable notably to filter-tip cigarettes.