Abstract: A reel hub (5), an inside rod (70) of which can slide axially when acted upon by a seizing rod (82), forms part of the transfer apparatus (3). By bringing the transfer apparatus opposite the hub of a rotating reel (21, 20), and by withdrawing the inside rod from the hub, the hub is disengaged from a machine (1), the reel continuing to rotate with its hub fixed to the transfer apparatus. This apparatus can then be moved in directions situated in the plane of rotation of the reel and brought opposite another shaft of the machine in order to reattach the hub there by reversing the foregoing procedure. A rotating reel, especially one paying out a strip of cigarette paper, can thus be moved without subjecting the strip of paper to any torsion. Other operations relating to the automatic operation of the machine are also possible with the aid of the transfer apparatus.

Abstract: A method of forming a gummed band on a web of paper (1) is provided. A marginal band (7) forming a seam is projected by one (10) of two devices (10, 11) under the action of compressed-air pressure, the air being pre-heated (20) and passing into a feed line (19), whereas an inside gummed band (6) is formed by the other device (11) fed with cold compressed air through a duct (21). An adhesive is contained in a reservoir (8), kept under pressure by means of a tube (12), and reaches the projection device through another duct (9).

Abstract: Cigarettes are restrained by arresting a cigarette oriented askew relative to the other cigarettes flowing into a hopper before that cigarette blocks the distribution channels of the hopper, thus stopping the manufacturing process. An arrested cigarette is furthermore detected. The hopper equipped with the restraining device, particularly a hopper for distributing cigarettes, contains a set of gratings (2) halfway up it, made up of a fixed grating (20) above which there is a movable grating (21) actuated with a translatory reciprocating movement. The set of gratings can restrain any cigarette (13A) presented and traveling crosswise in the hopper before this cigarette can go on to interrupt the flow through distribution channels (15) at the outlet of the hopper. A detection device (3) comprising in particular a photoelectric cell (31) and a light source (30) detects a space (13B) void of cigarettes, caused by the crooked cigarette restrained by the set of gratings, and transmits an alarm.

Abstract: A roll (30) of adhesive worked between two rollers (10, 12) of the gumming device is supplied by feed nozzles (34a, 34b) projecting fine streams of adhesive (35a, 35b) with monitored flow. In case of an increase in the measured viscosity of the adhesive or stopping of the machine on which the gumming device is used, a water-atomizing device (40) allows the viscosity to be reduced and prevents the adhesive from drying out. A dimension of the adhesive roll is monitored and controls regulation of the output of the adhesive-feeding nozzles. The gumming device thereby ensures proper gumming of a strip of paper (2).

Abstract: Apparatus for reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes is provided. A receiving drum having holes to receive the rejected cigarettes is provided coaxial with a fluted drum, so that both drums rotate in the same direction. Via a control ring turning in synchronization with the receiving drum, jets of compressed air eject the tobacco from the rejected cigarettes, before the empty cigarette wrapper (tube) is also expelled from the receiving hole. A timing disk controls the work cycle. Suction pressure applied to the receiving holes of the receiving drum sucks the rejected cigarette into a predetermined stop position in the receiving hole prior to the application of compressed air. With the aid of restraining needles, the cigarettes are held firmly while the jet of compressed air is applied to expel the tobacco. On release by the restraining needles, the cigarette wrapper (tube) is ejected from the receiving hole to a discharge chute by a jet of compressed air applied via the control ring.

Abstract: The claw (2) is made up of a front part (3), moved vertically by a jack (31) and comprising a horizontal pressing plate (30) and a rear pressing plate (34), and a rear part (4) moved horizontally via another jack (46) and comprising a lower pressing plate (40) suspended by a pivot pin (42) from a stirrup-piece (41), a further jack (47 l) acting upon the rearward end (40A) of the lower pressing plate in order to raise and lower the front end (40B) thereof. When the rear pressing plate is lowered opposite a stack of blanks to be grasped, a slight depression (52) is created, whereby it is then possible to slip the front end of the lower pressing plate under the stack in order grasp it by raising the lower pressing plate and pressing the stack against the upper pressing plate. The claw is intended to be integrated in a depalletizer feeding a packing machine, particularly a machine making packs in the tobacco industry, especially packs of cigarettes.

Abstract: A cylindrical seizing element (3), made up of a fixed tubular part (32) comprising a cylindrical sector-shaped aperture (30) having a series of teeth (34) and of a movable inside part (31) also having a series of teeth (36) interposed between the first series of teeth, seizes the ends of turns of paper previously severed on a fresh reel of paper and brings the strip of paper unwinding from this fresh reel opposite a strip unwinding from an expiring reel. A splicing device comprising two rollers which are pressed against one another, one on each side of the two strips of paper, creates a splice through perforation of the two strips in an arrangement ensuring the strength of the splice. The method and apparatus are designed especially for integration in a single piece of equipment and for reliably joining two strips of paper intended to encircle cigarette filters.

Abstract: The device is made up of a cylindrical rotary disk (32), part of the cylindrical outside surface (32b) of which intercepts a surplus portion of the stream of tobacco and separates it from the main stream. The surplus portion is eliminated and recycled without damaging the tobacco fibers. The device is intended to be disposed before trimming and compression apparatus which prepares a rod of tobacco in order to regulate the thickness of the rod before segments thereof are compressed. Thus, each compressed segment will have the same density of tobacco.

Abstract: The presence of pipeline connections can be checked by the transmitting of acoustic signals from a transmitter to an acoustic sensor within the pipe. This method is used in particular in the manufacture of cigarettes.

Abstract: An apparatus (3) is installed in place of a cigarette support, for example. The force applied by loads (22, 23) to a force-measurement cell (31), mounted on a motorized slider (33) and moving parallel to said loads, is measured as a function of the displacement. A processing unit plots a graph depicting the force measured as a function of the displacement; any imperfection of the surface condition of the slides (22a, 23a) can be spotted on the graph. The movement-checking method and apparatus apply to the checking of any rectilinear movement of a guided object subjected to a constant force, and particularly to the checking of the state of wear of the slides of equipment for measuring the compressibility of articles produced in the tobacco industry.

Abstract: A device for sorting rod-like articles, for example cigarettes, according to their weight. The device feeds a single article from a hopper into a channel with the aid of two ribbed drums. The article then drops into a groove in a delivery shaft where it is tipped onto a series of "V"-shaped members located on the top of a balance. The weight of the article is determined and the article is then ejected by lifting arms onto the top wall of a ramp. The article is allowed to roll freely down the ramp. A microprocessor causes one of a number of doors in the top wall of the ramp to open according to the weight of the aritcle and the article then drops into a compartment below the ramp.

Abstract: Sidestream smoke collection apparatus comprises a smoking chamber 14 including a plenum chamber 24, air inlets 28, an internal wall 26 having slits 30 for the passage of air, a cigarette holder 22 above the internal wall 26, an outlet pipe 16 above the cigarette holder, an upper deflector 38 between the cigarette holder and the outlet and a lower deflector 32 between the cigarette holder and the internal wall. This dispatch of air inlet and outlet and deflectors allows more efficient collection of sidestream smoke.

Abstract: A cigarette filter 12 comprises a rod of filter material having an inner zone 16 of 60% to 90% filter efficiency and an outer zone 18 of 10% to 40% filter efficiency, the inner zone occupying from 30% to 60% of the cross-sectional area of the filter. The filter is attached to a tobacco rod 10 by a tipping 14 having perforations 24 admitting air into the filter.

Abstract: In a hinge lid cigarette pack of which one pair of opposite walls are profiled to project beyond the elevation of the other pair of walls the lid is attached to a profiled wall by an improved hinge structure which does not distort the wall on opening.

Abstract: A layer of tobacco (5) is accumulated against a conveyor belt (2) by a flow of air (6). A trimmer (7) eliminates the superfluous tobacco and forms the final layer (10) which is to be wrapped in paper to form the cigarette rod. One measuring unit (13) measures the thickness of the layer by means of the attenuation of a ray, while another measuring unit (14) measures the degree of porosity of the layer by means of the drop in air pressure between the bottom and the top of the layer. These two data are transmitted to an arithmetic unit (19) which forms a parameter (F), transmitted to a central processing unit (17) which supplies to a transducer (16) the pulses actuating an encoder (15) of a motor (11) governing the thickness of the final layer.