Abstract: A device for filling containers for bags of smokeless tobacco, includes an infeed station for feeding a succession of inner frames, a filling station to feed a succession of individual bags tobacco to a respective inner frame, a release station for releasing inner frames full of bags, a conveyor defining a feed line which passes through the infeed station, the filling station and the release station and which has a housing to hold and move a respective inner frame from the infeed station to the release station via the filling station. A suction device is disposed in the filling station to apply suction in the housing of the conveyor disposed in the filling station and a rotation device is disposed in the filling station and confronting the housing. The rotation device rotates the inner frame in the housing so successive radial compartments of the inner frame confront respective bags.

Abstract: A method is described for making a pack of smoking products having an ordered group of packets containing smoking products and positioned in contact with each other, wherein the group of packets has a closed lateral surface around a theoretical axis of the group of packets, which delimits two opposite surfaces of the group of packets, each of which surfaces is defined by the set of homologous surfaces of all the packets. The method includes unwinding from a reel at least one adhesive tape and applying it to the closed lateral surface and completely around the latter, to hold the packets of the group together solely by means of the at least one adhesive tape.

Abstract: A transporter apparatus for products includes a first conveyor, provided with seats for receiving said products and provided to move said products in a first advance direction, a compaction unit, positioned downstream of the first conveyor and a second conveyor positioned downstream of said compaction unit. The compacting unit includes a support surface on which the products coming from the first conveyor are deposited, and a movement member provided to move the products placed on the support surface towards each other in a second advance direction, so as to form compact columns of products substantially parallel to the second advance direction.

Abstract: A method for applying adhesive on a wrapping band of a smoking article includes moving the band along a feed direction, the band has a longitudinal direction of extension, opposing first and second surfaces, a first plurality of portions having a first thickness and a second plurality of portions having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, the portions of the first and second pluralities being disposed alternately along the direction of extension. A nozzle having a delivery end, and the band are moved towards/away from each other between a first position, where the delivery end and the second surface are at a first distance which is less than or equal to the second thickness, and a second position, where the delivery end and the second surface are at a second distance greater than the second thickness. An adhesive is delivered on the first surface through the nozzle.

Abstract: A system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes, includes first and second working stations for assembly/inspection operations on a first group of electronic cigarettes and disposed upstream and downstream of a first conveying path, respectively. Third and fourth working stations perform assembly/inspection operations on a second group of electronic cigarettes and are disposed upstream and downstream of a second conveying path, respectively. A single filling station receives the first group at a first loading zone and the second group at a second loading zone to fill the first group and the second group with a filling product; and releases the first group of filled electronic cigarettes at a first unloading zone and the second group of filled electronic cigarettes at a second unloading zone towards the second working station and towards the fourth working station, respectively.

Abstract: A magazine for bundles of blanks includes a vertical channel configured for inserting and extracting bundles of blanks and a succession of groups of supporting parts distributed along the channel. The supporting parts are configured to support the underside of a respective bundle of blanks. More specifically, each supporting part is movable between an extracted position, where it projects from the channel, towards the inside of the channel, to intercept a bundle that is moving down along the channel and to provide a steady support for the bundle, and a retracted position, where the supporting part is aligned or recessed with respect to the channel to allow the bundle to move along the channel towards a portion under the supporting part. The magazine also includes, for each supporting part, an actuating device configured to promote the passage of the supporting part from the retracted position to the extracted position and controllable by an operator, preferably manually.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for crimping a web of material for the tobacco industry, including the following steps: feeding a web of material for the tobacco industry along a feed path; crimping the web between two crimping rollers operatively coupled to make a plurality of longitudinal easy folding lines on the web; measuring a value of a thickness of the web before the step of crimping; The step of crimping the web is adjusted as a function of the thickness value measured during the step of measuring.

Abstract: A container management system including a lid assembly configured to engage/disengage a collar of a container to close and open an aperture thereof, wherein the lid assembly includes an interior lid compartment in communication with an interior portion of the container when the lid assembly engages the collar, a reactive substance configured to undergo a physical change in response to a change of an environment condition at the aperture when the lid assembly engages the collar. The physical change of the reactive substance turns the lid assembly from a first operative condition wherein the lid assembly can be disengaged from the collar to open the aperture to a second operative condition wherein a portion of the lid assembly cannot be disengaged from the collar and closes the aperture.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for analysing the operation of an automatic machine which processes products in the tobacco industry includes the following steps: introducing into the machine an endoscopic probe whose shape and size correspond to the shape and size of the products the machine is designed to process and which the machine processes as if it were a real product. During processing in the machine, the probe acquires data through a sensor of its own. The method also includes determining the positions adopted by the probe while it is being processed in the machine and associating them with the data acquired by the probe while it is being processed in the machine.

Abstract: A compacting unit for the tobacco industry includes a conveyor drum configured to convey groups of segments disposed perpendicularly to the feed direction. A first compactor and a second compactor have a first contact portion and a second contact portion, respectively. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are respectively adapted to be placed in contact with a first axial end and a second axial end of a group of segments in transit in the compacting station. The first contact portion is compliant, preferably elastically compliant, along a longitudinal direction of extension of the groups of segments upon interaction with the first axial end. The second contact portion defines a rigid abutment along the longitudinal direction of extension of the groups of segments suitable for setting a predetermined position for the second axial end.

Abstract: A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

Abstract: A method for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, each spacer comprising a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, said method comprising the step of arranging the spacers, stacked on one another, on a transport pallet, on each spacer being provided at least two through holes, the through holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that a vertical element of the transport pallet is inside the through holes of the spacers of the stack.

Abstract: A label-rejecting station, where labels are carried by a support band along an advancing path. The rejecting station includes a deviator element and a contrast element. The deviator element is arranged along the advancing path and movable between an inactive position and an active position wherein it contacts the support band at a first surface thereof, deviating the advancing path. The contrast element is arranged along the advancing path downstream of the deviator element and includes: an abutting surface provided for receiving partially thereon a second surface of the support band, opposite to the first surface; and a detachment edge provided for detaching a label from the support band when the deviator element moves into its active position.

Abstract: A machine for making cigarette filters and which includes a forming beam having an internal channel whose transverse cross section changes shape along the main longitudinal direction of the channel. Porous conveyor means carry the tow along a feed path in the channel complying with the shape thereof and thereby being wrapped around the tow. At least one treatment station located along the feed path includes a nozzle for blowing a flow of steam into the channel. The nozzle includes a plurality of planar sectors positioned transversely to the channel and defining an overall planar flow orifice placed directly in communication with a steam feed duct. Each planar sector defines a respective planar flow orifice and at least two flow orifices have different thicknesses.

Abstract: A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, including: a guide including a stopping station; a carriage to slide along the guide; a retaining device for holding a component of an electronic cigarette; and a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station. The locking unit includes: two abutment elements mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station shaped such that first and second edges contact the abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position free from the abutment elements to allow the carriage to slide, and an advanced position contacting the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding. Each abutment element is rotatable about its axis to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions.

Abstract: A slide-open dispenser package for loose articles including: a container for containing a plurality of loose articles, in which the container includes a bottom wall and an article dispensing outlet opening made in the bottom wall; a wrapper on the outside of the container and slidably coupled thereto along a sliding direction orthogonal to the bottom wall; at least one occluding element for occluding the outlet opening, in which the occluding element is movable between a closed configuration, in which it prevents the articles from coming out of the opening, and an open configuration, in which it allows at least one article to come out through the outlet opening. The occluding element is fixed to the container and to the wrapper so that the reciprocal sliding of the wrapper and the container causes the occluding element to move between the closed configuration and the open configuration.

Abstract: A welding station for welding parts of electronic cigarettes includes feeding means, set in a feeding area for feeding parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded; welding means, set in a welding area, downstream of the feeding area, for welding the parts of electronic cigarettes; and a transfer device, set between the feeding means and the welding means for receiving from the feeding means the parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded and transferring them from the feeding area to the welding area. The transfer device includes a first transfer sector and a second transfer sector, pre-arranged for receiving from the feeding means, respectively, first parts and second parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded and transferring them into the welding area. The first transfer sector and the second transfer sector are mobile in rotation about an axis, independently of one another.

Abstract: A system for transferring a group of components of electronic cigarettes from a first to a second operating station includes a conveyor extends from a feeding zone to a disengagement zone and has a plurality of seats. A feeding device receives the components and feeds them into the seats at a first mutual distance. A disengaging and transferring device operates to disengage the components from their seats and transfer the components to a collecting zone. A compacting device operates in the collecting zone to move the components closer together and place them at a second mutual distance that is smaller than the first mutual distance. A tray faces and receives from the collecting zone the group of components which have been placed close together. A pushing device pushes the components from the collecting zone into the tray. A movement device transfers the tray to the second operating station.

Abstract: A filling unit, configured to fill a succession of tubular wrappers of the tobacco industry. The tubular wrappers extend along a main axis of extension and internally define respective containment chambers adapted to contain a filling material of the tobacco industry and have an access opening on at least one of its ends for access to the containment chamber. The unit also includes a filling station configured to insert the filling material into respective containment chambers of the succession of tubular wrappers through a filling end of them and a closing station disposed downstream of the filling station and comprising a plurality of closing means configured to make respective walls which close the filling ends and which are transverse to the respective main axes of extension.