Abstract: A manufacturing machine for producing combination filters for cigarettes, and having: a group-forming unit for forming groups of filter portions, each having at least two different filter portions aligned axially and contacting at the ends; a winding unit which receives a succession of groups of filter portions from the group-forming unit, winds a strip of wrapping material about the succession of groups of filter portions to form a continuous filter rod, and cuts the combination filters off the continuous filter rod by cyclically cutting the continuous filter rod transversely; and a transfer unit which transfers the groups of filter portions from the group-forming unit, in which the groups of filter portions travel transversely, to the winding unit, in which the groups of filter portions travel axially, and has at least one spider, which feeds the groups of filter portions successively into a forming beam of the winding unit, and at least one release drum which releases the groups of filter portions successi

Abstract: A manufacturing machine for producing tobacco industry articles, and having at least one station having a number of drums cooperating with one another to convey and process filter portions; and a supporting structure fitted to a frame and supporting the drums at the station. The station has a vertical front panel supporting at least some of the drums at the station and fixed removably to the supporting structure for replacement, together with the respective drums, when making a brand change.

Abstract: A device (4) for detecting the density and/or humidity of tobacco and/or the presence of foreign substances; the device (4) having a microwave resonator (5), which includes a substantially cylindrical metal body (10) with an axial through hole (13), and an L-shaped chamber (11) inside the body (10).

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet (2) of packing material about a group (3) of cigarettes; the method includes the steps of: bringing a first end wall (8a) of the group (3) of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet (2) of packing material, so that the major transverse edges (10) of the group (3) of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet (2) of packing material; folding the sheet (2) of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges (10) of the first end wall (8a), so that the sheet (2) of packing material partly covers both the major lateral walls (6) of the group (3) of cigarettes; folding the sheet (2) of packing material about the minor transverse edges (10) of the first end wall (8a), so that the sheet (2) of packing material completely covers both the major lateral walls (6) and the minor lateral walls (7), and forms a tubular package having one open end at a second end wall (8b); and folding the sheet (2) of packing material onto the second end wall (8b) to complete the foldin

Abstract: A product change method for a cigarette manufacturing machine, wherein an input hopper receives a first type of shredded tobacco from a supply header, and feeds it to at least one channel for forming, on a conveyor, a bead of tobacco, which is released onto a paper strip travelling along a forming table for forming a continuous cigarette rod; the method provides for cutting off supply of the first type of shredded tobacco to the header, emptying the header, cutting off communication between the header and the input hopper, cutting off supply of the paper strip, keeping the manufacturing machine running to form a waste stream of shredded tobacco of the first type and empty the manufacturing machine, and feeding a second type of shredded tobacco through the supply header and the input hopper to fill the manufacturing machine completely before starting up supply of the paper strip.

Abstract: A rigid package for tobacco articles has a parallelepiped-shaped container housing a group of tobacco articles and having a withdrawal opening; and a cup-shaped lid hinged to the container along a hinge to rotate, with respect to the container, between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the withdrawal opening; the container and the lid are formed by folding two independent separate blanks.

Abstract: A filter for a cigarette has an organic filtering portion defined by granules or fibres of active carbon and housed inside a cylindrical shell of plastic material; the shell is located between a portion of cellulose acetate, which is engaged orally by a user, and a cigarette portion, and has a bottom, contacting the portion of cellulose acetate and hermetically supporting a particulate trap for retaining fine particulate, and an end contacting the cigarette portion and closed by a plug of cellulose acetate.

Abstract: A method and unit for folding a reinforcing flap of the lid of a rigid, hinged-lid packet of cigarettes, wherein at least one reinforcing flap of the lid is folded 180° with respect to a blank and about a fold line onto the blank; the reinforcing flap is prefolded about the fold line by means of a first folding device having a movable folding body; and folding of the reinforcing flap about the fold line is completed by means of a second folding device having fixed folding rails.

Abstract: A package for tobacco articles, having a group of tobacco articles, and a cup-shaped container which houses the group of tobacco articles and has an open top end, a bottom wall, two parallel, opposite major lateral walls, and two parallel, opposite minor lateral walls; at least one retaining member is located inside the container, projects perpendicularly from at least one of the lateral walls, defines a supporting surface for the group of tobacco articles, and is defined by two rigid panels separated from each other by a crease line and folded one towards the other.

Abstract: A method and wrapping unit for producing a package containing a group of cigarettes, and which include: feeding the group of cigarettes along a path; feeding a sheet of wrapping perpendicularly to the path of the group of cigarettes; feeding a tubular spindle along the path of the group of cigarettes to intercept the sheet of wrapping and fold the sheet of wrapping into a U about the tubular spindle; and feeding the group of cigarettes through the tubular spindle to slide the sheet of wrapping off the tubular spindle and apply the U-folded sheet of wrapping to the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: A method and device for controlled filling of a channel supplying tobacco articles, whereby a lead-in member is positioned inside the channel to completely cut off passage along the channel; a mass of tobacco articles is then fed into the channel so that the mass of tobacco articles is positioned contacting the lead-in member; and, finally, the lead-in member is eased along the channel, while keeping the mass of tobacco articles in contact with the lead-in member, to ease the mass of tobacco articles along the channel.

Abstract: A multipurpose packing machine having an input portion and an output portion, and wherein the input portion has a first packing module for forming a succession of rigid first packages about respective packed groups of cigarettes, to produce a succession of first packets; and the output portion has at least a further packing module similar to the first packing module and for forming a succession of rigid further packages, each housing at least one respective first packet.

Abstract: A method for predictive maintenance of a cutting unit of an automatic machine; the method determining, with a given frequency, the value of a characteristic quantity of the cutting unit related to contact between a cutting member and a counter-member; determining a curve for extrapolating the time pattern of the characteristic quantity value, and programming maintenance work on the cutting unit when the curve is outside a given acceptance range.

Abstract: A method and unit for feeding products to a group-forming unit forming groups of products, each defined by a given number of products; an orderly succession of products is fed in a first direction by a first conveyor; the products are transferred from the first conveyor to a second conveyor by a first transfer device; an orderly succession of products is fed in a second direction by the second conveyor; the products are transferred from the second conveyor to a third conveyor by a second transfer device; an orderly succession of products is fed by the third conveyor in a third direction parallel to the second direction; and, when a vacancy is detected on the first transfer device, the second conveyor is stopped, and, at the same time, the second transfer device is moved towards the first transfer device in the opposite direction to the second direction.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding sheets to a user machine, whereby the sheets, arranged in a stack along a channel having a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis, are fed to a single-sheet pickup member by dividing the stack into an output portion, an intermediate portion, and an input portion; pushing the output portion towards the pickup member at a given constant first pressure; compressing the input portion at a given second pressure; transferring sheets from the intermediate portion to the output portion to compensate for the withdrawn sheets and keep a length of the output portion substantially constant and equal to a given value; and transferring sheets from the input portion to the intermediate portion to keep the density of the sheets along the intermediate portion substantially constant and equal to a given value.

Abstract: A packet (1) of cigarettes having a cup-shaped, parallelepiped-shaped outer first container (2); a first lid (4) is hinged to the outer first container (2) to rotate between an open position and a closed position; the outer first container (2) houses two to four inner second containers (18), each of which is cup-shaped, houses a group (19) of cigarettes, and is parallelepiped-shaped; a second lid (21) is hinged to each inner second container (18) to rotate between an open position and a closed position; and the inner second containers (18) are housed inside the outer first container (2) so that, when the first (4) is in the closed position, a top wall (30) of each second lid (21) directly contacts a top wall (13) of the first lid (4), and at least one lateral wall (29) of each second lid (21) directly contacts a lateral wall (12) of the first lid (4).

Abstract: A cigarette packing method and machine, whereby blanks, fed successively along a feed path inside respective feed pockets, are fed to a loading station where each blank is transferred, by a pusher and along a transfer path, to a respective packing pocket fed to the loading station along a packing path, and is folded partly, during transfer along the transfer path, to define a seat for receiving a respective wrapped group of cigarettes, and which is formed by feeding the blank and the pusher through a folding spindle located, at the loading station, between the feed path and the packing path and along the transfer path.

Abstract: A transfer unit for transferring elongated articles, wherein a uniform succession of articles is fed by an input drum to a first transfer station, where the articles are picked up successively by a number of pickup heads of a transfer drum for supply, through a second transfer station, to an output drum in a uniform succession of pairs of side by side articles; some of the pickup heads are fixed, and some oscillate with respect to the transfer drum; the fixed pickup heads alternate with the oscillating pickup heads; and each oscillating pickup head oscillates to and from a position contiguous to one of the two adjacent fixed pickup heads.

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet of packing material, having an extraction opening, about a group of cigarettes; the method includes the steps of: bringing a first end wall of the group of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet of packing material, so that the major transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the short sides of the sheet of packing material, and the minor transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet of packing material; folding the sheet of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges of the first end wall, so that the sheet of packing material covers both the major lateral walls of the group of cigarettes completely; folding the sheet of packing material onto a second end wall of the group of cigarettes; and folding the sheet of packing material onto the minor lateral walls of the group of cigarettes; the first end wall of the group of cigarettes is positioned asymmetrically with respect to the sheet of packing material

Abstract: A carton of soft packets of cigarettes, having: an outer package; a group of soft packets of cigarettes housed inside the outer package, and each having an inner package having a first sheet of flexible packing material folded about a respective group of cigarettes; and at least one reusable rigid box housed inside the outer package and containing a soft packet of cigarettes, while the other soft packets of cigarettes serve as refills for the reusable rigid box; the inner package of each soft packet of cigarettes having a tear-off top portion separated from the rest of the inner package by a tear line.