Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for processing a band of filter material in the tobacco industry. The band is conveyed to a stretching section of a stretching device or to an application section of an application device. A first roller arrangement comprising at least two rollers is disposed on an intake side of the stretching section or the application section, and a second roller arrangement comprising at least two rollers is disposed on an outlet side of the stretching section or the application section. The band is conveyed while looped around at least two rollers of the first or the second roller arrangement so that the band is respectively looped at least partially around the rollers.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for connecting smoking article components. Process includes feeding connecting sheets on a suction roller with a defined spacing, feeding the smoking article components on a grooved drum, and transferring portions of the connecting sheets to the smoking article components, such that the connecting sheets partially connect the smoking article components. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for filling a downstream apparatus with rod-shaped articles, in particular a packing machine, comprising a filler head having a feed element for transporting a mass flow made up of articles, wherein the feed element runs into a shaft in the region of an opening, and having a store which is constructed to be variable for compensating for the difference between the inflow and outflow of the mass flow inside the filler head, which apparatus is characterized by a store which is arranged at least in part ahead of the opening in the transport direction T of the mass flow.

Abstract: Method for producing filter plugs from filter rods with a predetermined filter rod length, comprising removing the filter rods from a magazine, selectively cutting the filter rods into filter plugs of one of a first or second predetermined filter plug length. Further, the filter plugs of a respective cut filter rod are coaxially aligned to one another. Staggering the filter plugs, such that filter plugs immediately adjacent another filter plug in a longitudinally axial manner are respectively positionally displaced transverse-axially to one another at a constant staggered spacing. Transferring the filter plugs to a transfer device, so that the filter plugs are positionally displaced to one another at a transverse-axial staggered spacing to the transverse-axially adjacent filter plugs. The filter plugs are staggered in a displaced manner displaced in a longitudinally axial manner to form a row of filter plugs conveyed one behind the other in a transverse-axial manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for the transfer of rod-shaped articles from a longitudinal conveyor that longitudinal axially conveys the articles onto a transverse conveyor that transverse axial conveys the articles transversely to their axes, a direction of transport of the longitudinal conveyor and the transverse conveyor being transverse to each other. The apparatus includes a conveyor having receptacles structured to receive articles from the longitudinal conveyor and to discharge the received articles onto the transverse conveyor. Moreover, the conveyor is structured and arranged to receive at least two pairs of articles, which are delivered to the conveyor on separate tracks of the longitudinal conveyor. Additionally, the conveyor is further structured and arranged to discharge the pairs of articles to two separate tracks of the transverse conveyor. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A module for a machine used in the tobacco processing industry for processing, assembling, and/or inspecting rod-shaped articles. The machine module includes a vertical conveyor.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for labelling as well as a method for identifying a package, particularly one filled with cigarettes, which includes a packing element for holding the product to be packed as well as a wrapping at least partially surrounding the packing element. Furthermore the invention is concerned with a device for labelling as well as a device for identifying a package, particularly one filled with cigarettes, which includes a packing element for holding the product to be packed as well as a wrapping at least partially surrounding the packing element. Furthermore the invention concerns a package, in particular cigarette package. Previous methods and devices for labelling and identification do not allow reliable checking for authenticity of packaging, as the known safety measures can be bypassed.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for successively emptying containers filled with articles, including a delivery element for delivering full containers to a transfer device, whereby the transfer device is designed as a pivot device which includes a pivot arm with a receptacle arranged at a free end and is pivotable about a pivot axis for pivoting out of a lower receiving position A into an upper emptying position E and back, as well as a removal element for removing the empty containers, which is distinguished by the fact that the receptacle at the free end has at least two chambers for receiving at least two containers. Furthermore the invention concerns a method in which, at the same time as emptying the container in the emptying position E, a container already emptied beforehand is introduced into the receptacle, and the empty container after pivoting back into the receiving position A is removed from the receptacle again, while at the same time a full container is introduced into the receptacle.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for the contactless cleaning of a conveying element which is designed to receive rod-shaped articles in the tobacco-processing industry, including at least one ionising element for removing electrostatic charges on the surfaces of the conveying element to be cleaned, at least one rotating compressed-air nozzle for loosening and removing contaminants located on surfaces of the conveying element, and a suction device for extracting the contaminated outgoing air, characterized in that associated with the apparatus is a housing for forming a cleaning chamber at least partially shielded from the environment, whereby the cleaning chamber has an inlet opening and an outlet opening for the conveying element to be cleaned, such that upper side and lower side of the conveying element are surrounded. Furthermore, the invention concerns an arrangement for transporting and/or storing rod-shaped articles with an apparatus for contactless cleaning with the above-mentioned characteristics.

Abstract: Device and machine for determining the diameter and/or the cross-sectional shape of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry. Several, in particular more than three, light sources for emitting in particular linear light to the article and respectively one sensor for each light source for receiving light scattered from the article surface are provided and that an evaluating unit is provided for evaluating the measurement signals of the sensors.

Abstract: Adhesive-coated bands of paper, tipping paper or plastic foil are convoluted around discrete one-piece or composite rod-shaped articles, such as coaxial plain cigarettes and filter mouthpieces, during travel through a rolling zone bounded by a pair of surfaces at least one of which moves relative to the other. The inlet of the rolling zone receives articles, each of which carries a non-convoluted band, from a conveyor which forms part of a pressing device operative immediately ahead of the inlet of the rolling zone and serving to press successively delivered bands against the respective articles and to effect an at least slight flattening of the articles immediately prior to entry into the rolling zone. The width of the path for the articles increases at the outlet of the rolling zone or immediately downstream of such outlet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for conveying transverse axially rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry. The device includes at least one fluted conveyor device with flutes for the articles. In this manner, the width of the flutes is greater than the diameter of the articles and the flutes respectively have at least one suction boring that can be acted on with a vacuum for holding the articles by a vacuum at a position in the flute.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for measuring the diameter of at least one rod-shaped article. A beam splitter is arranged to split a beam coming from the radiation source into several component beams and to conduct the beams from different directions onto the rod-shaped article. A detection device includes a plurality of detectors each arranged to generate a signal indicating a shading of a respective one of the component beams caused by the rod-shaped article. The rod-shaped article is positioned in or guided through the beam paths between the radiation source and the detection device and the diameter of the rod-shaped article is determined from the signals generated in the detection device.

Abstract: A magazine for rod-shaped articles comprises a storage unit having at least one inlet for receiving at least one of the articles supplied to the storage unit and at least one outlet for discharging at least one of the articles positioned in the storage unit. A variable length belt element disposed in the storage unit has a length which defines a fixed storage unit for accommodating a predetermined number of articles. The length of the belt element is expandable for defining a working storage unit, the volume of which can be changed with the expansion of the belt element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for segregating foreign objects out of a tobacco stream. The tobacco stream is fed into a conveyor and conveyed past a foreign-object detecting device which detects a foreign object in the tobacco stream. A diverter is arranged in the conveyor to divert the tobacco stream downstream of the detector. A mechanical valve arrangement in the region of the diverter transfers a portion of the tobacco stream containing the detected foreign object out of the tobacco stream such that the tobacco stream containing the foreign object is not diverted and the remainder of the stream is diverted.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for cutting at least one continuously conveyed rod into rod-shaped articles of variable length, in particular cigarettes, filters or the like, including a cutting device, a counter-support and displacing devices for the cutting device and the counter-support for varying the cut length of the articles, which is characterized in that the displacing devices for the cutting device and the counter-support are coupled together to make a functional connection. Furthermore, the invention concerns a corresponding method which is characterized in that, to alter the length of the articles to be cut off the rod, only one component is displaced, namely optionally the cutting device or the counter-support, and the other component is automatically displaced with it as a function of the displaced component.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing multi-segment filters for the tobacco processing industry, wherein filter rods or filter segments are delivered to a form a group of filter segments. The method includes introducing a medium into the filter rods or filter segments before the filter rods or filter segments are delivered to the formed group of filter segments. The invention also relates to a module of a multi-segment filter machine for the tobacco processing industry, wherein filter rods or filter segments can be delivered to form a group of filter segments. The invention further relates to a multi-segment filter machine for the tobacco processing industry.

Abstract: A method and arrangement are provided for producing compound filters for products in the tobacco-processing industry. A filter tube, having a filter element in a central region of the filter tube, is supplied to a predetermined position. Predetermined portions of filtering material are then inserted into the filter tube from at least a first end of the filter tube so that filter segments form in at least a first part of the filter tube.

Abstract: The invention concerns an article, in particular a packaging, which is provided with an individual marking means. Furthermore, the invention concerns methods and devices for the individual marking and identification of articles, in particular packages. Known packagings have marking means which of course confer a certain degree of safety from counterfeiting. But firstly the packagings are expensive to make due to the additional marking elements. Secondly the usual marking means can also be manipulated with corresponding expenditure, so that a large number of counterfeit packagings are still in circulation. Due to the packaging according to the invention, which is characterised in that the marking means is a random identifier peculiar to the article, in particular to the package, the safety from counterfeiting is increased compared with conventional packagings, this being with very little expenditure, so that the costs of the packaging are also lower than known packagings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a nonwoven fiber composite for the manufacture of filters in the tobacco industry, wherein the method feeds separated fiber materials to a fluidized bed and the separated filter material inside the fluidized bed are transported to a rod-forming device, essentially by a transport air flow flowing in the direction of the rod-forming device and the filter material is compiled on the rod-forming device prior to forming the compacted fiber filter elements.