Abstract: Circumferentially extending recesses in the peripheral surface of a rotating suction wheel are filled with tobacco shreds which are delivered in the form of a narrow stream by a pneumatic conveyor having a narrow tobacco propelling channel extending radially of the suction wheel and receiving the shreds of the stream in a current of compressed air. The surplus of shreds is removed by the current and/or by a trimming device which is installed in the interior of the pneumatic conveyor, and such surplus is recirculated through the distributor of a cigarette rod making machine and back into the pneumatic conveyor. The batches are used to form the interrupted core of a composite tobacco filler wherein the core is surrounded by a tubular envelope containing a different blend of tobacco.

Abstract: A fluted drum transports filter plugs and pairs of plain cigarettes in successive flutes past two rollers which cause the cigarettes to move inwardly toward the respective plug. In order to ensure the establishment of a cavity between each cigarette and the respective end of the corresponding plug, each flute contains two distancing elements whose width matches the acceptable width of the cavities. The outermost portions of the distancing elements taper in a direction away from the bottom portions of the respective flutes to allow for convenient introduction of filter plugs and cigarettes which are held by suction during transport past the rollers and on to the station where the groups of coaxial and properly spaced-apart filter plugs and cigarettes are removed from their flutes.

Abstract: A combination of production lines for the manufacture of filter cigarettes wherein the filter tipping machines form several groups. The number of groups exceeds by one the number of machines in a group. Each machine receives filter rod sections from one of two different pneumatic senders by way of one of two discrete pneumatic conveyors. Each sender has a hopper for sections and several pneumatic propelling units which deliver sections from the respective hopper into the corresponding conveyors. The possibility of feeding sections to each machine from either one of two discrete senders ensures that the machines need not be shut down in the event of malfunction of a given sender, of one of the two propelling units for a machine or of one of two conveyors for a machine.

Abstract: A composite tobacco stream is built at the underside of the lower reach of an air-permeable belt conveyor below a suction chamber by showering tobacco particles of a first type into the corner between one marginal portion of the lower reach and a first sidewall bounding a tobacco channel at the underside of the lower reach, by thereupon showering tobacco particles of the first type into the corner between the other marginal portion of the lower reach and a second sidewall so that the particles form a first tobacco layer having a concave underside, by thereupon depositing a relatively narrow core consisting of tobacco particles of a different second type on the underside of the first layer midway between and spaced apart from the two marginal portions of the lower reach, and by thereupon showering tobacco particles of the first type over the core as well as over the marginal portions of the first layer.

Abstract: At least one end portion of a grinding or dressing wheel has a frustoconical projection with a relatively short frustoconical external surface extending into a frustoconical recess which is provided therefor in one end portion of a rotary tool supporting spindle. The wheel is formed with an end face which is located in the region of the maximum-diameter portion of its external surface and abuts against a complementary end face on the spindle to fix the wheel in a preselected axial position wherein the wheel is held by a tension rod which extends into an axial passage of the spindle. The positions of the projection and recess can be reversed.

Abstract: A pneumatic conveyor draws particles of tobacco from a vibrating trough by causing an air stream to flow from its intake end, which is adjacent to the trough, to its intake end which is connected to a suction generating device. A cyclone separator is installed in the conveyor to segregate the particulate material from the air stream and to discharge such material into a duct which feeds the material by gravity to an intermittently operated cell wheel evacuator. The latter drops batches of particulate material into the magazine of the distributor in a cigarette rod making machine. The conveyor has an elongated diffusor which is disposed upstream of the cyclone separator to decelerate the air stream, and such diffusor is followed by an arcuate portion whose radius of curvature is greater than the radius of the cylindrical wall surrounding the chamber of the cyclone separator.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for ascertaining the filling power of tobacco which forms a continuously moving stream by subjecting spaced-apart portions of the stream to the deforming action of two rollers in such a way that the deforming action of the downstream roller exceeds the deforming action of the upstream roller. The extent of deformation of tobacco below the two rollers is ascertained by monitoring devices serving to generate signals for transmission to a dividing circuit which forms the quotient of such signals. The quotient is indicative of the filling power of tobacco. The signal at the output of the dividing circuit can be modified by taking into consideration the moisture content and/or the temperature of tobacco and/or by involution of such signal with an exponent ensuring that the signal denoting the filler power is furnished in units suitable for immediate use in a machine which increases and/or regulates the filling power of tobacco.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus which transports filter cigarettes from a tipping machine to a packing machine has a first transporting unit which directly couples the output of the tipping machine with the magazine of the packing machine, and a second transporting unit which receives the surplus of filter cigarettes from a diverting device of the first transporting unit when the output of the tipping machine exceeds the requirements of the packing machine and delivers the removed surplus back to the first transporting unit when the requirements of the packing machine exceed the output of the tipping machine. The second transporting unit employs a tray filler which receives cigarettes from the diverting device, a first conveying section which transports filled trays away from the tray filler, a tray evacuator which converts the contents of successive filled trays into a stream of cigarettes and turns the cigarettes through 180.degree.

Abstract: A grinding machine wherein the spindle which supports a grinding wheel during removal of material from a workpiece and/or any one of several carriers for spare or substitute grinding wheels are movable relative to each other to positions in which a grinding wheel can be transferred from a selected carrier directly onto the spindle or vice versa. The carriers are mounted in or on a stationary or mobile magazine and their axes can extend radially of a horizontal axis or radially of a vertical axis. The carriers can form one or more rows or one or more annuli. The magazine can be mounted adjacent to the frame of the grinding machine, on a horizontally reciprocable table which supports a vertically or horizontally movable carriage for the spindle, or at a level above the normal level of the spindle.

Abstract: The heat-sealing tool for closing the thermoplastic transparent outer wrappers of cigarette packs in a cigarette packing machine is pivoted intermittently into engagement with the wrappers of successive packs while the indexible turret which transports the packs is idle. The tool is held in engagement with each of a series of wrappers for the same interval of time irrespective of the speed of the prime mover which drives the turret. To this end, the tool is pivotable by a rotary disc-shaped cam which is driven by a variable-speed motor whose operation is regulated by a control circuit including a function generator. Alternatively, the tool is actuated by a transmission which receives motion from the prime mover and is adjusted when the speed of the prime mover changes.

Abstract: A composite tobacco filler is formed in three stages by showering or otherwise depositing the particles of a first tobacco type at one side of a first air-permeable suction conveyor to form a narrow core one surface of which contacts the first conveyor; by thereupon depositing on the first conveyor a first layer which consists of another type of tobacco, which overlies the core, and whose marginal portions extend laterally beyond the core; by thereupon transferring the core and the first layer onto a second air-permeable suction conveyor so that the one surface of the core becomes exposed and the first layer directly contacts one side of the second conveyor; and by thereafter showering a second tobacco layer of the other type onto the exposed surface of the core and onto the marginal portions of the first layer to thus complete the formation of a filler wherein the core is completely surrounded by the material of the two layers.

Abstract: The leader of a fresh reel in a cigarette making or other tobacco processing machine is engaged by the tongs on an endless chain and is advanced to a splicing device so that it can be spliced to the trailing portion of a running web which is being paid out by an expiring reel. The tongs can be opened preparatory to introduction of the leader of the fresh web between its jaws by a severing device which serves to cut the protective strip around the outermost convolution of the fresh web as well as to deflect the thus exposed leader of the web on the fresh reel into the open tongs during pivoting of the severing device from its operative to its inoperative position.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes which are produced in a filter tipping machine are transported by a severing conveyor in the form of two rows wherein the filters of cigarettes in one row are adjacent to the filters of cigarettes in the other row. The cigarettes of the one row are thereupon inverted end-for-end by sets of pairwise arranged pivotable levers one of which withdraws a cigarette from the one row during movement along an endless circular path and turns the removed cigarette through 90 degrees about an axis which is normal to the cigarette and is remote from its filter while the one lever travels along an arc of 180 degrees. The thus partially inverted cigarette is taken over by the other lever of the respective pair and is turned through additional 90 degrees while the other lever travels along an arc of 180 degrees.

Abstract: A continuous rod-like filler which is ready for draping into a web of cigarette paper is obtained by removing the surplus of tobacco from a continuous tobacco stream which is formed at one side of a foraminous belt conveyor the other side of which is adjacent to a suction chamber serving to attract the particles of tobacco to the conveyor. The surplus is removed downstream of the zone where the particles of tobacco are delivered to the conveyor. The density of the filler is monitored subsequent to draping, and the signals which are generated by the density monitoring device are used to vary the pressure in the suction chamber, to vary the speed of a first rotary conveyor which propels particles of tobacco against the belt conveyor and/or to vary the rate of feed of tobacco particles to the belt conveyor by adjusting the speed of a second rotary conveyor which draws tobacco particles from the lower end of a duct.

Abstract: The shaft of a dressing tool for grinding wheels is rotatable in two spaced-apart sets of roller bearings each of which is mounted in the radially extending leg of a discrete housing section. The two sections are connected to each other by two packages of leaf springs which extend radially of and are disposed at one side of the shaft and allow for uninterrupted thermally induced changes in the length of the shaft while preventing appreciable radial movements of the two sets of bearings relative to each other. One radially extending leg is integral with a third leg which is spaced apart from and is parallel to the shaft and is connected with the other radially extending leg by the two packages of leaf springs.

Abstract: An intermittently advanced web of wrapping material is subdivided into discrete blanks which are used in a cigarette packing machine for conversion into portions of soft packs by severing the web across its leader during each interval of dwell of the web so as to separate from the web a discrete blank, and by simultaneously removing one corner at the leading edge of the freshly formed blank. This obviates the need for the provision of triangular notches in the one and/or other marginal portion of the web. Successive blanks are transferred from the severing staton by suction arms for delivery into the range of the converting mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus for building a continuous tobacco stream at one side of an air-permeable conveyor, the other side of which is adjacent to a suction chamber, has two sidewalls which define with the one side of the conveyor a tobacco channel receiving tobacco particles along the concave side of a third wall which can merge into one of the sidewalls and is provided with inclined passages for the flow of compressed air in directions having components in the direction of travel of the tobacco stream. This ensures that all or nearly all particles of tobacco are accelerated in the direction of travel of the stream even before they enter the channel on their way toward the one side of the air-permeable conveyor.

Abstract: A cigarette rod making machine wherein the trimming device is movable toward or away from the suction conveyor on which the tobacco stream is formed so as to remove larger or smaller quantities of excess tobacco and to thereby influence the density of the resulting filler. The sidewalls of the tobacco channel which confines the tobacco stream on the suction conveyor have portions which are immediately adjacent to the trimming device and are movable therewith relative to the suction conveyor so that the positions of such portions of the sidewalls relative to the trimming device remain unchanged in all positions of the trimming device. The disc-shaped members establish a boundary between the excess of tobacco and the tobacco which is to form the filler, and the excess is removed by a rotary brush.

Abstract: Plain cigarettes of unit length are fed into successive axially parallel peripheral flutes of a rotary drum-shaped first conveyor in such a way that each cigarette enters a first end portion of the respective flute. The second end portions of the flutes have suction ports which attract the cigarettes in alternate flutes so that such cigarettes move axially and provide room for introduction of additional cigarettes whereby each second flute contains a pair of coaxial cigarettes which define a gap for a filter rod section of double unit length. Pairs of coaxial cigarettes in alternate flutes are released for transfer into the axially parallel peripheral flutes of a second drum-shaped conveyor by a system of valving elements composed of a stationary valving element in the interior of the first conveyor and a rotary valving element which connects at intervals two axially parallel bores of the stationary valving element with a suction generating device.

Abstract: A homogeneous tobacco stream is built upon an air-permeable conveyor in a channel which is adjacent to one side of the conveyor and is bounded by two sidewalls. Particles of tobacco are admitted against the concave side of an arcuate guide wall, whose discharge end is adjacent to the channel and remote from the one side of the conveyor, together with streams of compressed air which accelerate the particles of tobacco and transport them toward and beyond the discharge end of the guide wall. The concave side of the guide wall has three guide faces each of which directs a discrete partial stream of tobacco particles against a different portion of the one side of the conveyor whereon the particles are retained by suction.