Abstract: Apparatus for directly coupling a cigarette maker with a packing machine has a tray filling unit which stores empty trays at an upper level and filled trays at a lower level and receives cigarettes from the maker, a tray evacuating unit which stores empty trays at an upper level and filled trays at a lower level and evacuates the contents of filled trays by simultaneously changing the orientation of cigarettes by 180.degree., and a connecting system which delivers empty trays from the evacuating unit to the filling unit and delivers filled trays from the filling unit to the evacuating unit by simultaneously changing the orientation of the trays so as to compensate for changes in orientation during evacuation of cigarettes from the trays. The connecting system employs one or more upright rotary turrets with tray carriers at two levels and a motor which indexes the turret or turrets and the respective tray carriers through 90.degree. or 180.degree..

Abstract: A continuous web which is drawn off a roll is perforated on its way toward the wrapping station of a machine for the making of plain or filter tipped smokers' products or filter rod sections. The perforating device is adjustable by a control system which receives signals from a photoelectronic testing unit serving to monitor the permeability of successive increments of the web between the perforating device and the wrapping station. The combined cross-sectional area of holes per unit area of the web is increased or reduced, depending upon whether the monitored permeability is less than or exceeds a preselected optimum permeability.

Abstract: Two cigarette making machines discharge discrete files of coaxial plain cigarettes which are moved axially in parallel guides, and successive foremost cigarettes in each guide are engaged and accelerated by a discrete rotating cam which propels the cigarettes into the oncoming axially parallel peripheral flutes of a rotating drum-shaped conveyor. Each flute receives a cigarette from each of the two guides and the distance between a pair of neighboring flutes on the conveyor exceeds the distance between the two files of cigarettes.

Abstract: Apparatus for stabilizing the pressure of air which is admitted into a cigarette testing device has a relatively large cylindrical vessel one end wall of which has an inlet receiving compressed air from a source by way of several pressure reducing valves and a flow restrictor. The inlet has a large number of openings and is surrounded by a first outlet which is also formed with a large number of openings and allows the major part of admitted air to escape from the vessel. The other end wall of the vessel has a single opening for admission of testing fluid into the testing device. The cross-sectional area of the passage which is defined by the flow restrictor for the flow of air into the vessel is a small fraction of the combined cross-sectional area of openings which form the first outlet, and the combined cross-sectional area of the openings which form the first outlet is a large multiple of the cross-sectional area of the second outlet.

Abstract: The undulate cutting edges of knives on a rotary knife holder in a tobacco shredding machine are ground by a grinding wheel whose profile is complementary to that of the cutting edges and which is moved stepwise in parallelism with the axis of the holder and thereupon radially or tangentially of the holder toward and from engagement with successive portions of the knives so that the grinding wheel treats a portion of a previously treated section and an untreated section of each knife while it is held close to the path of orbital movement of the knives. An advancing mechanism is provided to shift the grinding wheel stepwise in parallelism with the axis of the holder, and a moving mechanism is provided to displace the grinding wheel toward and away from the path of orbital movement of the knives during each interval between successive advances.

Abstract: The density of the trimmed tobacco stream in a cigarette rod making machine is monitored and the distance between the trimming plane and the conveyor for the tobacco stream is varied in dependency on deviations of the monitored density from an optimum density. The variations in the distance between the trimming plane and the conveyor are monitored and the signals denoting such variations are used to adjust the rate of tobacco feed into the stream building zone of the machine. The rate of feed is reduced when the distance between the trimming plane and the conveyor is reduced and vice versa. The quantity of removed surplus is monitored and the rate of tobacco fed is or can be regulated in response to signals denoting changes in the quantity of removed surplus. Alternatively, monitoring of the surplus can be used solely to generate signals which denote that the quantity of surplus tobacco is outside of a preselected range.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing a succession of filter rod sections, cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported at right angles to their respective axes and advance through a severing station has a drum-shaped conveyor which transports the articles, a rotary disc-shaped knife which is disposed at the severing station and whose peripheral cutting edge extends into a circumferential groove of the conveyor to sever successive articles at the severing station, and a stationary guide member formed with a slot for reception of those increments of the knife which are about to enter the severing station. The guide member stabilizes the knife by reducing the extent of or by eliminating vibration, fluttering and/or other stray lateral movements of those portions of the cutting edge which are about to penetrate into the oncoming articles at the severing station.

Abstract: A grinding machine wherein the spindle for one or more grinding wheels is at least partially surrounded by a two-piece protective device whose hood is secured to the machine frame and whose cover is detachable by a mechanism on a tool changing device which accepts grinding wheels from the spindle, which delivers such grinding wheels to a magazine and which attaches fresh grinding wheels to the spindle. The mechanism retracts the cover from the hood in the axial direction of the spindle as soon as a reciprocable carriage of the tool changing device assumes a tool changing position in front of the spindle.

Abstract: The outlets of pneumatic pipes in a transporting unit which delivers filter rod sections from a filter rod making machine and wherein the sections move axially admit successive sections into a separating unit wherein the speed of sections is uniformized and the sections are separated from each other by clearances of preselected length prior to entry into the corresponding channels of a deflecting unit which changes the direction of movement of each section from axial to sidewise movement and directs the sections into a junction zone. The latter admits a multi-layer stream of parallel sections which move sideways onto the upper reach of an endless belt conveyor which delivers the stream to a processing machine. The speed of the conveyor is regulated in dependency on the rate at which the deflecting unit receives sections from the separating unit so that the rate of delivery of sections to the processing machine matches the rate of delivery of articles to the separating and deflecting units.

Abstract: A packing machine, wherein an indexible turret carries an annulus of hollow mandrels for arrays of cigarettes, has a tongs which delivers a flat blank between two neighboring mandrels during each period of dwell of the turret, and such blank is placed against the front side of the mandrel therebehind, as considered in the direction of movement of the turret. A biasing member is installed between each pair of neighboring mandrels, and the biasing member which is adjacent to a mandrel that is contacted by a freshly supplied blank is thereupon moved against the outer side of the blank to urge it against the front side of the mandrel. The blank is then converted into a U-shaped body overlaying the front side and the lateral surfaces of the respective mandrel while it is held by the adjacent biasing member.

Abstract: The distance between the equalizing device and the conveyor which transports a tobacco stream past the equalizing device in a cigarette rod making machine is adjustable in order to change the density of the filler into which the stream is converted as a result of removal of excess tobacco therefrom. The firmness of the filler, which is thereupon confined in a web of cigarette paper, is regulated by changing the ratio of the speed of the conveyor which transports the tobacco stream past the equalizing device to the speed of the conveyor which transports the filler through the draping mechanism. The speed of one of the conveyors is changed in response to signals which are generated by a device for monitoring the firmness of the confined filler, either directly by monitoring the firmness of the filler downstream of the draping mechanism or indirectly by monitoring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the unconfined filler between the equalizing device and the draping mechanism.

Abstract: The tobacco stream trimming apparatus of a cigarette making machine has one or more discs which are driven at a peripheral speed exceeding the speed of movement of the tobacco stream through the trimming station. This results in a pronounced increase of the quality of cigarettes, especially dense-end cigarettes, because the pockets which are provided on the discs for the making of dense-end cigarettes penetrate into the tobacco stream and leave the tobacco filler without affecting the distribution of tobacco particles. The discs are driven by the main prime mover of the machine through the medium of an infinitely variable speed transmission whose ratio is adjustable by a servomotor in response to signals which are generated by a device that monitors the density of successive increments of the cigarette rod.

Abstract: The cigarette rod which is produced in a cigarette maker is subdivided into a file of plain cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. If the file contains cigarettes of unit length, successive pairs of cigarettes are deflected sideways to form two rows of coaxial cigarettes before the cigarettes of one row are staggered transversely of the cigarettes of the other row so that the two rows can be converted into a single row by shifting the cigarettes of at least one row axially between the neighboring cigarettes of the other row. If the file contains cigarettes of double unit length, such file is converted into a single row of parallel cigarettes which are thereupon severed to yield pairs of coaxial cigarettes of unit length forming two rows wherein each cigarette of one row is coaxial with a cigarette of the other row. The cigarettes of one row are then staggered with reference to the cigarettes of the other row prior to shuffling to form a single row of parallel cigarettes of unit length.

Abstract: A cigarette testing apparatus wherein each end of the wrapper of a cigarette advancing with a rotary conveyor past a testing station receives a stream of gaseous testing fluid from a conduit which is connected with a source of testing fluid, and wherein a further conduit connects the interior of the wrapper at the testing station with an electropneumatic transducer which generates signals denoting the condition of successively tested wrappers.

Abstract: A running web of cigarette paper or the like is perforated in a first portion of its path, thereupon tested for permeability by a pneumatic detector in a second portion of the path, and finally tested for permeability by an optical detector in a third portion of the path. Signals which are generated as a result of pneumatic testing are used to adjust the perforating unit in the first portion of the path. Signals which are generated as a result of testing by the optical detector are compared with a reference signal denoting the desired permeability of the web, and the web and perforating unit are arrested, or the cigarettes which contain defective portions of the web are segregated from satisfactory cigarettes, if the deviation of generated signals from the reference signal exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: A running web of cigarette paper or tipping paper, which is formed with one or more groups of longitudinally extending perforations by heating and resulting burning or charring selected portions of the web, is treated by one or more wiping devices which sweep along one or both sides of the web, at least in the region of the group or groups of perforations. The wiping device or devices can employ one or more rotary brushes in conjunction with one or more back supports in the form of driven rollers or idler rollers, or a stationary pad which is biased against the web to thereby urge the web against a stationary back support. The wiping device or devices enhance the appearance of the web by reducing the visual contrast between the perforated and non-perforated portions.

Abstract: The frame of a machine tool supports a feed screw which can be rotated by a reversible motor and meshes with a nut connected to the work-supporting table of the machine tool by a pair of links flanking the feed screw and disposed in planes which are parallel to the axis of the feed screw. The end portions of the links are pivotable without play about pins which are embedded in the underside of the table and about pins which are embedded in the nut. Such articulate connection between the table and the nut ensures that vibrations, flexure and/or other stray movements of the feed screw are not transmitted to the workpiece or workpieces on the table.

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: Cigarettes in the peripheral flutes of a rotary drum-shaped conveyor are tested while their end portions extend into elastic tubes which are deformable radially inwardly into sealing engagement with the wrappers of the respective end portions in response to axial deformation directly by the respective end faces of the conveyor. The tubes are mounted on two ring-shaped carriers which are adjacent to the end faces of the conveyor and rotate about axes which are slightly inclined with reference to the axis of the conveyor so that each tube approaches the conveyor during one-half and moves away from the conveyor during the other half of each revolution of the conveyor and that corresponding carrier. A gaseous testing fluid is admitted into the ends of cigarettes while the tubes are deformed so that they are in sealing engagement with the wrappers of the respective cigarettes.

Abstract: Trays containing stacks of cigarettes are moved to an evacuating station above a vertically movable platform which descends as soon as the movable bottom of a filled tray is moved to its open position. The platform then lowers a stack of cigarettes from the interior of a filled tray onto the upper stretches of two intermittently driven endless belts in a magazine. The latter serves for temporary storage of such stacks prior to transport of cigarettes into a reservoir which feeds cigarettes into the hopper of a packing machine. The supply of cigarettes in the reservoir is monitored.[.,.]. and.Iadd., .Iaddend.when the supply is depleted to a certain minimum permissible value, a switch produces a signal which starts a motor for the belts so as to transfer a stack from the magazine into the reservoir.