Abstract: A method of safe transfer of filter segments to a grouping belt in a process of producing multi-segment filters. The method includes transferring the filter segments using a filter segments' flow track, wherein the filter segments' flow track includes, consecutively, a zone of delivery of prepared segments, a zone of separation of delivered segments by a separating unit, a zone of intercepting of separated segments by a transferring unit, a zone of transferring segments by the transferring unit, and a zone of placing the segments by the transferring unit on a horizontal path of the grouping belt; detecting incorrect flow of filter segments in any zone and/or between the zones; and moving the transferring unit and/or the separating unit out of the filter segments' flow track if an incorrect flow of filter segments is detected, and interrupting the process of producing multi-segment filters.

Abstract: System having a transitory store (S), in the inlet zone (5) of which, there are disposed fillers (4) for compartment trays, to which rod shaped elements are delivered by in-feed conveyors (3) in form of mass flow from making machines (1), and each machine is assigned with a separate filler (4). In the outlet zone (9) of the store (S) there are disposed unloaders (8) for said trays, and rod shaped elements are delivered by out-feed conveyors (10) in form of mass flow to processing machines (2), and each machine (2) is assigned with a separate unloader (8). On the trajectory of each out-feed conveyor (10) there is situated an emptying hopper (11) co-operating with a mobile filler (12) for compartment trays. Moreover in the inlet zone (5) of the store (S) there is situated a filler (4?) for compartment trays, connected to an unloader (6) for one chamber trays with an in-feed conveyor (3?), and an in-feed conveyor (14), and in the outlet zone (9) there is situated an out-feed conveyor (15).

Abstract: A slidable blade mounted on a tobacco cutter drum, in the form of a flat plate bevelled on the rim forming the cutting edge, wherein said flat plate (1, 1?) comprises on at least one of the surfaces a plurality of longitudinal grooves (2, 2?) of the depth that is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the said plate, the grooves being oriented substantially perpendicularly to the cutting edge (3, 3?) of the said plate and being arranged substantially in parallel to one another at distances, in at least two series (a, a?, b, b?, c, c? . . . ) parallel to the cutting edge, said grooves (2, 2?) being situated in consecutive rows in such a way that the longitudinal axis of each groove lies on a line situated between the grooves of the adjacent rows.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for filling under gravity from a hopper, a storage device for articles that has the form of a columnar cavity between opposed side walls with a mass flow of mutually parallel rod-shaped articles descending from the hopper, a cavity-filling device that alternates in use between a closed configuration that blocks a downward flow of the said articles through the device and an open configuration that allows flow of the articles through the device, the device being movable in translation, in alternate upward and downward strokes within the cavity, being in the closed configuration on the downward stroke and in the open configuration on the upward stroke.

Abstract: A method of separating tobacco from cigarette waste using an apparatus comprising a revolving screen, in which the cigarette waste is fed onto the screen in order to be screened by gravity. The method includes relocating the cigarette waste over the surface of the screen, the relocation being aided by a scraper unit cooperating with the screen and the angular position of the screen in the apparatus relative to the horizontal plane being adjustable. An apparatus is also provided for separating tobacco from cigarette waste comprising a revolving screen which is adjustably mounted in such a way that the angular position of the screen in the apparatus relative to the horizontal plane is adjustable, provided with a scraper unit for aiding relocation of the cigarette waste on the surface of the screen during its rotational movement.

Abstract: The subject matter of the application is a method of feeding beads in the tobacco industry system, in a unit for transferring a stream of beads (2), from receiving pockets (18) to outfeeding pockets (21, 21?), where the beads are transferred along guiding grooves (5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6C) disposed on guiding plates (5, 5?, 6, 6?), comprising the steps in which: the beads are fed to a guiding chamber (22, 22?, 22?) formed at the intersection of the guiding groove (5A, 5B) of the first guiding plate (5, 5?) and the guiding groove (6A, 6B, 6C) of the second guiding plate (6, 6?); at least one guiding plate is rotated relative to the second guiding plate, which forces the movement of the guiding chamber (22, 22?, 22?) so that the distance of the guiding chamber (22, 22?, 22?) to the axis of rotation of the guiding plates changes; the beads are conveyed from the guiding chamber (22, 22?, 22?) to the outfeeding pocket (21, 21?). The subject matter of the application is also a device for the implementation of the method.

Abstract: A method and a device for feeding beads (2) in a tobacco industry system comprising a bead (2) container (2A), a bead feeding unit (3) provided with a plurality of channels (4) for supplying a plurality of bead streams, a unit (13) for transferring the beads to the filter material, where the beads are fed from holding pockets (14) of the bead feeding unit (3) to receiving pockets (18) of the bead transfer unit (13), in which the beads are supplied from the bead container (2A) to a plurality of channels (4) of the bead feeding unit (3) comprising holding pockets (14); the beads are fed from the holding pockets (14) of the bead feeding unit (3) to the receiving pockets (18) of the bead transfer unit (13) and to a delivery wheel (7) by means of movable feeding means (8); the beads are picked up from the receiving pockets (18) by means of movable guiding means (5, 6).

Abstract: Beads are transferred in the form of a flow along supply channels into first holding pockets; the beads from the holding pockets of the bead feeding unit are fed to receiving pockets of a bead transfer unit by means of movable feeding means, then in the bead transfer unit the beads are inserted into a guiding chamber formed at the intersection of a guiding groove of a first guiding plate and a guiding groove of a second guiding plate of the bead transfer unit, at least one guiding plate is rotated relative to the second guiding plate, which forces the movement of the guiding chamber so that the distance of the guiding chamber to the axis of rotation of the guiding plates changes, and the beads from the guiding chamber or the guiding channel are conveyed to a outfeeding pocket.

Abstract: Method and system for arranging rod-like elements, in which an unordered portion of rod-like elements (3A . . . 3F) composed each of at least one part selected from a group including cigarette parts being filter parts and tobacco parts, is delivered to a conveyor having successive sectors (1A) defined and enabling arrangement of the elements (3A . . . 3F) on the said conveyor (1) in separate rows (2) along the axes of the elements (3A . . . 3F) and along the conveyor axis, characterized in that the type, the number and the location of the parts of each element (3A . . . 3F) transported on the conveyor (1) are defined by at least a single scanning of each successive element (3A . . . 3F) on the conveyor (1), the result of the scanning being transmitted to a control unit (S) in which each sector (1A) of the conveyor (1) is assigned information about its contents, the elements (3A . . .

Abstract: An adjustable reservoir for articles such as smoking articles and smoking article filters comprises a plurality of conveyors mounted one above another in a vertical stack, each conveyor comprising an endless belt defining a curved conveying path of constant radius extending between two ends proximally spaced to define a gap through which articles carried by the belt may drop, and a drive mechanism operable to rotate at least one conveyor about the vertical axis of the stack so as to change the angular position of the gap of that conveyor relative to the gaps of adjacent conveyors. Changing the relative angular positions of the gaps allows the capacity of the reservoir to be adjusted, and further adjustment can be achieved by changing the direction of travel of the conveyor belts. The drive mechanism can be configured to move one or more groups of conveyors in unison, or to move each conveyor individually.

Abstract: Before the start of manufacturing of filter rods (6) from a filter roller moving together with a format tape (1), information regarding a segment (3) to be cut, the length of the filter rod (6), the sequence of segments (3) in the rod (6) and a constant distance between a feeding unit (2) and a cutting head (5) is entered into a control system, after which the control system calculates a basic static electronic relationship between drive systems of a servomotor (8) of the feeding unit (2) and a servomotor (9) of the cutting head (5) considering a drive system of a servomotor (10) of the format tape (1).

Abstract: A method, where a verification of positioning of articles (3) is effected by means of sensors (14), and an improvement of positioning is effected by aligning a plane of end faces of the articles (3), consists in that the verification and improvement of positioning of rod-like articles (3) is effected simultaneously by means of an aligning device (1) provided with sensors (14), where the sensors (14) detect correct filling and/or arrangement of the articles (3), and the aligning device (1) aligns the plane of end faces of the articles (3) correctly filling the inside of a tray (6, 6?) or an intermediate store (7,7?), and in the event of detection of incorrect filling and/or arrangement the aligning device (1) is switched off and the operation of the entire unit is interrupted.

Abstract: The object of the invention is an electric press for the compression of tobacco cut filler provided with at least one electric motor (1) and a control unit (2) driving a movable compressing element (3) by means of a drive train (4) characterised in that the compressing element (3) of the piston rod has an openwork design and is driven while keeping controllable driving torque.

Abstract: Docking station (1) with a clearing device for a channel (4) for the mass flow of rod-shaped articles (5) used in the tobacco industry, provided with storage means (2) containing the clearing device (3) wherein the storage means are adapted in such a way that they are led in into the channel in response to a signal of presence of the end face of mass flow at the place at which the clearing device is led in or out; moving means (14) for inserting the clearing device into the channel after the storage means have been led in into the channel; furthermore, the storage means are adapted in such a way that they are led out of the installation channel in response to the signal of presence of the end face of the cleaning device in the channel.

Abstract: Setting of reciprocal position of filter segments (3) delivered from multiple modules (1) of a machine for manufacturing filters is accomplished by registering the position and the length of a segment (3) from each module (1) on a carrier element (2) of a grouping unit when the filter manufacturing process is switched off, after which the reciprocal position of the segments (3) and the length between the segments (3) are set. The said operations may be accomplished by means of a sensor (4), the registering element (12) or by mapping the relative positions of adjacent segments (3) in the control system.

Abstract: The method consists in that in case of occurrence of a gap (12) on a path (9) feeding out sets of filter segments (5) of a flute (6) of a cutting drum (3), caused by lack of a filter rod in a flute (6), the operation of the units situated before the gap (12) is slowed down, with simultaneous acceleration of the operation of the units situated behind the gap (12), until the moment of elimination of the gap (12), the lack of a filter rod in the flute (6) being detected by means of sensors (13, 14), and the process of compensation beginning at the moment when the set of segments (5) guided by the pusher (8) of the out-feeding unit (7), being before the gap (12) is taken over by a delivery unit (H), and ends at the moment of elimination of the gap (12).

Abstract: The method of control consists in altering the flow path by means of swing and/or slide shiftable movable elements (5 and 10), constituting a fragment of the opposite side walls (2 and 3) of an angularly positioned channel (1), which after shifting stop the flow or direct it to another receiving device or simultaneously to multiple receiving devices, with the possibility of restoring the flow after shifting the movable elements (5 and 10) to previous position. The device is situated in the channel (1), the first side wall (2) of which is provided with a first movable element (5), and a fragment of the opposite second side wall (3) forms a second movable element (10), with the first movable element (5) being mounted on a pivot (6) together with a perpendicular plate (7), on which also the second movable element (10) by means of an actuator (9) is mounted. The second element (10) may have the shape of a cylinder sector or a triangular prism or take the shape of a rotating plate.

Abstract: Transfer system cooperating with a machine for producing tobacco and filter product rods having a rod receiving unit, a cutting head, and a control system. The machine enables adjustment of the length of the produced rods, whereby the rod receiving unit of the transfer system is synchronized with the cutting head by the control system. The transfer system is situated between the machine for producing rods and a machine for further processing or transmitting the rods. A rejection unit is provided for rejecting the rods outside the transfer system during the synchronization of the rod receiving unit of the transfer system with the cutting head after a new length is entered into the control system. The rejection unit is located between the cutting head of the machine and the rod receiving unit.

Abstract: A method of removing electrostatic charges from the tray (1, 1?) consists in supplying pressurized ionized air, first along the bottom (12, 12?) of the already turned over tray (1, 1?), and then, when unloading the tray (1, 1?), along its side walls (15, 15?) or the inner walls (14) of a compartment (13). The tray (1, 1?), made of dielectric material, protected against negative action of the electrostatic field, is provided inside with an insert (22, 22?) of conducting material, whereas the insert (22, 22?) may have different shapes. The device for unloading compartment trays (1) made of dielectric material is provided with an ionizer (10) disposed horizontally along the linear transporter (5), in the zone of feeding of the trays (1), whereas its nozzles (11) are turned in the direction of the inside of the bottom (12).

Abstract: A device having a variable-capacity store (3) formed with the aid of conveyors on two neighboring levels having one input channel (1), formed by a lower conveyor (4) and an upper conveyor (5), and one output channel (2), formed by an upper conveyor (6) and a lower conveyor (7), having a back plate (12), which is coupled with a slide (16) separating the levels of the store (3), equipped with a separating conveyor (17) so that they jointly effect to and fro motion, parallel to the horizontal conveyors, with the surface of the back plate (12), concave on the side of the store (3), is formed a the chain conveyor (13), characterized by the fact that the upper input conveyor (5) has at the end an arched part (8) pointing upwards, and the lower output conveyor (7) has at the beginning an arched part (9) pointing downwards, so that the two conveyors (5 and 7) approach each other with the arched parts (8 and 9), and between the arched part (8) of the upper input conveyor (5) and the arched part (9) of the lower output