Abstract: Smokable particles of a first type are withdrawn from a source and are gathered into a narrow stream on a belt conveyor whereon the stream is trimmed prior to transport through a pneumatic conduit wherefrom the stream issues to impinge upon the peripheral surface of a rotating wheel having peripheral pockets for accumulation of batches of smokable particles. The batches are transferred onto a belt conveyor to form a file with gaps between successive batches, and such gaps are filled by smokable particles of a second type before the resulting composite stream is homogenized, equalized and draped into a web of cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod which is severed across the batches or across the accumulations of smokable particles of the second type to yield a series of plain cigarettes of unit length or multiple unit length.

Abstract: Fragments of tobacco ribs are puffed in an elongated tunnel which is vibrated to advance the particles from the inlet toward the outlet. The particles in the tunnel are contacted by streamlets of supersaturated or superheated steam at such temperature and pressure that the temperature of the particles is raised to between 100.5.degree. and 120.degree. C. To this end, steam is admitted at 2.5 to 25 bar absolute pressure and at a temperature of between 126.degree. and 400.degree. C. The thus heated particles of tobacco ribs are thereupon dried.

Abstract: A shock absorber with a variable damping characteristic has a piston which is reciprocable in a cylinder to divide the oil-filled interior of the cylinder into two chambers. The chambers are connectable to each other by way of several passages including a first set for permitting the flow of damping fluid from one chamber into the other chamber through a first one-way valve in response to movement of the piston rod into the cylinder, and a second set of passages which permit the fluid to flow from the other chamber into the one chamber in response to extraction of the piston rod from the cylinder. The piston is further formed with several bypass channels which are adjacent one another and wherein the flow of fluid between the two chambers (either directly or by way of selected passages) is regulated by cores which are movable axially in response to energization of inductance coils or in response to dissipation of energy by springs.

Abstract: A laser or a spark discharge apparatus which is used to perforate the wrapping material for rod-like fillers of tobacco and/or filter material is adjusted in dependency on variations of the characteristics of signals which denote the mass per unit length of a trimmed filler having a predetermined hardness. The wrapping material is tipping paper or cigarette paper and can be perforated prior or subsequent to draping around the trimmed filler, and the draped filler is thereupon subdivided into sections of desired length. Signals denoting the mass per unit length of the filler can be influenced by signals denoting the hardness of the filler, the filling power of the filler, the temperature of fibrous material of the filler, the moisture content of fibrous material of the filler and/or other parameters of the fibrous material and/or filler.

Abstract: Apparatus for changing bobbins of wrapping material in a cigarette making or packing machine has a magazine for a supply of fresh bobbins and a receptacle in front of the magazine. The receptacle receives from the magazine the foremost fresh bobbin when the web of wrapping material on the expiring bobbin is nearly exhausted. The expiring bobbin is located in a pocket between endless belt conveyors which are driven to unwind the web from the expiring bobbin. The fresh bobbin in the receptacle can be prepared for splicing of the leader of its web to the trailing end of the web on the expiring bobbin, and such splicing is carried out as soon as the trailing end of the web is separated from the fully expired bobbin.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically transferring successive fresh bobbins from a magazine wherein the bobbins are stacked in horizontal planes to one of two reciprocable horizontal spindles which are carried by a pivotable holder has annular tongs with claws which are movable into engagement with the periphery of the topmost bobbin in the magazine, and a crank drive which changes the orientation of tongs during transport between the magazine and an unoccupied spindle so that a fresh bobbin which is engaged by the claws in the magazine is moved from its horizontal plane into a vertical plane and its core can receive the unoccupied spindle.

Abstract: Apparatus for temporary storage of cigarettes has a collecting vessel with a lateral inlet for a mass flow of parallel cigarettes and with a vertical duct at the bottom for evacuation of a mass flow of cigarettes. The top portion of the vessel carries two pivotable flaps whose lower portions are connected with spaced-apart portions of a flexible membrane in the form of a wire mesh which rests on the supply of cigarettes in the vessel. That flap which is adjacent the inlet of the vessel is heavier than the other flap and carries the mobile portion of a level monitoring device serving to regulate the rate of admission and/or evacuation of cigarettes and/or to arrest the machine which makes the cigartettes.

Abstract: A cast metallic fixture for workpieces including twin turbine blades has two spaced-apart walls which surround portions of the exterior of a workpiece and several webs which connect the walls to each other. The fixture is made in a casting mold which has one or more inserts extending into the interior of a workpiece which is placed into the cavity of the mold preparatory to pouring of a molten alloy which is then caused to harden and to thus form the fixture. When the fixture has served its purpose of holding the workpiece in a grinding machine, it is broken up by subjecting its walls to bending and tensional stresses to destroy the webs, whereupon the walls are moved apart to afford access to the workpiece. The webs can be destroyed by melting simultaneously with or in lieu of the application of mechanical stresses to the walls of the fixture.

Abstract: The sizing part of the wrapping mechanism in a cigarette rod making machine has a channel-shaped member with a guide surface extending between a straight edge and a U-shaped edge and composed of an infinite number of straight lines each of which connects a point on one of the edges with a point of the other edge. The channel-shaped member cooperates with a tongue whose sides define with the adjacent mutually inclined sections of the guide surface two gaps of constant width for the passage of the marginal portions of garniture tape which is used to drape the web of cigarette paper or other wrapping material around a filler of tobacco or filter material.

Abstract: Apparatus for coupling a rotary grinding tool to a rotary spindle has a long centering cone at the front end of the spindle for entry into a complementary conical hole in the main portion of a hub which separably holds the tool. The spindle transmits torque to the hub by means of two male torque transmitting elements provided on an axial extension of the hub and extending into complementary recesses provided on a ring-shaped member at the smaller-diameter end of the cone. The tool is held in a predetermined axial position by an end face of the extension which abuts an end face of the cone. A package of springs is installed in the cone to normally bias the extension of the hub axially of and away from the spindle so as to facilitate separation of the tool from the spindle by means of an automatic tool changer. The spring surrounds the shank of a screw or bolt which separably secures the extension of the hub to the cone of the spindle.

Abstract: A stream of tobacco particles which is built at the underside of the lower reach of an endless foraminous belt conveyor is trimmed to remove the surplus, and the resulting filler is draped into a web of cigarette paper while advancing through a wrapping mechanism. In order to reduce friction in the wrapping mechanism, the stream is shaped, at least in part, to assume a cross-sectional outline conforming to that of the wrapped filler. Such cross-sectional outline can be imparted by the conveyor and/or by the trimming device. The web of cigarette paper is also shaped on its way toward the wrapping mechanism to assume the shape of a trough.

Abstract: The presence of protruding filaments in a woven endless belt for the transport of tobacco or filter material in a machine of the tobacco processing industry is detected by one or more optoelectronic detectors. Signals which are generated by such detectors are evaluated to transmit a defect signal only when the detectors generate signals which were in fact initiated by protruding filaments rather than by projecting particles of tobacco or filter material, and when the number of such signals per length of the belt reaches a preselected value which warrants the generation of a defect signal.

Abstract: A hinged lid container for arrays of cigarettes is made of a one-piece blank and has a hollow body with an open end remote from its bottom wall, a collar which is integral with the front wall of the body at the open end and extends in part into the body, and a lid which is integral with the rear wall of the body. The collar has two lateral panels with rhomboidal portions extending beyond the respective sidewalls of the body. The free edges of the lateral panels are inclined with reference to the top wall of the lid when the latter is held in closed position so that its lateral walls abut the sidewalls of the body and are outwardly adjacent the rhomboidal portions of the lateral panels.

Abstract: A cigarette rod making machine wherein a shower of tobacco particles is attracted to the underside of the straight horizontal lower reach of an endless air-permeable conveyor which advances the fully grown stream through a surplus removing station before the stream enters the wrapping mechanism wherein it is draped into a web of cigarette paper. Spaced-apart portions of the stream are pneumatically densified at the surplus removing station by attracting the fibrous material against the lower reach of the conveyor or in another direction so as to reduce the quantity of the removed surplus. This can be achieved by utilizing one or more rotary valving elements which connect the corresponding portion of the path for the stream with one or more suction chambers so as to effect a more pronounced densification of the corresponding portions of the stream.

Abstract: Cigarettes with soft cores are produced by forming a continuous stream having a U-shaped cross-sectional outline and advancing the stream along a stationary mandrel and past a shower of tobacco which conceals the mandrel and forms with the stream a ring-shaped filler which is stripped off the mandrel, draped into a web of cigarette paper and subdivided into cigarettes of desired length.

Abstract: A cigarette rod making machine wherein a garniture tape transports a web of cigarette paper and a stream of tobacco particles through a wrapping mechanism has a device which monitors the position of the tape in the wrapping mechanism and adjusts a pulley for the tape when the position of the tape relative to the adhesive applicator is unsatisfactory. The applicator delivers a film of adhesive against one marginal portion of the web on the tape before the web is converted into a tube which confines the particles of tobacco. The adjustments of the pulley are carried out with a view to move the tape sideways so as to maintain a predetermined part of the one marginal portion of the web in a position to receive the adhesive.

Abstract: A filter tipping machine wherein a drum-shaped conveyor whose peripheral flutes deliver groups of coaxial rod-shaped components of filter cigarettes and partially applied adhesive-coated uniting bands to a draping station where the uniting bands are rolled around the respective groups of components has a rolling block which is movable toward and away from the peripheral surface of the conveyor so as to roll the oncoming components ahead of the draping station to the extent which is necessary to dislodge the components and the uniting bands from the respective flutes. This enables the dislodged components to leave the conveyor by gravity and/or under the action of centrifugal force when it becomes necessary to clean the peripheral surface of the conveyor and/or other parts of the machine at the draping station.

Abstract: A sender propels filter rod sections at a constant or at a variable frequency into a pneumatic conveyor which delivers the sections into the magazine of a receiver serving to store a supply of sections next to a filter tipping machine. The operation of the sender is interrupted for a fixed or for a variable interval of time after the sender propels a preselected number of sections. The intervals of operation and idleness of the sender are regulated in dependency on fluctuations of the quantity of sections in the magazine of the receiver. The frequency at which the sender propels the sections can be varied by varying the speed of a fluted rotor which transfers sections from a source to the sender, and the ratio of the intervals of operation and idleness of the sender is determined by several timing pulse generators which receive signals denoting the quantity of sections in the magazine and control the operation of a blocking device which can prevent the transfer of sections from the source into the sender.