Abstract: A trimming device for trimming a cigarette filler stream in a cigarette making machine comprises two cooperating disc assemblies (2,3) arranged to rotate at equal speeds about laterally spaced axes (4,5) and including discs (11,12) from the respective assemblies which overlap to trim the filler stream at a first trim level and are formed with cut-outs (15) in their peripheries which register during rotation of the disc assemblies so as to allow additional quantities of tobacco to project through them to form cigarette dense end portions of the filler stream, the two disc assemblies including additional discs (16,17) arranged to cooperate so as to trim away, at a set level in relation to the first trim level, excess quantities of tobacco projecting through the cut-outs (15).

Abstract: A linear variable capacity reservoir, particularly for rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, includes a boundary device (18;76) movable between an entrance (22;78) at one end and an exit (48;81) at the other end to vary the capacity of a main reservoir storage area (24;66). The boundary device (18;76) carries an end pulley (30;90) for a variable length extendible conveyor (32;88) which conveys a stream of articles from the main storage area to the exit. In another version the reservoir includes a movable end wall (216) movable towards and away from a stationary end wall (217) to vary the capacity of the reservoir storage area (220), and a variable length conveyor (218) extendible into the storage area from the stationary wall. When the storage area is empty a direct vertical path (212) for articles exists between the stationary and movable end walls. The extendible conveyors (32;88;218) are supportable by spaced retractable horizontal rollers (46) carried by vertical spindles (48).

Abstract: In a conveying system for a stream of rod-like articles in multi-layer stack formation, in which system the stream is moved along a path which is curved in a generally horizontal plane, suction is applied to the hub (30) of a turntable (10) for the stream, in order to draw the ends of the articles (16) against the hub and thereby help to maintain alignment of the articles during conveyance on the turntable. Further control, particularly for the uppermost articles, may be provided by a series of bristles (44) urged into contact with the articles on the turntable (10) by a guide rod (46). The system may be usefully employed in a filter cigarette assembling machine, for turning one of two streams of filter cigarettes issuing from the machine so that it may be merged with the other stream with the filter ends of the cigarettes in the two streams facing in the same direction.

Abstract: Cigarette tipping paper is perforated by a laser 31 emitting a beam which is directed onto the tipping paper via an acousto-optical beam deflector 33 and a beam splitter 34 producing two parallel perforation tracks 24 along the tipping paper. Each track may include a number of rows of perforations, the laser beam being deflected for that purpose by the acousto-optical device. The porosity of the tipping paper and/or the dilution of the completed cigarettes can be controlled in various ways, particularly by the use of an acousto-optical device; the latter may be used to vary the perforation pattern, the laser beam being directed onto a heat sink 52 when it is not required to perforate the tipping paper. Control of the perforation pattern, as well as allowing different patterns to be applied, is used to control the dilution factor of the finished cigarettes.

Abstract: Successive rows of cigarettes delivered axially from a packing machine hopper outlet (12) are engaged by a cyclically-movable transfer member (24, 32, 425) which accelerates each row sideways and closes up spaces between cigarettes (C) before transferring the row to a conveyor (22) moving continuously at machine speed. The conveyor may be a drum (22) which transfers the cigarettes to a pocket conveyor (62) in which the cigarette bundles are formed, or it may be the pocket conveyor itself. The hopper may have several spaced outlets (12) so that rows may be supplied to the pocket conveyor (62) at spaced locations along its length to provide multi-layer bundles.

Abstract: Rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes or cigarette filter rods, are conveyed in a stream in a direction transverse to their lengths at a speed which is progressively reduced, so that the height of the conveyed stream is increased. Prior to the reduction in conveyance speed the speed of individual articles is increased briefly to avoid damage from following articles. The speed reduction takes place in a path having divergent boundary walls.

Abstract: Various arrangements are disclosed for perforation by laser of cigarettes carried on a fluted drum without rolling. In one arrangement (FIGS. 1-3) rings of reflectors (8, 14) movable with the drum (12) intercept and direct a continuous laser beam (18). In another arrangement (FIGS. 4,5) cigarettes (28) are perforated while being conveyed past a fixed focus pulsed beam (32) which has a selected profile and is redirected between passing cigarettes to perforate cigarette at other positions. Other arrangements include using a rotating disc (FIGS. 6-8) or rotary stepped reflector (FIGS. 9, 13, 14) to share a beam between different cigarettes or produce two rows of perforations on a cigarette, using a continuous reflective surface (FIGS. 10, 11) to reflect a rotating beam at passing cigarettes, and causing a beam to partially track a moving cigarette (FIG. 12).

Abstract: A wrapping machine, particularly for wrapping cigarette packets in wrapper film, includes a series of endless band conveyors (148, 152, 156, 166, 170) carrying pushers (150, 154, 158, 172) for moving successive packets (191) along a straight wrapping line. One of the pushers (158) is heated to seal a wrapper seam. Opposed heated band conveyors (166) simultaneously seal end folds of the wrapper. Packets are gripped between opposed conveyors (145, 148) immediately after intercepting a wrapper (100). Partially-wrapped packets are arranged to slide relative to surfaces (149, 153, 157, 180) to attain wrap tightness. Successive conveyors (e.g. 156, 170) are independently driven to allow phasing of the conveyors to vary the position at which packets are transferred between them.

Abstract: In a cigarette making machine, each of a number of quality parameters of the product (individual cigarettes and/or packaged cigarettes) is monitored and a quality value for each parameter is continuously calculated in accordance with predetermined criteira; certain machine operating trends (including causes of stoppages) are monitored; and control devices are automatically operated under the control of a programmable control unit (computer) responsive to all these inputs so as optimize the total of the quality parameters and also the machine operating characteristics.

Abstract: Single cigarette rejection, particularly in a passage (10) between vanes (12) in a cigarette packing machine hopper, is performed by axial ejection of faulty cigarettes using suction generated by exhausting high pressure air adjacent an ejection aperture (22) in an end wall (16) of the passage. A short cylindrical casing (24) is located around the aperture (22) and defines a duct (28) through which the cigarette is ejected. The casing (24) includes an annular pressure chamber (32) and venturi orifice (34) for generating suction in the duct (28).

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding tobacco in or to a cigarette making machine comprises a number of carded rollers (10, 11, 12, 18) which transfer a metered stream of tobacco from one to the other while allowing relatively short strands or particles of tobacco to drop out from the transfer point or points, means (29, 30, 31, 32) for collecting and metering the tobacco shorts, and means (23, 24, 26, 28) for collecting and metering longer particles of tobacco which travel beyond the transfer point or points from which tobacco shorts drop out, the metered streams of tobacco shorts and longer particles being combined to form a cigarette filler stream which is to be enclosed in a continuous wrapper to form a continuous cigarette rod.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine includes one or more conveyor bands (12,14,28) or other parts of non-metallic material from which pieces can break off and become entrained in the tobacco, including means (30,42) for detecting such pieces in the tobacco by directing a radiation beam towards the tobacco, and including means 40 for ejecting tobacco or finished cigarettes including such detected pieces, the parts in question being made of a material, or having a material incorporated in then or coated on them, which is either opaque or partially opaque to the detection beam, or which produces a detectable secondary emission detected by the detecting means.

Abstract: Moving cigarettes are inspected, particularly in the passages (10, 30) between the vanes (12, 32) in a cigarette packing machine hopper, by an optical ends inspector (74, 76) which is switched by a position detector (84, 86) responding to passage of individual cigarettes. Faulty cigarettes are arrested by a suction aperture (26) or an arrestor are (122, 222) and subsequently rejected from the passage, either in an axial direction or sideways through an opening (116, 244) in the vane. The position detector (84, 86) may activate the suction or arm for arresting the faulty cigarette.

Abstract: A stream of rod-like articles such as cigarettes in multi-layer stack formation is separated by a movable gate having a leading end capable of limited reversible movement in a direction generally transverse to the direction in which the gate is advanced, so as to facilitate advancement of the gate between articles of the stream. The gate may cooperate with a resilient closing strip in its closed position. Another form of gate comprises a pivoted plate biased into its closing position by a progressively increasing force.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying adhesive foam or other liquid-based ingredients to the ends of cigarettes includes a source of suction, a device for carrying and moving a series of flexible tubular sealing members 50 each of which is aligned with a respective cigarette in a treatment station, and an arrangement for moving each sealing member into engagement with a respective cigarette and for connecting each sealing member to the source of suction, characterised in that each sealing member is so shaped that an end portion 54 thereof can engage around the end portion of the corresponding cigarette, and that suction transmitted through the sealing member causes the end portion of the sealing member to contract and thus grip the cigarette. A pressure air source may also be included to expand each sealing member as it moves over the end of the corresponding cigarette.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting open longitudinal seams in the continuous wrapper of cigarette or cigarette filter rod produced by a continuous rod-making machine relies on detection by a microphone (54) of disturbance caused by the defective seam to an air stream. The air stream is generated from a narrow slot (44) and normally follows a fixed, preferably flat, surface (40) closely adjacent to the longitudinal path of a rod (12). The surface (40) is part of a body (22) which contains the microphone (54) and connecting leads (56, 58), together with a passage (36) allowing sound to reach the microphone. Air is bled through a small bore (52) and through a further bore (30) containing a sound-insulating filter (66) to provide a purging air flow in the passage (36).

Abstract: A cigarette ends tester includes a conveyor for conveying cigarettes sideways past a source of light arranged to direct light substantially axially into the ends of successive cigarettes in such a way that the paper wrapper around the end of each cigarette is illuminated if there is insufficient tobacco in the end, and a detecting device for monitoring the consequent external illumination of the end of the cigarette. The test signal for each cigarette is evaluated against a reference signal derived from satisfactory cigarettes tested previously during a predetermined time interval, thus compensating for variable factors affecting the test signal, such as ageing or dirt on the light emitting or detecting devices.

Abstract: Rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes or cigarette filter rods, are conveyed in a stream in a direction transverse to their lengths at a speed which is progressively reduced, so that the height of the conveyed stream is increased. Prior to the reduction in conveyance speed the speed of individual articles is increased briefly to avoid damage from following articles. The speed reduction takes place in a path having divergent boundary walls.

Abstract: A rod cut-off in a cigarette making machine includes a cutting device 32 having a first drive 34, a ledger 10 for supporting the rod during cutting and having a second drive 22, separate from the first drive, a device for synchronizing (prefereably electronically) the first and second drives during normal operation, and a device 40 for mechanically displacing the ledger or cutting device (preferably the former) from the normal position in which it co-operates with the other member to perform rod cutting, the displacement being arranged to occur while the machine is being accelerated from start; that is, during the time while the two drives are being brough into synchronization.

Abstract: A cigarette buffer reservoir system includes mobile containers (18) which are loaded and unloaded by transfer of successive batches of cigarettes between the container and a common transfer station (16) connected to a mass flow conveyor system (2-19) linking at least one maker (3) and at least one packer (5). The transfer station (16) has suction assistance (32) bearing on the ends of the cigarettes to allow separation of cigarettes in a container into batches for transfer during unloading. The transfer station (16) preferably also includes a conveyor (26) with retractable spaced partitions (30) for supplying or receiving successive batches, and at least one pusher (32,34) for transferring batches to or from the conveyor in a direction parallel to the cigarettes.