Abstract: A cigarette making machine includes a channel (10; 100; 204) through which tobacco is pneumatically conveyed to form a cigarette filler stream (15; 209) on a conveyor (12; 130; 200) at the outlet of the channel, a first louvre (20; 110; 214) through which some of the air entering the channel through its inlet end is drawn from the channel while tobacco continues towards the conveyor, and a second louvre (22; 120; 216), closer than the first louvre to the outlet end of the channel, through which an additional amount of the air entering the channel is drawn while the tobacco continues towards the conveyor. The channel (202) may be arranged to extend around a cylinder with an inclined axis (208) so that upward movement of the tobacco is converted into approximately horizontal movement with a substantial component in the direction of movement of the conveyor (200) on which the tobacco collects to form a cigarette filler stream (209).

Abstract: A device for inserting coupons in cigarette packets, in particular in hinge lid packets, includes a guide rail 14, 16 parallel to the packing conveyor 2 for raising the lower edge 11 of the inner frame 10 away from the cigarette bundle 6 so that a coupon C can be fed edgewise under the gap. A plough rail 48 may push down the inner frame on to the coupon after it has been inserted.

Abstract: Apparatus for assembling and forming first and second articles of rod-like configuration into at least one composite rod includes a wheel (14) for alternately axially separating the first articles or tobacco sections (10) which are then transversely shifted in opposite directions by a wheel (16) onto two parallel moving conveyors on which the first articles or tobacco sections are spaced axially forming respective rod lines (11A, 11B). The second articles or filter portions (20) are conveyed towards the respective conveyors and introduced into the spaces between the first articles or tobacco sections on each rod line by means of a further wheel (18). The second articles or filter portions may be initially supplied as a single line and divided into two streams by staggering on the wheel (18).

Abstract: A reservoir for a bobbin changer for cigarette paper or a similar paper web includes, adjacent to an inlet (15) at which the paper (10) enters the reservoir, a movable deflector (20) arranged to engage and deflect the paper as it enters the reservoir (at least while paper is being accumulated in the reservoir) and to promote folding of the paper into loops in which the paper can safely be stored in the reservoir. The deflector is preferably pivoted and is arranged to be pushed away from the inlet by the accumulating loops of paper until the deflector reaches a nearly vertical position whereupon the bunched up loops of paper drop into the reservoir.

Abstract: A system for conveying cigarette packets includes a reversible compartmented accumulator (AC) arranged so that in normal operation packets are pushed by retractable pressure bands (18) through an aligned uppermost compartment (13) during passage from a packing machine (PM) to a wrapping machine (WM). To load the accumulator (AC) packets are stopped at the downstream end by a gate (106) so as to assemble a batch of packets in the aligned compartment (13) for storage by transverse indexing of the accumulator (AC). As part of the loading sequence detectors (88, 107) determine the presence of a complete batch of packets at least partly upstream of the compartment (13). Before the loading sequence begins the uppermost compartment (13) is emptied of packets by an unloading conveyor (70). To unload the accumulator (AC) the infeed of packets is stopped and the unloading conveyor (70) removes packets from successive compartments (13) indexed into the aligned position.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles between a delivery device (M), e.g. a cigarette maker, and a receiving device (P), e.g. a cigarette packer, includes a conveyor (C) for articles in stack formation, a container loading device (TF), a container unloading device (TU), and a container handling system (TS) for moving containers between the devices. The container loading and unloading devices (TF, TU) may be in non-parallel orientations and the container handling system (TS) may include a common container reservoir (ER, FR) and a container turning device (FTT, ETT). The container loading and unloading devices (TF, TU) may be linked to the main conveyor (C) by subsidiary conveyors (CTF, CTU) which include a twisting path portion (SC).

Abstract: Filter cigarettes are produced by uniting tobacco sections (12, 122) and filter portions (21, 120) with a wrapper (28, 124) which carries a relatively thick circumferential bead (126) of adhesive or other filler material to provide an effective seal around the cigarette. The cigarettes may be assembled on parallel assembly lines (16, 18) supplied with tobacco sections from a common maker line (10) by a carrier conveyor (14) arranged to supply alternate sections to different assembly lines disposed at 90.degree. to the maker line.

Abstract: Cigarettes are perforated by being rolled along a row of pins which are excited, for example by being vibrated. Vibration may be towards and away from the cigarettes so that the pins penetrate as a result of the vibration; the depth of penetration may be varied to control the size of the perforations. Alternatively the vibration may be in a direction transverse to the axes of the pins. In either case the pins may be mounted on a flexible member having a resonant frequency equal to the frequency of vibration. The vibratorary drive may be an electro magnetic device or a piexoelectric crystal. An alternative form of excitation of the pins involves passing compressed air through the pins and into the cigarettes, the pins being tubular for that purpose.

Abstract: In the production of cigarette filter rod from filter tow the conveyance of tow into a tow shaping unit (12, 32, 56, 76) is aided by controlling tow tension so that excessive stretch (and hence possible loss of crimp) is avoided. The tension is controlled by two conveying arrangements upstream of the tow shaping unit and which may include air extracting devices and entraining devices (20-28), opposed tow engaging wheels (34, 36), a tow reservoir (64), a tow engaging refuser roller (70), or a tow spinning unit (74). In the tow spinning unit (74) the tow is gathered ad twisted in a converging conical guide which is rotated at high speed, and which may also impart an axial thrust to the tow to aid conveyance into the tow shaping unit (76).

Abstract: A conveyor system principally for use as a variable capacity reservoir for rod-like articles such as cigarettes in stack formation, comprises a series of partly overlapping wheels (202, 204, 206, 208) supporting a laterally flexible conveyor (200). The wheels define an inclined generally helical path for the conveyor and are partly inclined in the same direction as the conveyor. The inclination of each wheel is set by pairs of rollers (234, 236) which engage the periphery of each wheel.

Abstract: In the production of filter cigarettes by a process in which the tobacco sections and filter portions are united while moving in an axial direction, the wrapper sections are resiliently pressed onto the abutting tobacco sections and filter portions, preferably by resilient pads. The pads are carried by a suction conveyor and their spacing may be adjusted by means for changing their timing or path length, to suit different lengths of tobacco sections and filter portions. The tobacco sections and filter portions may be assembled on a suction conveyor adapted to allow axial adjustment of the position of a conveyed article following slight lateral displacement of the article to reduce the suction grip of the conveyor.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes with a predetermined dilution factor are produced by perforating a filter attachment web by means of an adjustable perforating device prior to using portions of the web to join filters to cigarettes; measuring the porosity of the perforated web; measuring the dilution of cigarettes assembled with portions of the web; and controlling the perforating device by immediate response to the measured porosity and by progressive response to the dilution of the assembled cigarettes. The perforating device may comprise spark perforating electrodes, the web being possibly passed twice between the electrodes. In particular, the perforating device includes a number of pairs of electrodes defining spark gaps therebetween and lying along a line inclined to the direction of movement of the web. Individual rod electrodes are located between and spaced from opposed metal plates connected to a power supply to form capacitances in series with the spark gaps.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding tobacco pneumatically into a cigarette making machine has a duct defined on one side by a wall whose width (i.e. in cross-section) increases along the length of the duct from an inlet end to an outlet end, is concave in longitudinal section so that centrifugal force on the tobacco will urge the tobacco against that wall of the duct, and carries a splitter member arranged to split the tobacco stream flowing along the said wall into separate streams passing along opposite sides of the splitter member, and to spread apart the two streams. From the outlet end of the duct, the air and tobacco pass into an air separator from which the tobacco passes via a rotary seal into the hopper of a cigarette making machine. The rotary seal may have special provision for preventing tobacco being trapped and crushed between the rotary part and the surrounding housing of the seal.

Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of complementary numerically controlled machine tools in which different work-pieces are each subjected to appropriate selected machining operations on selected machine tools in a selected order by appropriate delivery of common form pallets loaded with the workpieces. Transporters deliver pallets between the machine tools, a storage rack, and work-setting stations where work-pieces, automatically delivered in bins from a bin store, are loaded on pallets. Tool magazines are delivered between a rack and the machine tools by a transporter. Transport and machining operations are computer controled, and monitors feed back signals indicative of location of pallets, tool magazines, and bins in the system.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying revenue stamps to cigarette packets known as soft packs, includes an oscillating transfer arm 12 and a continuously driven suction drum 6 formed with projections, e.g. pairs of pins 10. The projections engage the rear edges of successive stamps transferred from a stack 2 by the arm, and thereby accurately align the stamps on the drum. The two modified arrangements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are particularly adapted for applying banderoles to hinged lid cigarette packets.

Abstract: In apparatus for conditioning filter tow for subsequent production of cigarette filter rod a stream of filter tow is conveyed from a source by a first drive unit which delivers the tow into a conditioning station. A second drive unit delivers the conditioned tow to a rod-forming unit. A variable speed transmission is provided to allow independent control of the first and second drive units. The transmission may be replaced by an electronic speed control arrangement.

Abstract: Oval filter cigarettes are made by forming rod groups each comprising at least one cigarette portion and at least one filter portion in axial alignment; placing each rod group on a wrapping member rotatably carried by a conveyor having a succession of such wrapping members, each group being provided with a portion of uniting paper overlapping the members of the group; and rotating each wrapping member with respect to the conveyor about an axis parallel to that of the rods so as to wrap the uniting paper of least partly around the corresponding rod group.During rotation of each wrapping member the uniting paper may be gripped by suction ports to provide a tight wrap.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packing batches of cigarettes, in which batches B are transferred from a hopper 10 into compression boxes 16 of an intermittent conveyor 14, and are then packaged (e.g. in soft packs) while passing along continuous conveyors 22, 30 and 38. Compressed batches B are transferred into U-shaped foil wrappers F1 in compartments 28 of the conveyor 22, when folding flaps 88 fold over the two sides of the wrapper before the transfer is completed (FIG. 4). In a modification, the batches are formed from a continuous stream of cigarettes (FIGS. 8 and 9), and any voids V in the stream are filled by an intermittent acceleration rotor 350 (FIG. 11).

Abstract: A machine for packing groups or bundles of cigarettes has a packing conveyor 15 on which each wrapped bundle 32 is laterally supported within an outer blank by corner tabs 12 of the blank being reverse folded at a station C before an inner frame 38 is inserted. The tabs 12 subsequently slide along a raised track 28, which extends up to a station G where the inner frame is applied, so that the inner wall 11 of the lid is kept upright. At a downstream station N is a rejector device for faulty packs, including a continuously reciprocating pusher 50 which is swung down into its operative position by a rib cam 76. One of the cam followers 80 is brought into contact with the cam during its dwell portion 77 by operating an actuator 88 to extend and align a pair of toggle links 84, 86.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel conveyors for streams of articles and two transfer conveyors which together re-orientate articles in one stream for combination with articles in the other stream. The transfer conveyors each convey articles on a curved path having a substantially vertical axis and include guide means for elevating the outer ends of the articles on the path. In another arrangement parallel opposed conveyors deliver articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with retractable conveyor bands which may initially extend across the junction to aid filling. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further parallel conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180 degrees for delivery to the one conveyor. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit on a filter cigarette assembly machine.