Abstract: The object of the invention is a method and a cigarette-making machine for simultaneously making two side-by-side arranged cigarette rods. According to the invention, in order to avoid, or at least reduce the inconveniences arising from the different dynamic behaviour of the two rod-forming folder belts (4) which are associated with the two rod-forming lines arranged side-by-side, and are passed around a common driving pulley (5), the twofold wide paper tape (6) fed to the two rod-forming lines, is longitudinally severed and split into two separate paper webs (61) only after its transversal double trough-like deformation (106,206,106), and after the deposition of a tobacco strand (7) in each one of its troughs (106), preferably even after a partial wrapping of the side edges of said tape (6) around the respective tobacco strands (7).

Abstract: The invention refers to a continuous cigarette rod deflecting and breaking device in a cigarette making machine, which device (1) is arranged upstream of the unit for cutting the rod (B) into individual cigarette lengths, and comprises a deflecting member (2) which upon control is movable between an uplifted active position in which it downwardly deflects the rod from its normal path along the rod-forming line (L), and a lowered down rest position in which it is located under the normal rod path, and leaves the rod free to travel toward the cutting unit. The said deflecting member (2) is integral with a severing element (6) which is caused to cross the path of rod (B) so as to cut the said rod as the deflecting member (2) is moved either from its uplifted active position into its lowered down rest position, or from its lowered down rest position into its uplifted active position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the vacuum in a succession of suction endless conveyors (1 to 6) connected to a single vacuum generator (17), particularly in the machines and plants of the tobacco industry. According to the invention, upon starting, the successive suction conveyors (1 to 6) are connected to the vacuum generator (17) either individually or in groups, by successive steps and progressively in the advance direction (F) of the flow of articles being conveyed. This is accomplished by use of a suitable distributor (18, 118, 24) controlled by a device (21) responsive to the advance of the leading end of the flow of articles being conveyed.

Abstract: A device for automatically feeding bobbins (B) of a wrapping material web (N), particularly bobbins of cigarette paper, to a substantially horizontal mandrel (1) provided with a circle of radially movable jaws (11). The bobbins rest by their lower peripheral surface on a bobbin-carrying cradle (27) which can be stepwise advanced toward the mandrel (1), in the axial direction thereof. The axis of mandrel (1) is eccentric and is upwardly offset with respect to the axis of a bobbin (B) resting on the bobbin-carrying cradle (27) and having the maximum allowable outside diameter within the tolerance limits thereof. At each forward step of the bobbin-carrying cradle (27), the bobbin (B) being each time the leading bobbin is fitted in an eccentric position on the circle of retracted jaws (11) of the mandrel (1). The jaws (11) are then outwardly moved, whereby the bobbin (B) is trued on the mandrel (1) and is lifted from the bobbin-carrying cradle (27).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for withdrawing and singling rod-like articles, particularly filter plugs for cigarettes, or the like, contained in a feeding hopper. The bottom of the hopper is at least in part formed by a rotary, possibly suction, fluted drum receiving one rod-like article in each one of its flutes and carrying the thus collected rod-like articles out of the feeding hopper. The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that within the feeding hopper an either stationary or movable, flat or arcuate guiding device is provided over the ascending sector of the fluted drum. The guiding device extends in an inclined direction, substantially tangential to drum, at a distance therefrom that corresponds to a multiple of the diameter of the rod-like articles. With the fluted drum, the guiding device forms a duct having at least one convergently shaped inlet end.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for overturning cigarette packs or the like, which are advanced in a horizontal row toward an abutment stop member and must be each capsized around an axis which is transverse to the direction of progress of the row of packs. The device according to the invention is characterized by a pack-guiding arcuate channel extending in a substantially vertical plane at about 180.degree., from a substantially horizontal top opening provided before the abutment stop member and having a width which is at least slightly greater than the extension of a pack in the direction of progress of the pack row, as far as an underlying conveyor for the capsized packs.

Abstract: A device for dividing a continuous web of wrapping material into successive single sections of the same length, particularly for dividing a web of wrapping material into successive single bands used in the manufacture of filter-tipped cigarettes. The device includes a rotary cutting roller with one or more angularly equispaced peripheral radial blades, the cutting edge of which is parallel to the axis of a shaft for driving in rotation the said cutting roller (1). The blade or blades are each secured to a bridge-shaped blade-carrying member which by elastic deformation is elastically yieldable in the radial direction and can be completely or partly made from the skirt of the cutting roller fastened to the roller or from a block added and secured to the skirt.

Abstract: The invention refers to an apparatus for dividing a continuous web of material into successive single sections, particularly for dividing a web of covering material into successive single bands used in the manufacturing of filter-tipped cigarettes. Such an apparatus comprises a rotary cutting roller with one or more peripheral radial knives which are angularly spaced apart from each other and have their cutting edge parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting roller. According to the invention, each knife is secured to a knife holder consisting of a bridge-like member having an inherent elastic compressibility in the radial direction, which in the fashion of a beam with a plurality of supports is supported by the cutting roller on two end supports and on one or more intermediate supports. The supports are preferably adjustable in the radial direction, and particularly consist of wedges.

Abstract: A feeding device for withdrawing from a feeding hopper (1) rod-like articles, particularly filter plugs in the manufacture of filter-tipped cigarettes, and for singling these articles. The device comprises a rotary fluted drum (2) forming at least part of the bottom of hopper (1), and a repelling roller (13) that is arranged between the wall (9) of the hopper (1) and the drum (2), in the vicinity of the end from which the drum comes out of the hopper, and that is rotated in a controlled manner in the same direction as the drum. The repelling roller (13) is so mounted that its axis is movable substantially parallel to the peripheral surface of drum (2) and, more particularly, it is carried by a lever (10) that is swingable about a shaft (4) which is concentric or close to the shaft (6) for the rotation of the drum.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a device for withdrawing rod-like articles (B) from a feeding hopper (1). More particularly, the invention provides a device for withdrawing filter plugs for the manufacture of filter-tipped cigarettes.A portion of the hopper bottom is formed by a fluted drum (2) for receiving one rod-like article (B) into each one of its flutes (3) at the time of its passing by the feeding hopper (1). A portion of the hopper bottom, which is adjacent to the fluted drum (2), is formed by at least one endless conveyor belt (7) having a width which is sensibly smaller than the length of the rod-like articles (B) and the length of the fluted drum (2). The upper branch of the conveyor belt (7) entrains articles to the drum flutes and gets into and through a respective peripheral annular groove (6) in the fluted drum (2), at least as far as to substantially reach the path of the bottoms of the drum flutes (3) situated at both sides of the groove.

Abstract: A method for obtaining wrapper sheet blanks from a continuous web having opposite parallel edges, wherein each blank is composed of first and second portions, the first portion having the shape of a rectangle and the second portion having the shape of a non-rectangular parallelogram joined to the first portion along a common imaginary edge.

Abstract: The invention refers to the devices for dividing a continuous web of wrapping material into successive single sections of a same length. These devices comprise a rotary cutting roller (1) with one or more angularly equispaced peripheral radial blades (7), the cutting edge of which is parallel to the axis of shaft (6) for driving in rotation the said cutting roller (1), and a rotary counter-roller (19) having one or more peripheral anvils (18) that cooperate each with a blade (7) on the cutting roller (1). According to the invention, the blade or blades (7) are each secured to a projecting blade-carrying member (8) which by elastic deformation is elastically yieldable in the radial direction toward the axis of shaft (6) for driving in rotation the cutting roller (1).

Abstract: The device for feeding cigarettes (S), or the like, is particularly adapted for use in a machine for filling the trays (1) intended for supplying a cigarette-packing machine. The device comprises at least one upstanding or inclined cigarette-guiding channel (3), which at both sides is delimited by at least one small belt (5, 6), and along which the cigarettes coming, for example, from an overlying cigarette mass contained in a cigarette-feeding hopper (2) descend in a horizontal disposition, and as a mass flow.

Abstract: A turn around device that is designed for changing two side-by-side parallel rows of filter tipped cigarettes, which are formed by a succession of parallel pairs of co-axial cigarettes (S1, S2) with their filters in facing relation, into only one row of parallel cigarettes (S1, S2') with their filters being oriented in the same direction, comprises two fluted, conical, suction, turn around drums (5, 6), of which one takes the cigarettes (S2) forming one of the two cigarette rows, and lays them in a turned around position, i.e., rotated by 180.degree. about a transverse axis thereof, between the cigarettes (S1) of the other cigarette row.

Abstract: The invention has for its object a cut-tobacco distributing device for cigarette making machines.The distributing device includes a rotating drum (2) provided with points (3) which takes or receives the cut tobacco.This drum (2) provided with points (3) cooperates with a rotating detaching cylinder (18) which takes the cut tobacco from the said drum (2).According to the invention, in order to reduce the mechanical stresses which exert a degrading action on the cut tobacco, the points (3) of the drum (2) are retractable inside the drum (2) itself and are controlled by cams (8, 9) which retract them, temporarily, in a complete or almost complete way in the region of the detaching cylinder (18).The latter is constructed as a pneumatic suction cylinder without points.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device for checking the number of cigarettes making up an orderly group of cigarettes to be packed, and/or the regularity of the cigarette ends, includes a box-like cigarette-checking head (1) in which a number of feeler pins (2) are axially slidably mounted, the said feeler pins (2) being pressed against the cigarette ends, and controlling a number of intercepting screens (4) located between light sources (10), such as light emitting diodes, and photosensitive elements (11), such as phototransistors. Air under pressure is fed into the box-like cigarette-checking head (1), and is caused to first sweep the light sources (10) and the photosensitive elements (11). Thus, dust is prevented from settling down on the light sources (10) and on the photosensitive elements (11), and the air under pressure flowing out of the box-like cigarette-checking head (1) through the feeler pin-guiding bores (3, 8), will remove any dust from said bores and guarantee the slidability of the feeler pins (2).

Abstract: A device for wrapping a junction band (T) around the abutting ends of two aligned cigarettes (S) and one double filter (F) interposed therebetween includes a rotary supporting drum (1) having a peripheral assembly of equally spaced wrapping units. Each wrapping unit includes a wrapping member (12) affixed to in the drum and having an active concave surface (212), and an associated wrapping member (11) which is angularly movable with respect to the fixed wrapping member and which has an active convex surface (111). The movable wrapping member is moved cyclically with respect to the fixed wrapping member, starting from an initial angular position (B) where the active surface of the movable wrapping member is exposed and a receiving end portion thereof receives a cigarettes-and-filter assembly, with a junction band being attached thereto by an end margin thereof.

Abstract: The multi-color traffic signal for railways comprises for each one of the three colors a projector unit consisting of a lamp, an optical unit and a chromatic filter. The projector units are connected to an irradiating output optics by means of an optical channel system consisting of a main rectilinear channel presenting at one end the irradiating output optics and at the other end a first projector unit in axial alignment with the main channel. A second and third projector units are housed in transverse channels at 90.degree. with respect to the main channel and open thereinto. A first dichroic mirror is arranged in the main channel with an angle of 45.degree. in correspondence with the outlet of the transverse channel of the second projector unit and a second dichroic mirror is arranged in the main channel with an angle of 45.degree. in correspondence with the outlet of the transverse channel of the third projector unit.

Abstract: A compression drum (1) for orderly groups of cigarettes (G) in automatic cigarette-packing machines has one or more compression pockets (2). Each compression pocket has a substantially rectangular cross-section and includes at least partly, movable sidewalls (3, 3', 4, 4') permitting the cross-section of a pocket to be varied between a maximum expansion condition, wherein an orderly group of cigarettes (G) to be packed is introduced thereinto, and a maximum compression condition, wherein the group of cigarettes (G) received in the pocket (2) is compressed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a feeler pin device for the quality and/or quantity testing, and/or the levelling of cigarettes. The device comprises a plurality of feeler pins which are set in a substantially co-axial relation with the cigarettes to be tested or levelled, and which are moved from a retracted rest position axially toward the respective cigarettes, so as to contact the cigarette ends, whereby they apply thereon an elastic pressure, such as to shift the cigarette or the cigarettes against a suitable abutment for aligning same, and/or they signal the presence or absence of cigarettes, or the degree of filling of the ends thereof, and/or the presence or the absence of the filter tip, by the aid of means responsive to the stroke length of each feeler pin with respect to its support.