Abstract: A buffer storage apparatus includes a mechanism for removing a product travelling from one location to another, and an elongate reservoir belt movable in thedirection of its elongation from a stowed position wound on a spool, past the removing mechanism to receive the product and thereafter to a product storage position where the charged reservoir belt is wound on a furtherspool. When the reservoir belt is being wound round one spool the reservoir is being unwound from the other. The reservoir belt itself is preferably provided with pockets or dividers which, apart from separating the articles, serve as spacers between layers of wound belt and thus eliminate the possibility of articles being compressed between layers of conveyor belt wound round the loaded conveyor spool/drum. The system is designed to handle a variety of sizes and shapes of articles such as rectangular products like chocolate bars or cigarette packages, bottles, cylindrical or rod-shaped articles such as cigarettes, tin cans, etc.

Abstract: A device for wrapping a glued junction band (T) around an axially arranged pair of cigarettes (S) with a double filter interposed therebetween, wherein the cigarettes and filters are aligned by terns on a rotary drum (1) comprising rolling sectors defined between peripheral gabled ridges (2) on the periphery of the drum.

Abstract: A feeler device for sensing the number of cigarettes arranged in groups, particularly groups of three rows, at the interior of a group-forming pocket, includes a plurality of feeler pins which are arranged parallel in the longitudinal direction of the cigarettes and which can be introduced into the group-forming pocket through an open end thereof in order to detect the cigarettes which are misplaced or dislocated, the feeler pins are arranged excentrically and the line connecting the feeler pins of each cigarette row is a zig-zag line.

Abstract: The rocking lever for a cam mechanism presents a hollow box-type structure and consists of a modular base piece provided with the trunnions and with the cam follower rollers adapted to cooperate with the cams. The modular base piece presents two connection surfaces, arranged at 90.degree. with respect to each other, and adapted for the fastening of modular appendix pieces. The said modular appendix pieces can be secured in a removable and changeable manner to the modular base piece.

Abstract: The device for sensing the outer diameter of a roll of web upon unwinding of the web from the roll for the actuation of a control member when the diameter of the roll has been reduced to a predetermined minimum diameter, comprises a follower arm capable of swinging movement to-and-fro in the direction of the axis of the roll around a fixed axis and urged in the direction of the said roll axis. The swinging movement of the follower arm controls the actuation of a control member. The follower arm carries a feeler element intended to bear against the circumferential surface of the web roll, and the said feeler element is constructed as a gauging fork or snap gauge having a pair of arms which are spaced between each other of a predetermined distance, in such a manner that the clear distance or clearance between the said two arms corresponds to the predetermined minimum diameter of the roll.

Abstract: A device for the electropneumatical testing of the air permeability wherein each cigarette is subjected to at least one test consisting of applying pneumatic pressure to one end of the cigarette and determining the resistance or the pressure drop at the input to the cigarette. The measured pneumatic pressure is transformed into electric measurement signals which are compared with electric reference or threshold signals. According to the invention, the electric measurement signals are compared with the electric reference signals which are shaped as saw-tooth signals and are generated in synchronism with the cigarette tests, that is with the measurement signals. The ascending portions of the saw-tooth reference signals have a rate of increasing magnitude which corresponds approximately to the rate of increase of the electric measurement signals.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a continuous cut tobacco braid in a cigarette making machine. A transfer duct transfers the cut tobacco in an air stream from the cut tobacco feeder to an endless braid-forming suction tape, and a pneumatic collecting duct which receives the greater and heavier tobacco particles and conveys them into a collecting box. A second pneumatic collecting duct receives the excess tobacco trimmed from the tobacco braid being formed and conveys it into a feeding hopper. A deflector valve between the two pneumatic ducts is switchable between two positions, in one of which the tobacco ribs are conveyed through the first-mentioned duct into the collecting box and the trimmed excess tobacco is conveyed through the second duct to the feeding hopper. In the second position, the deflector valve causes the cut tobacco, including the tobacco ribs, to be returned into the feeding hopper.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheets of wrapping material from a roll formed of wrapping material web to a packaging machine which discontinuously operates at consecutive cycles. The device includes a transversal cutter provided with cutter blades for cutting single sheets of wrapping material from the web which has a new leading edge after each cut, and at least one intermittent motion feeding group for feeding the web to the cutter. A first independent electric stepping motor drives the feeding group and is controlled by a programmable electronic control circuit which controls the stepping motor to drive the feeding group in accordance with a predetermined sequence of motions in synchronism with the cycles the packaging machine, including momentarily driving the feeding group backwards to withdraw and detach the leading edge of the web from the cutter blades.

Abstract: The rod-breaking device comprises a deflecting guide movable alternately across the normal straight path of a cigarette rod issuing from a rod-forming mechanism and entering the inlet of a rod-processing unit. The movement of the deflecting guide into active position serves to break the rod by cooperating with a fixed abutment, whereafter the deflecting guide stops in said active position to deflect the following rod out of the normal path. The movement of the deflecting guide into the opposite inactive position serves to break the rod and to bring the said deflecting guide to an inactive position out of the normal path of the rod. A transverse blade is secured on the deflecting guide in such a manner as to move, across the normal path of the cigarette rod, close to the inlet of the processing unit.