Abstract: Adhesive labels are applied to a continuous strip by a unit fed with a first continuous strip of wrapping material advancing along a first path, and a second continuous strip of backing material presenting a succession of labels and advancing along a second path. The labels are detached singly from the second strip by a diverter blade placed along the second path and presenting a sharp edge over which the backing strip is routed through an acute angle to induce the separation of the labels.

Abstract: A slide-open package of tobacco articles, having a parallelepiped-shaped inner container which houses a group of tobacco articles and has two opposite, parallel major lateral walls; a parallelepiped-shaped outer container which has two opposite, parallel major lateral walls and houses the inner container to allow the inner container to slide between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is at least partly withdrawn from the outer container; and at least one coupon located between a first major lateral wall of the inner container and a major lateral wall of the outer container.

Abstract: A method and wrapping unit for producing a package containing a group of cigarettes, and which include: feeding the group of cigarettes along a path; feeding a sheet of wrapping perpendicularly to the path of the group of cigarettes; feeding a tubular spindle along the path of the group of cigarettes to intercept the sheet of wrapping and fold the sheet of wrapping into a U about the tubular spindle; and feeding the group of cigarettes through the tubular spindle to slide the sheet of wrapping off the tubular spindle and apply the U-folded sheet of wrapping to the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: Wrapping material is supplied to the folding stations of a packaging machine, such as a cigarette packer, by a method that includes a step of dividing a continuous strip of multilayer material into single leaves, and a step of feeding the leaves to a wrapping unit; the step of dividing the continuous strip into leaves combines a first stage in which a partial cut is made in the strip by means of a laser device, leaving at least one layer of the multilayer strip intact, and a second stage in which a single leaf is detached by means of a tear device, separating along a score line created by the partial cutting step.

Abstract: A package (1) of tobacco articles, having a group (2) of tobacco articles; a collar (16) surrounding the group (2) of tobacco articles and having a number of lateral walls (17, 18, 19, 20); and an outer package (3) surrounding the group (2) of tobacco articles and the collar (16), and having a top wall (12), a bottom wall (13) parallel to the top wall (12), and a number of lateral walls (8, 9, 10, 11) which are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls (12, 13), and are parallel to and rest on respective lateral walls (17, 18, 19, 20) of the collar (16). A lateral joining wall (8; 10) of the outer package (3) is defined by two panels (8?, 8?; 10?, 10?), which are separate, coplanar, and side by side with no overlap, and are both glued to an underlying lateral joining wall (17; 19) of the collar (16).

Abstract: A method and machine for folding sheets of packing material about respective groups of cigarettes to form respective packages, and wherein a web of packing material is first fed through a control station for detecting the position of a reference mark made on the web at a work station upstream from the control station, and is then fed through a cutting station where the web is cut into sheets of packing material, each of which is fed to a packing station where each sheet of packing material is folded about the respective group of cigarettes.

Abstract: In a pack (1) known familiarly as a cigarette carton, the carton (2) appears as a wrapper (3) containing multiple packets (13) of cigarettes (21), each with its own individual wrapper (14). Both the wrapper (3) of the carton (2) and the wrappers (14) of the single cigarette packets (13) are provided with a window (23, 24) in at least one of the main side faces; a window (23) in the wrapper (3) of the carton (2) is placed to coincide with a window (24) in the wrapper (14) of at least one packet (13), in such a way as to create an opening (A) through which the name or brand emblem (25) printed on single cigarettes (21) can be seen beneath the transparent overwrappings of the unopened pack.

Abstract: A method and packing machine for combining an insert and a group of cigarettes; the group of cigarettes is fed to a first seat of a pocket, which first seat is designed to house the group of cigarettes; the insert is fed to a second seat of the pocket, which second seat is designed to house the insert and is separate from the first seat; and the group of cigarettes and the insert are expelled together from the pocket by a common ejector device, so as to combine the insert with the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: A package of cigarettes having a group (4) of cigarettes; an inner package (3) which encloses the group (4) of cigarettes, is defined by a sheet (22) of transparent, heat-seal plastic packing material folded directly about the group (4) of cigarettes and in direct contact with the cigarettes, and is stabilized by heat sealing; and a U-shaped stiffener (23) of rigid material located inside the inner package (3) and contacting the group (4) of cigarettes.

Abstract: A packing method and unit for folding a sheet of packing material about a parallelepiped-shaped article, the packing unit having: a conveyor for feeding the article along a path; a feed device for feeding the sheet of packing material perpendicularly to the path and in front of the article, so the article, as it moves forward, intercepts and gradually folds the sheet of packing material into a “U”; two lead-in devices mounted to move parallel to the path and positioned on opposite sides of the article, so the article is enclosed between the two lead-in devices; and an actuating device for feeding the two lead-in devices parallel to the path and together with the article, so the sheet of packing material is also intercepted by the lead-in devices.

Abstract: A machine for packing cigarettes, having a group-forming device for forming a group of cigarettes, and a conveyor for feeding the group along a given path; the group-forming device has a number of seats, each for housing a respective subgroup of cigarettes; the subgroups are pushed, in use, through respective insertion channels tapering towards the conveyor, into a pocket of the conveyor to define the group of cigarettes; and the pocket has a substantially triangular cross section parallel to the path.

Abstract: Method for simultaneously determining alleles present in a set of loci from at least one nucleic acid sample comprising the steps: a) providing said at least one sample, b) subjecting said sample to a nucleic acid amplification reaction using a primer pair simultaneously primer pairs specific and optimized for each of the loci of a set of at least three loci selected from the group consisting of D2S1360, D7S1517, D8S1132, D9S1118, D10S2325, D11S554, D12S1064, D12S391, D17S1290, D19S253, MYCLl, P450CYP19 and SE-33, and c) evaluating the length and optionally the relative quantity of amplification products obtained from step b) or from the analysis of one or two of the above loci to determine and/or optionally quantify the alleles present at each of the loci analyzed in the set within said sample.

Abstract: On a packing machine, packets of cigarettes, selected from different alternative packets of cigarettes of at least a first and second type, are produced by transferring groups of cigarettes relative to the selected type of packet from a forming path to a first packing path, along which an inner sheet of packing material is folded about each group of cigarettes, and then to a second packing path, along which at least a collar is folded about each group of cigarettes and on top of the inner sheet of packing material; each group of cigarettes is then transfer red, depending on the type of packet selected, to a third packing path, along which folding of a first outer blank about each group of cigarettes is completed to form a packet of cigarettes of the first type, or to a fourth packing path, along which folding of a second outer blank about each group of cigarettes is completed to form a packet of cigarettes of the second type.

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet (2) of packing material about a group (3) of cigarettes; the method includes the steps of: bringing a first end wall (8a) of the group (3) of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet (2) of packing material, so that the major transverse edges (10) of the group (3) of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet (2) of packing material; folding the sheet (2) of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges (10) of the first end wall (8a), so that the sheet (2) of packing material partly covers both the major lateral walls (6) of the group (3) of cigarettes; folding the sheet (2) of packing material about the minor transverse edges (10) of the first end wall (8a), so that the sheet (2) of packing material completely covers both the major lateral walls (6) and the minor lateral walls (7), and forms a tubular package having one open end at a second end wall (8b); and folding the sheet (2) of packing material onto the second end wall (8b) to complete the foldin

Abstract: A hermetically sealed cigarette packet is fashioned from a flat blank of substantially rectangular outline, referable to a longitudinal axis, having at least one face coated with an impermeable and heat-sealable material. The blank is divided by two crease lines extending parallel to the axis and by further crease lines transverse to the selfsame axis into a series of panels aligned on the longitudinal axis, each furnished with two flaps extending from its opposite ends; each flap is separated from the adjacent flap by a V-shaped notch of which the tip is positioned at a given distance from the corresponding longitudinal crease line, on the side remote from the longitudinal axis, rather than extending the full depth of the flap and intersecting the selfsame crease line.

Abstract: A wrapping method and unit for producing a package containing a group of cigarettes and having a cigarette extraction opening; a sheet of wrapping material, complete with the cigarette extraction opening, is fed into a pocket of a wrapping wheel so that the sheet of wrapping material folds into a U inside the pocket; then the group of cigarettes is fed into the pocket containing the U-folded sheet of wrapping material.

Abstract: A rigid hinge-lid packet (1) of prismatic shape, appearing substantially-triangular in section, comprises a container (10) surmounted by a lid (12), attached to the container (10) by way of a hinge (19) and pivotable between a position in which the packet is open and a position in which the packet is closed. The lid (12) of the packet (1) is retained in the closed position by locking elements (27) fashioned as a tongue (29), associated with one of the container (10) or lid (12), and a notch (30) formed in the other one of the container (10) or lid (12), insertable positively one into the other.

Abstract: Adhesive labels are applied to a continuous strip by a unit fed with a first continuous strip of wrapping material advancing along a first path, and a second continuous strip of backing material presenting a succession of labels and advancing along a second path. The labels are detached singly from the second strip by a diverter blade placed along the second path and presenting a sharp edge over which the backing strip is routed through an acute angle to induce the separation of the labels.

Abstract: A method and wrapping unit for producing a package containing a group of cigarettes, and which include: feeding the group of cigarettes along a path; feeding a sheet of wrapping perpendicularly to the path of the group of cigarettes; feeding a tubular spindle along the path of the group of cigarettes to intercept the sheet of wrapping and fold the sheet of wrapping into a U about the tubular spindle; and feeding the group of cigarettes through the tubular spindle to slide the sheet of wrapping off the tubular spindle and apply the U-folded sheet of wrapping to the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: A cigarette packing method and machine, whereby blanks, fed successively along a feed path inside respective feed pockets, are fed to a loading station where each blank is transferred, by a pusher and along a transfer path, to a respective packing pocket fed to the loading station along a packing path, and is folded partly, during transfer along the transfer path, to define a seat for receiving a respective wrapped group of cigarettes, and which is formed by feeding the blank and the pusher through a folding spindle located, at the loading station, between the feed path and the packing path and along the transfer path.