Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the exterior of a cigarette rod which moves lengthwise through an annular housing has a ring-shaped light-conducting prism which is mounted in the housing and is surrounded by an annulus of discrete light sources to direct testing light toward the exterior of a rod which moves therethrough. The prism directs light at an acute angle to the axis of the moving rod, and the light which is reflected by the exterior of the moving rod passes through an annulus of light conducting fibers each of which directs reflected light against a discrete photoelectronic transducer. The transducers form part of a circuit which evaluates the intensity of reflected light to thereby detect defects which cause an intensification or a weakening of reflected light. The prism has a triangular cross sectional outline with an apex of the outline adjacent to the path of the rod and a side which is located opposite the apex and extends at right angles to the direction of incident light.

Abstract: A running web of wrapping material which is about to be converted into adhesive-coated uniting bands for joining plain cigarettes with filter plugs in filter tipping machines is transported through the passage of a housing wherein the web travels through a series of spark gaps between pairs of spaced-apart electrodes. The sparks which are caused to jump across the gaps perforate the web with attendant development of ozone and particles of dust. The passage of the housing forms part of an endless path for the circulation of Argon which reduces the rate of development of ozone, which is cooled to cool the electrodes, and which is caused to pass through a filter serving to intercept the particles of dust which are removed from the spark gaps. The making of holes in a noble-gas atmosphere prolongs the useful life of the electrodes.

Abstract: A method of monitoring filters and sections in a filter tipping machine wherein pairs of coaxial plain cigarettes are united with filter plugs of double unit legnth by adhesive-coated bands. When a filter plug is missing, a mechanical or a photosensitive filter plug detector transmits a signal to a valve which admits compressed air to two nozzles to cause the plain cigarettes which are not separated by a filter plug to move toward each other so that a uniting band which is applied around the adjacent inner end portions of the thus shifted plain cigarettes can adequately connect the plain cigarettes to each other during further transport to a station where the united plain cigarettes can be readily segregated from satisfactory products.

Abstract: Apparatus for making holes in a running web of wrapping material for cigarettes or in a running web of uniting band material which connects filter plugs with plain cigarettes has one or more groups of series-connected electrode pairs whose electrodes are disposed at the opposite sides of the web. Several sources of high-voltage impulses transmit impulses seriatim to one electrode of the foremost electrode pair of each group whereby the resulting spark discharge across the gaps between the electrodes of each pair entails the formation of holes. The size and/or the number of holes can be varied in order to ensure that the permeability of each unit length of the web will equal or approximate a selected value, by changing the frequency of application of high-voltage impulses or by changing the number of series-connected electrode pairs. The polarity of impulses is reversed, either regularly or at random intervals, in order to remove scraps of paper which accumulate at the tips of the electrodes.

Abstract: A filter tipping machine wherein pairs of coaxial plain cigarettes are united with filter plugs of double unit length by adhesive-coated bands. When a filter plug is missing, a mechanical or a photosensitive filter plug detector transmits a signal to a valve which admits compressed air to two nozzles to cause the plain cigarettes which are not separated by a filter plug to move toward each other so that a uniting band which is applied around the adjacent inner end portions of the thus shifted plain cigarettes can adequately connect the plain cigarettes to each other during further transport to a station where the united plain cigarettes can be readily segregated from satisfactory products.

Abstract: A machine processes tobacco, filter material or other constituent material of smokers' products, or the like, with a stream of such material moving along a predetermined path. An arrangement for detecting the mass of the material in the stream includes a first circuit operative for generating a first periodic signal having a first frequency, and a second circuit operative for generating a second periodic signal having a second frequency. At least one of the two circuits is comprised of a frequency-determining capacitor structure positioned in proximity to material moving along a predetermined portion of the stream travel path and so disposed as to have a capacitance value dependent upon the mass of material penetrated by electric field lines of the capacitor structure. A signal combining circuit combines the first and second periodic signals to form a resultant periodic signal exhibiting a beat.