Abstract: The lower end portion of a magazine for parallel cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles contains a horizontal grid of parallel rods which divide the outlet opening of the lower end portion into parallel passages wherein the cigarettes descend into an empty tray therebelow. When the tray is filled (such filling takes place while the tray descends, either continuously or stepwise), the passages are blocked by rod-like closing members which are parallel to the rods of the grid and are movable from inoperative positions behind the rods of the grid to intercepting positions in or above the passages. The closing members are oscillated and/or vibrated to prevent jamming of passages and/or bridging of cigarettes above the grid. The mechanism for moving the closing members between inoperative and intercepting positions employs a pneumatic motor or an electromagnet which can shift a common carrier for the closing members. The mechanism is actuated in automatic response to completed filling of a tray.

Abstract: The lower end portion of a magazine for parallel cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles contains a horizontal grid of parallel rods which divide the outlet opening of the lower end portion into parallel passages wherein the cigarettes descend into an empty tray therebelow. When the tray is filled (such filling takes place while the tray descends, either continuously or stepwise), the passages are blocked by rod-like closing members which are parallel to the rods of the grid and are movable from inoperative positions behind the rods of the grid to intercepting positions in or above the passages. The closing members are oscillated and/or vibrated to prevent jamming of passages and/or bridging of cigarettes above the grid. The mechanism for moving the closing members between inoperative and intercepting positions employs a pneumatic motor or an electromagnet which can shift a common carrier for the closing members. The mechanism is actuated in automatic response to completed filling of a tray.

Abstract: The lowermost sheet of an upright stack of superposed sheets is removed by a device which has one or more suction heads and is moved against the underside of the lowermost sheet prior to folding one or two marginal portions of such sheet downwardly to separate the marginal portions from the adjacent portions of the next-to-the-lowermost sheet. The device thereupon moves the lowermost sheet downwardly, substantially at right angles to the plane of the next-to-the-lowermost sheet, either into the range of one or more tongs or analogous transfer elements, or directly to the periphery of a rotary turret in a cigarette packing machine. Once the marginal portion or portions of the lowermost sheet are flexed downwardly, the corresponding marginal portion or portions of the next-to-the-lowermost sheet are engaged and held by one or more pivotable retaining members which are disengaged from the sheet as soon as the device returns to its raised position and attracts and supports the next lowermost sheet.

Abstract: Hinged-lid packs are assembled on a turret-shaped conveyor with equidistant hollow mandrels which receive relatively soft first blanks at a first transfer station, blocks of cigarettes at a second transfer station, relatively stiff U-shaped second blanks at a third transfer station, and relatively stiff third blanks at a fourth transfer station. The first blanks are draped around the mandrels to form inner envelopes of packs, the second blanks are draped around the inner envelopes to form the so-called collars of packs, and the third blanks are draped around the inner envelopes and collars to form partially completed outer envelopes of packs. Each interruption of transport of blocks or improper transport of blocks to the conveyor entails an interruption of transport of first, second and/or third blanks, and each interruption of transport or improper transport of first, second or third blanks to the conveyor results in an interruption of transport of blocks and/or other blanks.

Abstract: Successive filter cigarettes of two rows of parallel cigarettes are admitted into pairs of parallel aligned flutes on a rotating drum. The first flute of each pair is rotated through 180.degree. and is moved radially outwardly about an axis which is normal to and crosses in space with the drum axis. The second flute of each pair is thereupon moved radially outwardly between the neighboring inverted flutes by a pivot member which is parallel to the drum axis whereby the cigarettes in the first and second flutes form a single row and can be transferred seriatim directly into successive flutes of a rotary testing drum.

Abstract: Filter mouthpieces with one or more thin filter disks consisting of a first filter material and one or more filter plugs consisting of a second filter material are produced by inserting filter disks between spaced-apart filter plugs which form a single file and travel with a web of wrapping material. The web is thereupon draped around the alternating filter disks and filter plugs to form therewith a continuous filter rod which is severed to yield discrete filter mouthpieces.

Abstract: Blanks for the making of inner envelopes of hinged-lid cigarette packs are obtained by withdrawing from a bobbin a web of metallic foil or thin paper which is coated with metallic foil, severing the web lengthwise to form two strips of unequal width, severing the strips crosswise to form two rows of rectangular sections, and moving each section of one row sideways toward the adjacent section of the other row so that the two sections partially overlap each other and form a composite blank which is transported sideways to be draped around a mandrel on a turret-shaped assembly conveyor.

Abstract: Filter mouthpieces with one or more thin filter disks of first filter material and one or more filter plugs of second filter material are produced by inserting filter disks between groups of axially aligned tobacco rod sections and filter plugs and thereupon wrapping adhesive-coated uniting bands therearound.