Abstract: A tobacco discharge unit for the hopper of a continuous-rod cigarette making machine which is arranged to prevent excessive packing of the tobacco at the end opposite the inlet of the unit. This is achieved by means of movable shutters on the filter screen separating the upper and lower compartments of the unit so as to modify the air flow pattern in the unit, or by means of a specially shaped "stepped" screen or by means of deflector baffles in the lower compartment.

Abstract: A hopper for a cigarette making machine includes an elevator, conveying means for conveying a carpet of tobacco towards the elevator, whereby the elevator carries upwards a stream of tobacco from the carpet, and a photoelectric or other position-sensing device mounted near the elevator at a position such that it detects upward movement of tobacco from the carpet in a vicinity adjacent to the elevator indicative of the start of rolling; and including means for temporarily stopping or reducing the speed of conveyance of the tobacco carpet towards the elevator to obviate the rolling condition.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine for making cigarettes containing a core of material different from that of a surrounding annulus of tobacco comprises a conveyor, a conveyor band for forming a continuous substantially flat initial layer of tobacco on the conveyor, a further conveyor band for feeding a core onto the initial layer of tobacco, side walls for at least partially confining the sides of the core along a predetermined distance after the core has been fed onto the initial layer of tobacco, and a shower for feeding tobacco onto side portions of the initial layer, on opposite sides of the core, while the core is being confined by the side walls.