Abstract: A system for automatically opening cartons and removing packages therefrom includes a centrifugal orientation bowl for orientating closed or unopened cartons in a position to be fed to a slitting apparatus. The slitting apparatus includes a pair of cutters therein to cut opposed portions of the cartons thereby opening the cartons. A carton breaker is utilized downstream from the slitting apparatus to break the cartons open thereby loosening the packages therefrom. The opened cartons are fed to a rotating drum separator wherein the packages within the cartons are separated from the cartons and the emptied cartons are removed from the rotating drum separator in one location and the packages separated from the cartons are removed at another location.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a device and method for feeding a cut loose-leaf material such as, for example tobacco, from a weight scale; dropping the tobacco into a hopper; compressing the tobacco into the desired size, shape, and density; and packaging the loose-leaf tobacco product. Packaging is accomplished by wrapping an inner foil and overwrap label around an arbor on a rotating arbor wheel. The package is constructed in various stages as the arbor wheel rotates to various positions. The inner foil is fed and wrapped around the arbor without extending the foil below the body of the package so that the foil does not form a bottom end. The foil extends above the body of the package and is folded to form a top end. An outer label having a sufficient length to extend past the top and bottom of the arbor is overwrapped about the foil innerwrap. The overwrap label extending past the bottom of the arbor is folded and glued over the foil innerwrap to form a top end to the package.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a device and method for feeding a cut loose-leaf material such as, for example tobacco, from a weight scale; dropping the tobacco into a hopper; compressing the tobacco into the desired size, shape, and density; and packaging the loose-leaf tobacco product. Packaging is accomplished by wrapping an inner foil and overwrap label around an arbor on a rotating arbor wheel. The package is constructed in various stages as the arbor wheel rotates to various positions. The inner foil is fed and wrapped around the arbor without extending the foil below the body of the package so that the foil does not form a bottom end. The foil extends above the body of the package and is folded to form a top end. An outer label having a sufficient length to extend past the top and bottom of the arbor is overwrapped about the foil innerwrap. The overwrap label extending past the bottom of the arbor is folded and glued over the foil innerwrap to form a top end to the package.

Abstract: An apparatus for agitating filters in a feed hopper from which the filters are fed pneumatically to a filter attaching machine. The hopper drive apparatus includes an independent drive and speed reducer mechanism that drives the filter agitators as long as the filter attaching machine receives filters. The agitation system uses a stand alone independent drive system that uses a timing belt to drive the agitators. This agitation system provides a means for operating with fragile, segmented charcoal filters in that the filters are permitted to move up and down more freely than with conventional agitation devices, allowing more room for incoming filters from the receiver and reducing damage to the filters and jamming of the filters in the transfer system.

Abstract: A device for receiving and transferring cylindrical filter rods one at a time from a mass flow of filters. The receiving and transferring device is used to remove filter rods from the mass flow of filter rods to conduct, for example, quality control checks on the filter rods without interrupting production of the filter rods.

Abstract: An apparatus for properly positioning a spacer panel relative to a container of items and a package blank which will be subsequently folded around the item container and spacer panel to form a package enclosing the item container and spacer panel. The positioning apparatus includes a plate for receiving and supporting the package blank, spacer panel, and item container in a stacked relationship with the spacer panel disposed between the package blank and item container, and a spacer panel contact blade which is movable back and forth over the plate top to contact just the panel spacer and moving the panel spacer between the package blank and item container to a predetermined location still between the package blank and item container such that when the package blank is subsequently folded to form the package, the panel spacer will be properly positioned therein.

Abstract: A dispenser device for removing planar panels from a hopper is provided with a panel engagement drum located at the discharge of the hopper which includes friction surfaces at spaced apart locations around the perimeter for sequentially engaging subsequent bottom-most panels in the hopper and extracting them from the hopper as the drum continuously rotates. A positioner is engagable with disengagable from the bottom-most panel at the hopper discharge end to position the bottom-most spacer at a location to be engaged by the friction surfaces of the drum. A stop is operatively responsive with the positioner for engagement with the penultimate one of the panels for preventing the penultimate one of the panels from moving to the location of the positioner during the time period the positioner is in its panel disengaged position.

Abstract: A unique and novel storage package and method and apparatus for making the same wherein differences in dimension between the outer receptacle and a package stored therein are compensated by a unique corrugated spacer to provide snug storage, such as in the packaging of cigarette packs.

Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying planar panels in single file. The conveyor system can be used for receiving panels from bulk storage to a workstation. The conveyor system includes a conveyor belt apparatus located to receive the panels at its upstream end from the bulk supply device. A panel turning device is located at the downstream discharge end of the conveyor device for receiving the panels from the conveying device and redirecting them into the inlet end of a chute. An accumulative device is located over the conveyor to maintain a steady supply of panels to the chute. A photo cell control at the chute controls the number of spacers stacked in end-to-end relationship in the chute.

Abstract: A cigarette package includes a plurality of undersized cigarettes which do not entirely fill the cigarette package. The cigarettes are arranged in an orderly group such as, for example, two rows of ten cigarettes each. As is conventional practice, the group of cigarettes is bundled in a foil wrap to keep the cigarettes fresh, and this foil bundle of grouped cigarettes is located in an outer package.A planar spacer is located between the foil bundle and one side wall of the package to take up the space difference between the depth of the foil bundle and depth of the package. An apparatus for installing the spacer includes a first conveyor path for moving foil bundles of grouped cigarettes in single file and a second conveyor path for moving foil bundles of grouped cigarettes in single file each stacked on a spacer. The spacers are placed on the second conveyor one at a time so that they move therealong in single file.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a filter rod having a hollow tube extending longitudinally through the filter rod. The apparatus includes a supply reel of hollow tubing, a supply of filter material web, and a garniture funnel into which the filter material web and hollow tubing are continuously, concurrently fed for wrapping the filter material web into a cylindrical configuration enclosing the hollow tube longitudinally therein. The apparatus also includes a plasticizer or adhesive applicator for coating the outside wall surface of the tube with a plasticizer or adhesive before it is fed into the garniture funnel, and a tube guide nozzle located at the inlet to the garniture funnel for positioning and guiding the hollow tube into the garniture funnel.

Abstract: An apparatus for, in one advantageous embodiment, concurrently forming a plurality of generally longitudinally extending grooves in a filter rod, and in another advantageous embodiment, for making small apertures in the grooves as the grooves are being formed in the filter rod. The apparatus includes a reciprocating die having an upper die block and a lower die block. Each die block includes protruding, elongated projections which are adapted to be imbedded into the filter rod upon closing of the die to impress grooves in the filter rod located in the die. In the embodiment wherein apertures are to be formed in the grooves, aperture forming punches are associated with each of the groove forming projections for punching apertures in the grooves as they are being formed.

Abstract: An apparatus for, in one advantageous embodiment, concurrently forming a plurality of generally longitudinally extending grooves in a filter rod, and in another advantageous embodiment, for making small apertures in the grooves as the grooves are being formed in the filter rod. The apparatus includes a reciprocating die having an upper die block and a lower die block. Each die block includes protruding, elongated projections which are adapted to be imbedded into the filter rod upon closing of the die to impress grooves in the filter rod located in the die. In the embodiment wherein apertures are to be formed in the grooves, aperture forming punches are associated with each of the groove forming projections for punching apertures in the grooves as they are being formed.