Abstract: A container necker has a necking die moved into contact with a container workpiece by a cam and a pilot urged toward the container by compressed air on a floating piston on which the pilot is mounted. The pilot is held in contact with the necking die by the air pressure acting on the floating piston and follows the necking die in unison into contact with the container. Compressed air flows through the pilot to inflate the container to increase its rigidity during necking. A radial surface on the pilot is engaged by the end of the container to stop the pilot while the necking die continues to the end of its travel to complete the necking function. In a second embodiment the necking die is fixedly positioned and the workpiece is axially moved relative to the die to effect the necking function.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing reshaping operations on a can, with the apparatus being modular in construction. The modular construction allows for the easy add-on of additional processing stations for performing additional reshaping operations to the cans. Each module is readily connected to an adjacent module in such spaced relationship that cans are transferred directly from can support pockets that hold the cans during processing on one module to can support pockets that hold the cans during processing on the adjacent module, without the need for any conveyors or track work to transfer the cans. The modules are cast with internal chambers that form vacuum chambers, gear chambers, and/or pressurized air passageways. The internal chambers of one module can be interconnected with corresponding internal chambers in adjacent modules.

Abstract: A cigarette packaging machine is provided with a mechanism for rejecting defective cigarette packs of a two pack stack of cigarette packs. A defective top pack of the stack is rejected at a first rejection station by a blast of pressurized air or a pusher bar and a defective bottom pack of the stack is rejected at a second rejection station downstream of the first rejection station by a movable arm which pivots away from a position supporting the stack and then pivots toward the stack to strike the bottom pack and eject it from the stack. A magazine filled with acceptable packs is located downstream of the second rejection station for replacing defective packs ejected from the stack.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for reclaiming tobacco from cigarettes is disclosed. The apparatus and method include a cigarette pack opener and a method of opening cigarette packs wherein the packs are conveyed by an endless conveyor along a path of travel having an arcuate portion and a linear portion. The packs are inputted to the conveyor at the arcuate portion where a pair of circular cutting knives are arranged to cut off the end panels of the pack. The packs are then conveyed to the linear portion of the path where pusher/squeeze bars are urged against the side panels of the pack to deform the pack and cause the cigarettes to fall from the pack by gravity into a collector. The empty pack is conveyed to another arcuate portion of the path where it is discarded.

Abstract: Rods for use in the manufacture of smoking products are provided using a rod-making apparatus. The apparatus includes (a) an unwind unit for continuously supplying a material having a continuous integrity; (b) a rod-forming unit for forming a rod-like composite of the supplied material; (c) a constriction member for constricting the rod-like composite, the constriction member including (i) a material-contacting surface and (ii) a reservoir for supplying an amount of liquid to at least a portion of the material-contacting surface; and (d) a rod-making unit for receiving the rod-like composite and for circumscribing the rod-like composite with wrapping material thereby forming a continuous rod.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of delivering smokable material to a cigarette maker with reduced degradation of the smokable material. A vertical reservoir tube is provided directly overhead of a plurality of rotatable and longitudinally vibratable rollers having interdigitating pins attached thereto. The rollers serve to meter and open the smokable material. The opened smokable material then falls as a shower from the rotating rollers to a convergent channel formed by two walls oriented at different angles to the horizontal. Air flow channels are provided which feed air along each wall, thereby providing an essentially laminar stream of air downwardly along the walls. An arrangement of multiple hoppers is also provided which permit blending of different types of smokable material prior to forming the smokable material into a braid and feeding the braid to the cigarette maker garniture.

Abstract: An apparatus for making smokable rods having smokable material contained in first and second wrapping materials, the first wrapping circumscribing the smokable material and the second wrapping material circumscribing and overwrapping the first wrapping material is provided. The apparatus includes a garniture means including a movable belt which travels along a predetermined path; a first bobbin for supplying a first wrapping material onto the movable belt of the garniture so as to travel along the path of the movable belt; and a second bobbin for supplying a second wrapping material onto the first wrapping material on the movable belt so as to travel along the path of the movable belt.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making cigarettes and reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes and rejected cigarette packs are disclosed. A system and method is disclosed for making and packing cigarettes in which tobacco is recovered from individual rejected cigarettes and rejected cigarette packs and then recycled to the maker for inclusion in new cigarettes. Included in the system and method is an apparatus and method for removing cigarettes from cigarette packs to facilitate individual cigarette recovery and tobacco reclamation, in which individual packs of cigarettes are conveyed to an opener stage which removes both end panels of a cigarette pack, and then to an extraction stage which increases the cross-sectional area of the pack, thereby loosening the packed cigarette matrix, applies a nonintrusive removal force, removing the cigarettes from the pack and separating the empty pack from the removed cigarettes.

Abstract: Cigarette rods are manufactured at high rates of speed using a cigarette making machine having a tongue which is equipped such that water is continuously fed therethrough in order to exit the surface of the tongue which contacts a tobacco filler stream passing through the garniture region of the cigarette making machine. The process of introducing water through the tongue during a cigarette making operation allows the manufacture to produce a continuous cigarette rod of controlled integrity. For example, cigarettes of controlled density and firmness, and having very low amounts of hard spots, soft spots and loose ends, can be manufactured. The process provides for the manufacture of cigarettes at high speeds, and for the manufacture of cigarettes having high filling capacity tobacco blends. For example, cigarettes having blends comprising relatively high levels of volume expanded tobacco can be manufactured efficiently and effectively.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention comprises a lighting device for illuminating a component to be inspected to form a halo of light around a periphery of the component and a system for comparing the shape of the halo of light to a known acceptable shape. A camera may be used to detect the halo and a programmed computer may be used to perform image analysis of the shape of the halo to determine if it conforms to an acceptable shape.

Abstract: Cigarette rods are manufactured at high rates of speed using a cigarette making machine having a tongue which is equipped such that water is continuously fed therethrough in order to exit the surface of the tongue which contacts a tobacco filter stream passing through the garniture region of the cigarette making machine. The process of introducing water through the tongue during a cigarette making operation allows the manufacturer to produce a continuous cigarette rod of controlled integrity. For example, cigarettes of controlled density and firmness, and having very low amounts of hard spots, soft spots and loose ends, can be manufactured. The process provides for the manufacture of cigarettes at high speeds, and for the manufacture of cigarettes having high filling capacity tobacco blends. For example, cigarettes having blends comprising relatively high levels of volume expanded tobacco can be manufactured efficiently and effectively.

Abstract: Rods for use in the manufacture of smoking products are provided using a rod making apparatus equipped with a web preforming unit. A web of sheet-like material is passed through the web preforming unit and is pleated to form a rod-like composite. The rod-like composite then is circumscribed with wrapping material to provide a rod. The web preforming unit includes an outer frustoconical tube and an inner frustoconical member. The frustoconical member is concentric to the tube, and is positioned coaxially with respect to the tube such that an annular region is formed between the outer surface of the member and the inner surface of the tube.

Abstract: A filter rod feed comprises a fluted drum (10), a hopper (14) from which filter rods are arranged to be fed into the flutes of the drum, means (16, 18) for delivering pneumatically-fed filter rods into the hopper, an agitator (20, 22) comprising a substantially horizontal row of laterally spaced bars (20) in the hopper, the bars being parallel to the filter rods and being at or above the level at which pneumatically-fed filter rods are delivered into the hopper, and the arrangement being such that movement of the bars promotes a substantially even flow of filter rods between the bars in both upward and downward directions.

Abstract: A filter feed onto a fluted drum has conveyors which convey a stack-like stream of filters into a small reservoir adjacent to the drum. As they enter the reservoir, the filters are deflected upwards by a deflector plate so that the thrust by the conveyors does not produce a direct pressure of filters onto the drum. Instead, the filters are fed onto the drum by gravity after passing over the plate. A pivoted sensor plate over the reservoir controls the speed of the conveyors.

Abstract: A cutting head for a filter attachment machine comprises a drum carrying a number of knives, each of which is urged radially outwards by at least one spring against an adjustable retaining device by which the normal distance of the cutting edge from the axis of the drum can be adjusted.

Abstract: A cutting head for a filter attachment machine comprises a drum carrying a number of knives each of which is urged radially outwards by at least one spring against an adjustable retaining device by which the normal distance of the cutting edge from the axis of the drum can be adjusted.

Abstract: A cigarette perforating device for filter cigarettes in which the cigarettes are rolled between a drum and a rolling plate carrying perforator pins. The rolling plate is mounted on a pivot arm which is held in the operative position by an adjustable permanent magnet latch so that when a predetermined increase in pressure occurs in the device, due to a jam, the rolling plate can move away from the drum. This action also operates a switch controlling an electromagnetic catch retaining a conveyor carrying cigarettes away from the perforator so that damaged cigarettes are then dropped to waste.

Abstract: Filter tipped cigarettes are produced by dividing a continuous tobacco stream into alternate sections having respective lengths corresponding to a double cigarette filler and a double filter portion. The double filter portion sections are removed from the stream to leave spaced double filler sections which proceed to a position where double filter portions are inserted in the gaps left by the removed sections. The stream of alternating tobacco sections and filter portions is continuously wrapped and subsequently cut at the middles of the tobacco sections and filter portions to produce individual filter cigarettes. The sections of tobacco removed from the continuous stream may be returned to the stream.