Abstract: In a cigarette maker, shredded tobacco passes through a feed and transport section toward a unit by which divided particles of the tobacco are gathered into at least one stream providing the filler for cigarettes. By positioning one or more sensors either along the feed and transport section or at a point upstream, relative to the feed direction of the tobacco, it becomes possible to identify the type of tobacco being handled at any given moment, so that when production schedules include a changeover from one brand to another, supervisors can be certain that the right type of tobacco has been selected, and ensure that different types of tobacco will not mingle.

Abstract: Packets (2) of cigarettes are packed in multiples adopting a rigid carton (1) of parallelepiped shape presenting two end faces (11, 12) coinciding with the flanks (13, 14), and four side faces (3, 4, 5, 6) of which two coincide with the bottom (10) and the top (8).

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing method and machine, whereby a shredded tobacco stream is fed along a channel extending through at least one carding unit and having at least one output portion closed by a suction conveyor belt and for feeding a mat of tobacco onto the suction conveyor belt; and the shredded tobacco stream is cleaned, upstream from the carding unit, to remove relatively heavy parts, such as lumps of tobacco and/or woody tobacco parts and/or any foreign bodies, from the shredded tobacco stream.

Abstract: The supply of consumables and other materials to production machines in a system for the manufacture of tobacco products is managed using a method whereby, once a nominal target number of products has been programmed at a master control unit, a tally is kept of the number of products emerging from the machine located farthest downstream, and a corresponding signal relayed back to the master control unit, together with a signal indicating the consumption of the various types of material. On the basis of the information received, the master control unit will process an output message indicating the requirement for at least one given type of consumable or wrapping or other auxiliary material to be supplied, whereupon the message is sent to an operator entrusted with the task of replacing the depleted material.

Abstract: Container obtained by the folding of a single respective foldable blank, is delimited by wails of which at least one is shaped in such a way as to protrude towards the outside of the container, and has at least one flat stiffening wall, which extends between two walls bordering on the shaped wall and is arranged at a distance from the shaped wall in order to make stable the shape of the latter.

Abstract: Tobacco products are manufactured by a system including at least a first production machine turning out the tobacco products and at least one user machine in receipt of the products, connected together in cascade. In the event of a stoppage at the user machine, the speed of the first machine is reduced to a first level, lower than that of the normal operating speed, whereupon the lower speed is maintained for a programmed length of time during which the tobacco products that continue to be turned out by the first machine are ejected at an outfeed station, and thus prevented from reaching the user machine.

Abstract: The quality of cigarettes advancing along a manufacturing line is tested by a method that includes the steps of checking key characteristics of the cigarettes as they pass through testing units placed at given points along the line, so as to obtain first signals reflecting the quality of the tested characteristics presented by each cigarette, inhibiting the operation of reject devices to prevent defective cigarettes from being ejected, then taking up a given number of tested cigarettes as samples at the outfeed stage of the line, including defective cigarettes, and directing them into an auxiliary off-line testing unit by which they are checked a second time so as to obtain a second signal reflecting the quality of the same characteristics; the method also includes the step of sending a signal to the in-line testing units so that, if the first signals differ from the second signals, the in-line units can be recalibrated, thereby optimizing the quality of the cigarettes produced on a given manufacturing line o

Abstract: Filter elements made up of least two axially aligned plugs are advanced in succession by a feed unit along a first path and in a first direction, with the plugs oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, toward a garniture section extending along a second horizontal path and in a third direction, on which they are formed into at least one continuous rod which is then divided up by a rotary cutter into single composite filters. A transfer unit linking the feed unit and the garniture section comprises a conveyor, rotatable about a first axis parallel to the second direction, equipped with carriers each presenting at least one slot designed to admit one filter element; the single carriers are pivotable independently relative to the conveyor about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and about a third axis transverse to the first axis, alternating between positions in which the slot extends parallel with the second direction and with the third direction.

Abstract: A method and machine for transferring packets, whereby, as a continuous line of packets is fed in a first direction, the first packet in the line is transferred in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, while the line and the first packet continue travelling in the first direction; the first packet is subsequently conveyed in the second direction along an output path.

Abstract: Cigarette filters are supplied to the infeed portion (1) of a filter tip attachment machine by a unit (2) comprising rollers (11) which divert the filters (3) into an upstream hopper (8), and a channel (9) carrying the filters (3) from the upstream hopper (8) to a downstream hopper (4) where they are released to the infeed portion (1) of the machine. Located between the infeed rollers (11) and the feed channel (9) is a variable volume storage buffer (16) with a movable wall (28) attached to the top branch (23) of a conveyor belt (24); the Belt is driven by a motor (27) interlocked to sensors (31) which monitor and control the level of the mass of filters (3) occupying the upstream hopper (8), so that the size and capacity of the buffer (16) can be adjusted to accommodate fluctuations in the flow of filters through the hopper (8).

Abstract: A rigid hinged-lid packet for tobacco products appears as container (3) with an open end (4), and a lid (5) hinged to the container (3) so as to rotate between positions in which the open end (4) is open and closed, also a stiffening frame (15) projecting from the open end (4) and presenting two side pieces (19) destined to enter into contact with the insides of two respective flank faces (13) of the lid (5) when the packet is closed. To retain the lid (5) more firmly in the closed position, the inside of each flank face (13) is fashioned with a freely projecting tongue (52) bent inwards in such a manner that when the lid (5) is returned to the closed position, the tongue (52) will locate in an opening (55) afforded by a slit (54) formed in the corresponding side piece (19) of the frame (15).

Abstract: A rigid package for tobacco articles having a first container for housing the tobacco articles and housed inside a second container so as to slide with respect to the second container between a closed position and an open position; each container is substantially parallelepiped shaped, and has two end walls, and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls, and by at least one minor lateral wall; the major lateral walls of both the containers are curved walls having the same concavity and the same radius of curvature, which is constant along the whole extension of each major lateral wall (FIG. 2).

Abstract: A package of tobacco articles, having a container; a group of tobacco articles housed inside the container; and a marker, which is housed inside the container, has a resonating body resonating at a given resonance frequency, and is remotely detectable by a shoplifting detector device by means of an electromagnetic field having a frequency substantially equal to the resonance frequency.

Abstract: Filter tips are applied to cigarettes by a device equipped with a conveying roller (9) on which assemblies (4) composed of two cigarettes (5) and a double length filter plug (6) placed between them are united with tipping papers (11), also with a flexible rolling conveyor (12) looped around first and second pulleys (16, 18) and combining with the roller (9) to create a concave channel (13) along which a tipping paper is rolled around the relative filter. The rolling surface of the flexible conveyor (12) is faced with metal cleats (24) ordered transversely one beside the next. To ensure that the conveyor (12) runs concentrically with the roller (9) and maintain a constant depth along the channel (13), the device is equipped with magnets (30) and guide wheels (33) positioned on the side of the flexible conveyor (12) opposite from the channel (13) in such a way that the magnets (30) will interact with the cleats (24) and with blocks (26) and screws (27) by which the cleats are clamped to the conveyor (12).

Abstract: A packet of cigarettes having a rigid container in turn having a hinged lid; and a group of cigarettes housed inside the container and enclosed in an inner foil wrapping having a front tear-off portion; a front wall of the container has a transparent window superimposed over the front tear-off portion of the inner foil wrapping.

Abstract: A device for processing packets of cigarettes has a transportation unit for conveying a line of packets from an input station to an output station in a direction perpendicular to the line; a conveyor unit for feeding the line to the input station in a direction parallel to the line; and a transfer unit for transferring the line from the conveyor unit to the transportation unit; the transfer unit has a first pusher for transferring the line from the conveyor unit to an intermediate conveyor which reduces the longitudinal speed of the line to zero, and a second pusher for transferring the line from the intermediate conveyor to the transportation unit.

Abstract: A method of evaluating the efficiency of an automatic machine, whereby, upon completion of a given production lot, a current performance index achieved by the automatic machine during manufacture of the production lot is calculated; and the current performance index is memorized in a nonvolatile memory, together with various characteristic parameters relating to the processing performed. To evaluate the efficiency of the automatic machine, the current performance index is compared with historic performance indexes memorized previously during operation of the automatic machine and having characteristic parameters substantially similar to the characteristic parameters of the current performance index.

Abstract: A method and machine for packing a group of cartons of cigarettes in a flat tubular package, whereby a first portion and a second portion of a suction gripping head respectively engage a first lateral wall of the flat tubular package, and a second lateral wall of the flat tubular package separated from the first lateral wall by a respective preformed fold line; a rotational movement is then generated between the first and second portion of the suction gripping head to rotate the first and second lateral wall engaged by the suction gripping head with respect to each other, and so convert the flat tubular package from the flat configuration to an open configuration; the group of cartons of cigarettes is then pushed inside the open tubular package, and the suction gripping head is moved to feed the open tubular package to a sealing station where the open tubular package is sealed.

Abstract: A rigid pack of substantially parallelepiped appearance for tobacco products appears as a container (5) with an open top end (6), surmounted by a lid (7) hinged to the container (5) and rotatable between positions in which the top end (6) is open and closed. The pack (1) presents four lateral faces (17, 18, 19), and two end faces (12, 16) disposed mutually parallel and perpendicular to the lateral faces (17, 18, 19); at least one of the six faces (12, 16, 17, 18, 19) presents a raised portion (22) with an outwardly directed convex profile obtained by plastically deforming at least one panel (43, 44) of a blank (31) before the blank is folded around the tobacco products to fashion the pack (1).

Abstract: An orderly succession of first tobacco articles (4), each defined by a double cigarette portion, is fed, with a first pitch (P1), to a first portion (S1) of a path (B) along a filter assembly machine (5); as they travel along the first portion, the first articles (4) are cut into respective pairs of portions (13, 14), and the portions in each pair are spaced axially and then fed along a second portion (S2) of the path (B); as they travel along the second portion, the portion (13, 14) in each pair are separated by the interposition of a double filter (21) to form a succession of second articles (29), each defined by the relative pair of portions (13, 14) and by the relative interposed double filter (21); a respective strip (33) being applied, by rolling, to each second article (29) to connect the pair of portions (13, 14) and the double filter (21) and form a third article (40) defined by a double cigarette; and the first articles (4) being subjected to a pitch reduction to assume, along the first portion (S1)