Abstract: Method for operating a rod maker of the tobacco-processing industry. In order to place additives, e.g., flavoring agents, in a cigarette in a location-dependent manner, a tobacco cake or tobacco web is formed from deposited tobacco. Furthermore, an extrudate is formed. The extrudate is applied to the deposited tobacco. The extrudate contains a basic component. An additive is fed to the basic component in a discontinuous manner. The invention also relates to a device for producing a tobacco rod that contains an extrudate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for processing a band of filter material in the tobacco industry. The band is conveyed to a stretching section of a stretching device or to an application section of an application device. A first roller arrangement comprising at least two rollers is disposed on an intake side of the stretching section or the application section, and a second roller arrangement comprising at least two rollers is disposed on an outlet side of the stretching section or the application section. The band is conveyed while looped around at least two rollers of the first or the second roller arrangement so that the band is respectively looped at least partially around the rollers.

Abstract: Distributor device and method of distributing that includes an input device for the input of a product stream, a preliminary distributor for distributing, measuring out and loosening the product stream, a store for receiving the product stream, an accumulating shaft, and a sifter for separating fractions of the product stream. The distributor device also includes a conveying element for transporting the product stream from the store to the accumulating shaft, and at least one external delivery device for delivery of at least one additional component. The at least one external delivery device is arranged between the store and the sifter relative to a transport direction of the product stream. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: Arrangement and process for assembling at least two tobacco rods in a cigarette rod maker. The arrangement includes at least two flow surfaces and feed devices structured and arranged to convey tobacco on the at least two flow surfaces. Each of the at least two flow surfaces are structured and arranged to guide the tobacco from the feed devices to at least one suction rod conveyor, respectively, and the feed devices include at least two ducts arranged one behind the other crosswise to a conveying direction of the suction rod conveyor. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: An elongated channel for the assembly of successive increments of a continuous tobacco stream and for lengthwise transport of the tobacco stream in a cigarette making machine is composed of a foraminous belt having a lower reach overlying the channel and located beneath a suction chamber, and of two additional belts having recessed surfaces which flank the channel. Those tobacco particles which enter the recesses in the surfaces of the additional belts form part of densified sections of rod-like fillers of discrete cigarettes and the recesses further serve to receive the teeth of one or more driven pulleys which are employed to move the additional belts lengthwise.

Abstract: A sealing element for the end portions of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body defining a longitudinally extending passage for the flow of air or another testing fluid from one end of an article being tested or in the opposite direction. The end face of the article being tested is engaged by a deformable membrane at one end of the passage, and such membrane has a central opening for the flow of testing fluid from or into an enlarged chamber between the membrane and an internal fluid deflecting baffle of the tubular body. The baffle causes the testing fluid to flow in the chamber radially inwardly toward or radially outwardly from the opening in the membrane and thus prevents the accumulation of tobacco particles and/or particles of filter material for tobacco smoke in the chamber. The stream of testing fluid in the major portion of the passage flows in the axial direction of the article being tested.

Abstract: A sealing element for use in the testing of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry has an elastic tubular body with an end portion having an axially movable end wall and an annular lip extending beyond the external surface of the end wall. The latter has a central opening constituting the inlet or the outlet of an axial passage for testing fluid. When the end of an article to be tested is caused to bear against the external surface of the end wall, the latter yields axially of the tubular body and causes the lip to flex radially inwardly into engagement with the periphery of the adjacent end of the article to be tested. In order to reduce the likelihood of damage to the end wall and/or the lip by sharp edges surrounding the ends of certain articles which are caused to bear against the external surface of the end wall, such external surface is provided with an annular recess which is inwardly adjacent the lip and can have a substantially semicircular cross-sectional outline.

Abstract: Apparatus for perforating a web of wrapping material or tubular wrappers of discrete filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length in a filter tipping machine has a laser which is energizable at a frequency depending on the speed of the main prime mover of the machine to emit a beam which is reflected by a pivotable reflector to impinge alternately upon different portions of a single optical system or upon several discrete optical systems serving to focus the beam upon the web or upon discrete wrappers whereby the beam forms two or more rows or more complex patterns of perforations in the web or in the wrappers of successive cigarettes. The pivotable reflector can be omitted or is optional if a diffraction grating is placed in front of a single optical system so that the grating splits the beam into several discrete beams each of which is focused upon a different portion of the web or of the wrapper of a cigarette.

Abstract: A distributor for use in a cigarette maker has a relatively long and relatively narrow upright duct whose upper end receives particles of tobacco from one or more magazines by way of an endless belt. The resulting column of tobacco descends through the lower end of the duct and into the range of orbiting needles at the periphery of a horizontal drum. An oscillating barrier is interposed between the lower end of the rear wall of the duct and the path of needles close to the apex of the drum. The barrier has a profiled rib which extends into the lower end of the duct to homogenize the lower end of the descending column of tobacco as well as to promote uniform filling of gaps between the neighboring needles with particles of tobacco along the full axial length of the drum. The particles are expelled from the gaps by a picker roller and are converted into a wide carpet, thereupon into a narrow stream and finally into a rod-like filler.