Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous determination of two physical properties of the constituents of a smokable article from the mechanical properties of a rod of tobacco or filter fibres during the production of said rod employs a format finger for compacting the rod of tobacco or filter fibres to a predetermined diameter; the format finger made from hard metal comprises at a first point, at which the diameter of the rod corresponds substantially to the diameter of the finished rod, at least one opening for subjecting the rod to a gas stream; the one or each opening is connected via a critically traversed nozzle in a supply conduit to a gas source; a measuring-value transducer determines the pressure drop of the gas stream with constant volume occurring at the rod and thus the draw resistance.

Abstract: In a method for controlling at least two physical properties, decisive for the quality of the finished smokable article, of a material rod of filter or tobacco material for the manufacture of smokable articles, in particular in filter or cigarette manufacture, the actual values of said properties are detected, the respective differences between the actual and desired values are determined and from the differences determined control signals are obtained for actuating elements influencing the mass of the material making up the rod; to facilitate the generation of the desired values, the control is performed during start-up or when specific events occur by means of only a single primary product parameter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a parameter for fibres, particularly for crimped, irregularly structured fibres, such as textile fibres and tobacco fibres. A given quantity of fibres is separated on a substrate. Two congruent images of the separated fibres is produced with a camera. By means of a grid, the number of grid elements covered by the fibres is determined from the superimposed congruent images. The images are then mutually displaced by one and/or more grid steps (.DELTA.x.sub.o,.DELTA.y.sub.o) in (-x) and (+y) and (x/.+-.y) (diagonally). (For symmetry reasons the (-x) and (-y) displacements give the same results as the (+x), (+y) displacements and the (-x/.+-.y) displacements give the same results as the (+x/.+-.y) displacements. The number of grid elements with fibres of the two images still covering one another following the displacement is determined and added to the number of grid elements with fibres of the non-displaced images.

Abstract: An apparatus for optical monitoring of the surface of rod-shaped smoking articles and/or filter rods for the tobacco industry comprises a conveying means transporting the rods perpendicularly to their longitudinal direction and a high-pressure lamp which serves as light source and which is connected via an optical fibre cable to a sensor block; the optical fibre cable is divided amongst at least two cross-section transformers with strip-shaped light exit regions whose light rays are directed via a further optical system from above and below respectively onto the line-shaped region of the surface of the rod. In addition the sensor block contains a row of photoelectric transducers which simultaneously the line-shaped surface region in the longitudinal direction of the rod and thereby pick up the light reflected at the surface of the rod.

Abstract: A device for determining continuously the hardness of a smokable article, more particularly a cigarette, from the mechanical properties of a rod of tobacco fibres during the manufacture of this smokable article, which ascertains the temperature of the former finger which compacts the rod of tobacco fibres to a predetermined diameter dependent on the diameter of the finished smokable article. This temperature measurement, which can be carried out by a thermocouple element, a resistance thermometer or a semiconductor temperature sensor, represents an exact reproducible measure of the hardness of the smokable article which is produced with this rod of tobacco fibres.