Abstract: Apparatus for manipulating plain cigarettes between the cutoff of a cigarette making machine and the next-following machine, such as a filter tipping machine, has an elongated guide with a prismatic channel for advancement of successive plain cigarettes along a path which is open from above. In order to prevent the cigarettes from rising in the guide, a stabilizing element in the form of an inverted channel-shaped member is placed in front of the guide at a level above the path of cigarettes and downstream of the last tube of the cutoff.

Abstract: Smokable particles of a first type are withdrawn from a source and are gathered into a narrow stream on a belt conveyor whereon the stream is trimmed prior to transport through a pneumatic conduit wherefrom the stream issues to impinge upon the peripheral surface of a rotating wheel having peripheral pockets for accumulation of batches of smokable particles. The batches are transferred onto a belt conveyor to form a file with gaps between successive batches, and such gaps are filled by smokable particles of a second type before the resulting composite stream is homogenized, equalized and draped into a web of cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod which is severed across the batches or across the accumulations of smokable particles of the second type to yield a series of plain cigarettes of unit length or multiple unit length.

Abstract: A cigarette maker wherein batches consisting of a first type of tobacco particles are deposited at intervals at one side of a suction belt conveyor and the gaps between successive batches are filled with tobacco particles of a second type to form a composite stream which is thereupon homogenized in regions where the batches abut the accumulations of particles of the second type to thus avoid the presence of cavities in the rod-like filler into which the stream is converted preparatory to draping of the filler into a web of cigarette paper. The homogenizing operation can involve mere shifting of particles of the second type toward the belt conveyor or a trimming of the stream with attendant formation of protuberances in the regions of abutment of batches against the accumulations of particles of the second type. The protuberances are eliminated during draping so that the density of the corresponding portions of the filler is increased.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a composite filler which is to be draped into a web of cigarette paper has a rotary wheel-shaped conveyor with a series of pockets which are provided in its peripheral surface and are connected to a suction generating device which draws into the pockets shreds of tobacco or other smokable fibrous material issuing from the outlet of a pneumatic conduit which receives metered quantities of fibrous material from a belt conveyor. The inclination of the stream issuing from the outlet with reference to the peripheral surface of the rotary conveyor is such that fibrous material which advances from the outlet toward and into successive pockets has a component of movement in the direction of rotation of the rotary conveyor, i.e., the particles of fibrous material do not travel radially of the rotary conveyor.