Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for detecting impurities in a material, infrared rays or a plurality of specific wavelength components of the infrared rays are applied to a material on a conveyor, the respective reflection intensities of the specific wavelength components reflected by the material are measured, the measured reflection intensities and the reflection intensities of specific wavelength components inherent to the material are compared, and impurities in the material are detected according to the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for detecting impurities in a material, infrared rays or a plurality of specific wavelength components of the infrared rays are applied to a material on a conveyor, the respective reflection intensities of the specific wavelength components reflected by the material are measured, the measured reflection intensities and the reflection intensities of specific wavelength components inherent to the material are compared, and impurities in the material are detected according to the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for detecting impurities in a material, infrared rays or a plurality of specific wavelength components of the infrared rays are applied to a material (T) on a conveyor (2), the respective reflection intensities of the specific wavelength components reflected by the material (T) are measured, the measured reflection intensities and the reflection intensities of specific wavelength components inherent to the material (T) are compared, and impurities in the material (T) are detected according to the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for detecting impurities in a material, infrared rays or a plurality of specific wavelength components of the infrared rays are applied to a material (T) on a conveyor (2), the respective reflection intensities of the specific wavelength components reflected by the material (T) are measured, the measured reflection intensities and the reflection intensities of specific wavelength components inherent to the material (T) are compared, and impurities in the material (T) are detected according to the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In a cigarette manufacturing machine, a device for compressing and molding a filler stream includes a tongue, which defines a part of a compression-molding passage. The filler stream passes the compression-molding passage. The device further includes an ultrasonic vibration system for vibrating the tongue. The tongue functions as a horn of the ultrasonic vibration system.

Abstract: A desk-top type infrared radiation moisture measuring apparatus is of a type in which the moisture in a specimen is exposed to a measurement light easily absorbed into water and to at least one reference light not noticeably absorbed into water and calculation is performed to determine the moisture in the specimen on the basis of both the measurement light and the reference light, reflected from the specimen. The apparatus comprises a turntable on which the specimen is placed and which is exposed to both the measurement light and the reference light from above at a portion away from the center thereof, and a drive source for driving the turntable into rotation. The measurement is carried out while the turntable is being rotated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for threshing ribs from tobacco leaves and the like. The method comprises a basket having a grid in which a threshing gear formed with a rotary drum including teeth on its periphery is accommodated in such a manner that the outside portion of the gear is disposed spacedly adjacent to it, supplying raw material to the space between the threshing gear and the basket from one side of the axial direction by an air flow at a predetermined speed corresponding to the peripheral speed of the gear, rotating the gear and basket at different peripheral speeds and discharging raw material toward the crossing direction of the axis. The apparatus comprises a casing, a threshing gear formed with a rotary drum having teeth, a basket having a grid and surrounding the gear, the gear and basket being rotated at different peripheral speeds, a material supply port, a feed duct and a discharge opening.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for cutting tobacco leaves into small pieces. The cutting apparatus has a feed belt conveyor including a plurality of parallel narrow endless belts. At the tail section of the feed belt conveyor is provided a pulley on which a plurality of lower rotary cutting blades are coaxially mounted. The diameter of the blades is larger than that of the pulley and each lower cutting blade projects from between adjacent narrow endless belts. There are further provided a plurality of upper rotary cutting blades above the lower rotary cutting blades and each upper rotary cutting blade overlaps each corresponding lower rotary cutting blade. The endless belts are led to proceed from the pulley but not to proceed beyond the outfeeding edges of the lower rotary cutting blades and then return to the head section after they pass the overlap section.

Abstract: An apparatus for air drying tobacco leaves is provided. The apparatus comprises a vertical hopper section disposed beneath the discharge end of a tobacco leaf supply conveyor, an air-permeable conveyor to transport supplied tobacco leaves oriented in parallel to a direction of air flow, a drying chamber provided to cover the air-permeable conveyor, drying air circulating means, tobacco leaf layer level sensors, and means for controlling the rate of supply of tobacco leaves according to the signals provided from said sensors. The apparatus can obtain a good drying efficiency for air drying tobacco leaves.

Abstract: An overhead conveyor comprising a monorail and a carrier supported on the monorail. In the illustrated embodiment, the monorail is generally I-shaped in cross section and the carrier comprises two carriages spaced apart along the monorail having a roller adapted to ride on the top of the monorail and guide rollers adapted to engage the sides of the monorail to provide lateral stability. The two carriages are interconnected by a load beam pivotally mounted on vertical pins in each of the carriages. One of the carriages carries a drive motor for advancing the carrier along the rail and the other of the carriages provides an electrical pick-up device for taking power from trolley lines mounted on the monorail and supplying power to the drive motor.