Abstract: A conveyor for compressing cigarette blocks to an appropriate size for packaging having a plurality of open cell bodies, each body defining an open cell therein, for receiving cigarette blocks in a configuration corresponding to that of cigarettes in a cigarette pack. Each cell body is comprised of a single piece of sheet metal which has been bent into a generally U-shape and each cell body has first and second longitudinal walls, spaced at a distance corresponding to the height of the cigarette block to be received therein, and an end wall therebetween such that said longitudinal walls and said end wall cooperate to form the generally U-shaped body. The conveyor further including a plurality of closure elements, for selectively opening and closing the open end of the cell bodies.

Abstract: Cigarette blocks comprising an even number of individual cigarettes arranged in an odd number of rows are formed through the use of a hopper having a linear array of parallel shafts with one of the shafts being permanently occupied by a blocking member at the level of an intermediate row. Cigarettes are delivered singly to the blocked shaft beneath the blocking member in synchronism with the transfer, in a direction transverse to the feed direction, of all of the cigarettes comprising the block to downstream apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming cigarettes groups consisting of a plurality of cigarette layers to be received by a pack, employs a group-forming turret and cells equipped with a tamping device adjustable relative to the cell floor via a control cam. Layers of cigarettes are transferred to the cells from exit orifices of a funnel. To prevent a change of position of the cigarettes in the cells as a result of the forces occurring during the movement of the turret, the control cam for the tamping devices possesses, for each exit orifice, a step opening the respective cell at least by the amount of the height of a cigarette layer, and movable cam portions serving to temperarily bridge the steps.

Abstract: The packaging of cigarettes, particularly in a bottom-folding packer, is expedited by utilizing two separate packaging lines to feed a common drying turret. The drying turret has a pair of cell supporting rotors with the first of these rotors receiving, at a pair of diametrically opposed locations, formed packages from the two lines. The packages, in the course of drying, are transferred in pairs between the first and second rotors of the drying turret and, during such transfer, sealing stamps are affixed thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus for ejecting a row of cigarettes from a cigarette magazine employs an endless conveyor which is actuable by means of a stepping drive. Ejector members fixed to the endless belt are moveable through the magazine case for ejecting the bottommost cigarette row. The endless conveyor employs a belt having a series of troughs which receive the bottommost cigarette row. The ejector members define the trailing boundary of the troughs.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding package blanks to a package forming machine includes a first conveying system, which moves the blanks at a substantially constant speed while an adhesive is applied thereto, and a second coveying system which receives the moving blanks from the first conveying system and brings their movement to a halt at a point and in an orientation where the blanks are properly positioned to be engaged by a package forming machine. The second conveying system includes an intermittently driven suction belt.

Abstract: Partially completed cigarette packages are ejected from cells mounted on a turret of a wrapping machine by a pusher device which is caused to both reciprocate axially with respect to the cells and also to move with the cells over a limited arcuate range. The reciprocating motion is controlled so that the impact speed of the pusher device on the cigarettes is low while the average pusher device speed is relatively high. The arcuate motion of the pusher device is controlled so that the time required to complete the ejection and withdrawal strokes thereof can be greater than the dwell time between steps of motion of the cells. A back-up member moves in synchronism with the pusher device during the ejection stroke to prevent opening of the package end opposite to that corresponding to the operating region of the pusher device.

Abstract: Cigarettes are transferred by a rotatable device from the exit ends of guide channels in a receiving funnel to a device which arranges the cigarettes in layers for subsequent formation of cigarette blocks to be wrapped. The rotatable transfer device consists of a drum provided with spaced groups of cigarette receiving grooves on its periphery, the receiving funnel and the layer-forming device being generally oppositely situated with respect to the drum and being vertically separated whereby gravity feed to and discharge from the drum may be effected. A mechanism for insuring that cigarettes will be fed from the receiving means to all of the grooves of each group on the drum at the same time is associated with the drum.

Abstract: Stamps, labels and the like are affixed to moving packages, for example cigarette packages, by a process which includes the withdrawal of individual stamps or labels from a magazine, the application of an adhesive to spaced points along laterally separated linear regions thereof and the transfer of the stamps or labels with the adhesive applied thereto to a fork-like mechanism which conveys the stamps or labels into registration with the path of movement of the articles to which they are to be affixed, the articles contacting the side of the stamps or labels having the adhesive thereon and passing between the tines of the fork-like mechanism. Adhesive is applied to the stamps or labels by a roller defined by a plurality of spacially separated discs, some of the discs functioning as vacum-assisted holders for the stamps and the other discs having surface depressions for receiving the adhesive which is subsequently transferred to the stamps or labels.

Abstract: There is disclosed cigarette handling apparatus for transferring cigarettes from a first stream, in which they move at a first speed one after the other in a feed direction parallel to their axes, to a second stream, in which they move at a second speed one after the other in an outflow direction at right angles to their axes. A transfer drum is mounted to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the feed direction and a plurality of cigarette carrier elements are slidably mounted around the drum for reciprocation parallel to this axis. Each carrier element is movable by the drum between a first position for lateral entrainment by suction of a cigarette from the first stream and a second position for delivery of the entrained cigarette to the second stream. A cam is arranged to cause each carrier element to execute a reciprocation in each drum revolution.

Abstract: Apparatus for packaging cigarettes, the apparatus comprising means for applying a strip of packaging material about a group of the articles to form a tube and folding and gluing the ends of the wrapper to define the package is provided with a plural stage drying apparatus which permits a long glue drying operation without adversely effecting the speed of operation of the packaging apparatus. The drying apparatus includes a pair of adjacent, synchronously rotated, drums which have receiving cells for the packages. The packages are transferred, typically in pairs, into individual cells of a first drum and are subsequently simultaneously transferred from cells in the first drum into cells of the second drum.

Abstract: The packaging of plural articles in a common wrapper is accomplished with the aid of wrapping mandrels into which preformed blocks of the articles are loaded. The wrapping mandrels have movable slides which define the effective length of the mandrels and thus insure that first ends of the articles will lie in the plane of the insertion end of the mandrels, the first ends of the articles thus defining a stable base over which a wrapping may be folded. The slides are reciprocated in the mandrels to eject packages, open at one end, to a device for closing the open end.