Abstract: A perforating device for forming holes in cigarettes or similar items, whereby a laser beam, emitted by a laser source, is directed on to the cigarettes, engaged inside respective seats, by means of a mobile reflecting and focusing unit mounted for rotation about an axis, and a rotary reflecting element located on the aforementioned axis; the cigarettes turning about their axis and being conveyed transversely in relation to the same on a drum turning about the axis of the beam at the same speed as the rotary reflector; the drum having a speed different from the speed of the mobile unit and the ratio of the mobile unit speed and the drum speed is substantially, but not exactly, a multiple of said first speed; the mobile unit receiving the beam coaxially with the beam axis and deflecting it first outwards and then towards the beam axis; the focused beam being again deflected outwards towards the cigarettes by a ring of mirrors carried on the rotary reflecting element and equal in number to the seats on the drum

Abstract: In a method of adjusting and controlling a cutting device comprising two rollers counter-rotating about parallel axes and provided each with a set of blades where each blade of one roller combines with a blade of the other roller to create a scissor by which discrete pieces are cut from a continuous strip of material, heat is applied to raise the temperature of the cutting device to a selected value higher than the normal operating temperature of the machine; thereafter, having set the blades of each scissor initially by way of a system of adjusters associated with at least one of the two blades, the temperature of the cutting device during operation of the surrounding machine is maintained at a value substantially equal to the selected value by way of monitoring and control media.

Abstract: On a dual-rod cigarette manufacturing machine, the two paper strips for wrapping the two rods are obtained by longitudinally dividing a main strip by means of a cutting device, the strips being fed to the wrapping section along the same route, along which there is provided, for each strip, a tension detecting device. Should the tension of the two strips depart from a preset value, when the tension of at least one of the strips departs from a given tension range, the respective detecting device provides for regulating the speed of the main strip so as to restore correct tension on both strips.

Abstract: A device with contratrotating knives for severing filter cigarette uniting bands from webs for filter cigarette assemblies in automatic filter tipping mahines, in which the knives are carried by drums in arrays with their cutting edges meeting with tangential contact at successive points. The cutting edges of one series of knives are carried at a higher peripheral speed than that of the other series by a support drum. The path of the cutting edges with a higher peripheral speed develops in a plane of the tangential point between the knives of both series such that their lowermost and uppermost sections respectively, are distant from the axis of rotation by equal radii, but greater than that of at least one of their intermediate points coincident with the tangential point.

Abstract: Groups of cigarettes are inserted in succession into the peripheral pockets of an indexed wrapping wheel, each together with a relative sheet of heat-sealable wrapping material that incorporates a tear-open strip to facilitate the operation of breaking open the pack; the sheet is folded initially to create a sheath, enveloping the group of cigarettes lengthwise, the overlapping flaps of which are fused together by heat-seal elements that operate each time the wheel pauses; the projecting ends of the sheet are then folded down over the top and bottom of the pack by an assembly of mechanisms, and fused together by further heat-seal elements.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing machine having a horizontal bed, at least one belt for forming a continuous cigarette rod, the belt having a portion extending above and along the bed between a first and second end thereof, being movable along the bed towards the second end, and being wound about a suction rotary pulley arranged at the first end; a device for feeding a continuous stream of tobacco onto the belt portion, said tobacco feeding device extending above the first end and the pulley and defining between the stream of tobacco and the belt portion an input space for at least one paper strip; a paper strip guide device for feeding at least one paper strip onto the belt portion, the strip guide device having a device for feeding an end of the paper strip to the input space, and the paper feeding device having a plate for holding the end of the strip and designed to move between a first and a second position in which the plate is arranged away from, and respectively within, the input space.

Abstract: A dual-rod cigarette manufacturing machine wherein two streams of tobacco, retained by suction on parallel conveyor belts, are subjected to the action of respective tobacco shaving devices prior to being wrapped in strips of cigarette paper; each of the aforementioned shaving devices comprising two tangent, coplanar, counter-rotating discshaving respective cutting edges, and the respective shafts of which are parallel, inclined at a given angle from vertical, and the shafts lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the two tobacco streams.

Abstract: A device for feeding streams of tobacco on to a cigarette manufacturing machine, which device presents an up-flow input duct, two up-flow output channels connected to the top end of the input duct via a chamber, and a device for dividing the input tobacco stream flowing up duct into two output streams, and feeding each to a respective up-flow channel; the separating device being located in the vicinity of chamber and featuring two conveyors, each located between the top end of input duct and the bottom end of a respective output channel; both conveyors presenting tobacco transporting means moving in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the tobacco stream flowing up input duct.

Abstract: A method and device for handling items, whereby each item is transferred from a first wheel turning in one direction, on to a second wheel turning in the opposite direction, along circular trajectories about the axes of the aforementioned wheels; which transfer is made in a position wherein the two wheels are set a minimum distance apart, and wherein in a seat for an item on the first wheel is aligned and coincides substantially totally with a corresponding seat on the second wheel.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing machine having an auxiliary recycled tobacco feed unit communicating with a downflow duct for feeding tobacco to a continuous cigarette rod forming section; the aforementioned auxiliary unit comprising an input conveyor belt communicating with a vibratory tray located between the output of the aforementioned conveyor and the aforementioned downflow duct; tobacco flow along the aforementioned input conveyor being regulated by mobile deflecting elements connected to means for controlling the tobacco level inside the aforementioned downflow duct.

Abstract: A filter assembly machine having an input roller with spaced peripheral seats for cigarette groups, each group being to coaxial cigarettes with a double filter therebetween; and a rolling unit for said groups; the rolling unit having first and second conveying apparatus for the groups, supply apparatus to supply each group with a connecting strip, and wrapping apparatus to wrap a strip about the double filter and the ends of the two cigarettes, the first conveying apparatus having spaced group supports cooperating with the input roller for successively receiving said groups from said input roller, and for advancing said groups along a first portion of a given route; the second conveying apparatus being a speed-change conveying apparatus which is substantially tangent with said first conveying apparatus, and cooperates with the group supports for successively receiving said groups from the first conveying apparatus, and feeding the groups at reduced speed along a second portion of said route, said second route

Abstract: The device comprises an indexed conveyor wheel having a cylindrical surface with pockets, and a pair of photocell type transducers, one preceding the other in the direction of rotation of wheel, the first located in alignment with a station at which each pocket pauses as the wheel is indexed; one such transducer verifies the correct position of the outer wrapping in relation to the ends of the pack, whilst the other verifies correct position of the wrapping in relation to the sides. A knock-out interlocked to the transducers enables automatic rejection of those packs exhibiting defects in positioning of the outer wrapping.

Abstract: A device for applying adhesive material to card blanks in a packeting machine, comprising a gumming roller and a pressing roller which are substantially mutually tangential and between which the blanks are led in succession to receive traces of adhesive material in predetermined zones. Should the packeting machine halt for a time exceeding a predetermined time limit, detachment means withdraw from the gumming roller that blank disposed between the two rollers in order to prevent it becoming stuck to the gumming roller.

Abstract: Method and device for feeding strip paper on a dual-rod cigarette manufacturing machine, whereby two identical strips are first stabilized as to tension by respective adjustable brake means, and then fed by a common feed device onto respective conveyors extending along respective fixtures for forming respective cigarette rods; a first of the conveyors being set in such a manner as to feed the respective strip at a given theoretical speed, the common feed device being controlled in such a manner as to supply the amount of strip actually required by the first conveyor, and the other conveyor being controlled in such a manner as to supply the full amount of strip received from the common feed device.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing machine having a shredded tobacco supply unit, a unit for wrapping the shredded tobacco, an air permeable conveyor belt extending from the supply unit and the wrapping unit for transferring a continuous layer of tobacco held by vacuum on the belt to the wrapping unit; the supply unit comprising a down-flow duct for shredded tobacco, a well communicating with the bottom end of the down-flow duct, and an up-flow duct for the tobacco; the bottom end of the up-flow duct communicating with the well, and the top end of the up-flow duct being closed by the belt; and separating apparatus for separating unsuitable particles from the shredded tobacco for cigarette manufacture, with the separating apparatus having a duct substantially in the shape of an upside-down U; a tubular connection extending between the U-shaped duct and the well; a first end of the U-shaped duct communicating with a dump, and a second end of the U-shaped duct communicating with the down-flow duct.

Abstract: A device for piercing holes in rod-shaped items particularly cigarettes, on which the items are housed inside respective recesses mounted so as to rotate around their own axes on a conveyor moving cross wise in relation to the recesses. A focusing lens is associated with each respective recess. When the conveyor is operated, the focusing lenses are struck successively by a pulsating laser beam and reflected by a reflecting device located between the laser source and the route travelled by the focusing lenses. The beam is then focused by the focusing lenses on to the periphery of the relative items as they turn.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting substantially parallelepipedic packets (2) disposed between a machine (3) for supplying and a machine (4) for receiving these packets (2) comprising at least one horizontal conveyor (5, 6) connecting the machines (3, 4) and a cylindrical store (13) having radial compartments (25) designed to rotate intermittently about an axis parallel to the conveyor (5, 6) and tangential thereto such that the conveyor (5, 6) defines a base wall for the lower compartment (25) of the store (13).

Abstract: The device comprises a glue roller which picks up adhesive from a tray or tank, a scraper that wipes the glue roller, leaving the adhesive at prescribed points only, and a contact roller which takes sheets of wrapping material through an area where adhesive is applied to them. The contact roller is disposed about an axis parallel to the axis of the glue roller through positioned downstream thereof in the direction of movement of the sheets, such that a guide may be located beneath the contact roller adjacent to the cladding of the roller, designed to afford support to sheets carried by the contact roller and existing from the area where the adhesive is applied.

Abstract: In a cigarette packeting machine, the formation of groups of cigarettes to be packeted disposed in superposed layers of which at least one is incomplete in that it lacks at least one intermediate cigarette. The cigarettes of the incomplete layer being kept in position, inside a formation and advancement pocket for the relative group, by the cigarettes of an immediately upper complete layer which are fed into the pocket so that they become disposed quincuncially to the cigarettes of the incomplete layer.

Abstract: A device for supplying webs of wrapping material to a cigarette making machine of the two rod type is constituted by a device for cutting a web of wrapping material into a first and a second web of identical width, and by deviation devices associated with each of the webs for the displacement thereof in a direction crosswise to that in which the webs move forward. Connected to the first and second web are detector devices provided for operating, through circuit elements, a motor for each of the three deviation devices in such a way as to cancel, moment by moment, any possible differences in width between the first web and the second web and any deflection thereof with respect to a given sliding position.