Abstract: Composite filters are assembled initially by an upstream unit as groups of at least two plugs having different filtration properties. A single flow of the groups is directed from the assembling unit onto a pair of drums and divided into two flows, whereupon these are taken up by two pitch-adapting drums rotating substantially tangential one to another about parallel axes, and released to a rotating member turning on an axis normal to the axes of the drums and equipped with a plurality of carriers by which pairs of the groups are transferred from the drums to the twin channels of a garniture tongue along which two continuous rods of composite filters are formed. The carriers are equipped with an arm presenting a portion angled relative to the axis of the rotating member, so that two groups can be picked up at a time from the drums and deposited simultaneously in the channels.

Abstract: Cigarette filters are supplied to the infeed portion (1) of a filter tip attachment machine by a unit (2) comprising rollers (11) which divert the filters (3) into an upstream hopper (8), and a channel (9) carrying the filters (3) from the upstream hopper (8) to a downstream hopper (4) where they are released to the infeed portion (1) of the machine. Located between the infeed rollers (11) and the feed channel (9) is a variable volume storage buffer (16) with a movable wall (28) attached to the top branch (23) of a conveyor belt (24); the Belt is driven by a motor (27) interlocked to sensors (31) which monitor and control the level of the mass of filters (3) occupying the upstream hopper (8), so that the size and capacity of the buffer (16) can be adjusted to accommodate fluctuations in the flow of filters through the hopper (8).

Abstract: Filter elements made up of least two axially aligned plugs are advanced in succession by a feed unit along a first path and in a first direction, with the plugs oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, toward a garniture section extending along a second horizontal path and in a third direction, on which they are formed into at least one continuous rod which is then divided up by a rotary cutter into single composite filters. A transfer unit linking the feed unit and the garniture section comprises a conveyor, rotatable about a first axis parallel to the second direction, equipped with carriers each presenting at least one slot designed to admit one filter element; the single carriers are pivotable independently relative to the conveyor about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and about a third axis transverse to the first axis, alternating between positions in which the slot extends parallel with the second direction and with the third direction.

Abstract: A transfer unit for transferring elongated articles, wherein a uniform succession of articles is fed by an input drum to a first transfer station, where the articles are picked up successively by a number of pickup heads of a transfer drum for supply, through a second transfer station, to an output drum in a uniform succession of pairs of side by side articles; some of the pickup heads are fixed, and some oscillate with respect to the transfer drum; the fixed pickup heads alternate with the oscillating pickup heads; and each oscillating pickup head oscillates to and from a position contiguous to one of the two adjacent fixed pickup heads.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes are turned out by a combination unit composed of a cigarette maker coinciding with a substantially horizontal first leg, also a filter tip attachment machine coinciding with a second leg, of which the downstream machine is equipped with an infeed roller turning on a horizontal axis lying transverse to the second leg. The first and second legs extend parallel one with another and are linked by a transfer unit rotatable about an essentially vertical center axis and incorporating a plurality of holders, each designed to take up two cigarette sticks from an outfeed end of the upstream machine and direct them through a semi-circular path to an infeed end of the downstream machine.

Abstract: Tobacco products are manufactured by an automatic machine presenting a number of working parts, certain of which consisting in rollers rotatable about mutually parallel axes and carried by a substantially vertical bulkhead of the machine frame, equipped with a protective casing rendered capable of movement by means of a parallelogram linkage between a raised position, clear of the bulkhead, and a lowered position shielding the bulkhead. A horizontal beam associated permanently with the casing carries an upright member serving to support a camera-and-strobe-light assembly; piloted by a master controller, the upright member is traversed along the beam by one motor, and the camera-and-strobe-light assembly along the upright member by another motor, so that the camera can be positioned at any given point on the bulkhead to examine all the working parts.

Abstract: A method and unit for transversely cutting cigarette portions or similar on a filter assembly machine, whereby a cigarette portion is fed transversely through a cutting station to intercept a rotary circular blade, which is maintained in a work position by an arm mounted to oscillate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the circular blade, so as to move the circular blade between the work position, a store for worn circular blades, and a store for new circular blades.

Abstract: A cigarette filter assembly machine wherein a rolling unit is defined by a rolling drum and a guide drum coaxial with each other and connected to each other in angularly-fixed, axially-sliding manner; and wherein the rolling drum has a number of suction rollers (54) rotated, with respect to the rolling drum, by respective independent drive units; the guide drum has a number of semicylindrical cavities, each coaxial, and defining a relative rolling channel, with a relative suction roller; the suction rollers receive, with a first spacing, relative groups of component parts of a relative double cigarette; and each drive unit rotates the relative suction roller to roll the relative group inside the relative rolling channel and to extract a relative double cigarette from the relative rolling channel, and reverses the relative suction roller to release the relative double cigarette with a second spacing smaller than the first spacing.

Abstract: Composite filters are assembled initially by an upstream unit as groups of at least two plugs having different filtration properties. A single flow of the groups is directed from the assembling unit onto a pair of drums and divided into two flows, whereupon these are taken up by two pitch-adapting drums rotating substantially tangential one to another about parallel axes, and released to a rotating member turning on an axis normal to the axes of the drums and equipped with a plurality of carriers by which pairs of the groups are transferred from the drums to the twin channels of a garniture tongue along which two continuous rods of composite filters are formed. The carriers are equipped with an arm presenting a portion angled relative to the axis of the rotating member, so that two groups can be picked up at a time from the drums and deposited simultaneously in the channels.

Abstract: A strip of wrapping material is advanced by a feed unit that includes a gumming device composed of a gumming roller and a transfer roller contra-rotating about horizontal and parallel axes and in tangential contact one with another along an area coinciding with a straight line generator common to both.

Abstract: In a filter tip attachment machine, filter rods (2) are taken up from a hopper by a roller (5) furnished with longitudinal flutes (7), each accommodating one rod (2) and operating in conjunction with one or more rotating disc cutters (11) by which the rods (2) are divided into two or more plugs (10); the flutes (7) are sectional, incorporated into a set of axially slidable modules (17, 20, 23) ensheathing the take-up roller (5) and adjustable for position along the rolling surface according to the number of plugs (10) that will be cut from the rod (2), or to the length of the single plug (10), or both.

Abstract: Tipping papers are cut from a continuous strip of material advancing along a set feed path by a unit comprising a suction roller and a roller equipped with blades, which combine to separate the single papers from the strip at a prescribed frequency; the tension of the advancing strip is varied cyclically by diverter elements associated with the suction roller and capable of movement at intervals coinciding with the frequency of the cutting stroke between two limit positions, one located externally and the other internally of the outer surface presented by the suction roller.

Abstract: Filter elements made up of least two axially aligned plugs are advanced in succession by a feed unit along a first path and in a first direction, with the plugs oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, toward a garniture section extending along a second horizontal path and in a third direction, on which they are formed into at least one continuous rod which is then divided up by a rotary cutter into single composite filters. A transfer unit linking the feed unit and the garniture section comprises a conveyor, rotatable about a first axis parallel to the second direction, equipped with carriers each presenting at least one slot designed to admit one filter element; the single carriers are pivotable independently relative to the conveyor about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and about a third axis transverse to the first axis, alternating between positions in which the slot extends parallel with the second direction and with the third direction.

Abstract: Cigarette filters are supplied to the infeed portion (1) of a filter tip attachment machine by a unit (2) comprising rollers (11) which divert the filters (3) into an upstream hopper (8), and a channel (9) carrying the filters (3) from the upstream hopper (8) to a downstream hopper (4) where they are released to the infeed portion (1) of the machine. Located between the infeed rollers (11) and the feed channel (9) is a variable volume storage buffer (16) with a movable wall (28) attached to the top branch (23) of a conveyor belt (24); the Belt is driven by a motor (27) interlocked to sensors (31) which monitor and control the level of the mass of filters (3) occupying the upstream hopper (8), so that the size and capacity of the buffer (16) can be adjusted to accommodate fluctuations in the flow of filters through the hopper (8).

Abstract: An orderly succession of first tobacco articles (4), each defined by a double cigarette portion, is fed, with a first pitch (P1), to a first portion (S1) of a path (B) along a filter assembly machine (5); as they travel along the first portion, the first articles (4) are cut into respective pairs of portions (13, 14), and the portions in each pair are spaced axially and then fed along a second portion (S2) of the path (B); as they travel along the second portion, the portion (13, 14) in each pair are separated by the interposition of a double filter (21) to form a succession of second articles (29), each defined by the relative pair of portions (13, 14) and by the relative interposed double filter (21); a respective strip (33) being applied, by rolling, to each second article (29) to connect the pair of portions (13, 14) and the double filter (21) and form a third article (40) defined by a double cigarette; and the first articles (4) being subjected to a pitch reduction to assume, along the first portion (S1)

Abstract: A transfer unit for transferring elongated articles, wherein a uniform succession of articles is fed by an input drum to a first transfer station, where the articles are picked up successively by a number of pickup heads of a transfer drum for supply, through a second transfer station, to an output drum in a uniform succession of pairs of side by side articles; some of the pickup heads are fixed, and some oscillate with respect to the transfer drum; the fixed pickup heads alternate with the oscillating pickup heads; and each oscillating pickup head oscillates to and from a position contiguous to one of the two adjacent fixed pickup heads.

Abstract: Filter cigarettes are turned out by a combination unit composed of a cigarette maker coinciding with a substantially horizontal first leg, also a filter tip attachment machine coinciding with a second leg, of which the downstream machine is equipped with an infeed roller turning on a horizontal axis lying transverse to the second leg. The first and second legs extend parallel one with another and are linked by a transfer unit rotatable about an essentially vertical center axis and incorporating a plurality of holders, each designed to take up two cigarette sticks from an outfeed end of the upstream machine and direct them through a semi-circular path to an infeed end of the downstream machine.

Abstract: A method and unit for transversely cutting cigarette portions or similar on a filter assembly machine, whereby a cigarette portion is fed transversely through a cutting station to intercept a rotary circular blade, which is maintained in a work position by an arm mounted to oscillate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the circular blade, so as to move the circular blade between the work position, a store for worn circular blades, and a store for new circular blades.

Abstract: A strip of wrapping material is advanced by a feed unit that includes a gumming device composed of a gumming roller and a transfer roller contrarotating about horizontal and parallel axes and in tangential contact one with another along an area coinciding with a straight line generator common to both.

Abstract: Tobacco products are manufactured by an automatic machine presenting a number of working parts, certain of which consisting in rollers rotatable about mutually parallel axes and carried by a substantially vertical bulkhead of the machine frame, equipped with a protective casing rendered capable of movement by means of a parallelogram linkage between a raised position, clear of the bulkhead, and a lowered position shielding the bulkhead. A horizontal beam associated permanently with the casing carries an upright member serving to support a camera-and-strobe-light assembly; piloted by a master controller, the upright member is traversed along the beam by one motor, and the camera-and-strobe-light assembly along the upright member by another motor, so that the camera can be positioned at any given point on the bulkhead to examine all the working parts.