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: A device for the pneumatic inspection of cigarettes comprises a roller which turns about an axis of rotation and has a plurality of seats, each designed to receive a cigarette. For each seat the device has a pair of caps made of strong material, designed to connect with the ends of the cigarette in such a way that, at an inspection station, each cigarette is connected to a source of a fluid which can subject the cigarette to the action of the fluid. A pneumatic—electric pressure transducer is connected to each seat. The transducer issues a signal which depends on the action of the fluid and which indicates the state of the cigarette.

Abstract: A unit and method for transferring cigarette portions whereby the cigarette portions are transferred from a manufacturing machine to a filter assembly machine by means of a first conveyor having first seats movable along a first annular path to pick up respective cigarette portions at a pickup point, and by means of a second conveyor having second seats movable along a respective second annular path; the cigarette portions are transferred from a first seat to a second seat at a transfer point along the first path, and the speed of the second seats is corrected at the transfer point to substantially reach or approximate the speed of the first seats at the transfer point.

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: A device for the pneumatic inspection of cigarettes comprises a roller which turns about an axis of rotation and has a plurality of seats, each designed to receive a cigarette. For each seat the device has a pair of caps made of strong material, designed to connect with the ends of the cigarette in such a way that, at an inspection station, each cigarette is connected to a source of a fluid which can subject the cigarette to the action of the fluid. A pneumatic-electric pressure transducer is connected to each seat. The transducer issues a signal which depends on the action of the fluid and which indicates the state of the cigarette.

Abstract: A unit and method for transferring cigarette portions whereby the cigarette portions are transferred from a manufacturing machine to a filter assembly machine by means of a first conveyor having first seats movable along a first annular path to pick up respective cigarette portions at a pickup point, and by means of a second conveyor having second seats movable along a respective second annular path; the cigarette portions are transferred from a first seat to a second seat at a transfer point along the first path, and the speed of the second seats is corrected at the transfer point to substantially reach or approximate the speed of the first seats at the transfer point.

Abstract: A cigarette portion is transferred from a bed of a manufacturing machine to a respective first seat of a supply unit for supplying an input conveyor of a filter-assembly machine by a pickup member having a second seat for receiving and retaining the cigarette portion and movable along an annular path tangent to the bed and to the supply unit; the orientation of the second seat being controlled, as the second seat travels along the annular path, by two guide members hinged to two portions of the pickup member separated by a given distance from each other to generate a control moment by which to keep the second seat parallel to itself along the annular path.

Abstract: A filter assembly machine for producing ventilated tobacco products; the machine having a conveying drum in turn having a number of peripheral seats for successively feeding the products along a given path extending about an axis of the drum; the products being housed inside the respective seats with respective longitudinal axes parallel to the axis of the drum, and being rotated at least 360.degree. about their respective axes as they are fed along the path; the machine also having a perforating device associated with the drum to form a number of perforations in each product; and an extracting device and an optical device for controlling the products being provided along the path and mounted along the outer periphery of the drum.

Abstract: A filter assembly machine wherein a succession of tobacco articles, each defined by at least one cigarette portion aligned with a respective filter, and a succession of respective gummed strips are fed by a conveyor drum to a first and a second rolling wheel rotating about respective axes and having a number of peripheral axial cavities, each of which houses a respective roller defining, with the cavity, a rolling channel; the tobacco articles, once rolled to connect the cigarette portions and filters by means of respective strips, are transferred from the first and second rolling wheel to an output drum by means of conveyors having seats on the end of respective ribs engageable between pairs of adjacent rollers.

Abstract: A method and machine for producing ventilated cigarettes comprises forming a succession of double cigarettes, each comprising two cigarette portions and an intermediate double filter joined by an intermediate connecting band. The double cigarettes are translated to respective double cigarette supporting means on a rotary conveyor having an axis. The supporting means includes a rotatable gondola normally facing outward in relation to the conveyor and rotatable about the axis and rest means fixed in relation to the conveyor. Each double cigarette is arranged in engagement with the respective supporting means so that a first end portion of the double cigarette laterally engages the rotatable gondola. A second end portion of the double cigarette laterally engages the rest means. An intermediate portion of the double cigarette including the intermediate double filter is free. The conveyor is advanced to feed the double cigarettes through a perforating station.

Abstract: A rolling device wherein elongated elements, in particular tobacco items, are fed in an orderly succession to the inlet of a rolling channel at a first speed, and are fed along the rolling channel at a second speed equal to half the first speed; the device presenting a rolling initiating unit located at the inlet of the rolling channel and in turn presenting a number of brake elements, each of which provides for engaging and gradually reducing the speed of a respective elongated element from the first speed to the second speed.

Abstract: On a cigarette filter assembly machine, (2), a first and second succession of side by side, oppositely-oriented filter-tipped cigarettes are fed to a turnover unit settable to two distinct operating positions for turning over by 180.degree. the cigarettes in one or other of the two successions; the overturned cigarettes being transferred onto the opposite side of the cigarettes in the other succession to form two successions of equioriented, transversely-spaced cigarettes.

Abstract: On a filter assembly machine, a succession of groups, each including two cigarette portions, a double filter between the two cigarette portions, and a gummed strip connected integral with and projecting from the group, is fed by an input conveyor to a transfer station where each group is transferred into a respective seat on a rolling device with multiple rolling channels: each gummed strip being fed on to the respective group so as to project forwards from the group in the traveling direction of the input conveyor.

Abstract: A device for reducing the pitch between two consecutive elements in a succession of elements, whereby the pitch is changed by feeding the elements by way of a conveyor about a first axis, and changing the distance between the elements and the first axis between a loading station at which the elements are loaded on to the conveyor, and an unloading station at which the elements are unloaded off the conveyor; the distance change being achieved by rotating each element about a respective eccentric second axis traveling with the conveyor.

Abstract: On a filter assembly machine, a succession of groups, each having two cigarette portions, a double filter between the two cigarette portions, and a gummed strip connected integral with, along a generating line of, and projecting forwards from the group, is fed by an input conveyor to a loading station where each group is transferred into a respective seat on a rolling device with multiple rolling channels; the groups being unloaded off the rolling device with a smaller pitch as compared with the input pitch.

Abstract: An orderly succession of first tobacco items, each including a double cigarette portion, is fed along a path along which the first items are cut into two cigarette portions which are separated by the insertion of a double filter to form a succession of second items, each including two cigarette portions separated by the double filter; each second item is rolled onto a respective strip connecting the two cigarette portions and the double filter to form a third item including a double cigarette; and the second items present, immediately upstream from the rolling station, a spacing approximately equal to but no less than the length of the respective strip.

Abstract: On a filter assembly machine, a rolling device provides for joining, by means of a succession of strips, a number of elongated elements in a corresponding succession of groups using a number of rollers, each presenting a respective seat for a respective group, and each rotating about a respective axis for rolling the groups in contact with a rolling surface; the axes of the rollers being moved, in relation to the rolling surface, at a first speed; and the rollers being so operated as to rotate about the respective axes and advance the respective seats at a second variable speed which is minimum when the groups are loaded and unloaded on and off the rollers.

Abstract: An orderly succession of first tobacco items, each including of a double cigarette portion, is fed along a path, along which the first items are cut into two portions, which are connected by rolling, and by means of an outer band and the interposition of an intermediate double filter, to form an orderly succession of second items, which are cut to form a first and second succession of third items consisting of single, side by side, oppositely-oriented cigarettes; the cigarettes in one of the two successions being turned over 180.degree. in relation to those in the other succession to form at least one stream of equioriented cigarettes for supply to a follow-up machine; and the pitch of the various successions of items undergoing only one change along the entire path.

Abstract: A device for feeding filter portions to a filter assembly machine, wherein an input feedbox, defined by two facing lateral walls arranged parallel and separated by a distance at least equal to the length of the filter portions, is fed with the filter portions along a conduit by which the filter portions are fed axially into an eccentric lateral groove in an elongated body fitted through the feedbox and rotating about its axis perpendicular to the lateral walls of the feedbox.

Abstract: A method and device for externally checking cigarettes, whereby the cigarettes, housed inside respective seats on a conveyor, are fed by the conveyor in a transverse direction in relation to the seats and along a path, one portion of which is a scanning path past a CCD scanning array; each cigarette being rotated at least 360.degree. about its axis as it travels along the scanning path.