Abstract: A method and packing machine for combining an insert and a group of cigarettes; the group of cigarettes is fed to a first seat of a pocket, which first seat is designed to house the group of cigarettes; the insert is fed to a second seat of the pocket, which second seat is designed to house the insert and is separate from the first seat; and the group of cigarettes and the insert are expelled together from the pocket by a common ejector device, so as to combine the insert with the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet of packing material, having an extraction opening, about a group of cigarettes; the method includes the steps of: bringing a first end wall of the group of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet of packing material, so that the major transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the short sides of the sheet of packing material, and the minor transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet of packing material; folding the sheet of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges of the first end wall, so that the sheet of packing material covers both the major lateral walls of the group of cigarettes completely; folding the sheet of packing material onto a second end wall of the group of cigarettes; and folding the sheet of packing material onto the minor lateral walls of the group of cigarettes; the first end wall of the group of cigarettes is positioned asymmetrically with respect to the sheet of packing material

Abstract: A package of tobacco articles, having: a group of tobacco articles; a cup-shaped outer container (2) having an open top end (6), and a cup-shaped lid (7) hinged to the outer container (2) along a hinge (8) to rotate, with respect to the outer container (2), between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the open top end (6) respectively; and an inner package (3) which is housed inside the outer container (2), encloses the group of tobacco articles, and has a tobacco article extraction opening (4) closed by a cover flap (5); at least a portion of the cover flap (5) is connected permanently and non-removably to the lid (7), so that opening and closing the lid (7) simultaneously also opens and closes the cover flap (5).

Abstract: A rigid pack (1) of essentially parallelepiped appearance, designed to contain cigarettes, is composed of an inner packet (5) with a hinged lid (8), and an open-fronted box or case (6) affording a recess (20) in which the packet (5) is nested with the back (11), top (14), bottom (13) and flanks (12) offered in contact respectively to the back (17), transverse walls (19) and longitudinal walls (18) of the case (6), and with the inner packet (5) anchored along the front corner edge between the front wall (10) and the bottom (13), to the free edge presented by a corresponding transverse wall (19) of the outer case (6); the inner packet (5) is able to pivot on this corner edge, which functions as a hinge (21), between the nested position and a position partially extracted from the case (6). Also forming part of the pack is a linkage element (26) operating between the case (6) and the packet (5) in such a way as will cause the lid (8) to flip open automatically when the pack is opened.

Abstract: A rigid package (1) for tobacco articles (3), having a first container (2) housing a group (3) of tobacco articles and in turn housed inside a second container (4) to slide, with respect to the second container (4), between a closed position, in which the first container (2) is fully inserted inside the second container (4), and an open position, in which the first container (2) is partly extracted from the second container (4); the package (1) has two connecting strips (22), each of which is connected, on one side, to a major lateral wall (14) of the first container (2), and, on the opposite side, to a major lateral wall (7) of the second container (4), and has a deformable portion (23) at the first container (2).

Abstract: A rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes having: at least one group of cigarettes; at least one inner container housing the group of cigarettes; an outer container housing the inner container and having at least one open lateral end; and a hinge connecting the inner container and the outer container to allow the inner container to rotate between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is at least partly extracted from the outer container; the hinge being located close to an edge of a wall of the inner container and close to an edge of a bottom wall of the outer container at the open lateral end of the outer container.

Abstract: Packets of cigarettes are conveyed from a packer to a cellophaner by a unit utilizing a first pocket conveyor connected to the infeed of the cellophaner, and a second pocket conveyor by which packets are directed onto the first conveyor at a transfer point; the unit is also equipped with a sensor that will check whether or not each pocket of the second conveyor is occupied by a packet, and a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, of which the function is to fill any empty pockets of the first conveyor with packets recycled from the cellophaner.

Abstract: A package for tobacco articles, having a group of tobacco articles, and a cup-shaped container which houses the group of tobacco articles and has an open top end, a bottom wall, two parallel, opposite major lateral walls, and two parallel, opposite minor lateral walls; at least one retaining member is located inside the container, projects perpendicularly from at least one of the lateral walls, defines a supporting surface for the group of tobacco articles, and is defined by two rigid panels separated from each other by a crease line and folded one towards the other.

Abstract: A method and device for finishing packets having respective overwrappings of heat-shrink material, whereby the overwrappings are sealed about the respective packets and then heated to shrink and adapt to the configuration of the packets; after being heated, the overwrappings are cooled to set and so reduce the risk of damage to the overwrappings at subsequent processing stages.

Abstract: A packet (1) of cigarettes having a cup-shaped, parallelepiped-shaped outer first container (2); a first lid (4) is hinged to the outer first container (2) to rotate between an open position and a closed position; the outer first container (2) houses two to four inner second containers (18), each of which is cup-shaped, houses a group (19) of cigarettes, and is parallelepiped-shaped; a second lid (21) is hinged to each inner second container (18) to rotate between an open position and a closed position; and the inner second containers (18) are housed inside the outer first container (2) so that, when the first (4) is in the closed position, a top wall (30) of each second lid (21) directly contacts a top wall (13) of the first lid (4), and at least one lateral wall (29) of each second lid (21) directly contacts a lateral wall (12) of the first lid (4).

Abstract: A method and packing machine for combining an insert and a group of cigarettes; the group of cigarettes is fed to a first seat of a pocket, which first seat is designed to house the group of cigarettes; the insert is fed to a second seat of the pocket, which second seat is designed to house the insert and is separate from the first seat; and the group of cigarettes and the insert are expelled together from the pocket by a common ejector device, so as to combine the insert with the group of cigarettes.

Abstract: A carton of soft packets of cigarettes, having: an outer package; a group of soft packets of cigarettes housed inside the outer package, and each having an inner package having a first sheet of flexible packing material folded about a respective group of cigarettes; and at least one reusable rigid box housed inside the outer package and containing a soft packet of cigarettes, while the other soft packets of cigarettes serve as refills for the reusable rigid box; the inner package of each soft packet of cigarettes having a tear-off top portion separated from the rest of the inner package by a tear line.

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet of packing material, having an extraction opening, about a group of cigarettes; the method includes the steps of: bringing a first end wall of the group of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet of packing material, so that the major transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the short sides of the sheet of packing material, and the minor transverse edges of the group of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet of packing material; folding the sheet of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges of the first end wall, so that the sheet of packing material covers both the major lateral walls of the group of cigarettes completely; folding the sheet of packing material onto a second end wall of the group of cigarettes; and folding the sheet of packing material onto the minor lateral walls of the group of cigarettes; the first end wall of the group of cigarettes is positioned asymmetrically with respect to the sheet of packing material

Abstract: In a cigarette packer, groups of single cigarettes are first assembled by a formation unit and placed in trays carried by a conveyor, then directed in succession along a set feed path, advancing sideways-on, toward a wrapping unit by which each one is enveloped in a transparent or at least partly transparent wrapper; during the transfer from the formation unit to the wrapping unit, the trays are directed past a print unit stationed along the feed path, by which at least one graphic element such as lettering or a logo is impressed on at least one cigarette making up each group.

Abstract: A rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes having: at least one group of cigarettes; at least one inner container housing the group of cigarettes; an outer container housing the inner container and having at least one open lateral end; and a hinge connecting the inner container and the outer container to allow the inner container to rotate between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is at least partly extracted from the outer container; the hinge being located close to an edge of a wall of the inner container and close to an edge of a bottom wall of the outer container at the open lateral end of the outer container.

Abstract: A method of folding a rectangular sheet of packing material about a parallelepiped-shaped article; the method providing for: bringing an end wall of the article into contact with the flat sheet of packing material, so that major transverse edges of the article are parallel to the short sides of the sheet of packing material, and minor transverse edges of the article are parallel to the long sides of the sheet of packing material; folding the sheet of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges of the end wall, so that the sheet of packing material completely covers both the major lateral walls of the article; and folding the sheet of packing material about longitudinal edges of a major lateral wall and onto minor lateral walls of the article, before folding the sheet of packing material about minor transverse edges of the end wall.

Abstract: A rigid package (1) for tobacco articles (3), having a first container (2) housing a group (3) of tobacco articles and in turn housed inside a second container (4) to slide, with respect to the second container (4), between a closed position, in which the first container (2) is fully inserted inside the second container (4), and an open position, in which the first container (2) is partly extracted from the second container (4); the package (1) has two connecting strips (22), each of which is connected, on one side, to a major lateral wall (14) of the first container (2), and, on the opposite side, to a major lateral wall (7) of the second container (4), and has a deformable portion (23) at the first container (2).

Abstract: A rigid package (1) for tobacco articles, having at least one container (2), which is cup-shaped, is parallelepiped-shaped, and has a rear wall (6), a front wall (7), two lateral walls (8), a bottom wall (9), and an open top end (3); and a lid (4), which is cup-shaped, is hinged to the container (2) along a hinge (5) on the rear wall (6) of the container (2) to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open top end (3), and has a rear wall (10), a front wall (11), two lateral walls (12), and a top wall (13); when the lid (4) is in the closed position, the front wall (11) of the lid (4) is positioned over the front wall (7) of the container (2) to almost completely cover the front wall (7) of the container (2), and the lateral walls (12) of the lid (4) are positioned over the lateral walls (8) of the container (2) to partly cover the lateral walls (8) of the container (2).

Abstract: A method and device for transferring packets, whereby two parallel, superimposed rows of packets are fed in a horizontal direction to a first transfer station, and the lead packets in the two rows are then conveyed in a vertical direction from the first transfer station to a second transfer station, where the lead packets are parted in the vertical direction; at this point, the parted lead packets are transferred in the horizontal direction to a heat-shrink unit having two parallel, superimposed, substantially horizontal channels, each of which is engaged by a respective row of packets.

Abstract: A rigid package for tobacco articles, having a cup-shaped container having an open end; and a cup-shaped lid hinged to the container along a hinge to rotate, with respect to the container, between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end; a mechanical sound member being provided to generate an audible sound as the lid is opened, and which is located astride the hinge.