Abstract: Apparatus for perforating a web of wrapping material or tubular wrappers of discrete filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length in a filter tipping machine has a laser which is energizable at a frequency depending on the speed of the main prime mover of the machine to emit a beam which is reflected by a pivotable reflector to impinge alternately upon different portions of a single optical system or upon several discrete optical systems serving to focus the beam upon the web or upon discrete wrappers whereby the beam forms two or more rows or more complex patterns of perforations in the web or in the wrappers of successive cigarettes. The pivotable reflector can be omitted or is optional if a diffraction grating is placed in front of a single optical system so that the grating splits the beam into several discrete beams each of which is focused upon a different portion of the web or of the wrapper of a cigarette.

Abstract: Apparatus for regulating the movement of cigarettes from a maker to a packing machine has a first multi-conveyor transporting unit which normally delivers cigarettes directly to a bin for the block forming device at the inlet of the packing machine, and a second multi-conveyor transporting unit which can deliver cigarettes to the last conveyor of the first unit in response to actuation of a switchover device. The latter normally transfers cigarettes from the maker to the first conveyor of the first unit but is caused to transfer cigarettes to the first conveyor of the second unit in response to detection of a pile-up of cigarettes on an intermediate conveyor of the first unit. The path which is defined by the second unit communicates with the interior of a variable-volume magazine which can accept cigarettes, whereby its volume automatically increases, when the packing machine is slowed down or arrested while the maker continues to supply cigarettes at a normal rate.