Abstract: A tobacco trimming apparatus has a conveyor which transports a stream of tobacco shreds in such a way that the surplus extends downwardly beyond the undersides of two flat disc-shaped members whose marginal portions pinch the moving stream in the region between the main portion and the surplus. Such surplus is removed by short teeth which are machined into the slightly conical peripheral surface of a disc rotating in a plane that makes an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of movement of the stream. The teeth alternate with notches which are machined in part into the peripheral surface and in part into a slightly conical front surface of the disc which latter faces the surplus. The front surface of the disc deflects the surplus into the notches so that the surplus is shifted into the path of the cutting edges on the oncoming teeth and is separated from the remainder of the tobacco stream.

Abstract: A continuous rod-like filler which is ready for draping into a web of cigarette paper is obtained by removing the surplus of tobacco from a continuous tobacco stream which is formed at one side of a foraminous belt conveyor the other side of which is adjacent to a suction chamber serving to attract the particles of tobacco to the conveyor. The surplus is removed downstream of the zone where the particles of tobacco are delivered to the conveyor. The density of the filler is monitored subsequent to draping, and the signals which are generated by the density monitoring device are used to vary the pressure in the suction chamber, to vary the speed of a first rotary conveyor which propels particles of tobacco against the belt conveyor and/or to vary the rate of feed of tobacco particles to the belt conveyor by adjusting the speed of a second rotary conveyor which draws tobacco particles from the lower end of a duct.

Abstract: An intermittently advanced web of wrapping material is subdivided into discrete blanks which are used in a cigarette packing machine for conversion into portions of soft packs by severing the web across its leader during each interval of dwell of the web so as to separate from the web a discrete blank, and by simultaneously removing one corner at the leading edge of the freshly formed blank. This obviates the need for the provision of triangular notches in the one and/or other marginal portion of the web. Successive blanks are transferred from the severing staton by suction arms for delivery into the range of the converting mechanism.

Abstract: A cutoff for cigarette rods or the like has a rotary carrier for one or more reels of convoluted metallic band material constituting the knife or knives which sever the rod at regular intervals when the carrier rotates. The reels can be rotated in a direction to pay out the band material, and the leaders of the bands extend from the carrier and orbit along a path which is traversed by the rod. The leaders are ground at the rate at which the reels are rotated so that the length of that portion of each band which extends from the carrier remains constant. One marginal portion of each band constitutes the cutting edge, and such cutting edges need not be sharpened while the cutoff is in use because rotation of the reels results in movement of fresh portions of cutting edges to severing positions.

Abstract: A junction zone between the first and second sections of a conveyor system for sidewise transport of cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles communicates with the first opening of a reservoir which normally constitutes a surge bin for temporary storage of those articles which are delivered by the first section but cannot be accepted by the second section. The reservoir has a second opening which is normally separated from the first opening by a reciprocable partition but is free to discharge articles into a tray filling machine when the reservoir is filled to capacity and the rate at which the first section delivers articles continues to exceed the rate at which the second section removes articles from the junction zone.

Abstract: A testing apparatus for filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles has a drum-shaped conveyor with a smooth or fluted cylindrical surface and with radially inwardly extending suction slots which are connected to the intake of a fan. Each slot is disposed between two cradles which support the articles to be tested in such a way that the wrappers of the articles remain spaced apart from the periphery of the conveyor. The cradles engage the articles close to the respective ends of the articles and have small article-engaging surfaces to thus insure the detection of all or nearly all leaks during testing with a fluid medium which is introduced into the interior of a wrapper during travel past the testing station. The streams of air which flow into the slots of the conveyor hold the articles against ejection under the action of gravity and/or centrifugal force.

Abstract: Cigarette packs which leave a packing machine by moving sideways so that one of the major surfaces of each pack faces forwardly are monitored for the presence of defective envelopes during travel between two endless belt conveyors. When the monitoring system or systems detect a defective pack, such system or systems generate one or more signals which are used to expel the defective pack from the path between the conveyors. The ejection is effected by changing the orientation of defective packs relative to the conveyors so as to reduce the frictional hold of conveyors upon the relatively narrow lateral faces of the defective packs with the result that the thus released defective packs can descend by gravity. The orientation of defective packs can be changed by discrete pins which move into the path of the packs from above, from below or from one side so as to be nearer to the one than to the other conveyor.

Abstract: A growing tobacco stream is formed at the underside of a foraminous belt conveyor and is transported past two trimming devices to be converted into a rod-like filler which is thereupon draped into cigarette paper and severed to yield discrete plain cigarettes which are united with filter plugs to form filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. The resistance of successive identical sections of the filler to axial and/or transverse flow of air therethrough is monitored, and the resulting signals are used to adjust the second trimming device when the monitored resistance deviates from a desired value. The envelopes of filter plugs on successive filter cigarettes are perforated by a laser which is adjustable by signals denoting deviations of the mass of tobacco per unit length of the filler from a preselected value, deviations of the resistance of filter plugs to axial flow of air therethrough from a preselected value and/or deviations of the permeability of cigarette paper from a preselected value.

Abstract: Apparatus for subdividing a running paper web into sections of desired length has a first motor which drives the web at a constant speed and a D.C. motor which drives an orbiting knife at a speed which varies during each angular movement of the knife through 360 degrees. A detector which monitors the speed of the web transmits signals which are utilized to insure that the speed of the knife matches the speed of the web during that stage of each orbital movement when the knife cuts the web. The length of intervals between successive cutting operations is adjustable by connecting the knife with any one of several graduated disks whose graduations are monitored by a second detector which controls the speed of the knife during intervals between successive cutting operations.

Abstract: The making of perforations in the tubular envelopes of finished filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped smokers' products for the purpose of admitting cool atmospheric air into the column of tobacco smoke is regulated automatically in dependency on one or more variable parameters including the resistance of the rod-like filler of a product to axial flow of a gaseous fluid therethrough, the permeability of the entire tubular envelope, the resistance which the entire filler or the tobacco filler of a filter cigarette offers to axial or transverse flow of a gaseous fluid or to penetration of corpuscular radiation across successive increments of the filler, the resistance which successive increments of a web of cigarette paper offer to the penetration of air or light therethrough, and/or the quantity of tobacco particles in the smokers' products.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting knives, sockets, holders and analogous devices for severing, supporting, transferring and/or otherwise manipulating rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products has first and second disks which are rotatable about parallel axes and carry sets of levers each pivotable about an axis which is parallel to the axes of the disks. Each lever of one disk is coupled to a lever of the other disk by a crank unit one pin of which carries a tool. One of the disks is driven and transmits torque to the other disk by way of the levers and crank units whereby the crank units orbit and their pins hold the tools against any change of orientation. Stationary cams have congruent grooves for roller followers which are provided on the levers of the first and second disks, and the cam grooves are configurated in such a way that the cams can reduce or increase the absolute speed of movement of crank pins by moving the pins toward or away from the axes of the respective disks.

Abstract: Apparatus for severing a running web at different intervals to subdivide the web into sections of desired length has two advancing rolls which transport the web lengthwise at a constant speed toward the nip of two rotary cutters having blades which sever the web in predetermined angular positions of the cutters. The cutters are driven in opposite directions by a stepping motor which receives stepping signals at a first frequency when the blades are about to sever and while the blades sever the web to thereby rotate the cutters at the speed of the web, and at any one of different second frequencies in other angular positions of the cutters. The system which transmits stepping signals has an exchangeable indicia-bearing disk which is driven by the advancing rolls through the medium of a variable-speed transmission or through one of several transmissions having different ratios.

Abstract: The filling force of compacted tobacco in the fillers of filter cigarettes which issue from a filter tripping machine is measured for the purpose of increasing the quantity of tobacco in the filters when the filling force decreases and visce versa. The filling force can be measured by pneumatically deforming successive increments of the wrappers of discrete cigarettes and ascertaining the extent of deformation or by mechanically deforming an entire stack of cigarettes and ascertaining the reduction of the combined volume of cigarettes. The quantity of tobacco can be regulated by removing a larger or smaller quantity of tobacco from a continuous stream which is thereby converted into the filler of a cigarette rod or by changing the speed of a conveyor in the distributor of the cigarette making machine so that the conveyor withdraws a larger or smaller quantity of tobacco per unit of time.

Abstract: A distributor for use in cigarette makers wherein an upright duct receives loose tobacco shreds and discharges the thus formed tobacco column into a compacting device therebelow. The compacting device has two endless belts whose inner reaches are located opposite each other and engage and compact the descending column of tobacco shreds. The belts receive constant torque from a motor by way of an electric clutch wherein the driving and driven elements are out of contact with each other. The densified column of tobacco shreds is fed into the space between two additional belts which are driven by the prime mover of the cigarette maker through the medium of a variable-speed transmission which is controlled by a density measuring device. The additional belts feed the column into the range of needles on a wheel which feeds tobacco shreds into several discrete pneumatic conveyor pipes or into a single pipe.

Abstract: Apparatus for alternately withdrawing lowermost sheets from stacks of sheets in two magazines has a frame which is reciprocable below the magazines along a horizontal path between two end positions and carries a main support, two auxiliary supports which flank the main support, and a suction wheel between the main support and each auxiliary support. The suction wheels are driven in phase with the movement of the frame whereby the wheels turn clockwise while the frame moves in one direction and anticlockwise while the frame moves in the opposite direction. Two toothed belts have end portions which are anchored in a tensioning device between the magazines, and the belts are trained over pulleys of the suction wheels and pulleys of rollers constituting the main support.

Abstract: Blocks or streams consisting of one or more layers of cigarettes can be transported by one or more endless conveyors wherein an endless band-like or rim-like carrier is surrounded by a pile of elastically deformable bristles which engage and entrain the adjacent layer or layers of cigarettes when the conveyors are in motion. The conveyors may be used to evacuate selected blocks of arrayed cigarettes from a packing machine or to cooperate with each other or with conventional belt conveyors in order to transport cigarettes sideways to the inlet of the magazine in a packing machine.

Abstract: A ribbon consisting of a series of interconnected labels is transported, first continuously and thereupon intermittently, along an elongated path toward a severing station where a movable knife separates successive foremost labels and the separated labels are engaged by pivotable suction heads which move the respective labels sideways into a different path for transport to a packing or other processing machine. That portion of the ribbon path which is located immediately ahead of the severing station extends along an arc of 180.degree., and the mechanism for intermittently transporting the ribbon has two pivotable deforming jaws which cooperate to deform the ribbon between successive labels whereupon a shoulder of one of the jaws engages the deformed portion and pushes the ribbon toward the severing station.

Abstract: A cigarette packing machine wherein one or more indexible turrets for portions of or entire cigarette packs and the tools which treat the portions of or entire packs receive motion from a transmission having an input element which is a main drive shaft, several additional driving components in the form of shafts and/or gears receiving motion from the main drive shaft, several driven components which receive motion from the driving components and transmit motion to the tools and/or turret or turrets, and couplings which connect one or more driving components with associated driven components and/or the driven components with the associated turret or turrets and associated tools. The couplings include prefabricated flats provided on the driving and driven components, turret or turrets, and tools; such flats abut against each other to maintain the components, turret or turrets and tools in predetermined positions relative to each other.

Abstract: A packing machine wherein a first feeding unit supplies groups of cigarettes into successive mandrels of a first turret which is driven stepwise and moves successive mandrels into register with first and second supplying devices for tinfoil blanks and paper blanks which are thereupon draped around the mandrels to form open-ended packs. The packs and the groups of cigarettes are transferred simultaneously from successive mandrels into successive pockets of a second turret on which the packs are closed.

Abstract: Apparatus which transports cigarettes from a pick-up station where the cigarettes move axially one behind the other to a delivery station where the cigarettes move sideways in one or more rows has one or more carriers which rotate about a horizontal or vertical axis and carry pick-up heads for cigarettes. The carriers are rotatable with as well as relative to a disk which is driven at a constant speed so that the heads move at a high speed during travel past the pick-up station and at a lower speed during movement past the delivery station. The mechanism for moving the carriers relative to the disk includes mating oval gears or bell crank levers which are pivotably mounted on the disk and are coupled to their carriers by means of links. The bell crank levers have followers which track a stationary cam. The carriers may constitute levers which are articulately mounted on a turret rotating in a horizontal plane in response to rotation of holder which moves the turret by means of several crank units.