Abstract: A method for the continuous manufacture of cigarillos and other smoking articles comprising a rod of smokable material and a wrapper of tobacco leaf material circumscribing the rod comprises: conveying an elongate web of tobacco leaf material along a pre-determined path; repeatedly severing the elongate web to form a succession of discrete wrappers; contacting each of the succession of discrete wrappers with a respective one of a succession of rods of smokable material; and convoluting the discrete wrappers around the rods of smokable material to form smoking articles. The method may further comprise cutting a plurality of polygonal tobacco leaf portions from at least one tobacco leaf; and tessellating the plurality of polygonal tobacco leaf portions to form the elongate web.

Abstract: A smoking article (10) comprising a first part (13) configured to be movable relative to a second part (11) of the smoking article. The first part (13) having a first engaging surface (31). The second part (11) having a second engaging surface (32), the second engaging surface engagable with the first engaging surface (31) to limit relative longitudinal movement between the first and second parts. The first engaging surface (31) and/or second engaging surface (32) is preferably formed on a folded over portion of sheet material.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine for manufacturing of a cigarette with burn rate modification is described. The cigarette maker allows for mounting of a special bobbin of material which is different in size and width of a normal wrapper bobbin and feeds both the outer wrap web of material and narrower inner wrap web of material to the garniture. A slitting device may be utilized to cut the inner wrap web of material into a plurality of individual strips which are placed adjacent the outer wrap web of material in the garniture area of the maker. The inner wrap web of material may derive from a transverse wound bobbin in order to store large linear amounts of inner wrap web material.

Abstract: A curling device for a filter tip attachment comprises an element placed in contact with a strip of paper material advancing continuously along a given path, and serving to deform the strip in such a way that single tipping papers obtained by cutting the strip are invested with a curled profile; the curling device is associated with a mechanism such as will cause it to vibrate, describing rectilinear or looped trajectories at a predetermined frequency, so as to reduce friction between the curling element and the strip.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for operating a machine of the tobacco processing industry. The process includes guiding at least one wrapper strip along a conveyor path from a wrapping strip supply to a garniture device, and fixing the at least one wrapper strip in at least one preset position along the conveyor path The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A method for forming successive spaced crimps in a tow of fibrous material by passing the tow along a path defined by an apparatus comprising a plurality of crimping wheels disposed around the path, each wheel including teeth having crimping surfaces and adjacent sealing surfaces which slide over one another during crimping to prevent material from being squeezed between the teeth thereby forming crimped sections with elongate edges which are substantially free of flashing connecting non-crimped sections. A second crimping step may be incorporated to form longitudinal grooves in alternate non-crimped sections. The rod-like member produced by these techniques may be overwrapped to provide pockets surrounding the crimped sections which may be filled with a smoke-modifying material, for example, activated charcoal particles. Discrete elements cut from the rod-like member may be used in cigarettes and the like such as in the production of filtered cigarettes.

Abstract: In the production of wrappers or binders of different sizes from tobacco leaves, these leaves are at first divided into strip pieces that are transferred to a conveyor section and by means of a scanner are scanned to ascertain usable areas with preference from the largest to the smallest size. The strip pieces cut out of the same halves of tobacco leaves (right and left sides) are advanced on a further conveyor section consisting of separate, parallel belts, from which strip pieces of equally large, usable areas are collected in the same bobbin, in which they are oriented parallel to the axis of the bobbin and with their usable areas aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bobbin web. The cutting of nondefective final wrappers or binders is subsequently carried out in a separate operation and without further sorting. This provides for obtaining an optimum output from the tobacco leaves by using an apparatus of non-complicated design.

Abstract: The process comprises the step of determining the coordinates of each wrapper to be cut out, allocating a cut-out tool to each wrapper, displacing each of the tools individually to bring them all into similar relative starting positions, and simultaneously displacing the tools along identical paths. Each tool is fixed to a lever pivotally mounted on a rotary shaft perpendicular to respective wrappers, a connecting rod being pivotally mounted on the shaft and the lever.

Abstract: The sheath covering of a composite structured article is removed from the filler it encircles by slitting the sheath longitudinally at plural locations, the sheath thereafter being vacuum drawn away from the filler for discard while the filler is advanced to a collection operation.

Abstract: A device for transferring a leaf-like material, such as tobacco leaves, and for cutting out pieces, such as wrappers for cigars, from said material. A drum is employed to remove the leaf-like material from a conveyor and to support the same during the cutting operation. The cutting device comprises a support with cutting members secured thereto, and the drum and support are moved relative to each other in such a manner that the drum presses the leaves into contact with the cutting members.

Abstract: A method for wrapping cigars or like articles in an outer envelope, or wrapper, made of natural tobacco, which comprises the steps of: at least partially spreading out a non-stripped tobacco leaf, cutting out a first batch of wrappers from one of the half-leaves on one side of the midrib, turning the leaf over onto its other face, spreading out the half-leaf which has not yet been cut out, cutting out a second batch of wrappers from this half-leaf, then rolling cigars or like articles in these two batches of wrappers, reversing the direction of rolling when passing from the wrappers of the first batch to those of the second batch.

Abstract: A device for cutting a piece of a flat workpiece at a selected location identifiable by two or more binary coded numbers which device includes a cutter, a cutting platen having an upper workpiece supporting surface and a lower portion, a plurality of upstanding, shiftable members, a guiding arrangement on the platen adjacent the lower portion for loosely receiving the members, an arrangement for moving the members in accordance with the coded numbers and a structure for forcing the cutter against the cutting surface. In accordance with another aspect, the shiftable members are movable by binary fluid motors each including a series of axially aligned fluid actuating units having strokes corresponding to binary numbers and an arrangement for actuating certain of these units in the fluid motor to move the shiftable members in accordance with the extended condition of the binary motors.

Abstract: An adjustable apparatus can cut V-shaped segments of different dimensions from continuous sheets so that the V-shaped segments of different dimensions are suitable for application as wrappers to double cigar bunches of different dimensions. The apparatus can also cut the two tails of each V-shaped segment into flag-shaped configurations which will permit the smooth application of the two tails to the opposite ends of double cigar bunches having rounded ends.