Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting and removing foreign material which may be found in a stream of particulate matter, such as tobacco. The tobacco is allowed to fall in a cascade past an optical detector. The turbulence of the falling motion brings a large proportion of the particles in the cascade into the field of view of the detector. When foreign material is detected, a signal is generated to activate a fluid blast directed at the portion of the cascade in which the foreign material is located.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for releasing cut tobacco from cigarettes are disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing dispersing fans at its periphery in a radial manner within a releasing barrel, scattering the cigarettes by the dispersing fans, circulating the scattered cigarettes along several releasing plates adjacently arranged to form a circle around the outer periphery of the dispersing disc, and releasing part of cut tobacco from the cigarettes by colliding it against knobs which are arranged at the inner peripheral surface of each of the releasing plates during circulation. Such rotary dispersing discs as mentioned above are formed in several steps in the vertical direction within the releasing barrel. The partly released cigarettes are dropped on to the lower step of the rotary dispersing disc through openings defined between adjacent releasing plates.

Abstract: A system and process for sorting and opening packages particularly suitable for reclaiming reusable, returned goods. The system and process separates unusable returned goods from reusable returned goods, and gathers information and data on the goods which information can be of benefit to management. The system and process provides for optically reading the Universal Product Codes on the packages of reusable and unusable goods. Based on this UPC code identification, the packages are segregated into categories of reusable and unusable goods. The system and process further segregates the reusable goods into various different types of reusable goods based on predetermined criteria. The system and process even further provides for automatically opening the packages containing reusable goods, and separating the goods from the opened packages.

Abstract: A shredded tobacco supplying device for a cigarette making machine is disclosed, including a tank to receive shredded tobacco, a conveyor for unloading the shredded tobacco out of the tank, a high speed impeller positioned to scatter the unloaded shredded tobacco toward a vertical chimney arranged above the path of the scattered tobacco and connected to a negative pressure source to draw the lighter weight pieces through the chimney, a channel vertically arranged below the scattered tobacco to allow the heavier pieces to drop, and a mechanism for receiving and crushing the heavier pieces into smaller pieces and for supplying the crushed smaller pieces back to the impeller.

Abstract: Apparatus for recovering tobacco particles from unsatisfactory filter cigarettes has a rotary centrifugal aligning device which converts randomly supplied unsatisfactory cigarettes into a single file and transports successive cigarettes of the file past the peripheral surfaces of two rotary disc-shaped wrapper-engaging implements serving to break the wrappers and thus expose the tobacco-containing fillers for segregation from the wrappers and filters. The marginal portions of the implements are monitored by discrete photocells which generate signals on detection of cracks, chipping and/or other defects of the implements, and such signals are used to arrest the drive for the aligning device and for the implements.

Abstract: Method of removing paper wraps that are secured by thermoplastic adhesive around and/or to waste cigarette filter rods to enable subsequent recovery of the filter material in the cigarette filter rods, the method including the step of heating the cigarette filter rods to the melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive and then agitating the paper wrap against the filter material to obtain separation of the paper wrap therefrom.

Abstract: Apparatus and a process for reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes is described in which cigarettes are first treated with hot water to saturate the paper wrapper and soften the glue holding together the edges of the cigarette wrapper. Saturation of the paper wrapper is followed by impacting the moistened cigarettes with steam. At sufficiently high temperatures, this will open the glue seam adjacent to the tobacco bearing section of the cigarette. At lower temperatures, the tobacco rod is expelled through the open end or ends of the cigarettes. The tobacco is thereafter dried and separated from the remainder of the cigarette material. The advantage of the process of the invention resides in its capacity to separate and reclaim the tobacco with minimal reduction of particle sizes. Long strands of tobacco are reclaimed intact. In addition, if the rejected cigarette includes a filter component, the filter structure may be separated intact from the remainder of the cigarette.

Abstract: This so-called"rod-breaker" device is adapted to break and deflect the cigarette rod between the feed and the cutting machine, and comprises a cutter unit consisting of a rotatably movable blade adapted to accomplish alternating angular movements of about 90 degrees in a plane perpendicular to the rod from a position about 45 degrees to the horizontal, a fixed drying iron peen and a fixed counter-blade disposed in parallel relationship above and beneath the rod, respectively, and adjacent the movable blade for co-action therewith, and a deflector rotatably driven by the movable blade with an angular displacement causing said deflector to become operative after the breaking step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to reclaiming tobacco and paper from cigarettes. The apparatus of the invention entails a structural frame which carries a hopper intended to temporarily store a supply of cigarettes. Suitable conveying means connected to the frame convey the cigarettes consecutively from the hopper to sequential points of treatment. The tobacco is removed from each cigarette by an intermediate air jetting means connected to the frame at an intermediate station. Air from the jetting means is introduced into a receiving end of each cigarette as the cigarette is conveyed past the intermediate station so that the tobacco is ejected from the surrounding paper tube of the cigarette. Pneumatic aligning means connected to the frame at a first station consecutively aligns the cigarettes relative to the conveying means to assure direct proximity of the receiving end of each cigarette to the intermediate jetting means.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for opening packaged articles, particularly packs and cartons of cigarettes, in which such items are ripped open and broken apart sufficiently to allow the contents, e.g. tobacco, to be separated and recovered. The apparatus aspects of this invention involve a ripper fan, a recycling air leg, and a cyclone separator from which the materials are recovered for further processing.

Abstract: In continuous rod cigarette making machinery waste tobacco is collected from various sources (in particular from a stripping device for rejected cigarettes) and is fed to a separation box where non-tobacco waste is removed. The waste tobacco is then conveyed to a small hopper in which a carded drum meters the tobacco into the main tobacco shower at a point such that the surplus tobacco subsequently trimmed by the ecreteur does not consist of any waste tobacco, thereby minimising tobacco degradation. Waste tobacco may also be collected from the filter plug assembler by means of an inclined chute mounted over a conveyor which feeds the waste to the separation box.