Abstract: On a cigarette filter assembly machine, (2), a first and second succession of side by side, oppositely-oriented filter-tipped cigarettes are fed to a turnover unit settable to two distinct operating positions for turning over by 180.degree. the cigarettes in one or other of the two successions; the overturned cigarettes being transferred onto the opposite side of the cigarettes in the other succession to form two successions of equioriented, transversely-spaced cigarettes.

Abstract: A cigarette filter assembly machine having a first and second succession of side by side, oppositely oriented single cigarettes are fed to a turnover unit wherein, with respect to their original position, the cigarettes in the first succession are turned 180.degree. on to the opposite side of the cigarettes in the second succession to form two successions of equioriented, transversely spaced cigarettes which are fed to an output combining roller along respective spatially distinct paths, one of which is defined, at least partly, by two conical rollers with respective axes parallel to each other.

Abstract: Conveyor belt, obtainable by application of a block copolymer composition, comprising at least an optionally modified block copolymer, containing at least two terminal poly(vinylaromatic) blocks and at least one internal poly(conjugated diene) block, a non-aromatic plasticizing oil, and a terminal block compatible resin on at least one side of a fabric having from 5 to 25 threads per cm and process for the manufacture of it, while the threads in said fabric have a thickness in the range of from 2.mu. to 300.mu..

Abstract: A device for axially displacing cigarettes arranged side by side in two substantially parallel rows traveling routes substantially perpendicularly in relation to the cigarette axes; which device includes an input roller and an output roller arranged parallel with each other and designed to feed the cigarettes along routes which are separated by a given distance in a direction parallel with the axes of the cigarettes and, for at least one of the aformentioned rows, comprises a roller mounted for rotation about an axis inclined in relation to the axes of the input and output rollers; at least one of the rollers being an adapted roller having seats for cigarettes, each of whose seats is formed on a support designed to swing in a radial plane of the adapter roller and about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the adapter roller.

Abstract: A conveyor system for rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes, includes a transfer conveyor comprising twisting endless bands arranged to convey a multiple-layer stream of articles in a direction transverse to the lengths of the articles and to twist the stream about an axis generally parallel to the conveyance direction. Also disclosed is a conveyor system in which at least one stream of substantially horizontal rod-like articles is twisted and conveyed to a junction beyond which a mutltiple-layer stream of substantially vertical articles is conveyed. The conveyor systems are particularly useful for "tip turning" filter cigarettes so that a stream on a first conveyor may be combined with a parallel stream on a second conveyor after being twisted and laterally displaced by the transfer conveyor so that the filter tip ends of both streams are on the same side.

Abstract: A mass-producing filter tipping machine wherein two coaxial plain cigarettes of unit length are simultaneously severed to yield pairs of coaxial plain cigarettes of unit length which are moved apart to provide spaces for filter mouthpieces of double unit length. The filter mouthpieces are connected with the respective pairs of cigarettes of unit length by adhesive-coated uniting bands, and the resulting filter cigarettes of double unit length are subdivided into a series of formations of four coaxial filter cigarettes of unit length each wherein first and second outer filter cigarettes are respectively adjacent first and second inner filter cigarettes.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus which transports filter cigarettes from a tipping machine to a packing machine has a first transporting unit which directly couples the output of the tipping machine with the magazine of the packing machine, and a second transporting unit which receives the surplus of filter cigarettes from a diverting device of the first transporting unit when the output of the tipping machine exceeds the requirements of the packing machine and delivers the removed surplus back to the first transporting unit when the requirements of the packing machine exceed the output of the tipping machine. The second transporting unit employs a tray filler which receives cigarettes from the diverting device, a first conveying section which transports filled trays away from the tray filler, a tray evacuator which converts the contents of successive filled trays into a stream of cigarettes and turns the cigarettes through 180.degree.

Abstract: A turn around device that is designed for changing two side-by-side parallel rows of filter tipped cigarettes, which are formed by a succession of parallel pairs of co-axial cigarettes (S1, S2) with their filters in facing relation, into only one row of parallel cigarettes (S1, S2') with their filters being oriented in the same direction, comprises two fluted, conical, suction, turn around drums (5, 6), of which one takes the cigarettes (S2) forming one of the two cigarette rows, and lays them in a turned around position, i.e., rotated by 180.degree. about a transverse axis thereof, between the cigarettes (S1) of the other cigarette row.

Abstract: A method of forming a row of filter-tip cigarettes at a high speed with a simple device.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus which transports filter cigarettes from a tipping machine to a packing machine has a first transporting unit which directly couples the output of the tipping machine with the magazine of the packing machine, and a second transporting unit which receives the surplus of filter cigarettes from a diverting device of the first transporting unit when the output of the tipping machine exceeds the requirements of the packing machine and delivers the removed surplus back to the first transporting unit when the requirements of the packing machine exceed the output of the tipping machine. The second transporting unit employs a tray filler which receives cigarettes from the diverting device, a first conveying section which transports filled trays away from the tray filler, a tray evacuator which converts the contents of successive filled trays into a stream of cigarettes and turns the cigarettes through 180.degree.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel opposed conveyors for delivering articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with an arrangement for priming the junction such as a pivoted plate or retractable conveyor bands. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180.degree. for delivery to the one conveyor. The further conveyor may be parallel to the opposed conveyors or may be mounted at an adjustable small angle to them. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit of a filter cigarettes assembling machine.

Abstract: A cigarette reversing apparatus with a rotating drum having radially extending slots of a width slightly larger than the diameter of a cigarette and of sufficient depth, each slot having at its opposing surfaces a pair of cigarette holding members spaced from each other a distance slightly smaller than the cigarette diameter, these pairs of cigarette holding members being arranged on the circumference of the drum. The cigarettes are fed onto the cigarette holding members and guide elements bring the longitudinal center of the cigarette to the circumference of the cigarette holding members; arcuate guide members provided along the outer circumference of the drum guide the free end of the cigarette so as to turn the cigarette about the point held by the cigarette holding members. A retrieving member takes out the cigarettes from the rotating drum.

Abstract: A cigarette reversing apparatus comprises a rotating transfer drum having a plurality of openings arranged equidistantly along the circle on the end surface of the drum, the openings being communicated with suction holes formed at the bottom of slots which are formed in the peripheral surface of the drum. A control ring faces the openings in the drum and has a suction distribution chamber spanning a cigarette overturning section of the drum. A rotating ring is slidably and rotatably interposed between the transfer drum and the control ring, the rotating ring being eccentric with respect to the drum and having a plurality of communication holes communicating with both the openings and the suction chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel conveyors for streams of articles and two transfer conveyors which together re-orientate articles in one stream for combination with articles in the other stream. The transfer conveyors each convey articles on a curved path having a substantially vertical axis and include guide means for elevating the outer ends of the articles on the path. In another arrangement parallel opposed conveyors deliver articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with retractable conveyor bands which may initially extend across the junction to aid filling. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further parallel conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180 degrees for delivery to the one conveyor. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit on a filter cigarette assembling machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles includes a conveyor particularly adapted for moving a stream of articles in stack formation around a curved path of small radius. The conveyor includes an endless conveyor carrying cantilevered slats and guided around a double curved path on the upper run of which the outer ends of the slats are elevated by a guide. On the curved path the outer side of the stream is elevated and moved at an increased speed by the slats. The conveyor may be used to turn articles in the stream through 180.degree. prior to merging with another stream and is, therefore, usable in a "tip turner38 for attachment to a filter cigarette making machine.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for orientating elongated articles, in particular bodies of writing pens. These articles are placed in parallel disposition on a conveyor which is moved in step by step fashion. The articles will either be pointing in the desired direction or in the opposite direction to the desired direction. The first pushers are arranged to push the articles not in the desired direction off the conveyor and into an inverting mechanism, and a second pusher pushes the inverted articles from the inverting mechanism back onto the conveyor in the correct disposition. The first pushers distinguish between the articles which are positioned correctly and those which are not in that the configuration of the respective ends of the articles are different, and the first pushers are adapted to engage only one end of each article.

Abstract: This rotary plate is of the type comprising reversal heads capable of rotating through half a revolution during a complete revolution of the plate in the opposite direction, with a view to taking up an object such as a filter-tipped cigarette and placing such an object or cigarette after having caused it to rotate through half a revolution.Each of the reversal heads 13a effects, in relation to plate 13, no other movement but its rotation, axis Za of this rotation forming with rotational axis Z of plate 13 an angle .alpha. whose tangent is greater than the ratio d/.DELTA. of the diameter d of the objects or cigarettes to be reversed to the distance .DELTA. separating the rotational axes of two adjacent heads.

Abstract: Successive filter cigarettes of two rows of parallel cigarettes are admitted into pairs of parallel aligned flutes on a rotating drum. The first flute of each pair is rotated through 180.degree. and is moved radially outwardly about an axis which is normal to and crosses in space with the drum axis. The second flute of each pair is thereupon moved radially outwardly between the neighboring inverted flutes by a pivot member which is parallel to the drum axis whereby the cigarettes in the first and second flutes form a single row and can be transferred seriatim directly into successive flutes of a rotary testing drum.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel conveyors for streams of articles and two transfer conveyors which together re-orientate articles in one stream for combination with articles in the other stream. The transfer conveyors each convey articles on a curved path having a substantially vertical axis and include guide means for elevating the outer ends of the articles on the path. In another arrangement parallel opposed conveyors deliver articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with retractable conveyor bands which may initially extend across the junction to aid filling. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further parallel conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180 degrees for delivery to the one conveyor. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit on a filter cigarette assembly machine.