Apparatus for ascertaining the resistance of cigarettes or the like to axial flow of gases therethrough

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means, each of said sealing elements comprising two end portions;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path;
• means for sealingly clamping the end portions of said sealing elements to said transporting means;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path, said transporting means comprising discrete chambers for said sealing elements and projections surrounding said chambers, said sealing elements abutting against the respective projections in the expanded condition thereof;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path, said expanding means comprising means for reducing the pressure in said chambers around the respective sealing elements during transport of such elements along said fifth and sixth portions of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a stationary valve member;
• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means, said sealing elements having first and second open ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the corresponding receiving means;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path, said transporting means having a plurality of bores, one for each of said units and each communicating with the second end of the respective sealing element, said bores being adjacent to said valve member;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path, said conveying means comprising a testing unit and conduit means connecting said bores with said testing unit by way of said valve member during transport of the respective confining units along said fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path, including a source of pressurized fluid and means for connecting said source with said bores by way of said valve member during transport of the respective receiving means along said sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles, said receiving means including flutes each having a depth exceeding the diameter of a rod-shaped article;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• a shroud overlying said flutes during transport of such flutes along said second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles, said receiving means including flutes each having a depth exceeding the diameter of a rod-shaped article;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• a shroud overlying said flutes during transport of such flutes along said sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means, said receiving means including flutes having first and second open ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the corresponding sealing elements;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transporting articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path, said transferring means including means for admitting a pressurized fluid into the second ends of said flutes during transport of such flutes along said second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means, said receiving means including flutes having first and second open ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the corresponding sealing elements;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin in a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• including means for drawing air from the second ends of said flutes during transport of such flutes along said sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path.

In an apparatus for ascertaining the resistance which the fillers of cigarettes, filter rod sections or analogous rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper offer to the axial flow of a gaseous fluid, the combination of a plurality of parallel receiving means for rod-shaped articles;

• a confining unit for each of said receiving means, said confining units including radially expansible and contractible tubular sealing elements in axial alignment with the respective receiving means, the length of said sealing elements being less than the length of rod-shaped articles and each of said sealing elements comprising a first and a second open end respectively adjacent to and remote from the corresponding receiving means;
• means for transporting said receiving means and said units sideways along an endless path, said transporting means having a plurality of chambers, one for each of said sealing elements and each communicating with the second end of the respective sealing element;
• means for feeding articles into successive receiving means in a first portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive receiving means into the respective sealing elements in a second portion of said path, a portion of each rod-shaped article which is transferred into the respective sealing element extending into the corresponding chamber;
• means for contracting successive sealing elements into sealing engagement with the wrappers of articles therewithin a third portion of said path;
• means for conveying said fluid axially through the fillers of articles in successive contracted sealing elements in a fourth portion of said path;
• means for expanding successive sealing elements in a fifth portion of said path;
• means for transferring articles from successive expanded sealing elements into the respective receiving means in a sixth portion of said path;
• and means for accepting articles from successive receiving means in a seventh portion of said path;
• said transporting means further having means for connecting said chambers with the atmosphere during transport of such chambers along a further portion of said path in which said sealing elements are contracted.