US3339402A - Apparatus for testing cigarettes and the like - Google Patents

Description

APPARATUS FOR TESTING CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1964 W- RUDSZINAT Sept. 5,- 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Sept. 5, 1967 w. RUDSZINAT 3,339,402

APPARATUS FOR TESTING CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE 5 $heet$Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1964 Sept. 5, 1967 w. RUDSZINAT 3,339,402 I APPARATUS FOR TESTING CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10, 1964 United States Patent 3,339,402 APPARATUS FOR TESTING CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Willy Rudszinat, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany, assignor to Hauni Werke Kiirber & Co., Hamburg, Germany Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 343,718 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 8, 1963, 5,185/63 13 Claims. (Cl. 73-41) The present invention relates to apparatus for testing the integrity of cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, filter cigarettes, filter mouthpieces, groups consisting of cigarettes and filter mouthpieces, and similar articles having tubular wrappers whose end portions are provided with openings connected by a restricted flow path.

In the manufacture of cigarettes, it has become customary to test each cigarette individually in orderto determine the presence or absence of leaks in the cigarette paper wrapper or in the wrapper which connects the filter mouthpiece or mouthpieces to the tobacco-containing rod of the product. Defective cigarettes are ejected at a point ahead of a stacking, storing or packaging station and are ripped or broken open to facilitate recovery of tobacco.

Testing apparatus of this general character operate with compressed air which is blown through one end of the article and which escapes at the other end whereby such blasts of testing air serve to send impulses to suitable ejecting devices whenever the pressure of the outgoing air stream is less than a predetermined pressure such as is indicative that the cigarette paper tube or another component part of the wrapper has developed a leak. In order to prevent uncontrolled escape of testing air, the openings in the end portions of each wrapper must be properly sealed, and such sealing is effected by means of coupling devices which are movable axially toward and away from sealing engagement with the end faces of the Wrappers. A serious drawback of such coupling devices is that their sealing action is satisfactory only if they exert a comparatively strong pressure against the material which forms the wrapper and, even then, the sealing action is effective only along a line between the sealing face of the coupling device and the end face of the wrapper. If the ends of a filterless cigarette are subjected to excessive axial compression, the wrapper is deformed to reduce the eye-pleasing efiect of the ultimate product. Furthermore, such deformation of wrappers may lead to tearing, particularly if the ends of the cigarette are tightly packed with tobacco, or to loosening of tobacco so that shorter strands of tobacco will tend to fall out when the cigarette is subsequently processed in stacking, storing, printing, packaging and other machines.

Accordingly, it is an important object of my invention to' provide an improved coupling or clamping device which may be utilized as a means for connecting the ends of wrappers on cigarettes or similar articles to various elements of a testing apparatus and which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the ends of thearticles need not undergo excessive deformation during testing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a testing apparatus which embodies a series of coupling devices of the above outlined characteristics and wherein the coupling devices need not necessarily contact the very ends of the wrappers during testing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling device which is capable of forming a more reliable seal between the element or'elements of a testing apthe same speed at which the cigarettes issue from a modern high-speed cigarette making machine.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a novel apparatus for testing cigarettes and similar articles in such a Way that the tubular wrappers of such articles are neither deformed nor damaged during testing and that any uncontrolled escape of testing fluid is prevented in a very simple and efiicient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for testing cigarettes and filter cigarettes in such a Way that the tobacco rod contained in the tubular wrapper of the cigarette is neither loosened nor unduly compressed and that the presence or absence of leaks and/or other defects may be determined with utmost accuracy.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a cigarette making machine which embodies a testing apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

With the above objects in view, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for sealing the ends of cigarettes and similar compressible articles of the type wherein a tubular wrapper comprises two end portions provided with openings connected by a restricted flow path containing a rod of tobacco, a rod of filter material or the like. In contrast to conventional apparatus within the openings of the wrapper are sealed by axial pressure applied against the end faces of the wrapper, my

apparatus comprises substantially cup shaped coupling devices which are expandible and contractible substantially radially of the articles so that they may form annular seals around the end portions of the wrappers. In other words, instead of relying on axial sealing forces, I rely on radial compressive forces so that the end faces of the wrappers need not always participate in the formation of seals. The axial length of annular seals between the coupling devices and the end portions of a wrapper may be in the range of a small fraction of an inch, e.g., a few millimeters.

The coupling devices are connected with other elements of a suitable testing apparatus so that they may convey a stream of testing fluid through the wrappers while the articles advance in a direction substantially at right angles to the axes of their wrappers. If the pressure of testing fluid which leaves a tested article indicates that the wrapper has a leak and/ or that the article is defective for another reason, the testing apparatus respondsby ejecting the defective article in a fully automatic Way.- In other words, when, on leaving the article, the pressure of the stream of testing fluid is either above or below a predetermined range, the testing apparatus changes the position of the article by ejecting it from the carrier of a testing conveyor on which the article advances during testing. The end portions of the wrapper are preferably inserted into the coupling devices in such a way that the end lowing detailed description of certain specific embodifaces of the wrapper are free of axial compression, i.e., it is normally preferred to construct the cupshaped coupling members in such a way that, on contraction thereof, they define a pair of spaces which accommodate with some play the very ends of the wrapper including the end faces which surround the respective openings.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved testing apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodi- 3 ments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a testing conveyor and illustrates a coupling device which embodies one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar fragmentary perspective view of a testing conveyor and illustrates a modified coupling device; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a testing apparatus which includes the testing conveyor of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of a testing apparatus which embodies one form of my invention. The apparatus comprises a testing conveyor 1 here shown as a rotary drum, which is arranged to rotate about a horizontal axis and in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1 (see the arrow 33). This drum carries a plurality of equidistant trough-shaped carriers 2 (only one shown) which are detachably secured to the peripheral surface thereof and each of which extends in parallelism with the axis of the drum. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the drum 1 is installed at the discharge end of a machine for mass manufacture of filterless cigarettes 3, and this machine comprises a supply conveyor (not shown) which serves to deliver cigarettes into consecutive carriers 2 in a direction substantially as indicated by an arrow 37. Each cigarette 3 comprises a tubular wrapper or shell the left-hand end portion 38 of which extends beyond the respective end face of the drum 1 and into a space defined by a contractible and expandible clamping or coupling device which will be presently described.

The coupling device comprises two sealing portions including a plate-like bracket 4 which is fixed to or integral with the left-hand end portion of the carrier 2 and which is provided with a cylindrical head 5 located in axial alignment with and preferably spaced from the left-hand end of the cigarette 3. The diameter of this head 5 is slightly less than the diameter of the end portion 38 in uncompressed condition of the cigarette 3. The second sealing portion of the coupling device resembles an annulus and includes two substantially semicylindrical jaws 10, 11 movable substantially radially toward and away from the peripheral surface of the end portion 38. It will be noted that the drum 1 constitutes a support for the coupling device.

The head 5 is provided with an axially extending channel or bore 6 one end of which communicates with a space 39 between the end face of this head and the opening in the end portion 38 of the cigarette wrapper. The other end of the bore 6 is in communication with a testing tube 7 constituting a component part of the pneumatic conduitry which oonveys a stream of fluid through the cigarette 3 in order to determine the integrity of the tubular wrapper and/or the compactness of the tobacco rod in the wrapper.

The bracket 4 carries two spaced bearing sleeves 8, 9 for pivot pins 14, 15 which support the jaws 10, 11. These jaws comprise inwardly extending arms 12, 13 connected by a helical expansion spring 19 which constitutes one element of an actuating device for the second coupling portion by tending to move the jaws away from each other and out of sealing engagement with the end portion 38 of the wrapper. The pivot pin 15 is aligned with a second pivot pin 16 which extends through a sleeve 17 secured to the jaw 11 and through a second sleeve 18 which is rigid with the carrier 2. Thus, the pivot pins 15, 16 together constitute a composite pintle of a hinge including the sleeves 9, 17 and 18 and serving to permit pivotal movements of the jaw 11 about an axis which is parallel with the axis of the drum 1. The other jaw is mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of a hinge which includes the parts 8, 14 and parts (not shown) which correspond to the pivot pin 16 and sleeves 17, 18. The sealing faces 20, 21 of the jaws 10, 11 which come in actual sealing engagement with the end portion 38 and head 5 are coated with liners 32 of foam rubber or similar elastically deformable material. It will be noted that the jaws 10, 11 overlap a portion of the head 5 so that, when the jaws are respectively pivoted in directions indicated by arrows 35, 36, they form with the head 5 a cup shaped body which may seal the respective opening of the cigarette wrapper from the surrounding atmosphere because the liners 32 come in compressive sealing engagement with the peripheral surface of the end portion 38. The space 39 is then completely sealed from the atmosphere and communicates solely with the test tube 7 via bore 6 in the head 5.

As stated above, the spring 19 constitutes one element of the actuating means for contracting and expanding the annular sealing portion of the coupling device into and out of sealing engagement with the tubular wrapper of the cigarette 3, i.e., the spring 19 constitutes the means for automatically expanding the second sealing portion whenever such expansion is not opposed by a force which exceeds the bias of the spring. The means for contracting the second sealing portion (jaws 10, 11) comprises a fixed disk shaped cam 30 which is adjacent to the end face of the drum 1 and which is provided with a suitably configurated peripheral cam face 31 tracked by a roller follower 28 which is mounted on a horizontal pin carried by a two-pronged holder 27 provided at the lower (inner) end of a radial motion transmitting shaft 25. This shaft extends through an L-shaped guide bracket 26 which is fixed to the end face of the drum 1, and the upper (outer) end of the shaft 25 is rigid with the web of a U-shaped closing or contracting member 22 whose outwardly extending arms carry two rollers 23, 24 respectively engaging the other sides of the jaws 10, 11. An expansion spring 29 operates between the holder 27 and bracket 26 and serves to maintain the follower 28 in permanent contact with the cam face 31. The cam 30 is provided with a lobe which causes the shaft 25 to move outwardly against the bias of the spring 29 (arrow 34) and to close the jaws 10, 11 about the end portion 38 and head 5 so that the coupling device then seals the space 39 from the surrounding atmosphere.

The bore 6 may serve to convey a stream of testing fluid into or from the space 39, depending on whether the test tube 7 delivers or receives testing fluid therefrom.

The other end portion of the cigarette wrapper is engaged by a second coupling device which is constructed and operated in the same way as the coupling device of FIG. 1. It goes without saying that the carriers 2 may constitute integral parts of the testing drum 1 or that the carriers may be omitted if the drum is provided with suitable axially extending pockets which are then machined into the peripheral surface of the drum.

The testing apparatus which embodies the structure of FIG. 1 operates as follows:

A cigarette 3 is transferred into the carrier 2 of the revolving testing drum 1 (arrow 37) so that its ends extend beyond the end faces of the drum and are slightly spaced from the cylindrical heads 5 of the respective coupling devices. The drum 1 rotates in a counterclockwise direction (arrow 33) and the roller followers 28 track the respective cam faces 31 which are configurated in such a way that, along a predetermined section of their circular path, the rollers 23, 24 cause the jaws 10, 11 to move toward each other (against the bias of the expansion springs 19) and seal the openings of the cigarette wrapper from the surrounding atmosphere. The stream of testing fluid passing through the tobacco rod of the cigarette 3, while the two coupling devices are closed, will produce a signal which will cause ejection of a cigarette if the pressure of testing fluid flowing through the cigarette indicates that the wrapper has a leak and/or that the density of the tobacco rod is unsatisfactory. The

stream of testing fluid is admitted as soon as the two coupling devices are moved to their sealing positions so that the testing step requires little time. The cams 30 allow the second sealing portions of the respective coupling devices to expand (in response to the bias of the springs 19) so that the cigarette 3 may be ejected or transferred onto a take-01f conveyor (not shown in FIG. 1) which delivers it to a stacking, storing or packaging station, not shown. The ejection-of defective cigarettes may be effected by blasts of compressed air in a manner to be described in connection With FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a modified testing apparatus which comprises a testing conveyor 41 here shown as a drum arranged to rotate in a clockwise direction (arrow 75) and provided with a series of equidistant axially parallel carriers 42, only one shown. Each carrier 42 is constructed to accommodate a group 43 of rod shaped articles including a pair of coaxial cigarette rods 43a, 43b and a filter mouthpiece which is located between and is secured to the inner end portions of the cigarette rods 43a, 4312 by a tubular wrapper 430. The end portion 79 of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43a extends beyond the adjacent end face of the drum 41 and into the space defined by a coupling device which includes an annular sealing portion comprising two jaws 44, 45. The jaws 44, 45 are provided with crossing arms 46, 47 which are rockable about a horizontal pivot 48 secured to the drum 41. The arm 47 is partially broken away to reveal certain parts which are normally concealed behind the jaw 45. The coupling device of FIG. 2 resembles a tongs whose parts are movable With reference to each other in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the drum 41.

- The inner ends of the arms 46, 47 are respectively connected with horizontal rods 49, 50 which extend through arcuate slots 51, 52 machined in the drum 41. The other ends (not shown) of the rods 49, 50 are connected with the arms of a second pair of jaws forming part of a second coupling device which cooperates with the coupling device of FIG. 2 to grip the outer end portion of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43b.

The rods 49, 50 extend outwardly and beyond the arms 46, 47 and carry roller followers 55, 56 respectively secured thereto by bolts 54, 53. The followers 55, 56 respectively track the faces of two fixed disk shaped earns 57, 58 which are adjacent to one end face of the drum 41. A contraction spring 59 is connected between the inner portions of the arms 46, 47 and serves to bias the followers 55, 56 against the respective cams. T hese cams constitute with the spring 59 an actuating device whose purpose is to expand and contract the coupling device.

A third cam 59a is located between the cam 57 and drum 41 and serves to regulate the flow of testing fluid through the group 43. The face of this third cam 59a is tracked by a roller follower 60 which is connected to the inner end of a valve stem 62 extending substantially radially of the drum 41 and guided by a bearing bracket 61 which is fixed to the end face of the drum. The outer end of the valve stem 62 extends into a valve housing 63 which is provided with a channel or bore 64 leading to a testing channel 65 in the drum 41. In the position of FIG. 2,the outer end portion of the valve stem 62 seals the left-hand portion of the bore 64 from the testing channel 65. This outer end portion of the valve stem 62 is provided with a transversely extending duct 66 which registers with the bore 64 when the valve stem 62 is allowed to follow the bias of a helical expansion spring 68 operating between the inner side of the valve housing 63 and a collar 67 on the valve stem 62. The spring 68 maintains the follower 60 in permanent abutment with the face of the cam 59a.

When the jaws 44, 45 are moved toward each other, the bore 64 communicates with a U-shaped bore 69 provided in the jaw 44 and leading to a semicylindrical 6 chamber 70 in the sealing face of this jaw. The chamber 70 is movable into registry with a similar chamber 71 provided in the sealing face of the jaw 45, and the composite cylindrical chamber 70, 71 leads into an enlarged cylindrical space comprising recesses 70a, 71a, which are adjacent to the opening in the wrapper of the cigarette rod 43a when the jaws 44, 45 are closed. The jaws 44, 45 are further provided with semicylindrical grooves 72, 73 which may accommodate the end portion 79 of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43a and which may form a cylindrical channel communicating with the cylindrical space 70a, 71a when the jaws are closed. The diameter of the channel 72, 73 is less than the diameter of the group 43 in uncompressed condition thereof so that the end portion 79 is compressed when the jaws 44, 45 are caused to move their sealing faces into sealing engagement with each other. It will be noted that the sealing face of the jaw 44 is coated with a liner 74 of elastic sealing material. If desired, the sealing face of the jaw 45 and/ or the left-hand side face of the valve housing 63 may be provided with similar liners of foam rubber or the like to prevent uncontrolled escape of testing fluid.

The central portion of the carrier 42 is formed with a cutout 78 which communicates with one or more ducts 77 leading to a source of compressed air, not shown. The ducts 77 serve to discharge jets of compressed air in order to eject a defective group which is being tested in the apparatus of FIG. 2, and this apparatus operates as follows:

The drum 41 rotates in a clockwise direction (arrow 75) and the carrier 42 travels along a transfer station (not shown) at which a supply conveyor or a chute deposits therein a group 43 (arrow 76) in such a way that the end portion 79 of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43a extends into the cylindrical space 70a, 71a but short of the chamber 70, 71. The end portion of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43b is received in similar fashion between the jaws which are connected to the right-hand ends of the rods 49, 50. The jaws 44, 45 are held in spaced-apart position against the bias of the spring 59 and the valve stem 62 is held in the position of FIG. 2 in which the left-hand portion of the bore 64 is sealed from the testing channel 65.

In the next stage of rotation of the drum 41, the followers 55, 56 travel along suitably confi-gurated depressions in the faces of the cams 57, 58 whereby the spring 59 causes the jaws 44, 45 to move toward each other and to seal the opening in the end portion 79 of the wrapper on the cigarette rod 43a. The liner 74 is now in sealing engagement with the adjacent face of the jaw 45 and valve housing 63 whereby the surfaces surrounding the channel 72, 73 provide a fluidtight seal around the end portion 79 of the tubular wrapper on the cigarette rod 43a but the end face of this wrapper undergoes no deformation whatever because it extends into the space 70a, 71a.

As soon as the opening in the end portion 79 of the wrapper is sealed from the atmosphere, the follower 60 travels along a depression in the face of the cam 59a and the spring 68 shifts the valve stem 62 radially inwardly to move the duct 66 into registry with the bore 64 whereby the channel 65 sends a blast of testing fluid which flows through the bores 67, 69, through the chamber 70, 71 and space 700, 71a, through the body of tobacco in the cigarette rod 43a, through the filter mouthpiece which is surrounded by the wrapper 430, through the body of tobacco in the cigarette rod 43b, and through the nonillustrated second coupling device to enter a pressureresponsive signal transmitting device which will allow a jet of compressed air to pass through the duct or ducts 77 and to eject the group 43 if the pressure of testing fluid leaving the cigarette rod 43b indicates that the wrap- .per 430 and/or the wrappers of the cigarette rods 43a,

43b have developed a leak. Excessive drop in pressure of the testing fluid may also indicate that the compression of tobacco in the rods 43a, 43b and/ or of filter material in the mouthpiece is excessive so that such groups are ejected in the same way as those whose wrappers might have a leak. All satisfactory groups are conveyed to a second transfer station at which they enter the carriers or pockets of a take-off conveyor which cooperates with a rotary cutter to sever the wrappers 43c midway between the aligned cigarette rods 43a, 43b and to thus halve the groups 43 into pairs of filter cigarettes of ultimate length which are thereupon processed in the customary way.

As a rule, the axial length of that portion of a tubular wrapper which is engaged by the jaws 10, 11 or 44, 45 will be in the range of a fraction of an inch, i.e., a few millimeters, in order to make sure that the jaws seal comparatively small sections of the wrappers. This is advisable since it could happen, by sheer coincidence, that the leak is surrounded by the jaws when a cigarette or a similar article is being tested on the drum 1 or 41. However, the likelihood of such accidental sealing of leaks is so remote that the advantages of my improved coupling devices far outweigh the drawbacks of 'conventional coupling devices which form a mere linear seal with the end faces of cigarettes. In addition, and if a coupling device is caused to bear against the end face of a cigarette, it is likely to produce a leak in cigarette paper whereas the probability that the jaws of my improved coupling devices would produce a leak is extremely remote.

It will be readily understood that the coupling devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be used in apparatus for testing of cigars, .cigarillos, filter mouthpieces and similar rod shaped articles wherein a tubular wrapper has two end portions provided with openings connected by a restricted flow path containing tobacco, filter material or both.

The left hand sections of the jaws 44, 45 (to the left of the chambers 70, 71) together constitute a sealing portion which is a functional equivalent of the sealing head 5 shown in FIG. 1. Thus, these left-hand sections will be adjacent to but spaced from the opening in the end portion 79 when the jaws 44, 45 are closed.

The coupling devices of my invention may be constructed in such a way that one of the jaws remains stationary and that the other jaw moves toward or away from the fixed jaw.

The exact construction of the remainder of the test ing apparatus forms no part of my invention. Testing apparatus of the type capable of utilizing the coupling devices of the present invention are disclosed in copending applications Ser. Nos. 208,189 now abandoned and 214,460 of Heinz Kaeding and Konrad Schmalz now Patent No. 3,237,444. Therefore, FIG. 3 of my drawings merely illustrates such parts of the apparatus which are considered necessary for full understanding of this invention.

The testing drum 41 is provided with a plurality of equidistant carriers 42, and the coupling means on this drum comprises two coupling devices for each carrier 42, i.e., one coupling device including two jaws 44, 45 is adjacent to each end of each carrier 42. The drum 41 coopcrates with a supply conveyor 80 here shown as a rotary drum which feeds untested groups 43 to consecutive carriers 42, and with a take-off conveyor 81 also shown as a rotary drurn which receives satisfactory tested groups from the carriers 42. All defective groups 43 are ejected from the respective carriers 42 while the carriers travel from the drum 80 toward the drum 81.

The shaft 82 of the testing drum 41 serves to convey testing fluid from a source 83, and the testing fluid then flows through the drum 41 to the channels 65, not shown in FIG. 3, which lead to the valve housings 63 at one end of the testing drum. The drum 41 further accommodates an ejecting device 84 similar to those described in the aforementioned application Ser. No. 208,189 which serves to eject defective groups 43 by sending blasts of a compressed air through the ducts 77 of the respective carriers 42 whenever, on leaving the restricted flow path in the wrapper of a defective group 43, the pressure of a fluid stream is without a predetermined range. The testing fluid flows from the source 83, through the coupling devices at the right-hand (rear) end of the drum 41, through the coupling devices at the (left-hand end of the drum 41, and to the ejecting device 84 or vice versa, namely, from the source 83 toward the left-hand coupling devices and thereupon toward the right-hand coupling devices on its way to the ejecting device.

The drums shown in FIG. 3 are surrounded by suitable arcuate shields (not shown) which retain the articles in the respective carriers or, alternatively, the carriers may be formed with suction ports so that the articles are held by suction excepting during transfer between the drums 41, 80, 81 and during ejection of defective articles.

The testing apparatus of FIG. 3 may be modified by replacing the source of testing fluid with a suction generating device so that the testing fluid will be sucked through the restricted flow paths of consecutive articles. In such testing apparatus, one group of coupling devices may be dispensed with, i.e., only one end of the testing conveyor will carry a set of equidistant coupling devices. The construction of FIG. 3 is particularly suited for testing of long articles, such as groups consisting of cigarette rods and filter mouthpieces, because such long articles can be tested with greater accuracy by streams of testing fluid which is maintained at above atmospheric pressure. It is well known that leaks are likely to develop when a mouthpiece is connected with one end of a cigarette rod and that such leaks are very unpleasant to the smokers. The apparatus of FIG. 3 will invariably detect such leaks regardless of whether the filter cigarettes are tested at the time they form groups (such as the group 43 of FIG. 2) consisting of two integrally connected filter cigarettes or after severing of such groups into pairs of filter cigarettes of ultimate length.

Without further analysis, the foregoing 'will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for testing the integrity of cigarettes and similar articles wherein a tubular wrap-per having a cylindrical surface and two end portions provided with openings connected by a restricted flow path, comprising a testing conveyor arranged to support and to advance the articles to be tested; at least one coupling device including first sealing means carried by said conveyor adjacent to one end portion of the wrapper on an article supported by the conveyor, and second sealing means carried also by said conveyor, at least one of said sealing means being movable with reference to the other sealing means between a sealing position in which said first and second sealing means form an enclosure enclosing said one end portion of the wrapper and circumferentially engaging said cylindrical surface of said wrapper in sealing relationship at said one end portion thereof, and a second position in which at least said one sealing means is moved out of contact with said cylindrical surface of said wrapper; and actuating means for moving at least said one sealing means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure is cup-shaped.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said enclosure has a fluid-conveying channel which communicates with the flow restricting path of the wrapper whose end portion is received between said sealing means so that a stream of testing fluid can flow between such restricted flow path and said channel.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising valve means for regulating the flow of testing fluid through said channel.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said enclosure defines a space adjacent to the opening in that end portion of a wrapper which is received between said sealing means.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sealing means have wrappercngagin-g surface portions slightly spaced from the opening in that end portion of a Wrapper which is received between said sealing means.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said enclosure defines a space adjacent to the opening of that end portion of a wrapper which is received -'bet-ween said sealing means, said space extending radially beyond the outline of such end portion.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a second coupling device having sealing portions adapted to form a seal circumferentially about the other end portion of a wrapper whose one end portion is received between the sealing means of said one coupling device.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuating means comprises resilient means for biasing said one sealing means to said sealing position.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one sealing means is rockably supported by said conveyor and wherein said actuating means comprises cam and follower means for moving said one sealing means with reference to said other sealing means.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conveyor comprises a rotary drum having axially parallel carrier means for articles and an end face, said coupling device comprising means for movably securing said one sealing means to said end face of the drum.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said sealing means is movable with reference to said conveyor.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said sealing means is adjacent to but spaced from the opening in the one end portion of a wrapper which is received between said sealing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,707,876 5/1955 McConnell et al. 73-49.6 2,713,789 7/1955 Kolton 7338 2,951,364 9/1960 Sherrill 7345.2 3,266,295 8/1966 Williamson 7338 DAVID SCHONBERG, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE INTEGRITY OF CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES WHEREIN A TUBULAR WRAPPER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND TWO END PORTIONS PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS CONNECTED BY A RESTRICTED FLOW PATH, COMPRISING A TESTING CONVEYOR ARRANGED TO SUPPORT AND TO ADVANCE THE ARTICLES TO BE TESTED; AT LEAST ONE COUPLING DEVICE INCLUDING FIRST SEALING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CONVEYOR ADJACENT TO ONE END PORTION OF THE WRAPPER ON AN ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY THE CONVEYOR, AND SECOND SEALING MEANS CARRIED ALSO BY SAID CONVEYOR, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SEALING MEANS BEING MOVABLE WITH REFERENCE TO THE OTHER SEALING MEANS BETWEEN A SEALING POSITION IN WHICH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEALING MEANS FORM AN ENCLOSURE ENCLOSING SAID ONE END PORTION OF THE WRAPPER AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ENGAGING SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID WRAPPER IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP AT SAID ONE END PORTION THEREOF, AND A SECOND

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