Apparatus for applying adhesive-coated wrappers to cigarettes and similar articles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CONSECUTIVELY APPLYING ADHESIVECOATED WRAPPERS TO ELONGATED ROD-LIKE ARTICLES, COMPRISING FIRST CONVEYING MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE ARTICLES IN A FIRST ELONGATED PATH; SECOND CONVEYING MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE WRAPPERS IN A SECOND ELONGATED PATH A TRANSFER PORTION OF WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO SAID FIRST PATH TO BRING ABOUT CONTACT BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE WRAPPERS AND CONSECUTIVE ARTICLES WHEREBY THE WRAPPERS ADHERE TO AND ARE ENTRAINED BY THE RESPECTIVE ARTCALES INTO SAID FIRST PATH, SAID SECOND CONVEYING MEANS COMPRISING A GAS-PERMEABLE CONVEYING MEMBER HAVING ONLY A SINGLE FIXED PATH AND A WRAPPER-ENGAGING FIRST SIDE AND A SECOND SIDE, ADVANCING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYING MEMBER ALONG SAID FIXED PATH, AND SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE SECOND SIDE OF SAID CONVEYING MEMBER, SAID SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND SECTION RESPECTIVELY LOCATED UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF SAID TRANSFER PORTION, AS SEEN IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID CONVEYING MEMBER MOVES ALONG SAID FIXED PATH, WHEREBY SAID FIRST SECTION HOLDS THE WRAPPERS AGAINST SAID FIRST SIDE WHILE THE WRAPPERS MOVE WITH THE CONVEYING MEMBER TOWARD SAID TRANSFER PORTION AND SAID SECOND SECTION RETAINS AT SAID FIRST SIDE ALL SUCH WRAPPERS WHICH, IN NORMAL OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS, FAIL TO MEET AN ARTICLE AT SAID TRANSFER PORTION; AND WRAPPER COLLECTING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE FIRST SIDE OF SAID CONVEYING MEMBER AND TO THE SECOND SECTION OF SAID SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS, SAID SECOND SECTION EXTENDING DOWNSTREAM TO SAID WRAPPER COLLECTING MEANS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CONSECUTIVELY APPLYING ADHESIVECOATED WRAPPERS TO ELONGATED ROD-LIKE ARTICLES, COMPRISING FIRST CONVEYING MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE ARTICLES IN A FIRST ELONGATED PATH; SECOND CONVEYING MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE WRAPPERS IN A SECOND ELONGATED PATH A TRANSFER PORTION OF WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO SAID FIRST PATH TO BRING ABOUT CONTACT BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE WRAPPERS AND CONSECUTIVE ARTICLES WHEREBY THE WRAPPERS ADHERE TO AND ARE ENTRAINED BY THE RESPECTIVE ARTCALES INTO SAID FIRST PATH, SAID SECOND CONVEYING MEANS COMPRISING A GAS-PERMEABLE CONVEYING MEMBER HAVING ONLY A SINGLE FIXED PATH AND A WRAPPER-ENGAGING FIRST SIDE AND A SECOND SIDE, ADVANCING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYING MEMBER ALONG SAID FIXED PATH, AND SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE SECOND SIDE OF SAID CONVEYING MEMBER, SAID SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND SECTION RESPECTIVELY LOCATED UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF SAID TRANSFER PORTION, AS SEEN IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID CONVEYING MEMBER MOVES ALONG SAID FIXED PATH, WHEREBY SAID FIRST SECTION HOLDS THE WRAPPERS AGAINST SAID FIRST SIDE WHILE THE WRAPPERS MOVE WITH THE CONVEYING MEMBER TOWARD SAID TRANSFER PORTION AND SAID SECOND SECTION RETAINS AT SAID FIRST SIDE ALL SUCH WRAPPERS WHICH, IN NORMAL OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS, FAIL TO MEET AN ARTICLE AT SAID TRANSFER PORTION; AND WRAPPER COLLECTING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE FIRST SIDE OF SAID CONVEYING MEMBER AND TO THE SECOND SECTION OF SAID SUCTION PRODUCING MEANS, SAID SECOND SECTION EXTENDING DOWNSTREAM TO SAID WRAPPER COLLECTING MEANS.