Apparatus for producing blind conduits in cigarettes

Claim 1

Apparatus for producing blind conduits in cigarettes, comprising a substantially horizontally disposed ring having a plurality of radial grooves in its upper surface for the reception of cigarettes, a plurality of successive conduitpunching devices on the outer periphery of said ring for punching blind conduits in the tobacco of cigarettes carried in said grooves, means on the outer periphery of the ring for introducing airtight disks into the bottoms of said blind conduits, evacuation means for removing cigarettes disposed on the inside of said ring, ejector means for moving cigarettes from said grooves to said evacuation means, means for rotating said ring so as to bring the groove initially facing said punching and introducing means in front of said ejector means, a plurality of hoppers disposed above said ring to supply cigarettes to said grooves, means defining an annular passage above said hoppers, a mobile distributor movable above said annular passage to supply cigarettes to said passage, loading apparatus for said mobile distributor comprising a member pivotable between lower and inverted upper horizontal positions, a conveyor belt for cigarettes terminating substantially in said horizontal position, and receptacle means adapted to receive cigarettes from said loading apparatus and disposed above said mobile distributor, said receptacle means having lower closure shutters for releasably retaining cigarettes therein.