Patent ID: 7624738

Claim:
A product change method for a cigarette manufacturing machine, wherein the product change includes modifying the shredded tobacco ( 3 ) fed to an input hopper ( 2 ) from an old first type ( 3 a ) to a new second type ( 3 b ), the method comprising: feeding the first type ( 3 a ) of shredded tobacco to the input hopper ( 2 ) from a supply header ( 4 ), feeding the first type ( 3 a ) of shredded tobacco from the input hopper ( 2 ) to at least one channel ( 17 ) for forming a bead ( 19 ) of tobacco, which is released onto a paper strip ( 22 ) travelling along a forming table ( 20 ) having a conveyor ( 25 ) for forming a continuous cigarette rod ( 21 ); cutting off supply of said first type ( 3 a ) of tobacco to the input hopper ( 2 ); unloading the first type ( 3 a ) of shredded tobacco from the input hopper ( 2 ), channel ( 17 ) and forming table ( 20 ) by activating automatically a deflecting member ( 28 ) arranged at an output end of the forming table ( 20 ) to deflect a waste stream ( 30 ) of shredded tobacco of the first type ( 3 a ) into container means ( 31 ) arranged at the output end of the forming table ( 20 ) and by leaving the conveyor ( 25 ) of the forming table ( 20 ) running; feeding, when the input hopper ( 2 ), channel ( 17 ) and forming table ( 20 ) are completely empty, the second type ( 3 b ) of shredded tobacco through the supply header ( 4 ), input hopper ( 2 ) and forming table ( 20 ) by leaving the conveyor ( 25 ) of the forming table ( 20 ) running; deflecting the second type ( 3 b ) of shredded tobacco into the container means ( 31 ) arranged at the end of the forming table ( 20 ) by means of the deflecting member ( 28 ) until the forming table ( 20 ) is completely full; and deactivating automatically the deflecting member ( 28 ) when the regular production using the second type ( 3 b ) of shredded tobacco is ready to be started.