Abstract
A device for the automatic control of butt lengths which can be attached to the automatic smoking machine is described. The system controls the length of butts by measuring the infra-red radiation of the glowing zone of the burning cigarette and releases the automatic ejector of butts when the required length has been reached. The system is adjustable for any length of butts. It is shown that the precision of the smoking procedure of the fully automatic smoking machine is considerably improved by the described control system. Even with cigarettes of inhomogeneous quality and with difference in burning rates it should be possible to smoke these automatically and according to CORESTA standards, if this new device for the control of butt length is used.