Plain or filter cigarettes are tested at a first station by two or more testing devices each of which monitors the cigarettes for the presence or absence of a particular defect. The testing devices generate defect signals which are delayed by shift registers so as to ensure that the delayed defect signals are transmitted to a segregating mechanism which removes defective cigarettes from a path that is common to the satisfactory and defective cigarettes and delivers defective cigarettes to selected receptacles which are installed at a second station and each of which gathers only cigarettes exhibiting a particular defect. Actuation of a switch entails the removal of a selected number of samples from the common path for satisfactory and defective cigarettes, and such samples are gathered in an additional receptacle at the second station.
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