A reconfigurable wrapping mechanism (100) for forming a substantially cylindrical wrapped element by wrapping a core (160) within a web material (162), comprising a reconfigurable garniture bed (110) having an elongate formation channel (112) for supporting a conveying belt (120) extending along the length of the elongate formation channel (112) for entraining the web material (162), and wherein the elongate formation channel (112) has an elongate open side.

A laminate for a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products is disclosed. The laminate comprises an outer layer (3) having a first cut (5) that defines an outer layer region bounded by said first cut, and an inner layer (4) having a second cut (6) that defines an inner layer region bounded by said second cut. The inner layer region lies within the outer layer region. The outer layer region comprises a tab (17) having a remote edge, the tab being for lifting the outer layer region to cause the inner and outer layers to delaminate in a peripheral region between the first and second cuts (5,6) to create an opening in the laminate. The laminate is configured such that said remote edge is exposed. A wrapped bundle (22) of tobacco industry products, and a pack (27), comprising the laminate is also disclosed, together with a method of manufacturing a laminate for a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products.

A method for reducing stress of a garniture belt in a tobacco industry machine for manufacturing rods from a continuous rod comprising a filling material wrapped by a wrapper, the continuous rod being formed on the garniture belt being driven in a garniture channel of a garniture device, wherein the garniture device comprises a filling material receiving section, a rod diameter setting section and a rod stabilizing section, wherein the machine comprises at least one feeding unit for feeding the filling material onto the wrapper being transported on the garniture belt, a glue feeding unit, a cutting head for cutting the continuous rod into the rods, the method comprising adjusting a resistance of motion of the garniture belt by: reducing the resistance of motion of the garniture belt in the filling material receiving section by adjusting positions of guiding bars for guiding the garniture belt so that a width of the garniture channel in the filling material receiving section is greater than a width of the garniture channel in the rod diameter setting section, and/or reducing the resistance of motion of the garniture belt in the rod stabilizing section by adjusting positions of guiding bars for guiding the garniture belt so that a width of the garniture channel in the rod stabilizing section is greater than the width of the garniture channel in the rod diameter setting section.

An orbital plant material feed assembly includes a drum structure and hopper assembly. An external surface of the drum structure has a curved shape and includes a peripheral groove. A width of the peripheral groove varies along the external surface of the drum structure. The hopper assembly may define a compression space between the drum structure and a portion of the hopper assembly that covers a portion of the peripheral groove.

The present invention relates to a machine for the production of a component for an aerosol generating article, the machine including: a buffer station, the buffer station including: # fixed sheet guides; # movable sheet guides which are movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction towards the fixed sheet guides and in a direction away from the sheet fixed guides; # an actuator for moving the movable sheet guides, wherein the fixed and movable sheet guides together define a zig-zag trajectory for the sheet having a variable length for varying the total length of the sheet of material in the buffer station; # supports for the sheet, the supports being arranged so that, when the movable sheet guides are moved towards the fixed sheet guides, at least one of the movable sheets guides is interposed between two different supports of the plurality; # an air system; # wherein the each of the supports defines an outer surface, at least one of the outer surfaces having a first portion in which a sucking action is exerted by the air system to attract the sheet towards the outer surface and a second portion in which a blowing action is exerted by the air system to push the sheet away from the outer surface.

The invention relates to a method for the ultrasonic welding of a strip consisting of a plastic material for the production of cigarette products, in which method the strip has two free ends which are heated in a connection region by means of ultrasound and joined together to form a closed strip. Ultrasound at a frequency of more than 22 kHz is used.

The garniture includes at least one first garniture section with a first longitudinal length and a first upper surface, a first groove being defined within the first upper surface along the first longitudinal length, the first groove being defined by one or more first mating surfaces, and at least one first insert overlaying the first groove, an upper end of the at least first insert defining a second groove within a second upper surface of the at least one first insert, a lower end of the at least one insert including one or more second mating surfaces, a first upper portion of the first upper surface and a second upper portion of the second upper surface being substantially flush with each other.

The invention relates to a suction belt for transporting tobacco and/or filter material in the production of cigarettes. The suction belt has a flat belt material that is formed into a ring and has a plurality of openings that are disposed so as to be distributed across the surface of the belt material. The suction belt is characterized in that at least 75% of all openings have an available extent of 0.3 mm or less.

The garniture includes at least one first garniture section with a first upper surface, a first groove being defined within the first upper surface, and at least one first insert overlaying the first groove, a second upper surface of the at least first insert defining a second groove, a width of the second groove narrowing from a first end to a second end of the second groove, a first upper portion of the first upper surface and a second upper portion of the second upper surface being flush with each other.

A conveyor for conveying strands of aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The conveyor comprises a conveying surface, comprising a plurality of openings, on which the strands of aerosol-generating material are conveyed, and an air flow generator for generating a flow of air through the plurality of openings in the conveying surface to provide an air cushion between the conveying surface and the strands of aerosol-generating material. Apparatus for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material comprising a slitting unit arranged to slit a web of aerosol-generating material into a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material that are received by the conveyor is also disclosed, as well as a method of conveying strands of aerosol-generating material.