Apparatus (1, 1) for axial centring of a rod-like article (4, 4) or a group (30) of rod-like articles wherein the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles is conveyed in a flute (3) situated on the circumference of a drum conveyor (2), whereas the length of the article (4, 4) or the total length of articles in the group (30) may vary, provided with pusher elements (5) acting on the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles, characterised in that the pusher elements (5) of a shifting mechanism (13) are driven by a common driving unit (24, 24) and are connected in such a way that the force exerted by the driving unit (24, 24) is distributed to the pusher elements (5) acting axially on the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles. The object of the application is also a method of axial centring of the rod-like article (4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles wherein the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles is conveyed in the flute (3) situated on the circumference of the drum conveyor (2), by means of the pusher elements (5), whereas the length of the article (4, 4) or the total length of articles in the group (30) may vary, characterised in that the force exerted by the driving unit (24) is distributed to the pusher elements (5) of the shifting mechanism (13) acting axially on the rod like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles.

A rotating drum for use in manufacturing vapor-generating articles may include a drum body. A plurality of grooves may be disposed in an outer face of the drum body. A seat may be tractably-mounted in each one of the plurality of grooves. The seat may include a seat groove that is structured and arranged to receive and hold a rigid casing of a vapor-generating article. The seat may be composed of a material that is softer than a material of the rigid casing.

An apparatus an related methods for recovering a substance from rejected delivery systems includes a transport system, a retainer, and a fluid conduit. The transport system is configured to receive a rejected delivery system and convey it along a conveyance path in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a rejected delivery system. The transport system includes at least one transport member. The retainer includes an endless flexible belt configured to engage a rejected delivery system received on the transport system over a portion of the conveyance path as a rejected delivery system travels along the conveyance path and to retain a rejected delivery system on the transport system. The fluid conduit is configured to direct a jet of gas into a first end of a rejected delivery system from an opposite end of a rejected delivery system, whilst a rejected delivery system is transported along said portion of the conveyance path and retained on the transport system by the retainer.

An assembler system for manufacturing vapor-generating articles may include a rotatable assembly drum including an outer face and a flute in the outer face. The flute is structured and arranged to hold a first section and a second section of the vapor-generating article. The system also includes a first mechanism that translates the first section relative to the second section while the first section and the second section are in the flute. The system additionally includes a second mechanism that rotates the first section relative to the second section while the first section and the second section are in the flute. The translating and the rotating connect the first section to the second section to form the vapor-generating article.

A manufacturing machine and method for the production of a cartridge for an electronic cigarette can include a first assembling drum which is mounted rotatable around a first rotation axis and has at least one first seat which is designed to house a tube and a second seat which is axially aligned with the first seat and is designed to house a support of a heating device; a first feeding station in which a tube is fed into the first seat; a second feeding station in which a support of a heating device is fed into the second seat; and a first welding station which is arranged downstream of the first feeding station and of the second feeding station and is provided with a first welding device, which, through a welded joint, connects a tube carried by the first seat to a support carried by the second seat.

A method for automated manufacturing of e-vapor devices may include establishing a procession of partially assembled, oriented cartridge units of the e-vapor devices in an assembly path. The method may additionally include preparing the cartridge units for filling while the cartridge units are moving on a first drum-to-drum transport path of the assembly path. The method may also include adding liquid to the cartridge units while the cartridge units are moving in a filling workstation of the assembly path. The method may also include preparing the cartridge units for sealing while the cartridge units are moving on a second drum-to-drum transport path of the assembly path. The method further includes sealing the cartridge units while the cartridge units are moving in a sealing workstation of the assembly path.

A feeder device of products with reduced longitudinal dimensions in machines for the tobacco industry comprises a main feeder roller which rotates continuously and which has a plurality of active peripheral flutes acting to hold a respective product; the main roller is designed to pass the products on to respective flutes on corresponding handling rollers of a main line of feed of the products in the machine the device is associated with; the device comprises means for continuously filling the peripheral flutes of the main roller, the filling means comprising a plurality of feeding and passing-on means, in particular at least first means and second means for feeding and passing on corresponding groups of the products to corresponding groups of flutes located one after the other on the main roller.

This measurement device calculates the outer circumferential length of a rod-shaped article in a transportation section using a camera and an image processing unit. The camera captures the end surface of the rod-shaped article, and the image processing unit processes the image to determine the length. The unit identifies the outer circumferential edge in the image, constructs an imaginary circle based on this edge, and draws straight lines through the circle's center. It identifies intersections where the lines meet the edge, measures distances between adjacent intersections, and sums these distances along the full circumference to calculate the outer circumferential length.

There is disclosed a separator drum (13) for tobacco industry product assembly apparatus. The separator drum has a plurality of segments (29, 30) arranged to form at least a part of a peripheral surface of the separator drum. Each segment has at least one flute (31) and at most four flutes (31). Each flute (31) is adapted to carry a rod of aerosolisable material (2) as the separator drum rotates during use. Each segment (29, 30) is slidably mounted to the separator drum (13) for axial movement.

A feed unit, for example for feeding components to smoking article assembly apparatus, includes a rotary device having one or more channels (7) adapted to receive components, one on top of another, and one or more pushers (21) associated with each channel. The feed unit also has a track (14) to receive components from outlets of the one or more channels (7) and the rotary device is configured to rotate with respect to the track (14) so that components pass through the channels (7) and are pushed along the track by the pushers (21) for output from the feed unit.