Grinding apparatus for grinding substances, such as tobacco. In certain embodiments, grinding apparatus with a plurality of receptacles which can be selectively filled with a ground product, such as tobacco. In still other embodiments, a grinding apparatus with a cone lifting mechanism, vibration inducing mechanism and/or with a selector capability or mechanism for selecting one or more of a plurality of receptacles, or storage area(s), for delivery of a ground product.

A system for outputting cigarettes filled with a smoking material, including a body, an insert coupled to the body, the insert configured to store the cigarettes having a specific size, the insert having a base and sidewalls extending upwards from the base, the base and sidewalls matching the specific size of the cigarettes, the cigarette configured to be mounted on a top surface of the base, a hitting mechanism secured to the body, the hitting mechanism having a hitting member moving towards a bottom surface of the base of the insert and hitting the base, and an actuator for providing energy to move the hitting member.

A system for outputting cigarettes filled with a smoking material, including a body, an insert coupled to the body, the insert configured to store the cigarettes having a specific size, the insert having a base and sidewalls extending upwards from the base, the base and sidewalls matching the specific size of the cigarettes, the cigarette configured to be mounted on a top surface of the base, a hitting mechanism secured to the body, the hitting mechanism having a hitting member moving towards a bottom surface of the base of the insert and hitting the base, and an actuator for providing energy to move the hitting member.

A method for filling an aerosol generating product includes: preparing a tube body of the aerosol generating product; filling a filter element into the tube body, wherein the filter element is adjacent to a near-lip end of the tube body; installing a blocking and flow guide element from a far-lip end of the tube body; installing a fuming unit from the far-lip end of the tube body, where the fuming unit is located at the far-lip end of the tube body; and sealing the far-lip end of the tube body, and forming a sealing part on an end face of the far-lip end of the tube body. In the new method, each component is successively filled from the near-lip end to the far-lip end of the aerosol generating product, thereby effectively avoiding the pollution caused by the fuming unit on the tube body during the filling of the fuming unit.

A tube loading, filling and sealing system that includes a tube loading apparatus, a tube filling apparatus, a tube sealing apparatus configured to receive and seal a plurality of tubes, and a weighing apparatus configured to weigh a plurality of filled tubes. A method of filling tubes with a herb mixture using a tube loading, filling, and sealing system. The method including loading the tubes into a tube filling apparatus using a tube loading apparatus, filling the tubes loaded into the tube filling apparatus with a herb mixture, sealing the filled tubes using a tube sealing apparatus, and weighing the sealed tubes using a weighing apparatus.

A tube loading, filling and sealing system that includes a tube loading apparatus, a tube filling apparatus, a tube sealing apparatus configured to receive and seal a plurality of tubes, and a weighing apparatus configured to weigh a plurality of filled tubes. A method of filling tubes with a herb mixture using a tube loading, filling, and sealing system. The method including loading the tubes into a tube filling apparatus using a tube loading apparatus, filling the tubes loaded into the tube filling apparatus with a herb mixture, sealing the filled tubes using a tube sealing apparatus, and weighing the sealed tubes using a weighing apparatus.

A filling unit, configured to fill a succession of tubular wrappers of the tobacco industry. The tubular wrappers extend along a main axis of extension and internally define respective containment chambers adapted to contain a filling material of the tobacco industry and have an access opening on at least one of its ends for access to the containment chamber. The unit also includes a filling station configured to insert the filling material into respective containment chambers of the succession of tubular wrappers through a filling end of them and a closing station disposed downstream of the filling station and comprising a plurality of closing means configured to make respective walls which close the filling ends and which are transverse to the respective main axes of extension.

A system and method for dispensing cones comprises a cone filler control system; a cone stack feed tube that receives a cone stack; a roller drive motor; a roller coupled to the roller drive motor and that is located below the cone stack feed tube outlet, wherein the roller is rotated for a predefined duration by the roller drive motor when the roller drive motor is actuated by the cone filler control system; and a cone chute located below the roller and above a cone receptacle, wherein the roller rotates to draw the leading cone out from the cone stack feed tube outlet and into the cone chute inlet in response to actuation of the roller drive motor, and wherein the leading cone travels through the cone chute into the cone receptacle after the leading cone has entered into the cone chute.

A system and method for dispensing cones comprises a cone filler control system; a cone stack feed tube that receives a cone stack; a roller drive motor; a roller coupled to the roller drive motor and that is located below the cone stack feed tube outlet, wherein the roller is rotated for a predefined duration by the roller drive motor when the roller drive motor is actuated by the cone filler control system; and a cone chute located below the roller and above a cone receptacle, wherein the roller rotates to draw the leading cone out from the cone stack feed tube outlet and into the cone chute inlet in response to actuation of the roller drive motor, and wherein the leading cone travels through the cone chute into the cone receptacle after the leading cone has entered into the cone chute.

Machine and method for producing a substantially cylindrical article, which comprises a tubular body, a container element, arranged in the area of one end of the tubular element, a heat generating element, partially housed inside the container element, and loose material for generating flavour; in use, the loose material is inserted into the container element, vertically oriented, and the heat generating element is partially inserted into the container element by being moved downwards, so as to obtain a combined element; subsequently, the combined element is at least partially inserted into the tubular body.