A cleaning system for a transporting and storing device having adjustable capacity for tobacco industry rod-like elements, the device comprising at least one circular conveyor located on a stationary support element of the device and at least one circular conveyor of the device located on a rotary support element, wherein the conveyors are arranged one above another. The cleaning system comprises a plurality of cleaning units attached to the support elements and oriented towards a transporting surface of the conveyor located below a corresponding cleaning unit of the plurality of cleaning units and configured to remove contaminations from the transporting surface of the conveyor. At least a first cleaning unit of the plurality of cleaning units is attached to the stationary support element and at least a second cleaning unit of the plurality of cleaning units is attached to the rotary support element.

The subject of the application is a device which supports mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry in a transport channel, having at least two segments (2, 3) connected by a connecting element (4), characterised in that the segments (2) are provided with positioning means (7, 8) which mate with the elements of the conveyor to set the position of the supporting device relative to the elements of the conveyor (5a, 5b). Furthermore, the subject of the application is a method of supporting mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry in a transport channel section characterised in that a supporting device (1) is introduced into the transport channel in the inlet part of the section being filled up provided with positioning means (7, 8) which with the elements of the conveyor set the position of the supporting device relative to the elements of the conveyor belt (5a, 5b), subsequently, the mass flow of rod-shaped articles is started in such a way so that the face of the mass flow is supported on the last segment of the supporting device, after which the travel of the belt of the conveyor in the remaining part of the section of the transport channel being filled up is started such that the mass flow of rod-shaped articles fills up the space of the channel section, supported on the last segment of the supporting device.

The subject of the application is a device which supports mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry in a transport channel, having at least two segments (2, 3) connected by a connecting element (4), characterised in that the segments (2) are provided with positioning means (7, 8) which mate with the elements of the conveyor to set the position of the supporting device relative to the elements of the conveyor (5a, 5b). Furthermore, the subject of the application is a method of supporting mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry in a transport channel section characterised in that a supporting device (1) is introduced into the transport channel in the inlet part of the section being filled up provided with positioning means (7, 8) which with the elements of the conveyor set the position of the supporting device relative to the elements of the conveyor belt (5a, 5b), subsequently, the mass flow of rod-shaped articles is started in such a way so that the face of the mass flow is supported on the last segment of the supporting device, after which the travel of the belt of the conveyor in the remaining part of the section of the transport channel being filled up is started such that the mass flow of rod-shaped articles fills up the space of the channel section, supported on the last segment of the supporting device.

The apparatus (10) for feeding and forming organized groups of smoking articles (20) comprises a containing compartment (11) configured to contain smoking articles (20) and provided with a lower aperture (16), a plurality of conveying channels (30), each one having an upper aperture (34) communicating with the lower aperture (16) of the containing compartment, and a conveying device (40) comprising a support structure (41) on which there are mounted two or more conveying members (42) with an elongated shape, parallel to each other and disposed in correspondence with the upper apertures (34) of the conveying channels (30).

The apparatus (10) for feeding and forming organized groups of smoking articles (20) comprises a containing compartment (11) configured to contain smoking articles (20) and provided with a lower aperture (16), a plurality of conveying channels (30), each one having an upper aperture (34) communicating with the lower aperture (16) of the containing compartment, and a conveying device (40) comprising a support structure (41) on which there are mounted two or more conveying members (42) with an elongated shape, parallel to each other and disposed in correspondence with the upper apertures (34) of the conveying channels (30).

A diagnostic method for analysing the operation of an automatic machine which processes products in the tobacco industry includes the following steps: introducing into the machine an endoscopic probe whose shape and size correspond to the shape and size of the products the machine is designed to process and which the machine processes as if it were a real product. During processing in the machine, the probe acquires data through a sensor of its own. The method also includes determining the positions adopted by the probe while it is being processed in the machine and associating them with the data acquired by the probe while it is being processed in the machine.

A diagnostic method for analysing the operation of an automatic machine which processes products in the tobacco industry includes the following steps: introducing into the machine an endoscopic probe whose shape and size correspond to the shape and size of the products the machine is designed to process and which the machine processes as if it were a real product. During processing in the machine, the probe acquires data through a sensor of its own. The method also includes determining the positions adopted by the probe while it is being processed in the machine and associating them with the data acquired by the probe while it is being processed in the machine.

A method for producing an aerosol-generating rod is provided, including: conveying a web material over a contact surface of a contact body such that the web material is in contact with the contact surface, the contact surface being curved around an axial direction and tapered along the axial direction, and a continuous portion of the contact surface spanning at least an angle of 90 degrees around the axial direction; dispensing an additive through at least one additive dispensing opening provided in the contact surface; and conveying the web material through a converging device provided downstream of the contact body, the web material being formed into a rod within the converging device. A device for producing an aerosol-generating rod is also provided.

A method for producing an aerosol-generating rod is provided, including: conveying a web material over a contact surface of a contact body such that the web material is in contact with the contact surface, the contact surface being curved around an axial direction and tapered along the axial direction, and a continuous portion of the contact surface spanning at least an angle of 90 degrees around the axial direction; dispensing an additive through at least one additive dispensing opening provided in the contact surface; and conveying the web material through a converging device provided downstream of the contact body, the web material being formed into a rod within the converging device. A device for producing an aerosol-generating rod is also provided.

An apparatus for forming a collation of rod-shaped aerosol-generating articles is provided, including: multiple movable pockets, each pocket to house a collation having a number of layers of the articles; a number of hoppers forming a reservoir of the articles, each hopper to provide a respective transfer set of the articles to the collation; and a control system to control relative movement of the respective pocket with respect to the hoppers, the respective pocket to be arranged next to each hopper enabling transfer of the respective transfer set of the articles from the respective hopper to the respective pocket, a cumulative number of the articles in all transfer sets is greater than a number of the articles in the respective collation, and the control system is further to vertically move the pockets independently of each other relative to the hoppers and/or to move the hoppers independently of each other.