A feed apparatus for automatically feeding casings for smoking articles toward a transport member includes a feed unit disposed in a position above the transport member and configured to temporarily support the casings before they are fed to the transport member below, and a conveyor unit interposed between the feed unit and the transport member to selectively pick up the casings from the feed unit and send them to the transport member.

A reservoir (1) for rod-like elements (R) for tobacco industry, configured to be connected to a first feeding duct (2), to a second feeding duct (3) and to a receiving duct (10) for receiving the rod-like elements (R) from the reservoir (1), wherein the reservoir (1) has adjustable capacity and is coupled with filling level sensing means (14, 15) for sensing a filling level of the reservoir (1). The reservoir comprises two chambers (12, 13) having adjustable capacity and separated by a partition (24). The first chamber (12) is coupled with a first filling level sensing means (14) for sensing a filling level of the first chamber (12), and the second chamber (13) is equipped with a second filling level sensing means (15) for sensing a filling level of the second chamber (13).

An apparatus (10, 20, 30, 40) for shifting of rod-like articles (4, 4) with different lengths or rod-like article groups (6) with different total lengths on a drum conveyor (3), comprising slidably mounted pusher elements (7, 27, 37) acting on at least one rod-like article (4, 4) or at least one rod-like article group (6) so as to vary their position in the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2), with the pusher elements (7, 27, 37) being 5 slidable in a direction substantially corresponding to the axis of the rod-like articles, and a pushing unit (5, 25, 35) mounted angularly relative to the pusher elements (7, 27, 37) forcing the movement of the pusher elements (7, 27, 37), whereas the pushing unit comprises rotational pushing elements for pushing against the pusher elements (7, 27, 37). The apparatus is characterized in that the pushing unit (5, 25, 35) is moveably mounted in a direction being substantially transverse to the axis of the flute (3) of the drum 10 conveyor (2) so as to shift the rod-like articles (4, 4) or the rod-like article groups (6) inside the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2).

A method for the production of an article in an automatic machine operating by means of a succession of operating cycles. The production method comprises the steps of: moving, at the beginning of a first operating cycle, a carriage provided with at least one seat configured to accommodate a component by means of a main conveyor and along a processing path; stopping, during the first operating cycle, the carriage in a loading station; inserting, during the first operating cycle, the component into the seat while the carriage is standing still in the loading station; checking, at the end of the first operating cycle, whether the component is actually present in the seat; moving, at the beginning of a second operating cycle, the carriage from the loading station to a following station, only if, at the end of the first operating cycle, the first component is actually present in the seat; keeping, at the beginning of the second operating cycle, the carriage in the loading station, if, at the end of the first operating cycle, the seat still lacks the component; and inserting, during the second operating cycle, the first component into the seat while the carriage is standing still in the loading station, if, at the end of the first operating cycle, the seat still lacks the component.

Method of emptying a container filled with rod-like articles manufactured in the tobacco industry comprising the following stages: the container to be emptied is delivered to the entrance area of an intermediate store comprising adjacent channels separated from one another by walls; by means of supporting plates the rod-like articles are transferred from the container to the channels of the intermediate store; the channels of the intermediate store are filled with the rod-like articles; characterised in that during the transfer of the rod-like articles (R) from the container (5) to the channels (7) of the intermediate store (2) the intermediate store (2) makes a reciprocating motion in the horizontal direction, transversely to the axis of the rod-like articles.

Transfer system for transferring items, which transfer system comprises a first transfer device for receiving the items, a second transfer device for discharging the items, and a buffer device for buffering items between the first transfer device and the second transfer device, wherein the first transfer device comprises a first transfer rotator and the second transfer device comprises a second transfer rotator and the transfer system is configured to adjust at least one of a first transfer speed of the first transfer rotator and a second transfer speed of the second transfer rotator.

The system for transferring rod-shaped articles comprises a reservoir for holding a plurality of rod-shaped articles and a conveyor band comprising a seat adapted to receive a rod-shaped article from the reservoir. The system further comprises a speed compensator for compensating a speed variation of a portion of the conveyor band such that a speed of another portion of the conveyor band is kept constant. There is also provided an arrangement for retaining rod-shaped articles in a conveyor band. The arrangement comprises a conveyor wheel, wherein the seat is guidable in the conveyor band around the conveyor wheel and comprises an offset conveyor band arranged in parallel and at a distance to the conveyor band along a section of the conveyor band.

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.

An apparatus (10, 20, 30, 40) for shifting of rod-like articles (4, 4) with different lengths or rod-like article groups (6) with different total lengths on a drum conveyor (3), comprising slidably mounted pusher elements (7, 27, 37) acting on at least one rod-like article (4, 4) or at least one rod-like article group (6) so as to vary their position in the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2), with the pusher elements (7, 27, 37) being 5 slidable in a direction substantially corresponding to the axis of the rod-like articles, and a pushing unit (5, 25, 35) mounted angularly relative to the pusher elements (7, 27, 37) forcing the movement of the pusher elements (7, 27, 37), whereas the pushing unit comprises rotational pushing elements for pushing against the pusher elements (7, 27, 37). The apparatus is characterised in that the pushing unit (5, 25, 35) is moveably mounted in a direction being substantially transverse to the axis of the flute (3) of the drum 10 conveyor (2) so as to shift the rod-like articles (4, 4) or the rod-like article groups (6) inside the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2).

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.