An apparatus, system, and method which may facilitate the placing of rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, into waiting packaging, including a space into which articles may be inserted, this space described by a base and a plurality of side walls. A sheet of deformable material may then be secured to the apparatus, such as by vacuum force provided via vacuum openings located in the side walls, to further bound the space and provide support for the articles contained therein while the apparatus is transported or reoriented during the packaging method.

The object of the invention is a forming and transporting apparatus for conveying rod-like articles and for forming groups of the rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, comprising transport units, whereas a transport unit comprises a transport carriage adapted to move along a path, and a transport tray provided with a number of transport grooves adapted to hold the rod-like articles, whereas the tray is fastened to the transport carriage, whereas the transport tray is divided into two transport sections which are adapted to change the reciprocal position between an open configuration in which the transport grooves are situated substantially in one plane and a closed configuration in which the transport grooves are situated in two planes being substantially parallel to each other.

The object of the invention is a forming and transporting apparatus for conveying rod-like articles and for forming groups of the rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, comprising transport units, whereas a transport unit comprises a transport carriage adapted to move along a path, and a transport tray provided with a number of transport grooves adapted to hold the rod-like articles, whereas the tray is fastened to the transport carriage, whereas the transport tray is divided into two transport sections which are adapted to change the reciprocal position between an open configuration in which the transport grooves are situated substantially in one plane and a closed configuration in which the transport grooves are situated in two planes being substantially parallel to each other.

The present application relates to a rod article distribution apparatus (10) for distributing rod articles (50) between at least two storage columns. The apparatus (10) has a rod article infeed (20), a rod article distributor (30) having an epicyclic drum arrangement, and at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The rod article distributor (30) is configured to distribute rod articles (50) between the at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The present application also relates to a rod article making apparatus and a method of distributing rod articles between at least two storage columns.

The present application relates to a rod article distribution apparatus (10) for distributing rod articles (50) between at least two storage columns. The apparatus (10) has a rod article infeed (20), a rod article distributor (30) having an epicyclic drum arrangement, and at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The rod article distributor (30) is configured to distribute rod articles (50) between the at least two rod article receiving channels (41). The present application also relates to a rod article making apparatus and a method of distributing rod articles between at least two storage columns.

A packaging machine hopper is provided for holding a stack of packaging articles with each article in a generally horizontal orientation. The hopper comprises a support for holding at least part of the stack at an angle to vertical.

A method for producing packs for cigarettes, in which at least one group of cigarettes is wrapped in an inner wrapper and is introduced into a pocket of a folding turret and therein is packed in a blank for the pack, and a corresponding apparatus and to a pack for cigarettes. At least one dimension of the at least one cigarette group does not correspond to the respective dimension of the interior space of the pack, the at least one deviating dimension is equalized by at least one filler piece, and the at least one filler piece is wrapped in the inner wrapper conjointly with at least one cigarette group.

A method for producing packs for cigarettes, in which at least one group of cigarettes is wrapped in an inner wrapper and is introduced into a pocket of a folding turret and therein is packed in a blank for the pack, and a corresponding apparatus and to a pack for cigarettes. At least one dimension of the at least one cigarette group does not correspond to the respective dimension of the interior space of the pack, the at least one deviating dimension is equalized by at least one filler piece, and the at least one filler piece is wrapped in the inner wrapper conjointly with at least one cigarette group.

A method of feeding rod-shaped consumer goods to a packing apparatus is provided, including providing a plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods to an upstream end of a stacking channel, and feeding the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along the stacking channel to a downstream end of the stacking channel. The upstream end of the stacking channel is higher than the downstream end in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 75 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. The method further includes receiving the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods into a hopper from the downstream end of the stacking channel, and distributing the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods from the hopper into a packing apparatus.

A method of feeding rod-shaped consumer goods to a packing apparatus is provided, including providing a plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods to an upstream end of a stacking channel, and feeding the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along the stacking channel to a downstream end of the stacking channel. The upstream end of the stacking channel is higher than the downstream end in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 75 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. The method further includes receiving the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods into a hopper from the downstream end of the stacking channel, and distributing the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods from the hopper into a packing apparatus.