A method of forming groups of smoking articles so that each group forms an individual bundle of smoking articles for receipt in a respective smoking article pack is disclosed. The method includes supplying a receptacle of an apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles with different types of smoking articles such that they mix in the receptacle and each group is formed from the mixture of different types of smoking articles by said apparatus. An apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles and a multipack comprising a plurality of smoking article packs is also disclosed.

A method of forming groups of smoking articles so that each group forms an individual bundle of smoking articles for receipt in a respective smoking article pack is disclosed. The method includes supplying a receptacle of an apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles with different types of smoking articles such that they mix in the receptacle and each group is formed from the mixture of different types of smoking articles by said apparatus. An apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles and a multipack comprising a plurality of smoking article packs is also disclosed.

An apparatus for feeding rod-shaped articles includes a hopper having at least one mouth for dispensing the articles, subdivided by vertical walls parallel to each other forming vertical channels positioned side by side, each accommodating a stack of the articles At a position above an upper edge of each wall is positioned a cylindrical roller oscillating in both directions about its axis parallel to the axes of the articles for facilitating entry in the channels. The axis of each roller is offset laterally in a horizontal direction relative to the upper edge of the wall below and adjacent to it, and the upper edges of the walls relative to each channel are positioned at different levels such that the width of the passage defined between each pair of adjacent rollers lying above the walls of the channel is slightly greater than the diameter of the article.

An apparatus for feeding rod-shaped articles includes a hopper having at least one mouth for dispensing the articles, subdivided by vertical walls parallel to each other forming vertical channels positioned side by side, each accommodating a stack of the articles At a position above an upper edge of each wall is positioned a cylindrical roller oscillating in both directions about its axis parallel to the axes of the articles for facilitating entry in the channels. The axis of each roller is offset laterally in a horizontal direction relative to the upper edge of the wall below and adjacent to it, and the upper edges of the walls relative to each channel are positioned at different levels such that the width of the passage defined between each pair of adjacent rollers lying above the walls of the channel is slightly greater than the diameter of the article.

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 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.

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.

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.

An apparatus for forming a predetermined collation of rod shaped articles, in particular smoking articles, includes a feeder arrangement, and a pocket. The pocket is adapted to house a predetermined number of rod shaped articles in the predetermined collation in a predetermined position within the pocket. The apparatus further includes a hopper with a plurality of hopper vanes, wherein each hopper vane is at least associated to one predetermined position in the pocket. The feeder arrangement includes a first feeder being adapted to provide a first subgroup of rod shaped articles of a first type to a first subset of hopper vanes, a second feeder being adapted to provide a second subgroup of rod shaped articles of a second type to a second subset of hopper vanes, and a third feeder being adapted to provide a third subgroup of rod shaped articles of a third type to a third subset of hopper vanes.

An apparatus for forming a predetermined collation of rod shaped articles, in particular smoking articles, includes a feeder arrangement, and a pocket. The pocket is adapted to house a predetermined number of rod shaped articles in the predetermined collation in a predetermined position within the pocket. The apparatus further includes a hopper with a plurality of hopper vanes, wherein each hopper vane is at least associated to one predetermined position in the pocket. The feeder arrangement includes a first feeder being adapted to provide a first subgroup of rod shaped articles of a first type to a first subset of hopper vanes, a second feeder being adapted to provide a second subgroup of rod shaped articles of a second type to a second subset of hopper vanes, and a third feeder being adapted to provide a third subgroup of rod shaped articles of a third type to a third subset of hopper vanes.