A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

A method for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, each spacer comprising a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, said method comprising the step of arranging the spacers, stacked on one another, on a transport pallet, on each spacer being provided at least two through holes, the through holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that a vertical element of the transport pallet is inside the through holes of the spacers of the stack.

A packaging material for carton products and a packaging method thereof are provided. The packaging material includes an inner packaging film and an outer packaging film. The inner packaging film includes a first polypropylene material and a first resin additive. The first polypropylene material has a first melting point. The melting point of the first resin additive is not greater than the first melting point. The outer packaging film includes a second polypropylene material, a second resin additive, and a slip agent. The second polypropylene material has a second melting point. The first melting point is greater than the second melting point. An absolute value of a difference between the first melting point and the second melting point is between 10° C. and 40° C. The melting point of the second resin additive is not greater than the second melting point.

A spacing support (11) and a spacing kit (10) for packets (100) of smoking articles configured to support in an orderly manner a plurality of packets arranged on two adjacent rows. The spacing support (11) comprises two containing drawers (12) arranged adjacent to each other and each defining a respective housing (13) for a corresponding row of packets, which extends in a longitudinal direction (X), and an access aperture (17) through which the packets (100) can be introduced and extracted from the housing (13). Each containing drawer (12) comprises a bottom wall (14) from which a pair of side walls (15) extends, each of these walls (14, 15) being configured to come into contact with a respective wall (101, 102) of the packet (100), wherein at least one of the side walls (15) comprises a plurality of positioning elements (18) projecting toward the inside of said housing (13), made as pre-cut fins (19) integrated into the side wall (15), and configured to delimit positioning compartments (26), in which each of said packets (100) is stably arranged and held in a static manner, in said longitudinal direction (X), with respect to said housing (13).

A tax stamping machine includes an input system that transfers incoming cartons of cigarettes into a conveyor. The input station positions the upper surfaces of the cartons at a predefined height, and the conveyor retains the cartons at the predefined height as the cartons pass through the stamp applicating device. The stamp applicating device includes an opening station, a stamping station, and a closing station. The conveyor includes resilient pulleys that hold the cartons at a predefined height as the cartons move through the opening station, the stamping station, and the closing station such that the upper surfaces of the individual packs of cigarettes are always at the same predefined height regardless of the size of the cartons entering the machine.

A spacer support for packets of smoking articles comprises a plurality of through housing compartments to receive at least one packet and having a pair of apertures on opposite sides for introducing or extracting the packets, and wherein the spacer support also comprises a pair of lateral walls having a plurality of opposite windows, and a pair of connection walls which extend between the connecting lateral walls. A plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of said access openings are disposed alternately one after the other, in succession in the longitudinal direction (X), so that each housing compartment is delimited by the pair of opposite lateral walls and by said positioning elements so as to stably retain inside them each of said packets in a static manner, in the longitudinal direction (X).

A method is described for making a pack of smoking products having an ordered group of packets containing smoking products and positioned in contact with each other, wherein the group of packets has a closed lateral surface around a theoretical axis of the group of packets, which delimits two opposite surfaces of the group of packets, each of which surfaces is defined by the set of homologous surfaces of all the packets. The method includes unwinding from a reel at least one adhesive tape and applying it to the closed lateral surface and completely around the latter, to hold the packets of the group together solely by means of the at least one adhesive tape.

A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

A collation of packages and related methods of retaining packages together in a collation wherein each package of the collation being cuboid-shaped and including a pair of opposing first faces, a pair of opposing second faces and a pair of opposing end faces. The packages are arranged in rows such that a second face of a package faces a second face of an adjacent package within the same row, and a first face of a package in a row faces a first face of a package in an adjacent row. A second face of a package at the end of each row, and a first face of each package in a row, being exposed. The collation includes a plurality of bands extending about the packages to hold the collation together. Each band is spaced from its adjacent band and extends over the exposed first face and exposed second face, of each package.

A tax stamping machine includes an input system that transfers incoming cartons of cigarettes into a conveyor. The input station positions the upper surfaces of the cartons at a predefined height, and the conveyor retains the cartons at the predefined height as the cartons pass through the stamp applicating device. The stamp applicating device includes an opening station, a stamping station, and a closing station. The conveyor includes resilient pulleys that hold the cartons at a predefined height as the cartons move through the opening station, the stamping station, and the closing station such that the upper surfaces of the individual packs of cigarettes are always at the same predefined height regardless of the size of the cartons entering the machine.