A modular apparatus is configured to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a first sequence of operations. The modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations. The first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokeable material, which is smoked in use. The modular apparatus comprises a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article (33) between two tobacco rods (32a, 32b), a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts (33a, 33b), a separator configured to separate a first group (34a) comprising a rod of smokeable material and one of said parts from a second group (34b) comprising a rod of smokeable material and another of said parts and a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article (35) between the first and second groups.

A modular apparatus is configured to cause received rods of smokable material to undergo a first sequence of operations. The modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations. The first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokable material, which is smoked in use. The modular apparatus comprises a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article between two tobacco rods, a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts, a separator configured to separate a first group comprising a rod of smokable material and one of said parts from a second group comprising a rod of smokable material and another of said parts and a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article between the first and second groups.

A rolling unit for a filler rod includes a rolling drum that has an outer peripheral surface for holding chip paper and a continuous body and transfers the chip paper and the continuous body in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface; and a rolling block that has a rolling surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the rolling drum, forms a rolling gap between the rolling surface and the outer peripheral surface of the rolling drum, and winds the chip paper around the continuous body by rolling the continuous body while interposing the continuous body in the rolling gap as the rolling drum rotates. A plurality of block-side suction holes is opened on the rolling surface of the rolling block, and the rolling gap is suctioned via the block side suction holes.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a rolling drum (59 for use in a tobacco industry product manufacturing apparatus. The rolling drum has a peripheral surface (6) configured to carry a collation of rod-shaped articles. The rolling drum comprises a plurality of ridges (7) on the peripheral surface, each ridge comprising a trailing face (8) and a leading face (9). The rolling drum comprises a plurality of suction holes for retaining the collation of rod-shaped articles. The plurality of suction holes are disposed at the trailing face and the leading face of each of the ridges. Also disclosed is a rolling apparatus comprising such a rolling drum, and a machine for assembling tobacco industry products comprising such an apparatus. Also disclosed is a method of assembling tobacco industry products using such a rolling apparatus or machine.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus (1) for manufacture of tobacco industry products (21). The apparatus (1) comprising a rolling unit (9) comprising: a rotatable drum (14) having a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the drum (14) to receive tobacco industry product components (5/6); a roll hand (15) spaced from the outer surface of the drum (14) to define a space between the outer surface of the drum (14) and the roll hand (15), within which space tobacco industry product components (5/6) are rollable upon rotation of the drum (14); and a kicker bar (16) disposed adjacent to the roll hand (15). The kicker bar (16) is moveable relative to the roll hand (15) and in a direction towards and away from the drum (14) during operation of the apparatus (1), and the kicker bar (16) is biased towards the drum (14).

An apparatus (10, 20, 30, 40) for shifting of rod-shaped articles (4, 4) of different lengths or rod-shaped article groups (6) of different total lengths on a drum conveyor (2), comprising a pushing unit (5, 25, 35) mounted angularly to the axis of rotation of the drum conveyor (2), forcing the movement of the rod-shaped articles (4, 4), whereas the pushing unit (5, 25, 35) comprises rotational pushing elements (11, 21, 31) for shifting of the rod-shaped articles (4, 4), characterised in that the pushing unit (5, 25, 35) is movably mounted in a direction being substantially transverse to the axis of the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2) so as to shift the rod-shaped-articles (4, 4) or the rod-shaped article groups (6) inside the flute (3) of the drum conveyor (2) by the pressure of surfaces (11A, 21A, 31A) of the pushing unit (5, 25, 35) directly on the ends of the rod-shaped article (4, 4).

A method for making a sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, includes preparing a rod segment, of the tobacco industry and wrapping a connecting strip of wrapping material round that rod segment, about a wrapping axis, in such a way that a first portion of the connecting strip is superposed on a first end of the rod segment and a second portion of it is axially protruding from the first end of the rod segment thereby defining a tubular wrapping which encloses a containment chamber. Then a filling material of the tobacco industry is placed inside the containment chamber. The method also includes a step of making a wall, transverse to the wrapping axis, defining an at least partial closure of the containment chamber, specifically by folding an end portion of the second portion the connecting strip.

Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus for cutting and arranging rods for use in a tobacco industry product assembly machine. The apparatus comprises a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods. Each double-length rod has respective remote ends. A positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other. Also disclosed is a method of cutting and arranging rods for tobacco industry product assembly, and a method of tobacco industry product assembly.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus (1) for use in the manufacture of tobacco industry products. The apparatus (1) comprises a rolling unit (9) comprising: a rotatable drum (14) having a plurality of flutes (18) formed in a curved outer surface (17) of the drum (14) to receive axially-aligned components (5,6) of a tobacco industry product; a roll hand (15) having a contact surface (34) facing and spaced from the outer surface (17) of the drum (14) to define a space, between the contact surface (34) and the outer surface (17), within which space components of a tobacco industry product are rollable upon rotation of the drum (14); and a kicker bar (16) disposed adjacent to the roll hand (15) and having a contact edge (36) facing and spaced from the outer surface (17) of the drum (17). At least one of the roll hand contact surface (34), kicker bar contact edge (36) and drum outer surface (17) includes a groove (31,32,33) extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the drum (14) and configured to least partially receive one or more of the tobacco industry product components as the drum (14) rotates.

An apparatus for making a smoking article, the smoking article having a rod of smoke able material (15) and a cylindrically wrapped layer of sheet material, comprises a holder (3) for holding sheet material, an embossing unit (8) configured to emboss sheet material drawn from the holder and an assembling station (14) for assembling the smoking article, configured to receive embossed sheet material from the embossing unit and to wrap the embossing sheet material at least partially around a part of the smoking article.