Apparatus (1, 1) for axial centring of a rod-like article (4, 4) or a group (30) of rod-like articles wherein the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles is conveyed in a flute (3) situated on the circumference of a drum conveyor (2), whereas the length of the article (4, 4) or the total length of articles in the group (30) may vary, provided with pusher elements (5) acting on the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles, characterised in that the pusher elements (5) of a shifting mechanism (13) are driven by a common driving unit (24, 24) and are connected in such a way that the force exerted by the driving unit (24, 24) is distributed to the pusher elements (5) acting axially on the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles. The object of the application is also a method of axial centring of the rod-like article (4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles wherein the rod-like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles is conveyed in the flute (3) situated on the circumference of the drum conveyor (2), by means of the pusher elements (5), whereas the length of the article (4, 4) or the total length of articles in the group (30) may vary, characterised in that the force exerted by the driving unit (24) is distributed to the pusher elements (5) of the shifting mechanism (13) acting axially on the rod like article (4, 4) or the group (30) of rod-like articles.

A device for combining filter segments with cigarette rod segments includes a first feed device for feeding a succession of gummed connecting strips and a second feed device for feeding a succession of groups, each including at least one cigarette rod segment and one filter segment, abutted end to end. A combining conveyor receives the groups in a first receiving station and the succession of strips in a second receiving station downstream of the first receiving station so that each gummed connecting strip is applied in flag-like manner on a respective group to connect the cigarette rod segment to the filter segment. A rolling drum receives the group with strip and rolls the strip round the group. A compression device downstream of the second receiving station and upstream of the release station produces compression between each group and the respective strip.

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.

There is disclosed a separator drum (13) for tobacco industry product assembly apparatus. The separator drum has a plurality of segments (29, 30) arranged to form at least a part of a peripheral surface of the separator drum. Each segment has at least one flute (31) and at most four flutes (31). Each flute (31) is adapted to carry a rod of aerosolisable material (2) as the separator drum rotates during use. Each segment (29, 30) is slidably mounted to the separator drum (13) for axial movement.

A method for producing smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, each comprising a respective first tobacco rod portion; the method comprises the step of cutting a second rod portion, which is four times the length of the first rod portion, crosswise so as to obtain third rod portions, which are twice the length of the first rod portion; the third rod portions are offset and aligned so as to be fed in succession; the speed at which the third rod portions are conveyed before the offsetting procedure is smaller than the speed at which they are conveyed after the offsetting procedure.

The present application relates to a smoking article assembly machine. The smoking article assembly machine has a filter rod receiving section configured to receive filter rods (9) containing an inserted object (36, 36) and an assembled smoking article discharge section. The smoking article assembly machine also has a smoking article assembly path between the filter rod receiving section and the assembled smoking article discharge section along which filter rods (9) pass in a transverse direction to the longitudinal axis of filter rods, and a microwave sensor unit (51) through which filter rods (9) pass in a transverse direction, the microwave sensor unit (51) being disposed along the assembly path. The microwave sensor unit (51) is configured to provide an indication of one or more properties of an inserted object (36, 36) in each filter rod (9) passing transversely along the smoking article assembly path. The present application also relates to a method of assembling a smoking article on a smoking article assembly machine.

A machine for making plant material smoking articles is provided having a feeding assembly that is configured to feed plant material to a combustible material rolling assembly. The combustible material rolling assembly includes a continuous stream of paper and a forming chute having a semispherical channel at a length and at least one adjustable guide. The combustible material rolling assembly is configured to roll the plant material in the continuous stream of paper at a wrapping rate within the semispherical channel to make at least one plant material smoking article. In some embodiments, the feeding assembly is either driven via gravity or a pneumatic delivery system. In one embodiment, at least one adjustable guide includes a tapered conical guide configured to additionally adjust the wrapping rate.

A smoking article assembly apparatus is disclosed. It comprises a first cutting station configured to cut a filter rod into filter segments, a tipping station configured to join the filter segments to tobacco rods so as to form a smoking article assembly, and a second cutting station configured to cut the smoking article assembly in the region of the filter segments so as to form two smoking articles.

An apparatus for assembling an aerosol-generating article, the apparatus including: a conveyor with a support surface configured to support at least two axially aligned rod-shaped segments of the aerosol-generating article; and a spacer, the apparatus being configured to move the spacer from a retracted position to an active position, in which the spacer provides an abutment means for the rod-shaped segments on the support surface, and the conveyor including the spacer. A method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article is also provided.