The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

The tongue includes a shaft, the shaft being hollow. The shaft includes a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first opening with a first radius of curvature, and the second end defining a second opening with a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature. The shaft defines at least one injection port that traverses through an inner surface of the shaft. A first plate is connected to the shaft. The first plate includes an engaging structure configured to mount the tongue onto a lower plate and align the shaft with a groove defined by the lower plate. The rod forming apparatus includes the tongue. The method installs the tongue onto the rod forming apparatus.

A feeding apparatus for feeding a tobacco industry segment (C) comprising a hopper (12) for rods (10C) with a length being a multiple length of the segment (C), a cutting a conveying unit (13), situated underneath the hopper (12) for the rods (10C), for cutting the rods (10C) into individual segments (C), whereas from the rod (10C), after cutting the rod (10C), a group (G) of the segments (C) is formed, a transferring unit (15) situated underneath the cutting and conveying unit (13), adapted to receive the groups (G) of the segments (C) and to form of them a stream (SF) of the segments (C), whereas the gaps (U) between the groups (G) of the segments (C) in the stream (SF) are retained, and the transferring unit (15) is adapted to reduce the gaps (U) between the groups (G) so that at the outlet (23) of the transferring unit (15) the segments (C) are conveyed without gaps.

A feeding apparatus for feeding a tobacco industry segment (C) comprising a hopper (12) for rods (10C) with a length being a multiple length of the segment (C), a cutting a conveying unit (13), situated underneath the hopper (12) for the rods (10C), for cutting the rods (10C) into individual segments (C), whereas from the rod (10C), after cutting the rod (10C), a group (G) of the segments (C) is formed, a transferring unit (15) situated underneath the cutting and conveying unit (13), adapted to receive the groups (G) of the segments (C) and to form of them a stream (SF) of the segments (C), whereas the gaps (U) between the groups (G) of the segments (C) in the stream (SF) are retained, and the transferring unit (15) is adapted to reduce the gaps (U) between the groups (G) so that at the outlet (23) of the transferring unit (15) the segments (C) are conveyed without gaps.

A cone staging apparatus for production of smoking articles includes (a) a frame, and (b) a cone pallet releasably supported by the frame. The cone pallet includes a plurality of cavities. Each cavity has an open upper end for receiving a cone therein. The apparatus further includes (c) a cone magazine adjacent the frame for holding a supply of cones. The cone magazine includes at least one escapement alignable over the open upper end of a respective cavity of the cone pallet to facilitate transferring a single cone from the supply of cones to the respective cavity.

A cone staging apparatus for production of smoking articles includes (a) a frame, and (b) a cone pallet releasably supported by the frame. The cone pallet includes a plurality of cavities. Each cavity has an open upper end for receiving a cone therein. The apparatus further includes (c) a cone magazine adjacent the frame for holding a supply of cones. The cone magazine includes at least one escapement alignable over the open upper end of a respective cavity of the cone pallet to facilitate transferring a single cone from the supply of cones to the respective cavity.

A material handling machine dispenses uniformly metered charges of smoking material from a bulk supply, by means of a metered material feeder that has a first hopper with an opening disposed over a first horizontal chute. The first chute is mounted on slanted springs and has a dispensing end above a second chute also mounted upon slanted springs. The second chute discharges onto a tippable weighing tray above a set of nested hoppers in which one is fixed and the other is vertically movable. A weight sensor may be attached to the tippable tray or the fixed hopper, or both. The move-able hopper may comprise a forming belt indenter to form a trough in a cigarette rolling apparatus. The first hopper may include an agitator that has at least one vertical rod for stirring the bulk material. The dispensing end of the first chute may also include a rotating rake.

A cone closure apparatus for production of smoking articles includes: (a) a frame; and (b) at least one cone holder supported by the frame and extending along an axis. The cone holder has a lower grip surface for applying a rotational force about the axis to an outer surface of a lower filled portion of a cone received in the cone holder. The cone having an upper empty portion disposed above the lower filled portion and protruding clear of the lower grip surface to receive a counter-rotational force about the axis, in a direction opposite the rotational force. The closure apparatus further includes (c) a drive supported by the frame for applying at least one of the rotational force and the counter-rotational force to twist the upper empty portion closed when the drive is energized.

A cone closure apparatus for production of smoking articles includes: (a) a frame; and (b) at least one cone holder supported by the frame and extending along an axis. The cone holder has a lower grip surface for applying a rotational force about the axis to an outer surface of a lower filled portion of a cone received in the cone holder. The cone having an upper empty portion disposed above the lower filled portion and protruding clear of the lower grip surface to receive a counter-rotational force about the axis, in a direction opposite the rotational force. The closure apparatus further includes (c) a drive supported by the frame for applying at least one of the rotational force and the counter-rotational force to twist the upper empty portion closed when the drive is energized.

Methods and apparatuses for detecting the fill height of a pre-filled cone and closing the cone are disclosed. A height detector, such as a laser rangefinder, detects the height of a pre-filled cone. A gripper then grips the pre-filled cone at the height plus a predetermined offset, the offset calculated to result in an optimum packing of cone fill material. The gripper then closes the cone by rotating to form a twist, which is then trimmed to the height plus the predetermined offset. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.