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.

A system includes system at least one dispenser configured to dispense to dispense a plurality of segments on a first conveying path and a spacing drum configured to receive a number of the plurality of segments per revolution of the drum and configured to release the number of segments on a second conveying path at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed along the conveying path, the number of the plurality of segments being at least three and the number of segments released by the spacing drum forming a filter element.

The invention relates to a drum conveyor defining a drum rotational axis and an outer peripheral surface, the drum conveyor comprising: o a first seat and a second seat, each of the first seat and second seat being adapted to transport a rod-shaped article, the first seat and the second seat being located at the outer peripheral surface of the drum conveyor; o a first shaft and a second shaft, wherein the first shaft defines a first shaft longitudinal axis and the second shaft defines a second shaft longitudinal axis, the first shaft longitudinal axis and the second shaft longitudinal axis being substantially perpendicular to the drum rotational axis, the first seat being attached to the first shaft and the second seat being attached to the second shaft, so that a rotation of the first shaft around the first shaft longitudinal axis and of the second shaft around the second shaft longitudinal axis cause the first seat and the second seat to rotate; o a pusher coupled with the first shaft and the second shaft by mechanical coupling, the pusher being adapted to linearly move along a pusher direction and engage with the first shaft and second shaft while moving; o an actuator adapted to move the pusher along the pusher direction while the drum conveyor rotates around the drum rotational axis so as to rotate the first shaft and the second shaft and the attached first seat and second seat at the same time. The invention also relates to a method to rotate rod-shaped articles.

A device for transferring rod-like articles (6) of the tobacco industry from a longitudinal conveyor (7), which transports rod-like articles (6) in the transport direction (T1), along the axis of rod-like articles (6), to a transverse conveyor (10), which transports rod-like articles (6) in the direction of transport (T2) transverse to the axis of rod-like articles (6), or inversely, containing a rotary transport device (13) with a horizontal rotation axis (X), equipped with rotary arms (14) on which brackets (15) maintaining a horizontal position during rotation of the transport device (13), with grippers (16) for gripping rod-like articles (6) attached to the brackets (15), characterized in that the gripper (16) is rotationally mounted on the bracket (15), so that the gripper's (16) axis of rotation (n) is directed vertically during the bracket's (15) movement.

An arrangement and method for conveying rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry. The arrangement conveys article segments of first and second rows disposed side by side in pairs in a transverse axial direction. In a conveying inspection section, at least one conveying member conveys a first row of article segments disposed transversely axially behind each other and conveys a second row of article segments disposed transversely axially behind each other. Moreover, one or two head end inspection devices, preferably optical, are provided for inspecting one or both head ends of the first row of article segments along a conveyor path for the first row of article segments of the first row, and one or two head end inspection device, preferably optical, are provided for inspecting one or both head ends of the second row of article segments along a conveyor path for the second row of article segments.

A conveyor for aligning rod-shaped articles and including a succession of flutes which are movable along a feed path and which are configured to hold respective rod-shaped articles or groups of rod-shaped articles. For each flute, the conveyor has an abutment portion, disposed at least at one end of the flute to define an abutment surface for one end of the rod-shaped article or group of rod-shaped articles housed in the suction flute. The abutment portion is provided with at least one suction zone to hold the end of the rod-shaped article or group of rod-shaped articles by suction against the abutment portion. The suction zone is defined by a plurality of suction perforations, connected or connectable to a negative pressure source and whose transverse size is, for example, smaller than 1 mm, preferably smaller than 0.8 mm and, still more preferably, smaller than 0.6 mm.

A system includes system at least one dispenser configured to dispense to dispense a plurality of segments on a first conveying path and a spacing drum configured to receive a number of the plurality of segments per revolution of the drum and configured to release the number of segments on a second conveying path at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed along the conveying path, the number of the plurality of segments being at least three and the number of segments released by the spacing drum forming a filter element.

An apparatus for manufacturing of multi-element rods of the tobacco industry comprising a feeding apparatus, a transferring apparatus, and a forming apparatus, comprising a first rotational element provided with lugs immobile relative to the first rotational element, a second rotational element provided with lugs immobile relative to the second rotational element, a third rotational element provided with lugs immobile relative to the third rotational element, used to convey rod-like elements. The rotational elements having notches between the lugs adapted to receive and convey the rod-like elements, whereas the rotational elements are arranged and adapted to guide the rod-like elements successively through the rotational elements. The apparatus comprises the forming apparatus designed to form a continuous multi-element rod, and a cutting apparatus. The apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the third lugs have a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first lugs.

A device for transferring rod articles of the tobacco industry from a longitudinal conveyor, the rod articles having an axis, the longitudinal conveyor having a first transport direction, which transports rod articles in the transport direction, along the axis of rod articles, to a transverse conveyor, the transverse conveyor having a second transport direction, which transports rod articles in the second transport direction transverse to the axis of rod articles, or inversely, containing a rotary transport device with a horizontal rotation axis, equipped with rotary arms on which brackets maintaining a horizontal position during rotation of the transport device, with grippers for gripping rod articles attached to the brackets, characterized in that the gripper is rotationally mounted on the bracket, so that the gripper's axis of rotation is directed vertically during the entire duration of the bracket's movement.

A method for producing rod-like articles of the tobacco industry is provided, including: performing a first cutting in which a continuous rod is cut into a train of double rod-like articles; changing a direction of conveying the double rod-like articles from a first direction along an axis of the articles to a second transverse direction, each time two double rod-like articles are transferred into grooves of a drum conveyor, and two input streams of the double rod-like articles are formed; transforming the input streams into one intermediate stream by moving a double rod-like article from one of the streams between two double rod-like articles of the other stream, geometric centers of the double rod-like articles in the intermediate stream being disposed in a plane parallel to the second direction; and performing a second cutting in which the double rod-like articles conveyed in the intermediate stream are cut into two single rod-like articles.