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.

The object of the invention is a feeding apparatus for feeding a single-layer stream of tobacco industry's rod-like articles (2) comprising a first feeding channel (10) adapted to convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of a mass flow (MF), a second feeding channel (11) provided with a lower conveyor (16), adapted to convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of the mass flow (MF), whereas the second feeding channel (11) is flow-connected with the first feeding channel (10), a storage container (3) adapted to filling with the rod-like articles (2), flow-connected with the second feeding channel (11), an outlet conveyor (5, 30) provided with a bearing surface (5A, 30A) comprising grooves (23, 31), adapted to take the rod-like articles (2) from the storage container (3) and convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of a single-layer stream (SF) of rod-like articles (2), characterised in that the bottom of the storage container (3) is formed by the lower conveyor (16) of the second feeding channel (11) and the bearing surface (5A, 30A) of the outlet conveyor (5, 30), and that the second feeding channel (11) is provided with an upper drive element (17, 33) for the mass flow (MF) comprising a bearing surface (17A, 33A) which is at least partially situated convergently to the bearing surface (16A) of the lower conveyor (16) of the second feeding channel (11) in the direction from the first feeding channel (10) to the storage container (3).

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.

A method and a kit for adjusting a machine for wrapping or packing articles, including a conveyor associated with an electric motor where, in an operating condition, the motor drives the conveyor in rotation about its axis of rotation. The method includes associating the conveyor with a reference integral with the conveyor and disposed at an angular position about its axis of rotation; detecting the angular position of the conveyor relative to the force of gravity by measuring the angle between a radial line passing through the reference and the force of gravity; detecting the angular position of the axis of the motor relative to a zero reference associated with an angular position transducer of the motor; calculating and storing the angular displacement between the angular positions of the motor and the conveyor corresponding to the angular displacement between the zero reference and the force of gravity.

The object of the invention is a feeding apparatus for feeding a single-layer stream of tobacco industry's rod-like articles (2) comprising a first feeding channel (10) adapted to convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of a mass flow (MF), a second feeding channel (11) provided with a lower conveyor (16), adapted to convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of the mass flow (MF), whereas the second feeding channel (11) is flow-connected with the first feeding channel (10), a storage container (3) adapted to filling with the rod-like articles (2), flow-connected with the second feeding channel (11), an outlet conveyor (5, 30) provided with a bearing surface (5A, 30A) comprising grooves (23, 31), adapted to take the rod-like articles (2) from the storage container (3) and convey the rod-like articles (2) in the form of a single-layer stream (SF) of rod-like articles (2), characterised in that the bottom of the storage container (3) is formed by the lower conveyor (16) of the second feeding channel (11) and the bearing surface (5A, 30A) of the outlet conveyor (5, 30), and that the second feeding channel (11) is provided with an upper drive element (17, 33) for the mass flow (MF) comprising a bearing surface (17A, 33A) which is at least partially situated convergently to the bearing surface (16A) of the lower conveyor (16) of the second feeding channel (11) in the direction from the first feeding channel (10) to the storage container (3).

A method and a kit for adjusting a machine for wrapping or packing articles, including a conveyor associated with an electric motor where, in an operating condition, the motor drives the conveyor in rotation about its axis of rotation. The method includes associating the conveyor with a reference integral with the conveyor and disposed at an angular position about its axis of rotation; detecting the angular position of the conveyor relative to the force of gravity by measuring the angle between a radial line passing through the reference and the force of gravity; detecting the angular position of the axis of the motor relative to a zero reference associated with an angular position transducer of the motor; calculating and storing the angular displacement between the angular positions of the motor and the conveyor corresponding to the angular displacement between the zero reference and the force of gravity.

The object of the invention is an apparatus for filling transport containers (1) with rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, provided with an area (2) receiving the rod-like articles in the form of a mass flow, a rod-like article storage area (3) comprising at least two sidewalls, a filling unit (4) constituting the bottom wall of the storage area for transferring the rod-like articles from the storage area to the transport container, a lowering conveyor (5) working together with the filling unit (4), adapted to lower the transport container while filling with the rod-like articles. The apparatus is characterised by being further provided with a counting module (6) designed to count the rod-like articles in the transport containers, adapted so that the individual rod-like articles being in the transport container are counted.

An adjustable capacity reservoir for processing rod-like elements for tobacco industry, having partitioned multiple chambers.

The object of the invention is an apparatus for filling transport containers (1) with rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, provided with an area (2) receiving the rod-like articles in the form of a mass flow, a rod-like article storage area (3) comprising at least two sidewalls, a filling unit (4) constituting the bottom wall of the storage area for transferring the rod-like articles from the storage area to the transport container, a lowering conveyor (5) working together with the filling unit (4), adapted to lower the transport container while filling with the rod-like articles. The apparatus is characterised by being further provided with a counting module (6) designed to count the rod-like articles in the transport containers, adapted so that the individual rod-like articles being in the transport container are counted.

An apparatus for transporting objects, such as smoking articles or their components includes a plurality of transport members configured to each transport the objects along a working line from an initial position to a final position. A first guide parallel to the working line is configured to sequentially guide the transport members from the initial position to the final position, while a second guide, parallel to the first guide, is configured to sequentially guide the transport members from the final position to the initial position. Rotating displacement members are configured to selectively displace the transport members from one to the other of the two guides.