A compacting unit for the tobacco industry includes a conveyor drum configured to convey groups of segments disposed perpendicularly to the feed direction. A first compactor and a second compactor have a first contact portion and a second contact portion, respectively. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are respectively adapted to be placed in contact with a first axial end and a second axial end of a group of segments in transit in the compacting station. The first contact portion is compliant, preferably elastically compliant, along a longitudinal direction of extension of the groups of segments upon interaction with the first axial end. The second contact portion defines a rigid abutment along the longitudinal direction of extension of the groups of segments suitable for setting a predetermined position for the second axial end.

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 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.

A plant material assembly for separating cannabis plant material is provided having a plant material hopper configured to receive the cannabis plant material and feed the cannabis plant material to a plant material separator. The plant material separator is configured to separate undesirable plant material from desirable plant material by using a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller. The first roller and the second roller separating the cannabis plant material into the desirable plant material and the undesirable plant material by sending the desirable plant material in a first directional path and the undesirable plant material in a second directional path. Next, the third roller is used in relation to the first roller and the second roller, wherein the third roller redirects the undesirable plant material from the second directional path into a third directional path and finally into a catch depository.

The present invention refers to a feeder for components of an aerosol-forming article, the feeder comprising: a plurality of tubular hoppers, each hopper being adapted to receive and to deliver a plurality of components, each hopper including an inlet and an outlet and a channel connecting the inlet and the outlet, each channel having an axis and defining an insert dimension in a direction perpendicular to the axis, the insert dimension being constant along the axis of the channel; a frame to which the tubular hoppers are fastened and arranged so that their axes are substantially parallel to each other and in series along a transport direction; a delivery drum including a plurality of angularly spaced grooves arranged substantially parallel to said transport direction, said drum being located under the outlets of the tubular hoppers so that components going through said channels are delivered into one of said groves; a motor to rotate said delivery drum; a transport device located under said delivery drum and adapted to transport said components delivered by the delivery drum along the transport direction; and a size change element adapted to vary the insert dimension of the channel of at least one of the plurality of hoppers.

The method for intermediately storing double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products comprises the step of providing a tipping apparatus and forming double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products in the tipping apparatus. The method further comprises the steps of providing a cutting device and cutting the double-length semi-finished product into single products with the cutting device and providing a packer and packing single products in the packer. The method yet further comprises the steps of transporting the double-length semi-finished products from the tipping apparatus to the cutting device and transporting the single products from the cutting device to the packer, and intermediately buffering double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products in a buffer arranged between the tipping apparatus and the cutting device.

A plant material assembly for separating cannabis plant material is provided having a plant material hopper configured to receive the cannabis plant material and feed the cannabis plant material to a plant material separator. The plant material separator is configured to separate undesirable plant material from desirable plant material by using a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller. The first roller and the second roller separating the cannabis plant material into the desirable plant material and the undesirable plant material by sending the desirable plant material in a first directional path and the undesirable plant material in a second directional path. Next, the third roller is used in relation to the first roller and the second roller, wherein the third roller redirects the undesirable plant material from the second directional path into a third directional path and finally into a catch depository.

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 rotational transfer assembly is provided to transfer at least one smoking article from a combustible material rolling assembly to a filter assembly. The rotational transfer assembly includes a transfer wheel configured to rotate in a rotational direction at a rotational speed and a plurality of transfer elements attached and positioned radially to the transfer wheel. Each of the plurality of transfer elements is configured to receive a smoking article traveling in a first direction at a linear speed from the combustible material rolling assembly. Next, each transfer element comprising a member of an air component set holds and retains the smoking article on the transfer element during rotation. In some embodiments, each transfer element of the plurality of transfer elements includes a semispherical shaped engagement surface configured to engage the plant material smoking article. In operation, the rotational speed and the linear speed is synchronized by the smoking article machine and a control assembly.

The method for intermediately storing double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products comprises the step of providing a tipping apparatus and forming double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products in the tipping apparatus. The method further comprises the steps of providing a cutting device and cutting the double-length semi-finished product into single products with the cutting device and providing a packer and packing single products in the packer. The method yet further comprises the steps of transporting the double-length semi-finished products from the tipping apparatus to the cutting device and transporting the single products from the cutting device to the packer, and intermediately buffering double-length substantially cylindrical semi-finished products in a buffer arranged between the tipping apparatus and the cutting device.