APPARATUS FOR FORMING GROUPS OF ROD-LIKE ARTICLES

摘要

Successive rows of cigarettes delivered axially from a packing machine hopper outlet (12) are engaged by a cyclically-movable transfer member (24, 32, 425) which accelerates each row sideways and closes up spaces between cigarettes (C) before transferring the row to a conveyor (22) moving continuously at machine speed. The conveyor may be a drum (22) which transfers the cigarettes to a pocket conveyor (62) in which the cigarette bundles are formed, or it may be the pocket conveyor itself. The hopper may have several spaced outlets (12) so that rows may be supplied to the pocket conveyor (62) at spaced locations along its length to provide multi-layer bundles.