| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus are disclosed for taking rod-shaped articles of oval cross section, such as oval filter plugs for cigarettes, from a hopper, with a predetermined spacing between consecutive articles, and for presenting the articles at a destination with a predetermined orientation. A plug drum having flutes shaped to accept a single oval filter plug in any angular orientation is used to remove the filter plug from the hopper. When each filter plug is released from the plug drum, it drops through a guideway preferably defined between two cooperating elements, which permit it to pass through only with a specific orientation. At the discharge end of the guideway is preferably a second drum, which has flutes shaped to accept a filter plug leaving the guideway only in the desired final orientation.
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