Method and apparatus for the production and manipulation of plain cigarettes and the like

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
A method of producing plain cigarettes of unit length or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products, comprising the steps of forming a continuous rod including draping a web of wrapping material around a rod-like filler; advancing the rod axially; subdividing the advancing rod into a file of coaxial sections of n times unit length wherein n is a whole number including one; converting the file into a plurality of rows of parallel sections and advancing said rows so that their sections move sideways; and shuffling the sections of said rows so as to convert the rows into a single row of parallel sections, including moving the sections of at least one of said plurality of rows axially.
2.
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of staggering the sections of said rows with reference to each other, as considered at right angles to the axes of the sections, prior to said shuffling step so that the staggered sections of said rows are out of axial alignment with one another.
3.
Apparatus for producing plain cigarretes of unit length or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitue or form part of smokers' products, comprising means for forming a continuous rod wherein a rod-like filler is surrounded by a web of wrapping material; means for moving the rod axially; means for subdividing the rod into a file of coaxial sections of n times unit length wherein n is a whole number including one; means for converting the file of sections into several rows of parallel sections and for moving said rows along predetermined paths wherein the sections extend substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the respective rows; and means for shuffling the sections of said rows so as to convert the rows into a single row of parallel sections, including means for moving the sections of at least one of said rows axially.
4.
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said converting means comprises means for maintaining each section of one of said several rows in a position of axial alignment with a section of each other row and further comprising means for staggering the sections of said several rows so that each section of any one of said several rows is out of axial alignment with the sections of each other row prior to shuffling of said rows of sections by said shuffling means