Patent ID: 7510068

Claim:
A combination unit for the manufacture of tobacco products having an elongated cylindrical appearance, comprising: a substantially horizontal first leg associated with a first machine; a second leg, extending substantially parallel to the first leg and associated with a second machine, including at least one infeed roller rotatable about an axis extending horizontally and transverse to the second leg; a transfer unit interconnecting the first leg and the second leg, rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and comprising a plurality of holder elements such as will carry at least one tobacco product each from an outfeed end of the first machine along a predetermined transfer path to an infeed end of the second machine, wherein the transfer unit includes an epicyclic train having a fixed sun gear, a power driven planet carrier rotatable about the vertical axis and centered on the sun gear, a plurality of planet gears numbering one to each holder element and, associated with each holder element, means by which to control an axial orientation of the tobacco product between directional positions respectively parallel to the first leg and transverse to the second leg.