Patent ID: 7997051

Claim:
A method of folding a sheet of packing material about a group of cigarettes; the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material is in the form of an elongated rectangle, and comprises two parallel opposite long sides, and two parallel opposite short sides; the group ( 3 ) of cigarettes is substantially parallelepiped-shaped with a rectangular cross section, and comprises two parallel opposite major lateral walls ( 6 ) defined by the cylindrical lateral walls of the cigarettes; two parallel opposite minor lateral walls ( 7 ) defined by the cylindrical lateral walls of the cigarettes and smaller than the major lateral walls ( 6 ); and two parallel opposite end walls ( 8 ) defined by the flat ends of the cigarettes; four longitudinal edges ( 9 ) are defined between the two major lateral walls ( 6 ) and the two minor lateral walls ( 7 ); four major transverse edges ( 10 a ) are defined between the two major lateral walls ( 6 ) and the two end walls ( 8 ); and four minor transverse edges ( 10 b ) are defined between the two minor lateral walls ( 7 ) and the two end walls ( 8 ); and the method comprises the steps of: bringing a first end wall ( 8 a ) of the group ( 3 ) of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet ( 2 ) of packing material, so that the major transverse edges ( 10 a ) of the group ( 3 ) of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material, and the minor transverse edges ( 10 b ) of the group ( 3 ) of cigarettes are parallel to the short sides of the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material; folding the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges ( 10 a ) of the first end wall ( 8 a ), so that the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material partly covers both the major lateral walls ( 6 ); and folding the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material about the minor transverse edges ( 10 b ) of the first end wall ( 8 a ), so that the sheet ( 2 ) of packing material completely covers both the major lateral walls ( 6 ) and the minor lateral walls ( 7 ), and forms a tubular package having one open end at a second end wall ( 8 b ).