Apparatus for feeding tobacco particles to one or more consuming machines

Apparatus for feeding tobacco particles to one or two cigarette rod making machines has a magazine with a duct having an open lower end above the upper reach of an endless belt conveyor. The conveyor can be driven to advance tobacco particles in the duct toward an outlet of the magazine where the particles are removed by one or more rotors which are driven to move the particles upwardly and away from the upper reach of the conveyor before the particles are caused or permitted to descend into a hopper. The bottom portion of the hopper admits tobacco particles into one of two suction-operated pneumatic conveyors each of which supplies tobacco particles to a discrete rod making machine. The conveyor is driven at a first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to a single rod making machine, and at twice the first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to two rod making machines.