TRAMOGGIA PER UNA MACCHINA IMPACCHETTATRICE DI ARTICOLI DA FUMO E METODO PER CONTROLLARE UNA TRAMOGGIA PER UNA MACCHINA IMPACCHETTATRICE DI ARTICOLI DA FUMO

A method to control a hopper (1) floor a packaging machine for smoking articles is described comprising at least one output mouth (2), from which groups of smoking articles are cyclically extracted by means of extraction devices; and wherein the output mouth (2) comprises a plurality of dividing walls (7) defining veins (8), each configured to contain a vertical stack of smoking articles; a number of upper selection devices (13), which are designed to allow the smoking articles to move downward towards the output mouths (2) and comprise a plurality of partitions (14) defining downward channels (15) for the smoking articles; and a compensation chamber (17), which is interposed between the upper selection devices (13) and the veins (8), receives the smoking articles through the downward channels (15) and feeds them into the veins (8). The method comprises housing a plurality of sensors (18) in the area of the downward channels (15), which are designed to detect when there is an interruption in the downward movement of the smoking articles through the downward channels (15); and adjust the speed (V) with which the groups of smoking articles are extracted from the output mouth (2) depending on the signals received from said sensors (18).