WRAPPING UNIT AND WRAPPING METHOD TO FOLD A WRAPPING SHEET AROUND A GROUP OF SMOKING ARTICLES

Wrapping unit (B) and wrapping method to fold a wrapping sheet (21) around a group (14) of smoking articles. There are: a wrapping conveyor (37), which is designed to move the group (14) of smoking articles along a straight wrapping path (P2); a feeding station (S3), which is arranged along the wrapping path (P2); and a feeding device (41), which is designed to place the wrapping sheet (21) in the feeding station (S3) so that the group (14) of smoking articles, while moving along the wrapping path (P2), intercepts the wrapping sheet (21), thus causing the wrapping sheet (21) to be folded in a "U"-shape. The feeding device (41) has: at least one folding spindle (47) provided with a central passage channel (51), through which the group (14) of smoking articles can pass, and with an outer surface (52), which is arranged around the central passage channel (51) and is designed to receive and hold the wrapping sheet (21); a folding device (57), which is separate from and independent of the wrapping conveyor (37) and is designed to fold the wrapping sheet (21) against the outer surface (52) of the folding spindle (47); and a moving conveyor (48), which cyclically moves the folding spindle (47) between a receiving station (S4) in the area of the first folding device (57), where the wrapping sheet (21) is coupled to the folding spindle (47), and the feeding station (S3) in the area of the wrapping path (P2), where the central passage channel (51) of the folding spindle (47) is crossed by the group (14) of smoking articles.