Cutting and arranging rods for tobacco industry products

A tobacco industry product assembly machine comprising an apparatus for cutting and arranging rods, the apparatus comprising:

• a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods, each double-length rod having respective remote ends,
• a positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a turning mechanism configured to rotate said first double-length rod relative to said second double length rod, and into alignment with said second double-length rod so that the first and second double-length rods are arranged in the second configuration, wherein said second double length-rod is not rotated by the turning mechanism whilst the turning mechanism rotates said first double-length rod into alignment with said second double-length rod, and
• the tobacco industry product assembly machine further comprising a second cutting mechanism downstream of the first cutting mechanism for cutting said first and second double-length rods in the second configuration into single-length rods, wherein said positioning mechanism comprises a positioning drum that is adapted to transfer the first and second double-length rods directly or indirectly to a cutting drum of the second cutting mechanism.