Smoking article assembly

A smoking article assembling apparatus comprising a modular apparatus configured to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a first sequence of operations,

• wherein the modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different from the first sequence of operations, and
• wherein the first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising a said rod of smokeable material,
• the modular apparatus comprising:
• a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article between two tobacco rods;
• a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts,
• a separator configured to separate a first group comprising a rod of smokeable material and one of said parts from a second group comprising a rod of smokeable material and another of said parts, and
• a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article between the first and second groups,
• wherein the first inserter, the first rod divider, the separator, and the second inserter each include a respective drum forming a conveyance path through the modules.

A method of assembling a smoking article, comprising:

• receiving rods of smokeable material;
• and
• causing said rods of smokeable material to undergo a first sequence of operations in a modular apparatus,
• wherein the modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations,
• wherein the first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokeable material,
• wherein the modular apparatus includes:
• a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article between two tobacco rods;
• a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts,
• a separator configured to separate a first group comprising one of the rods of smokeable material and one of said parts from a second group comprising another one of the rods of smokeable material and another of said parts, and
• a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article between the first and second groups,
• wherein the first inserter, the first rod divider, the separator, and the second inserter each include a respective drum forming a conveyance path through the modules.