Drum elevator system

A drum elevator comprising:

• a series of rotatable cigarette transferring drums comprising a first plurality of horizontally disposed drums at a first elevation and a second plurality of vertically disposed drums extending to a second elevation, said second plurality of vertically disposed drums receiving output from said first plurality of drums, said series of drums receiving a procession of cigarettes at said first elevation and to elevate said cigarettes along a transfer path to said second elevation while maintaining said cigarettes arranged substantially in said procession;
• a rejection station at a location along said transfer path, said rejection station operative to remove a cigarette from said procession of cigarettes;
• a controller operative to selectively actuate said rejection station;
• and
• a stack former at said second elevation, said stack former receiving output of said second plurality of vertically disposed drums, and wherein said rejection station comprises:
• a nip defined between said pair of adjacent drums, said pair of adjacent drums including an upstream drum and a downstream drum;
• a first vacuum plenum disposed at least partially along said upstream drum operative to retain cigarettes upon said upstream drum as said drum rotates said retained cigarettes into said nip;
• means for terminating said first vacuum plenum at a location adjacent said nip;
• a second vacuum plenum at said upstream drum adjacent said nip and means for selectively evacuating and venting said second plenum;
• said second vacuum plenum arranged to draw cigarettes onto said upstream drum from said downstream drum upon evacuation of said second vacuum plenum and to release cigarettes from between said upstream and downstream drums upon venting of said second vacuum plenum.