Device for forming groups of cigarettes

A device for forming groups of cigarettes, comprising:

• a hopper through which to direct a flow of cigarettes disposed horizontally side by side and advancing each in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis toward at least one discharge outlet of the hopper enclosed at the bottom by a substantially horizontal plate and laterally by two side walls lying parallel to the longitudinal axis, fitted internally with a plurality of partition walls disposed substantially parallel to the side walls and defining a plurality of channels between the selfsame side walls of width equal substantially to the diameter of one cigarette;
• a pocket conveyor moving transversely to the direction of the flow;
• a reciprocating transfer device capable of movement generated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis through a transfer station coinciding with the outlet, by which a portion of the flow is engaged during each forward stroke and transferred from the hopper to a respective pocket to form a group;
• restraining means able to prevent a relative axial sliding movement of the cigarettes, acting transversely to the axis and activated during each forward stroke of the transfer device at a location coinciding with at least one of the predetermined positions occupied internally of the hopper by the cigarettes in contact with the portion of the flow engaged by the transfer device.