Bead feeding method and bead feeding unit

A method of feeding beads, in a unit (1) for transferring a bead stream in a tobacco industry system, the unit being provided with supply channels feeding individual bead streams, comprising the steps in which

• beads are transferred in the form of a flow along the supply channels (4);
• beads from individual supply channels are placed into first holding pockets (14);
• beads from the holding pockets (14) of a bead feeding unit (3) are fed to receiving pockets (18) of the bead transfer unit (13) by means of movable feeding means (8) synchronized with the transfer unit (13), and
• in the bead transfer unit (13) beads are inserted into a guiding chamber (22) formed at the intersection of a guiding groove (5A) of a first guiding plate (5) and a guiding groove (6A) of a second guiding plate (6) of the bead transfer unit (13), or into a groove (5A, 6A) depressed in one of the guiding plates (5, 6) forming a channel (19);
• at least one guiding plate (5, 6) is rotated relative to the second guiding plate (5, 6), which forces the movement of the guiding chamber (22) or a bead within the channel so that the distance of the guiding chamber (22) or a bead within the channel to the axis of rotation of the guiding plates changes;
• beads are conveyed from the guiding chamber (22) or the guiding channel (19) to a outfeeding pocket (21).