Abstract: A bar-like article supplying apparatus is constructed such that a tray is carried in while remaining in an erected condition on a dolly, which moves intermittently. The tray is open at an upper face thereof and is turned over and fed to drop and supply bar-like articles from the tray into a supply port. Then, the inverted tray is turned over and fed so as to be returned into an erected condition and then is carried out to a dolly while remaining in the erected condition. After the tray is carried into an occupied tray turning over mechanism by a carrying-in mechanism, the occupied tray turning over mechanism is turned over, and consequently, the inverted tray is in an inverted condition just above the supply port so that supply of the bar-like articles is started. When the tray during such supplying is transferred to an empty tray turning over mechanism, the occupied tray turning over mechanism is turned over back to allow a next tray to be carried in.

Abstract: A method for feeding cigarettes or filter plugs or the like to a working machine, such as a transporting machine, using a flat feeding passage with a bottom which can store and convey the cigarettes etc. in the horizontal direction, comprising introducing receiving boxes containing the cigarettes etc. into the feeding passage and moving them to a feeding station, and raising the receiving boxes at the feeding station so that the cigarettes etc. in the receiving boxes are discharged at one time. The invention discloses also an apparatus for carrying out the method.