Abstract: Wrappers of metallic foil are formed around groups of articles to be packed, in a machine which comprises a cigarette hopper, a cigarette bundle conveyor, a metallic foil feeding assembly, a foil conveyor, a cigarette compression device, a foil folding and tucking unit, a bundle transfer unit and a bundle orientation and ejection unit.Bundles of cigarettes are fed from the hopper into pockets on the bundle conveyor from which they are removed two at a time, at spaced locations, and pushed into the compression device. A single web of metallic foil is supplied to the foil feeding assembly which produces pieces of foil consisting of two overlapped portions which are fed, in turn, to the foil conveyors. The bundles are removed from the compression device and the pieces of foil are formed around the bundles as they are conveyed through the foil folding and tucking unit.