Apparatus and method for transporting rod-shaped articles

The invention relates to an apparatus for transporting rod-shaped articles, such. As cigarettes, filter rods or the like, comprising an endlessly circulating feed element (11) and an endlessly circulating discharge element (12) for the rod-shaped article (20), said feeding member (11) and the removal element (12) are arranged one above the other, that they are arranged to form a transfer portion (21) for acquisition of a single layer on the feeding member (11) article (20) to the discharge element (12) at least partially in the direction of transport (arrow 19) of the of the articles (20) formed overlapping products stream that characterized is characterized in that both the feeding element (11) and the removal element (12) as a depression bands (13, 17) are formed and in the region of the trough belts (17), a vacuum bar (32) is arranged extending at least partially over the take-over section (21). The invention further relates to a corresponding method.