摘要:
A method of determining one or more physical properties of a rolled smoking article is disclosed, the method comprising disposing a rolled smoking article within a field of view, illuminating the field of view, imaging the rolled smoking article to form an image, and analyzing the image to determine one or more physical properties of the rolled smoking article. Preferably the image is a digital image, which may be electronically processed to determine the physical properties. The physical properties may include the length of the rolled smoking article, or its mean diameter, ovality, circumference, roundness or shape. Also disclosed is an apparatus for performing such method comprising imaging means defining the field of view, means for positioning a smoking article in the field of view, illuminating means for illuminating the field of view, and processing means for processing the image to determine one more physical properties.
摘要:
A probe for use in sampling rods from a mass flow of parallel rods moving perpendicular to their axes, the probe including an elongate body of generally wedge shaped cross section which has first and second main faces diverging away from a narrow edge to a wider base and which is for mounting parallel to such rods to extend across and laterally beyond such mass flow with the narrow edge facing upstream; an elongate passage extending within the body longitudinally thereof for accommodating a rod from such mass flow; a first elongate opening in the first face through which a rod from such mass flow can fall laterally into the passage for longitudinal transport along the passage away from such mass flow; and a second elongate opening through which a rod can drop laterally from the passage out of the body after such longitudinal transport.
摘要:
An apparatus for processing packaging blanks includes an applying device, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor. The first conveyor conveys the blanks at a first velocity arranged to permit the application of an adhesive to the blanks by means of the device. The second conveyor is arranged to receive the blanks from the first conveyor and convey them at a second velocity which is greater than the first velocity resulting in a change in the pitch of the stream of blanks conveyed by the conveyors. Alternatively the applying means may apply an adhering element such as a coupon or hologram such that it adheres to the blank. The adhering element may adhere to the blank by virtue of an adhesive carried on a rear surface of the element or by means of an adhesive carried by the blank.
摘要:
A cigarette making machine comprises a channel (104; 106/228; 230/319; 320) through which tobacco is showered onto the inside surface of a suction band (100; 102/232; 234/309; 310) passing around a number of pulleys having approximately vertical axes of rotation, so as to form on the band a cigarette filler stream (114 etc.) which passes around one of the pulleys (100A; 102A/236; 238/314; 318), while lying between the pulley and the band, and is then arranged to transfer to a second band (122; 124/204; 206/321; 322) which transports the filler stream towards a rod-forming device by which the filler stream is enclosed in a wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod. A twin-track cigarette making machine may comprise two such arrangements side-by-side and forming mirror-images of one another.
摘要:
Packaging material, particularly for forming blanks for hinged lid packets, is delivered to a packaging machine in web form and at least one creasing or shaping operation is performed (44; 112) on the web (2) prior to severing individual blanks (50) from the web. Folding or wrapping of a blank around an article to be packed in the machine is monitored and the creasing or shaping operation varied to optimise machine performance: for example, an adjustable creasing tool can be adjusted to compensate for tool wear. Individual blanks are inspected for longitudinal curl, usually caused by the web having been wound on a reel, and where necessary a correction is applied during feeding of the web, e.g. by adjusting the angle of wrap of the web around a decurling roller (38; 108).
摘要:
A twin track cigarette making machine comprises two substantially horizontal shower channels through which tobacco is arranged to be showered onto two suction bands moving in converging directions in a substantially horizontal plane and presenting substantially vertical tobacco-receiving surfaces so as to form a cigarette filler stream on each of the suction bands, and including means for enclosing each of the filler streams (possibly after trimming) in a continuous wrapper web to form two parallel cigarette rods.
摘要:
A security or other image, for example a hologram, is applied to a moving stock, e.g. banknote sheets, by carrying the images in the form of transfers on a web which is moved at the same speed as the stock during application but at a lower speed between application steps, so as to allow relatively close spacing of the images on the web. The web is retracted following each application to compensate for distance travelled during acceleration and deceleration during each cycle. The images are transferred by pressure cylinders which press the images on to adhesive patches provided on the stock at predetermined positions by applicator rolls.
摘要:
In a pneumatic filter rod conveying system a vent (12) is in the line (10) close to the distributor (2). This enables a relatively high pressure gradient to be established, with resultant high filter transfer rates at the distributor, without having excessively high pressures in the distributor and/or higher than necessary line transmission speeds. Also, there may be a selectable pressure switch (40) for reducing air pressure at the distributor when there are fewer than normal filters in the line, e.g., at the end of a run: this also allows avoidance of undesirably high line transmission speeds.
摘要:
A flexible seal (2), particularly for use in pneumatic testing of cigarettes, includes a conical seat (6) attached to a tube (4) having a resilient collar (8). The collar permits longitudinal movement of the seat relative to the tube, thereby permitting an effective seal against the cigarette being tested, and contributes to extended life for the seal.
摘要:
A reversible reservoir for cigarettes or filters includes relatively small and relatively large capacity sections arranged in series with a drive for driving these sections at different rates. The small section is preferably arranged adjacent the reservoir inlet and is capable of buffering the main part of the reservoir so that the latter is not required to undergo high accelerations. The reservoir may be in the form of an elongated helix with an endless conveyor (2;102) passing around spaced columns of wheels (8, 10, 12, 14, 16; 108, 112, 114), one of the lowermost wheels (8;108) being bodily movable so as to be capable of imposing an additional velocity on the section of conveyor adjacent the reservoir inlet (7;107). The movable wheel is carried on a (36;136) which also carries a pulley (26;126) for the conveyer return run. Tensioning (42-50;142-150) for the conveyor is provided by arranging for the position of the pulley (26;126) to be adjustable relative to the beam (36;136).