US3729636A - System for detecting loose tobacco at cigarette ends - Google Patents

System for detecting loose tobacco at cigarette ends Download PDF

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US3729636A
US3729636A US00177627A US3729636DA US3729636A US 3729636 A US3729636 A US 3729636A US 00177627 A US00177627 A US 00177627A US 3729636D A US3729636D A US 3729636DA US 3729636 A US3729636 A US 3729636A
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cigarettes
cigarette
conveyor
light
detector
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US00177627A
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S Merker
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Brown and Williamson Holdings Inc
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Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
    • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
    • G01N21/94—Investigating contamination, e.g. dust
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
    • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
    • A24C5/32—Separating, ordering, counting or examining cigarettes; Regulating the feeding of tobacco according to rod or cigarette condition
    • A24C5/34—Examining cigarettes or the rod, e.g. for regulating the feeding of tobacco; Removing defective cigarettes
    • A24C5/3412—Examining cigarettes or the rod, e.g. for regulating the feeding of tobacco; Removing defective cigarettes by means of light, radiation or electrostatic fields
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
    • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
    • G01N21/95—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
    • G01N21/952—Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S131/00—Tobacco
    • Y10S131/908—Sensing unique characteristic or specific condition of finished product

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A system for detecting loose ends of cigarettes either at the discharge end of a cigarette maker or filter tip attachment machine or at the entrance of a cigarette packaging machine.
  • This system includes a probe in the form of a split fiber optics bundle located adjacent a conveyor or other transport means for cigarettes which travel along the conveyor with their axes substantially normal to the direction of travel of the conveyor.
  • the fibers of the bundle are di vided randomly and one branch extends to a light source and the other to a detector. In this fashion, light will be directed from the probe towards the tobacco end of the traveling cigarettes.
  • the reflected light is transmitted through the other branch to the de tector which is coupled with a bridge circuit for measuring the level of intensity of the reflected light.
  • This circuit will not respond to the higher intensity light level of an acceptable firmly packed cigarette end. However, the reflected light will be substantially reduced if the tobacco in the cigarette end is loose or cavitated. When a loose cigarette end is detected, either a memory circuit or wheel is actuated in order that the cigarette having the detected loose end will be eventually rejected by an ejection mechanism.
  • a principal object of the present invention is to optically examine a cigarette end without mechanical contact and ifa defective cigarette is detected, it will be individually rejected.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic and fragmentary plane view of cigarettes being transported on a conveyor either at the discharge end of a cigarette making machine or a filter tip attachment machine or the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine or at any location therebetween with a detection system shown associated with the cigarette transport for optically measuring the intensity of light reflected from the individual cigarette ends in order that a defective cigarette may be detected and individually ejected before packaging;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the reflection of light from an acceptable firm cigarette end
  • FIG. 3 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the reflective light from a loose or cavitated cigarette end.
  • FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary bridge circuit which responds to the intensity of the reflected light for actuating a reject mechanism for ejecting a detected defective cigarette.
  • an optical detection system 10 is shown associated with a conveyor 12 or other suitable cigarette transport means.
  • This transport means 12 may be located at the discharge end of a cigarette making machine 14 or filter tip attachment machine or at the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine 16 or at any suitable location therebetween.
  • the transport means may be part of the maker 14 or packer 16.
  • the individual cigarettes 18 travel on the conveyor 12 substantially as shown with their longitudinal axis being disposed substantially normal to the path of travel of the conveyor. It will be assumed, for purposes of the present discussion, that the cigarettes 18 are of the filter tip variety with their tobacco ends being disposed adjacent the detection system 10. However, it should be understood that should non-filter tip cigarettes be transported for packing by the packer 16, another detection system may be utilized for detecting the condition of the other end of the traveling cigarettes.
  • the detection system 10 includes a probe 20 mounted alongside the conveyor 12 and adjacent the tobacco ends of the cigarettes 18. This probe comprises a fiber optics bundle which is split randomly into branches 22and-24. A suitable light source or lamp 26 is located at the end of branch 22 and is electrically coupled with a suitable and selected power source 28.
  • the end of the branch 24 is adjacent a detector 30 of the type well known in the art.
  • This detector is electrically coupled with bridge circuitry 32 which may be a typical Wheatstone circuit shown in FIG. 4.
  • This circuit responds to the intensity of light sensed by detector 30 which may initiate any one of several actions should a defective cigarette be detected.
  • the presence of the defective cigarette may be recorded on the strip chart recorder 34 and/or a reject mechanism 36 may be actuated to eject the defective cigarette from the conveyor 12.
  • This reject mechanism 36 may be of any known type which may either mechanically remove the defective cigarette from the conveyor 12 or remove it by an air blast.
  • the operation of the reject mechanism 36 may be synchronized with the travel of the cigarettes 18 on the conveyor 12 and the location of the probe 20 by any one of many known timing mechanisms or circuitry. For example, a timing wheel well known to the tobacco industry art may be employed.
  • a cigarette with a firm end would return a high level of light (see FIG. 2) while a loose end would return a somewhat lower level of light (see FIG. 3).
  • This lower level was caused by the increase in distance between the probe and the tobacco and the increase in scattering caused by a more porous and uneven surface.
  • the bridge circuit 32 which is initially placed in a balanced condition produces a measurable signal when a defective cigarette is detected. This signal is, of course, employed to trigger the reject mechanism 36. These rejection signals are generated on the basis of variations from a standard sine wave. For this reason, dark spaces between cigarettes are not critical in that the ejection mechanism will simply be operating on a blank space. It should be kept in mind that a timing mechanism or position sensor could be used to instruct the apparatus when to sample.
  • the fiber optics bundle possessed a diameter approximately equal to that of the traveling cigarettes.
  • this may be varied, particularly decreased if need be and the cross-section of the bundle may assume a configuration other than circular.
  • a Y-form of split fiber optics bundle is disclosed, it is not necessarily required and other probe forms may be employed.
  • the Y-form probe offers the advantage of permitting both signal and detection with a single fiber bundle.
  • the system disclosed herein has equal applicability to detecting missing filters of filter tip cigarettes or other defects at this end.
  • a system for detecting defective ends of cigarettes comprising:
  • conveyor means having an axis for conveying cigarettes in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the cigarettes thereon;
  • a probe in the form ofa split fiber optics bundle having one consolidated end adjacent the conveying means and cigarettes thereon and at which the fibers are divided randomly and its other end split into a pair of divergent branches, the probe consolidated end having an approximate cross sectional size in order of that of a cigarette;
  • response means for responding to the light intensity detected by the detector, whereby light from the light source is transmitted through the one branch to the consolidated end and is'directed against the adjacent ends of the traveling cigarettes, light reflected from the ends of the traveling cigarettes is transmitted from the consolidated end to the other branch and is directed to the detector, the intensity of the light reflected and sensed by the detector causes the response means to respond thereto in such a manner that defective ends of the traveling cigarettes will be distinguished from acceptable ends of such cigarettes.
  • the response means includes a bridge circuit for responding to the level of intensity of the reflected light sensed by the detector.
  • the response means includes a cigarette rejection mechanism for ejecting cigarettes having defective ends.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)

Abstract

A system is provided for detecting loose ends of cigarettes either at the discharge end of a cigarette maker or filter tip attachment machine or at the entrance of a cigarette packaging machine. This system includes a probe in the form of a split fiber optics bundle located adjacent a conveyor or other transport means for cigarettes which travel along the conveyor with their axes substantially normal to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The fibers of the bundle are divided randomly and one branch extends to a light source and the other to a detector. In this fashion, light will be directed from the probe towards the tobacco end of the traveling cigarettes. The reflected light is transmitted through the other branch to the detector which is coupled with a bridge circuit for measuring the level of intensity of the reflected light. This circuit will not respond to the higher intensity light level of an acceptable firmly packed cigarette end. However, the reflected light will be substantially reduced if the tobacco in the cigarette end is loose or cavitated. When a loose cigarette end is detected, either a memory circuit or wheel is actuated in order that the cigarette having the detected loose end will be eventually rejected by an ejection mechanism.

Description

United States atent 1 Merker SYSTEM FOR DETECTING LOOSE TOBACCO AT CIGARETTE ENDS [75] Inventor: Steve L. Merker, Louisville, Ky.
[73] Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Louisville, Ky.
[22] Filed: Sept. 3, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 177,627
[52] U.S. Cl ..250/223 R, 250/219 DF, 209/1 11.7, 131/21 R [51] Int. Cl. ..G0ln 15/08 [58] Field of Search ..250/22 1 222, 223, 250/223 R, 227, 219 DF; 131/21 R; 209/1 1 1.7
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,473,037 10/1969 Schmermund ..250/222 X 3,305,689 2/1967 Leavy, Jr. et 211.. .....250/227 2,524,929 10/1950 Razek ..25()/223 B 3,192,389 6/1965 Schmermund. v250/222 R 2,410,104 10/1946 Rainey ..250/227 Primary Examiner-Walter Stolwein Att0rney-David S. Kane et a1.
[4 1 Apr. 24,1973
[57] ABSTRACT A system is provided for detecting loose ends of cigarettes either at the discharge end of a cigarette maker or filter tip attachment machine or at the entrance of a cigarette packaging machine. This system includes a probe in the form of a split fiber optics bundle located adjacent a conveyor or other transport means for cigarettes which travel along the conveyor with their axes substantially normal to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The fibers of the bundle are di vided randomly and one branch extends to a light source and the other to a detector. In this fashion, light will be directed from the probe towards the tobacco end of the traveling cigarettes. The reflected light is transmitted through the other branch to the de tector which is coupled with a bridge circuit for measuring the level of intensity of the reflected light. This circuit will not respond to the higher intensity light level of an acceptable firmly packed cigarette end. However, the reflected light will be substantially reduced if the tobacco in the cigarette end is loose or cavitated. When a loose cigarette end is detected, either a memory circuit or wheel is actuated in order that the cigarette having the detected loose end will be eventually rejected by an ejection mechanism.
6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Bil/VD]. E
Patented April 24, 1973 3,729,636
2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GZ E/VD
(YEA/PETE RECORDER INVENTOR. 5751/; 1. men/15;?
ATTORNEYS SYSTEM FOR DETECTING LOOSE TOBACCO AT CIGARETTE ENDS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Loose tobacco or cavitation at the ends of cigarettes are a continuous problem in cigarette manufacturing. The presence of such cigarettes obviously results in an inferior product. In addition, the presence of such cigarettes contribute greatly to waste in that present SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes to optically examine a cigarette end. Light is directed towards the cigarette end and reflected therefrom towards a detector. The intensity of the light reflected is a function of the quality of the cigarette end. Thus, the intensity of light reflected is measured on each cigarette before packing and the defective cigarettes are individually rejected.
Thus, a principal object of the present invention is to optically examine a cigarette end without mechanical contact and ifa defective cigarette is detected, it will be individually rejected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic and fragmentary plane view of cigarettes being transported on a conveyor either at the discharge end of a cigarette making machine or a filter tip attachment machine or the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine or at any location therebetween with a detection system shown associated with the cigarette transport for optically measuring the intensity of light reflected from the individual cigarette ends in order that a defective cigarette may be detected and individually ejected before packaging;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the reflection of light from an acceptable firm cigarette end;
FIG. 3 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the reflective light from a loose or cavitated cigarette end; and
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary bridge circuit which responds to the intensity of the reflected light for actuating a reject mechanism for ejecting a detected defective cigarette.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, an optical detection system 10 is shown associated with a conveyor 12 or other suitable cigarette transport means. This transport means 12 may be located at the discharge end ofa cigarette making machine 14 or filter tip attachment machine or at the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine 16 or at any suitable location therebetween. For that matter, the transport means may be part of the maker 14 or packer 16. The individual cigarettes 18 travel on the conveyor 12 substantially as shown with their longitudinal axis being disposed substantially normal to the path of travel of the conveyor. It will be assumed, for purposes of the present discussion, that the cigarettes 18 are of the filter tip variety with their tobacco ends being disposed adjacent the detection system 10. However, it should be understood that should non-filter tip cigarettes be transported for packing by the packer 16, another detection system may be utilized for detecting the condition of the other end of the traveling cigarettes.
The detection system 10 includes a probe 20 mounted alongside the conveyor 12 and adjacent the tobacco ends of the cigarettes 18. This probe comprises a fiber optics bundle which is split randomly into branches 22and-24. A suitable light source or lamp 26 is located at the end of branch 22 and is electrically coupled with a suitable and selected power source 28.
The end of the branch 24 is adjacent a detector 30 of the type well known in the art. This detector is electrically coupled with bridge circuitry 32 which may be a typical Wheatstone circuit shown in FIG. 4. This circuit responds to the intensity of light sensed by detector 30 which may initiate any one of several actions should a defective cigarette be detected. In this connection, the presence of the defective cigarette may be recorded on the strip chart recorder 34 and/or a reject mechanism 36 may be actuated to eject the defective cigarette from the conveyor 12. This reject mechanism 36 may be of any known type which may either mechanically remove the defective cigarette from the conveyor 12 or remove it by an air blast. The operation of the reject mechanism 36 may be synchronized with the travel of the cigarettes 18 on the conveyor 12 and the location of the probe 20 by any one of many known timing mechanisms or circuitry. For example, a timing wheel well known to the tobacco industry art may be employed.
A cigarette with a firm end would return a high level of light (see FIG. 2) while a loose end would return a somewhat lower level of light (see FIG. 3). This lower level was caused by the increase in distance between the probe and the tobacco and the increase in scattering caused by a more porous and uneven surface. The bridge circuit 32 which is initially placed in a balanced condition produces a measurable signal when a defective cigarette is detected. This signal is, of course, employed to trigger the reject mechanism 36. These rejection signals are generated on the basis of variations from a standard sine wave. For this reason, dark spaces between cigarettes are not critical in that the ejection mechanism will simply be operating on a blank space. It should be kept in mind that a timing mechanism or position sensor could be used to instruct the apparatus when to sample.
In a successful embodiment of the invention, the fiber optics bundle possessed a diameter approximately equal to that of the traveling cigarettes. Of course, this may be varied, particularly decreased if need be and the cross-section of the bundle may assume a configuration other than circular. Similarly, while a Y-form of split fiber optics bundle is disclosed, it is not necessarily required and other probe forms may be employed. The Y-form probe offers the advantage of permitting both signal and detection with a single fiber bundle.
The system disclosed herein has equal applicability to detecting missing filters of filter tip cigarettes or other defects at this end.
Although several preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.
I claim:
1. A system for detecting defective ends of cigarettes comprising:
conveyor means having an axis for conveying cigarettes in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the cigarettes thereon;
a probe in the form ofa split fiber optics bundle having one consolidated end adjacent the conveying means and cigarettes thereon and at which the fibers are divided randomly and its other end split into a pair of divergent branches, the probe consolidated end having an approximate cross sectional size in order of that of a cigarette;
means for mounting the probe consolidated end adjacent the ends of the cigarettes traveling on the conveyor so that the fibers of the probe consolidated end are substantially parallel to the iongitudinal axis of such cigarettes and normal to the axis of the conveying means;
a light source adjacent the end of one of the fiber optics branches;
means for connecting the light source to an electrical power supply;
a detector adjacent the end of the other fiber optics branch; and
response means for responding to the light intensity detected by the detector, whereby light from the light source is transmitted through the one branch to the consolidated end and is'directed against the adjacent ends of the traveling cigarettes, light reflected from the ends of the traveling cigarettes is transmitted from the consolidated end to the other branch and is directed to the detector, the intensity of the light reflected and sensed by the detector causes the response means to respond thereto in such a manner that defective ends of the traveling cigarettes will be distinguished from acceptable ends of such cigarettes.
2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the discharge end of a cigarette maker.
3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the discharge end ofa cigarette filter tip attachment machine.
4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine.
5. The invention in accordance with claim I wherein the response means includes a bridge circuit for responding to the level of intensity of the reflected light sensed by the detector.
6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the response means includes a cigarette rejection mechanism for ejecting cigarettes having defective ends.

Claims (6)

1. A system for detecting defective ends of cigarettes comprising: conveyor means having an axis for conveying cigarettes in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the cigarettes thereon; a probe in the form of a split fiber optics bundle having one consolidated end adjacent the conveying means and cigarettes thereon and at which the fibers are divided randomly and its other end split into a pair of divergent branches, the probe consolidated end having an approximate cross sectional size in order of that of a cigarette; means for mounting the probe consolidated end adjacent the ends of the cigarettes traveling on the conveyor so that the fibers of the probe consolidated end are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of such cigarettes and normal to the axis of the conveying means; a light source adjacent the end of one of the fiber optics branches; means for connecting the light source to an electrical power supply; a detector adjacent the end of the other fiber optics branch; and response means for responding to the light intensity detected by the detector, whereby light from the light source is transmitted through the one branch to the consolidated end and is directed against the adjacent ends of the traveling cigarettes, light reflected from the ends of the traveling cigarettes is transmitted from the consolidated end to the other branch and is directed to the detector, the intensity of the light reflected and sensed by the detector causes the response means to respond thereto in such a manner that defective ends of the traveling cigarettes will be distinguished from acceptable ends of such cigarettes.
2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the discharge end of a cigarette maker.
3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the discharge end of a cigarette filter tip attachment machine.
4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is at the entrance end of a cigarette packaging machine.
5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the response means includes a bridge circuit for responding to the level of intensity of the reflected light sensed by the detector.
6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the response means includes a cigarette rejection mechanism for ejecting cigarettes having defective ends.
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Cited By (26)

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FR2191736A5 (en) * 1972-06-29 1974-02-01 Gallaher Ltd
US3818223A (en) * 1973-03-08 1974-06-18 Liggett & Myers Inc Device for detecting carbon on cigarette filter tips
FR2285086A1 (en) * 1974-09-23 1976-04-16 Gallaher Ltd APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE QUALITY OF ASSEMBLY OF FILTERED CIGARETTES
US3980567A (en) * 1974-03-22 1976-09-14 Amf Incorporated Optical cigarette end inspection method and device
FR2312975A1 (en) * 1975-06-03 1976-12-31 Amf Inc METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE OPTICAL INSPECTION OF THE ENDS OF CIGARETTES
FR2345091A1 (en) * 1976-03-27 1977-10-21 Molins Ltd IMPROVEMENTS TO EJECTION DEVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR CIGARETTE MANUFACTURING MACHINES
US4208578A (en) * 1977-11-28 1980-06-17 Gallaher Limited Optical inspection apparatus
US4267444A (en) * 1978-03-31 1981-05-12 Maschinenfabrik Alfred Schmermund Gmbh & Co. Device for examining the degree of filling of a cigarette
DE3110927A1 (en) * 1980-04-01 1981-12-24 G.D. Società per Azioni, 40100 Bologna DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE INFECTIVITY OF CIGARETTES IN A PACKING MACHINE
US4307963A (en) * 1975-12-01 1981-12-29 Molins Limited Cigarette end testing
US4445520A (en) * 1982-02-08 1984-05-01 Philip Morris Incorporated Cigarette detection and rejection device
US4486098A (en) * 1982-02-23 1984-12-04 Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. Kg Method and apparatus for testing the ends of cigarettes or the like
US4496055A (en) * 1982-09-28 1985-01-29 Molins Plc Apparatus for forming groups of cigarettes
GB2176598A (en) * 1985-06-11 1986-12-31 Koerber Ag Method and apparatus for optically testing the ends of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry
US4644152A (en) * 1983-12-06 1987-02-17 Sasib S.P.A. Checking device for cigarette groups
US4707652A (en) * 1983-11-30 1987-11-17 Philip Morris Incorporated Impurity detector measuring parallel polarized scattered electromagnetic radiation
US5009322A (en) * 1986-11-11 1991-04-23 Focke & Co. (Gmbh & Co.) Process and apparatus for checking/separating out cigarettes
US5235649A (en) * 1991-06-13 1993-08-10 Videk Corporation Cigarette inspection method
US5406376A (en) * 1992-01-30 1995-04-11 Korber Ag Apparatus for testing end portions of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry
US5419441A (en) * 1993-10-08 1995-05-30 United States Surgical Corporation Needle blank sorting apparatus
US6407807B1 (en) * 1999-05-12 2002-06-18 Focke & Co. (Gmbh & Co.) Method and apparatus for testing cigarette heads
US20070000503A1 (en) * 2005-07-01 2007-01-04 Rainer Herrmann Apparatus and method for detection and segregation of faulty cigarettes
CN102431668A (en) * 2010-09-29 2012-05-02 中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所 On-line detection and rejection device for cigarette packaging machine to reject cigarette
US20140104603A1 (en) * 2012-10-15 2014-04-17 Seagate Technology Llc Feature detection with light transmitting medium
ITUA20162840A1 (en) * 2016-04-22 2017-10-22 Gd Spa Diagnostic method to analyze the operation of at least part of a packaging line in the tobacco industry.
CN110865051A (en) * 2019-11-28 2020-03-06 南京大树智能科技股份有限公司 Cigarette loose end defect detection method based on multi-wavelength photoelectric detection

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IT1145039B (en) * 1981-03-06 1986-11-05 Gd Spa TRANSFER AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR GROUPS OF CIGARETTES
DE3113248A1 (en) * 1981-04-02 1982-10-14 Eppendorf Gerätebau Netheler + Hinz GmbH, 2000 Hamburg Method for transferring liquids from containers, and device for carrying out the method
DE3146506A1 (en) * 1981-11-24 1983-06-01 Maschinenfabrik Alfred Schmermund Gmbh & Co, 5820 Gevelsberg METHOD AND TEST DEVICE FOR CHECKING THE LEVEL OF FILLING OF CIGARETTE ENDS
DE3243204A1 (en) * 1982-11-23 1984-05-24 Focke & Co, 2810 Verden "METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ERROR TESTING OF CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE"
DE3437580C2 (en) * 1983-10-28 1995-11-16 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Device for the optical inspection of a cigarette rod
DE3544152C1 (en) * 1985-12-13 1987-03-05 Bat Cigarettenfab Gmbh Device for monitoring the end failure of cigarettes
DE3819653A1 (en) * 1987-06-11 1988-12-29 Celanese Canada Inc MEASURING DEVICE FOR EXCEPTIONS IN CIGARETTE FILTERS
DE3822520A1 (en) * 1988-07-04 1990-01-18 Focke & Co METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CHECKING CIGARETTES

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US3305689A (en) * 1963-06-26 1967-02-21 Sanders Associates Inc Electro-optical signal converter system
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US2410104A (en) * 1942-08-27 1946-10-29 Fed Telephone & Radio Corp Light directing device
US2524929A (en) * 1946-02-21 1950-10-10 Wm S Scull Company Photoelectric method and apparatus for testing vacuum conditions in containers
US3192389A (en) * 1962-03-01 1965-06-29 Schmermund Alfred Photoelectric feeler alignment device for checking packs of elongated articles
US3305689A (en) * 1963-06-26 1967-02-21 Sanders Associates Inc Electro-optical signal converter system
US3473037A (en) * 1965-03-12 1969-10-14 Alfred Schmermund Apparatus for checking blocks of cigarettes by optically imaging their ends upon a matrix of photocells which conforms to a normal image

Cited By (34)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2191736A5 (en) * 1972-06-29 1974-02-01 Gallaher Ltd
US3818223A (en) * 1973-03-08 1974-06-18 Liggett & Myers Inc Device for detecting carbon on cigarette filter tips
US3980567A (en) * 1974-03-22 1976-09-14 Amf Incorporated Optical cigarette end inspection method and device
FR2285086A1 (en) * 1974-09-23 1976-04-16 Gallaher Ltd APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE QUALITY OF ASSEMBLY OF FILTERED CIGARETTES
US4011950A (en) * 1974-09-23 1977-03-15 Gallaher Limited Cigarette monitoring apparatus
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DE2236218A1 (en) 1973-03-29

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