Tobacco rod firmness sensor
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsChristopher L. Irving, Jerome S. Osmalov
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Abstract
A tobacco rod firmness sensor arrangement wherein the tongue of a continuous rod type cigarette making machine is divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The upstream portion is independently mounted from the downstream portion and is associated with a sensor to measure the force exerted by the tobacco rod compressed between the upstream portion and the garniture. Calibration of the sensor is unaffected by adjustment of the downstream portion of the divided tongue.
Claims7
In a cigarette making machine of a type having means for forming, from tobacco filler and tobacco paper, a continuous tobacco rod between a tapered concave garniture and a tapered concave tongue, the improvement comprising:
- the tongue being divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion;
- said portions being independently mounted to said machine;
- and, sensing means for measuring the force exerted on said upstream portion by the filler compressed between said upstream portion and the garniture and for providing an indication of the force.
An apparatus for sensing the firmness of a tobacco rod in a garniture area of a cigarette making machine comprising:
- a tongue divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion, said portions being independently mounted;
- sensing means associated with said upstream portion for sensing the force exerted on said upstream portion.
A method for making a continuous tobacco rod comprising the steps of:
- providing a cigarette making machine of a type having means for forming, from tobacco filler and tobacco paper, a continuous tobacco rod between a tapered concave garniture and a tapered concave tongue, the tongue being divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion, the portions being independently mounted to the machine, sensing means for measuring and for providing an indication of the force exerted on the upstream portion by the filler compressed between the upstream portion and the garniture and filler supply means for controllably supplying a flow of tobacco filler between the garniture tongue at a variable rate;
- providing tobacco filler and cigarette paper;
- operating said machine and feeding thereto said tobacco filler and said cigarette paper;
- calibrating the indication of said sensing means to the firmness of the continuous tobacco rod;
- controlling said filler supply means to vary supply rate of tobacco filler in response to the indication of said sensing means to control the firmness of the continuous tobacco rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.