Optical inspection system for the manufacture of banded cigarette paper

A system for optically detecting the characteristics of paper containing banded regions and non-banded regions, comprising:

• an inspection station including a light source for projecting a stripe of light laterally across a web to generate reflected radiation indicative of said characteristics, and a camera for receiving said reflected radiation to generate output signals;
• at least one processing unit for processing said output signals generated by said camera to detect said characteristics, and for periodically transferring said detected characteristics to a computer workstation;
• and
• said computer workstation including statistical computing means for reporting said characteristics.

A system for the manufacture of cigarette paper including banded regions and non-banded regions, including:

• a slurry supply for the delivery of slurry to a head end, which forms a web of said slurry material;
• a band applicator located downstream of said head end for forming one or more banded regions on said web;
• and
• an inspection station located downstream of said band applicator for determining the characteristics of said banded region and said non-banded regions, and the spatial relationship between said banded regions and said non-banded regions, said inspection station including a light source, a camera and a processing unit wherein light from said light source forms reflections on a surface of said web, said camera receives said reflections to generate output signals, and said output signals are processed in said processing unit.

A method for inspecting paper containing banded regions and non-banded regions, including the steps of:

• directing light from a light source laterally across a web of said paper, said light forming reflections when it impinges on a surface of said web;
• receiving said reflections by a camera to generate output signals;
• processing said output signals in a processing unit to generate one or more of the following properties:
• width of one or more banded regions;
• spacing between one or more adjacent sets of banded regions;
• contrast of one or more banded regions;
• periodically communicating said one or more properties to a computer workstation;
• and
• generating, at said computer workstation, statistical reports on the basis of said one or more properties communicated in said step of communicating.