Altria Client Services LLC

Philip Morris USA Inc.

Evans, James D.

James David Evans

Jarrod Wayne Chalkley

Jeremy Jay Straight

Herbert Cary Longest

Tamika S Murrell

Thien Hoang Nguyen

Christopher R Newcomb

Robert V Powell, Jr

Travis Martin Garthaffner

Patrick Sean McElhinney

Robert V Powell

Barry Scott Smith

Martin T Garthaffner

Steven Frederick Spiers

Loren Duvekot

Dwight David Williams

Steven R Rinehart

Gregory L Nelson

Shannon Maxwell Black

George Robert Scott

Xuan M Pham

G Robert Scott

Leah A Meyers

Patrick S Mcelhinney

Isaac J McGill

Scott A Fath

Andrew Nathan Carroll

Edmond J Cadieux, Jr

Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic

Carl Gregory Miller

Sean Sundberg

Cary Longest

Ashish Jain

David C Haller

Hubert Coleman Goodman, Jr

Joshua L Roby

Christopher J Hession

Steve R Rinehart

Christopher Jackson Crawford

Ahmet Ercelebi

Brian Casey

H Cary Longest

Martin Heidorn

Gregory Y Amos

Robert L Kikkert

Linwood H Carneal, Jr

Linwood H Cameal, Jr

David Dawson

Robert G Scott

David Goldstein

Steve Campbell

Robert V Powell Jr

At least one example embodiment relates to a composite material. In at least one example embodiment, the composite material includes an elastic layer and a support layer. The support layer is adhered to at least a portion of the elastic layer. The support layer extends across at least apportion of a surface of the clastic layer.

Carrier material layer

Systems and methods for measuring tobacco for packaging in pouches are disclosed. A system includes a hopper structured and arranged to hold a granular material in a hopper cavity. The system also includes a measuring system including a measuring cavity and a tube that is slidable in the hopper cavity between a first position unaligned with the measuring cavity and a second position over and aligned with the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to continuously communicate a vacuum to the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to move a portion of the granular material from the hopper cavity to the measuring cavity when the tube is in the first position. The measuring system is configured to move the portion of the granular material from the measuring cavity to a pouch making machine using pressurized gas that overcomes the vacuum when the tube is in the second position.

Slide measuring system for filling pouches and associated method

A fin sealer and method to seal a radially outwardly directed fin of a tubular web structure by directing the fin through a nip between a first and a second fin sealing rollers while communicating heat to the fin through at least one of the fin sealing rollers is provided. The fin sealer is configured to maintain a nominal face-to-face relation between an outer annulus of the first fin sealing roller and an outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller with a flexible connection between a hub element of the second fin sealing roller with the outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller.

Cut and seal method and apparatus

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

Gas-based material compression and portioning

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for making pouch products includes a conveyor system. The conveyor system includes a first receiving location along a path of the conveyor system, and a dosing location along the path of the conveyor system. The apparatus also includes a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to the first receiving location. The first material includes a first elastic layer and a first support layer. The first material dispensing station includes a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material, a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer.

Apparatuses and methods for forming pouch product

At least one example embodiment relates to a container. The container includes a base, a canister configured to engage a portion of the base, and a lid configured to be removably coupled to the canister such that the lid is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The base includes a bottom wall having a central portion, a peripheral portion, and an angle portion between the central portion and the peripheral portion. The base includes a first sidewall extending from a periphery of the peripheral portion and about a periphery of the bottom wall and a second sidewall extending from an end of the peripheral portion opposite the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend perpendicular to the peripheral portion such that the peripheral portion, first sidewall, and second sidewall define a first gap.

Child-resistant container

A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.

Cleaner assemblies, apparatuses including a cleaner assembly, methods of making the same, and/or methods of operating the same

A machine and method for packaging tobacco sachets, comprising a plurality of linearly arranged, multi-functional, vertically moveable chambers having fluid sealing means on lower portions thereof, conveyor means disposed below the plurality of multi-functional, vertically moveable chambers, and a lidding apparatus disposed downstream of and in communication with the plurality of vertically moveable chambers through the conveyor means.

Tamp-and-stir apparatus and process therefor

An apparatus includes a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly. The fixed assembly includes a hopper, a first gas manifold, and a dispensing chamber, and the reciprocating assembly includes a channel assembly defining a channel conduit, a shield plate vertically aligned therewith, and a second gas manifold. The reciprocating assembly may move, in relation to the fixed assembly, to a first position to enable the channel conduit to be filled with bulk compressible material from the hopper, a second position to enable compressible material to be pushed from the channel conduit to the dispensing conduit and to be compressed in the dispensing chamber according to a first gas directed through the channel conduit by the first gas manifold, and a third position to enable the compressed material to be pushed out of the dispensing conduit according to a second gas directed through the dispensing conduit by the second gas manifold.

A high-speed automated separation apparatus includes a pair of flexible discs, a driver to rotate the flexible discs, a feeder to position a rigid body at a first location between the flexible discs, a spreader and a converger operable upon the flexible discs such that opposing portions of the flexible disc converge upon the positioned rigid body. The rotating flexible discs rotate the rigid body beyond the first location, and content from the rigid body is expelled. The rigid body and the expelled content are then available for reuse.

System adapted to promote re-utilization of a rejected container loaded with content

Apparatuses and methods for tamping the contents of a container are disclosed. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a tamp head for tamping the contents of the container; and a container support assembly structured and arranged to temporarily support the bottom surface of the container during tamping, the container support assembly comprising a support element having a protrusion extending upward from a substantially flat and horizontal upper surface, wherein the protrusion is sized and shaped to correspond to the size and shape of the bottom surface of the container.

Apparatuses and methods for tamping the contents of a container

At least one example embodiment relates to a composite material. In at least one example embodiment, the composite material includes an elastic layer and a support layer. The support layer is adhered to at least a portion of the elastic layer. The support layer extends across at least apportion of a surface of the elastic layer.

Systems and methods for manufacturing and inserting a pre-determined number of material-filled pouches into containers are disclosed. A system includes a pouch providing system comprising a plurality of lanes, wherein each one of the plurality of lanes includes a pouch making machine and a hold-back structure. The system also includes a conveyor system structured and arranged to move a plurality of containers into alignment with the plurality of lanes. The system further includes a controller structured and arranged to control the hold-back structure in each one of the plurality of lanes such that the pre-determined pouches are inserted into the plurality of containers when the plurality of containers are aligned with the plurality of lanes.

Direct to container system with on-line weight control and associated method

Growing community of inventors

Chesterfield, VA, United States of America

James David Evans