Philip Morris Inc.

Philip Morris USA Inc.

Michael Calvin Cecil

Edmond J Cadieux, Jr

Xuan M Pham

Linwood Carneal

Gregory Russ

Gary Kocken

George Van Bergen

H Coleman Goodman, Jr

A device for deflecting a loose fill product from the seal zone of a bag and sealing the bag is provided. The device includes a product stopper. The product stopper is adjacent to the sealing element of a bagging machine. The product stopper includes a mount that mounts the product stopper to a bagging machine and a pinching element that pinches a bag proximal to a sealing zone before the bag is sealed by the sealing element at the sealing zone. In one embodiment, the pincher includes a spring loaded mechanism for pinching the bag proximal to the sealing zone. In another embodiment, the pincher includes an air assist mechanism for pinching the bag proximal to the sealing zone.

Method and apparatus for product in seal deflection

A system and method for detecting non-conforming packages such as cigarette packages during travel along a conveyor path. A foil detector can be used to detect a non-conforming foil condition of the packages and a vision inspection system can be used to detect a non-conforming surface feature of the package. The foil detector and vision inspection system can be located at a single inspection station and non-conforming packages can be removed at an ejection station. The ejection station can include a first ejection mechanism such as an air jet for removing packages having a non-conforming foil condition and a second ejection mechanism such as another air jet can be used to remove a package having a non-conforming surface feature. The vision inspection system can include a plurality of video cameras and a reflector which illuminates the package to be inspected with diffused light. The reflector can surround the package undergoing inspection and baffles can be arranged within the reflector housing to prevent hot spots from appearing in the images recorded by the cameras. Using three cameras, one camera can view a surface of the package facing away from the conveyor belt, a second camera can be used to view the top and one side of the package, and the third camera can be used to view the bottom and the other side of the package.

System and method for visually inspecting a cigarette packaging process

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Mechanicsville, VA, United States of America

Michael Calvin Cecil