Molins Plc

Ronald F Wilson

Gary J Pitt

Timothy G Irons

William A H Everitt

A method of determining one or more physical properties of a rolled smoking article is disclosed, the method comprising disposing a rolled smoking article within a field of view, illuminating the field of view, imaging the rolled smoking article to form an image, and analyzing the image to determine one or more physical properties of the rolled smoking article. Preferably the image is a digital image, which may be electronically processed to determine the physical properties. The physical properties may include the length of the rolled smoking article, or its mean diameter, ovality, circumference, roundness or shape. Also disclosed is an apparatus for performing such method comprising imaging means defining the field of view, means for positioning a smoking article in the field of view, illuminating means for illuminating the field of view, and processing means for processing the image to determine one more physical properties.

Method and apparatus for determining one or more physical properties of a rolled smoking article or filter rod

A method of setting-up machine vision equipment is disclosed. The equipment includes a camera defining a field of view, processing means for determining physical properties of a test object, and first supporting means for supporting a test object at a predetermined distance from the camera within the field of view. The method is characterised by providing second supporting means for supporting a reference object, placing a reference object having at least one known dimension on the second supporting means, moving one or more of the cameras, the first supporting means and the second supporting means to bring the reference object within the field of view at the predetermined distance from the camera, imaging the reference object to obtain an image, and processing the image to determine the optimum configuration of the imaging means, and adjusting the imaging means configuration to the optimum configuration.

Machine vision equipment

A probe for use in sampling rods from a mass flow of parallel rods moving perpendicular to their axes, the probe including an elongate body of generally wedge shaped cross section which has first and second main faces diverging away from a narrow edge to a wider base and which is for mounting parallel to such rods to extend across and laterally beyond such mass flow with the narrow edge facing upstream; an elongate passage extending within the body longitudinally thereof for accommodating a rod from such mass flow; a first elongate opening in the first face through which a rod from such mass flow can fall laterally into the passage for longitudinal transport along the passage away from such mass flow; and a second elongate opening through which a rod can drop laterally from the passage out of the body after such longitudinal transport.

Growing community of inventors

Page Hill, United Kingdom

Ronald F Wilson