British American Tobacco (investments) Limited

British American Tobacco Limited

Sam Whiffen

Andrew Jonathan Bray

Gerhard Malin Le Roux

Gary Fallon

Chris Daly

Nicholas Fox

Apparatus for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first feed device adapted to supply a first web of aerosol-generating material to a processing unit, a second feed device adapted to supply a second web of aerosol-generating material, and a web changeover unit arranged to change supply of aerosol-generating material to the processing unit from the first web of aerosol-generating material to the second web of aerosol-generating material. The web changeover unit is configured to position a leading edge of the second web of aerosol-generating material adjacent to a trailing edge of the first web of aerosol-generating material upstream of the processing unit during changeover from the first web of aerosol-generating material to the second web of aerosol-generating material. A method of producing a rod of aerosol-generating material is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material

A conveyor for conveying strands of aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The conveyor comprises a conveying surface, comprising a plurality of openings, on which the strands of aerosol-generating material are conveyed, and an air flow generator for generating a flow of air through the plurality of openings in the conveying surface to provide an air cushion between the conveying surface and the strands of aerosol-generating material. Apparatus for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material comprising a slitting unit arranged to slit a web of aerosol-generating material into a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material that are received by the conveyor is also disclosed, as well as a method of conveying strands of aerosol-generating material.

Conveyor and method for conveying strands of aerosol-generating material, and apparatus and method for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material

An apparatus for use in the manufacture of tobacco industry products (TIPs), including a rotatable drum having a plurality of flutes formed in a curved outer surface of the drum to receive axially-aligned components of a TIP, a roll hand having a contact surface facing and spaced from the outer surface of the drum to define a space, between the contact surface and the outer surface, within which space components of a TIP are rollable upon rotation of the drum, and a kicker bar disposed adjacent to the roll hand and having a contact edge facing and spaced from the outer surface of the drum, where at least one of the roll hand contact surface, kicker bar contact edge and drum outer surface includes a groove extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the drum and configured to least partially receive one or more of the TIP components as the drum rotates.

Apparatus and method for manufacturing tobacco industry products

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus () for use in the manufacture of tobacco industry products. The apparatus () comprises a rolling unit () comprising: &#x2022;a rotatable drum () having a plurality of flutes () formed in a curved outer surface () of the drum () to receive axially-aligned components () of a tobacco industry product; &#x2022;a roll hand () having a contact surface () facing and spaced from the outer surface () of the drum () to define a space, between the contact surface () and the outer surface (), within which space components of a tobacco industry product are rollable upon rotation of the drum (); and &#x2022;a kicker bar () disposed adjacent to the roll hand () and having a contact edge () facing and spaced from the outer surface () of the drum (). At least one of the roll hand contact surface (), kicker bar contact edge () and drum outer surface () includes a groove () extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the drum () and configured to least partially receive one or more of the tobacco industry product components as the drum () rotates.

A method of determining the density of an elongate rod of material as it travels in a longitudinal direction through an inspection zone of apparatus for determining the density of an elongate rod of material is disclosed. The method comprises: positioning an X-ray generator of said apparatus to transmit X-rays in a direction across the elongate rod and towards a detector of said apparatus, as the elongate rod travels in a longitudinal direction through said inspection zone of said apparatus; supplying a voltage to the X-ray generator of between 20 to 80 kV to transmit the X-rays at a predetermined intensity; detecting the intensity of the X-rays transmitted through the elongate rod using the detector, and determining a density of the elongate rod based on a comparison of the predetermined and detected intensities. A method of manufacturing tobacco industry products that includes the above inspection method is also disclosed, together with apparatus for determining the density of an elongate rod of material.

Rod inspection method and apparatus

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus () for manufacture of tobacco industry products (). The apparatus () comprising a rolling unit () comprising: &#x2022; a rotatable drum () having a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the drum () to receive tobacco industry product components (); &#x2022; a roll hand () spaced from the outer surface of the drum () to define a space between the outer surface of the drum () and the roll hand (), within which space tobacco industry product components () are rollable upon rotation of the drum (); and &#x2022; a kicker bar () disposed adjacent to the roll hand (). &#x2022; The kicker bar () is moveable relative to the roll hand () and in a direction towards and away from the drum () during operation of the apparatus (), and the kicker bar () is biased towards the drum ().

An adhesive transfer system for applying a pattern of adhesive to a web of tipping paper as it is being fed through a smoking article filter assembly unit including a transfer roller and an applicator roller, the transfer roller having an engraved pattern on its surface that corresponds to the pattern of adhesive to be applied to the tipping paper web, the applicator roller being nipped with the transfer roller so that adhesive received on its surface is transferred from said engraved region onto the applicator roller as the transfer roller and applicator roller rotate to form an adhesive pattern on the applicator roller for subsequent transfer onto a moving web of tipping paper in contact with said applicator roller, where the engraved pattern includes individual adhesive containing cells to break up adhesive that coats the engraved region of the transfer roller.

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London, United Kingdom

Sam Whiffen