The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 27, 2018
Filed:
Mar. 18, 2015
British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited, London, GB;
Gary Fallon, London, GB;
Kie Seon Park, London, GB;
Martin Fuller, Warwickshire, GB;
Geoffrey Vernon, Warwickshire, GB;
Andrew Cleall, Warwickshire, GB;
James Stembridge, Warwickshire, GB;
Thomas Grunfeld, Warwickshire, GB;
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED, London, GB;
Abstract
A feed unit, for example for feeding components to smoking article assembly apparatus, has a guide member () and a plurality of pushers () arranged to push components () along a path defined by the guide member () for output from the feed unit. The guide member () is arranged to separate the components () into separate streams () according to their orientation. The stream () of non-correctly oriented components () comprises a channel that is helically rotated to orientate correctly said components (). Both streams () converge downstream said helical section to achieve a single flow of components () of similar orientation.