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:
Aug. 20, 1985
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1983
Jack C Wheless, Richmond, VA (US);
Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for taking rod-shaped articles of oval cross section, such as oval filter plugs for cigarettes, from a hopper, with a predetermined spacing between consecutive articles, and for presenting the articles at a destination with a predetermined orientation. A plug drum having flutes shaped to accept a single oval filter plug in any angular orientation is used to remove the filter plug from the hopper. When each filter plug is released from the plug drum, it drops through a guideway preferably defined between two cooperating elements, which permit it to pass through only with a specific orientation. At the discharge end of the guideway is preferably a second drum, which has flutes shaped to accept a filter plug leaving the guideway only in the desired final orientation.