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:
Sep. 23, 1986
Filed:
Apr. 20, 1984
Renato Manservisi, Bologna, IT;
Dario Cavicchi, Ferrara, IT;
Sasib S.p.A., Bologna, IT;
Abstract
The invention relates to a feeler pin device for the quality and/or quantity testing, and/or the levelling of cigarettes. The device comprises a plurality of feeler pins which are set in a substantially co-axial relation with the cigarettes to be tested or levelled, and which are moved from a retracted rest position axially toward the respective cigarettes, so as to contact the cigarette ends, whereby they apply thereon an elastic pressure, such as to shift the cigarette or the cigarettes against a suitable abutment for aligning same, and/or they signal the presence or absence of cigarettes, or the degree of filling of the ends thereof, and/or the presence or the absence of the filter tip, by the aid of means responsive to the stroke length of each feeler pin with respect to its support. The feeler pins are held in their retracted rest position within a fixed support against the bias of biasing springs, by control means which let the feeler pins free to move forward, with respect to their support, under the action of the associated biasing springs, toward the corresponding cigarette or cigarettes to be tested and/or levelled, and which will retract, against the action of the biasing springs, the feeler pins into their rest position.