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. 22, 1988
Filed:
May. 13, 1986
Molins PLC, Milton Keynes, GB;
Abstract
A mass flow of cigarettes is reduced in width as it passes downwardly through chutes into a passage in which the cigarettes are formed as a stream two rows deep. The cigarettes are fed onto a fluted drum and accelerated to form gaps between them, the cigarettes in one row being held by suction in the flutes and those in the other row resting on top of them and being kept in place by suction. From the fluted drum the cigarettes are transferred to a further fluted drum as a single row, by being fed between a stripper and a fixed plate which are positioned so that only one cigarette, from each row alternately, can pass into a flute on the further drum. The cigarettes may then be collated into groups ready for packing.