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:
Feb. 13, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1994
Takayuki Irikura, Tokyo, JP;
Japan Tobacco Inc., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus has an inspection drum, suction grooves arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the inspection drum and adapted to receive and transport filter cigarettes as the inspection drum rotates, and pads arranged on the inspection drum so as to be situated on either side of the suction grooves. Each pad has a pad face opposed to its corresponding suction groove and an elastically deformable, ring-shaped bulging portion formed on the pad face. When a filter cigarette in the suction groove is transported to a predetermined position, the respective bulging portions of the paired pads on either side of the suction groove are pressed individually against the opposite ends of the filter cigarette, so that the bulging portions are elastically deformed to be brought into intimate contact with the end faces of the filter cigarette.