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:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 04, 1999
Barry Scott Smith, Hopewell, VA (US);
Michael J. Mullins, Chesterfield, VA (US);
Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
In an apparatus for making and inspecting a multi-component cigarettes, each cigarette including two or more different components arranged relative to one another, the apparatus includes a device for advancing a web in a first direction. The apparatus further includes a device for positioning at least two different components of a cigarette relative to one another on the web as the web advances in the first direction. The apparatus further includes a garniture device for wrapping the web around the at least two different components by moving opposite edges of the web transversely to the first direction such that, at a closure point in the garniture device, the opposite edges overlap each other. The apparatus further includes an imaging device disposed upstream of the closure point for generating an image of the at least two different components. The apparatus further includes a processing device connected to the imaging device for comparing the generated image with a reference standard and determining if the generated image deviates from the reference standard. A method for manufacturing and inspecting multicomponent articles is also disclosed.