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:
Jul. 05, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 10, 2009
Honey Jose, Milton Keynes, GB;
Ian Tindall, Bournemouth, GB;
John Sanders, Barford, GB;
Molins PLC, Milton Keynes, GB;
Abstract
Apparatus is disclosed for determining the track of origin of a cigarette manufactured in a cigarette making machine having a plurality of tracks. The cigarette making machine () is arranged such that the circumferential position of the tipping paper seam and the circumferential position of the tobacco wrapping paper seam are different for different tracks. The apparatus comprises a detector () arranged to detect radiation from the cigarette () and to produce a signal representative of the detected radiation, and a processor () arranged to process the signal produced by the detecting means to identify a shadow cast by a tipping paper seam and a shadow cast by a wrapping paper seam. The processor () is arranged to determine a difference in the circumferential position of the shadow cast by the tipping paper seam and the circumferential position of the shadow cast by the wrapping paper seam, and to produce a signal indicating the track of origin of the cigarette in dependence thereon.