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. 11, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 19, 2009
Vernon Brent Barnes, Advance, NC (US);
Robert William Benford, Kernersville, NC (US);
Timothy Frederick Thomas, High Point, NC (US);
Stephen Thomas Matthews, Clemmons, NC (US);
John Larkin Nelson, Lewisville, NC (US);
Travis Eugene Howard, Clemmons, NC (US);
Vernon Brent Barnes, Advance, NC (US);
Robert William Benford, Kernersville, NC (US);
Timothy Frederick Thomas, High Point, NC (US);
Stephen Thomas Matthews, Clemmons, NC (US);
John Larkin Nelson, Lewisville, NC (US);
Travis Eugene Howard, Clemmons, NC (US);
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and associated method is provided for forming a rod for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements. A continuous supply of a filter material is formed into a continuous filter rod by a rod-forming unit. An object insertion unit is configured to insert a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects into the continuous filter rod. A rod-dividing unit is configured to subdivide the continuous filter rod, at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, into a plurality of filter rod portions such that each filter rod portion includes at least one first object and at least one second object disposed therein, with the first objects being different from the second objects.