GB1173403A - Method and Apparatus for Testing Tipped Cigarettes - Google Patents

Abstract

1,173,403. Testing mouthpiece cigarettes. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO. 25 Jan., 1968 [1 Feb., 1967], No. 4063/68. Heading A2C. Tipped cigarettes 11 having a mouthpiece portion 11c joined to a tobacco portion 11a, 11b are tested for the presence of faulty cigarettes having weakly bonded joints and subsequently rejecting the faulty cigarettes without interupting the flow of good cigarettes along their normal path, by subjecting any cigarette 11 in said path to tension substantially along the axis thereof sufficient to cause relative movement of the tip and tobacco rod only in weak joints of less than pre-determined strength and diverting cigarettes having weak joints from said normal path. In one embodiment, double length filter tipped cigarettes 11 are transferred to and held by suction in cradles 13 of a rotating drum 10 in conventional manner. Suction is then applied via a port 61a, Fig. 1, a port 32 and grooves 33, Fig. 5, to enlarge toroidal rubber bladders 31 of pairs of cigarette gripping members 26, and then actuation of a cam follower roller 30 by a cam 35 at point 35a advances the pair of gripping members 26, against the action of springs 29, to a cigarette-encircling position. The suction applied to the bladders 31 is then replaced by air pressure supplied via port 64 causing the bladders to grip the ends of a cigarette 11. At point 35b the cam 35 curves away out of contact with the rollers 30 allowing the springs 29 to exert tension on the cigarette 11 and the joints thereof, and causing faulty joints to part to an extent limited by the cam 35. While so held, the cigarette is tested by applying air pressure to' both ends through ports 40 and detecting leakage in known manner, parted joints pro' ducing such leakage. Subsequently the air pressure applied to the bladders 31 is replaced by suction to release the cigarettes 11 and the members 26 are withdrawn as their rollers 30 pass the end of the cam 35. On further rotation of the drum 10, faulty cigarettes are ejected in known manner by replacing the suction supply to the cradles 13 by air pressure in response to a delayed signal from the testing means. In other embodiments: (A) parted joints are detected by a mechanical feeler; (B) the ends of the cigarettes are gripped by pairs of semi-cylindrical, resiliently sprung, holding blocks; separate end sealing members, comprising flexible diaphragms having a central orifice for communication with the interior of the cigarettes, being used for supply testing air; and (C) sufficient tension is applied to completely separate weak joints and the cigarettes are then passed over a pair of rails that support good cigarettes by their ends but allow the parted pieces of faulty cigarettes to fall between them.