Rod forming apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12075813-B2
Application number	US-202318363118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2023
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A folder for forming a wrapped article, the folder comprising:
a base defining an elongated trough;
an upper portion coupled to the base;
a wedge between the base and the upper portion; and
a non-contact displacement transducer coupled to the base or the upper portion.

2. The folder of claim 1 , wherein the base further defines a hole, and the non-contact displacement transducer is in the hole.

3. The folder o…

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Williams Dwight David
• Altoveros Rosana C

Classifications

• A24C5/1871

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24C5/1807

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24C1/38

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24C1/34

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24C1/30

  Human Necessities · mapped topic