Title: Cigarette monitoring apparatus

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring the assembly of filter tipped cigarettes. After assembly a succession of the cigarettes are advanced transversely to their length through an optical device in which at least two beams of light are transmitted across the plane of movement of the cigarettes between respective transmitters and photosensitive elements. Each beam is interrupted by each cigarette for a time depending upon the effective transverse dimension of the cigarette as seen by that beam and corresponding pulses from the photosensitive elements are summed and integrated. The output of the integrator is sampled to determine if its value lies within a predetermined range and a fault pulse for rejecting cigarette is produced if the value lies outside the predetermined range.

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Inventors: McLoughlin, Robert W. (Belfast, EK)
Nuttall, Colin P. (Bangor, EK)

Application Number: 614790
Filing Date: 1975-09-19
Publication_date: 1977-03-15
Assignee: Gallaher Limited (Belfast, EK)
Primary Class(es): 209/536 250/208.2, 250/223R
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3227037	Jan, 1966	Park et al.	209/111.
3368671	Feb, 1968	Kaeding	209/111.
3455444	Jul, 1969	Simmons	209/111.
3525433	Aug, 1970	Babb	209/111.
3729636	Apr, 1973	Merker	250/223.
3818223	Jun, 1974	Gibson et al.	250/223.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Knowles, Allen N.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall