Abstract: The present invention relates to a pouch and a method for making the same. In the inventive method, which is adapted to produce pouches having a limited amount of fusible material, a heat-sealable cord is arranged on a web forming confronting side surface of each pouch. Those confronting side surfaces are fused by heating the heat-sealable cord. The present invention furthermore provides a pouch, in particular containing a brewable or extractable commodity such as tea, with a pocket defined between confronting side surfaces of a web. The pouch of the present invention can have a limited amount of fusible material as the confronting side surfaces are joined by solidified melt of a heat-sealable cord arranged in vicinity of at least one edge of the pouch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making pouches providing a continuous web; folding the web to provide confronting side surfaces joined along a bottom edge; forming a vertical seal between the confronting side surfaces, thereby providing a series of adjacent pockets having opposite side walls with each pocket having an unsealed opening along a top edge; filling the pockets through the unsealed opening with material; sealing the unsealed opening. In the inventive method, which facilitates handling of the continuous web forming the pouches, the web is perforated by a perforation between a leading length piece of the web adapted to form a leading pocket and a trailing length piece of the web adapted to form a trailing pocket, and the distance between a trailing edge of the leading length piece and a leading edge of a trailing length piece is increased for tearing the leading and the trailing lengths pieces apart at the perforation.

Abstract: A weighing device is disclosed including a motor that can be used to rotate a drive head. The drive head supports a cylindrical spindle having a plurality of holes or recesses. The spindle is configured so that it can be easily removed from the rotatable drive head and placed on a load sensor that can be used for weighing the device. In use a blister strip (not shown) can be loaded onto the spindle. An evacuation unit is provided with a pair of cutting blades. The load sensor can determine a first measurement of weight when the blisters are full of powder and a second measurement of weight after the evacuation unit has been used to evacuate receptacles supported on the spindle.

Abstract: A checkweigher (10) for measuring the weight of a pre-metered dose of medicament in a pharmaceutical blister (12) is provided. The checkweigher comprises a rotatable blister support element (14) for supporting a plurality of blisters (12), an evacuation assembly (16) for sequentially accessing and removing the contents of the plurality of blisters (12) as the blister support element rotates, a load sensor (18) for weighing the blister support element (14) and the plurality of blisters (12), drive means (20) for moving the blister support element (14) to and from the load sensor (18), and a controller (22) for controlling the drive means (20). The plurality of blisters (12) may be provided as single blister units or as part of a blister pack.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus is disclosed in which a barrier separates a chamber into a first region and a second region. The barrier is of a known thickness, and it comprises holes having a known radius. Gas flow means provide a flow of a carbon dioxide in the first region and a flow of a nitrogen in the second region. A gas detector measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the second region and a processor calculates the theoretical diffusive flux from one region to another based on the known properties of the through-holes. The processor is arranged to calculate a calibration parameter in order to relate the measured parameter to the theoretical diffusive flux, based on the known properties of the through-holes.

Abstract: A powder dispensing apparatus is disclosed in which the apparatus includes a drum assembly 2. The drum assembly includes a support portion 10 and a foil 14 which are linearly movable relative to one another. The foil 14 has a plurality of through-apertures 25, and the support portion 10 includes a corresponding number of apertures 20. The base of each aperture 20 in the support portion is closed off by a piston 24. The apertures 25, 20 are aligned at a filling position where powder can fill a compartment. The foil 14 is then translated relative to the support portion 10 in order to close the compartments. The drum 2 can be rotated through 180° to a dispensing position. The foil 14 is moved so that the apertures 25, 20 are aligned and the pistons 24 can be used to dispense powder into a receptacle.

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 (60) 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 (20, 22; 36; 50) arranged to detect radiation from the cigarette (18) and to produce a signal representative of the detected radiation, and a processor (30; 54) 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.

Abstract: A method of determining one or more physical properties of a rolled smoking article is disclosed, the method comprising disposing a rolled smoking article within a field of view, illuminating the field of view, imaging the rolled smoking article to form an image, and analyzing the image to determine one or more physical properties of the rolled smoking article. Preferably the image is a digital image, which may be electronically processed to determine the physical properties. The physical properties may include the length of the rolled smoking article, or its mean diameter, ovality, circumference, roundness or shape. Also disclosed is an apparatus for performing such method comprising imaging means defining the field of view, means for positioning a smoking article in the field of view, illuminating means for illuminating the field of view, and processing means for processing the image to determine one more physical properties.

Abstract: A method of setting-up machine vision equipment is disclosed. The equipment includes a camera defining a field of view, processing means for determining physical properties of a test object, and first supporting means for supporting a test object at a predetermined distance from the camera within the field of view. The method is characterised by providing second supporting means for supporting a reference object, placing a reference object having at least one known dimension on the second supporting means, moving one or more of the cameras, the first supporting means and the second supporting means to bring the reference object within the field of view at the predetermined distance from the camera, imaging the reference object to obtain an image, and processing the image to determine the optimum configuration of the imaging means, and adjusting the imaging means configuration to the optimum configuration.

Abstract: A smoking machine for smoking a smoking article is disclosed. The smoking machine comprises one or more electrochemical cells for analyzing the composition of a smoke stream from the smoking article. This can allow a gas or vapor phase chemical to be analyzed directly in real time without the need for pre-conditioning or preparation.

Abstract: A method of setting-up machine vision equipment is disclosed. The equipment includes a camera defining a field of view, processing means for determining physical properties of a test object, and first supporting means for supporting a test object at a predetermined distance from the camera within the field of view. The method is characterised by providing second supporting means for supporting a reference object, placing a reference object having at least one known dimension on the second supporting means, moving one or more of the cameras, the first supporting means and the second supporting means to bring the reference object within the field of view at the predetermined distance from the camera, imaging the reference object to obtain an image, and processing the image to determine the optimum configuration of the imaging means, and adjusting the imaging means configuration to the optimum configuration.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an infusion package 10 comprising a porous-walled container 12 for an infusible substance and a support for the container by means of which the container can be mounted on a rim of a drinking vessel. The method comprises (i) making cuts in at least one web of a semi-rigid material in a direction transverse to the web length to define a plurality of support members 14, each cut defining a first end 16 of one support member and a second end 20 of an adjacent support member such that the first end includes a projection 18 and the second end includes a recess 22 the cutting of which recess produces the projection; (ii) bringing two such support members into opposed relationship with the first end of one of the support members disposed opposite the second end of the other of the support members; (iii) positioning an end region of the container between the opposed support members; and (iv) securing that end region to the support members.

Abstract: A probe for use in sampling rods from a mass flow of parallel rods moving perpendicular to their axes, the probe including an elongate body of generally wedge shaped cross section which has first and second main faces diverging away from a narrow edge to a wider base and which is for mounting parallel to such rods to extend across and laterally beyond such mass flow with the narrow edge facing upstream; an elongate passage extending within the body longitudinally thereof for accommodating a rod from such mass flow; a first elongate opening in the first face through which a rod from such mass flow can fall laterally into the passage for longitudinal transport along the passage away from such mass flow; and a second elongate opening through which a rod can drop laterally from the passage out of the body after such longitudinal transport.

Abstract: In a wrapping apparatus, particularly for enclosing articles consisting of or containing groups of cigarettes in wrapper material, the articles are received in a pocketed drum in which at least one overlapped region of the wrapper material is heat scaled. Preferably opposed side seams and an end flap of the wrapper are sealed, so as substantially to complete the enclosure of the article while on the drum. Side seal heaters carried by the drum may be mounted on respective annular carriers which are rotatably displaceable to remove the heaters from contact with the articles if the drum is stopped for an extended period. End seal heaters may be pivotally mounted on the drum and operated by a cam arrangement to fold an end flap of the wrapper into an overlapped position.

Abstract: A tray unloader for rod-like articles of the tobacco industry includes a horizontally-movable, slidable carriage supporting an independently-driven tray inverting carrier arranged to pick up an upright full tray from a receiving position and invert it during movement to an unloading position. In the unloading position articles are received directly over opposed horizontal bands having a delivery channel between confronting ends and defining the initial level at which articles are received over most of the width of the tray. Downstream of the channel is a conveyor which operates at a relatively high rate during a first phase of unloading for each tray and at a reduced rate during a second phase, so as to allow controlled emptying of the tray and establishment of the residual level of articles in the channel after completion of unloading of each tray.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing packaging blanks includes an applying device, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor. The first conveyor conveys the blanks at a first velocity arranged to permit the application of an adhesive to the blanks by means of the device. The second conveyor is arranged to receive the blanks from the first conveyor and convey them at a second velocity which is greater than the first velocity resulting in a change in the pitch of the stream of blanks conveyed by the conveyors. Alternatively the applying means may apply an adhering element such as a coupon or hologram such that it adheres to the blank. The adhering element may adhere to the blank by virtue of an adhesive carried on a rear surface of the element or by means of an adhesive carried by the blank.

Abstract: A check rod (1) for apparatus for measuring properties of longitudinally permeable rods, the check rod (1) comprising a hollow cylindrical body (2) having first, second and third transverse walls (4, 5, 6); a first chamber (17) defined by body (2) and the first and second transverse walls (4, 5); a second chamber (8) defined by body (2) and the second and third transverse walls (5, 6); at least one first ventilation window for air to flow laterally into chamber (7); at least one second ventilation window for air to flow laterally into chamber (8); and tubes (9, 10, 11) which are open at each end and provide for laminar air flow therethrough which is the only flow of air through the transverse walls, said tubes comprising at least one short tube (9) which passes through wall (4) and opens into chamber (7); at least one intermediate length tube (10) which passes through walls (5, 6) and opens into chamber (8), and at least one long tube (11) which passes through all walls (4, 5, 6) to allow passage of air throu