| US 7,479,098 B2 | ||
| Equipment for insertion of objects into smoking articles | ||
| Timothy Frederick Thomas, High Point, N.C. (US); Robert William Benford, Kernersville, N.C. (US); and Barry Smith Fagg, Winston-Salem, N.C. (US) | ||
| Assigned to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, N.C. (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 23, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/234,834. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0068540 A1, Mar. 29, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B31C 13/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 493—39 [493/48; 493/50; 493/941] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A method of providing rods for use in the manufacture of cigarette filter elements, each rod having individual objects
placed at pre-determined spaced intervals along the length thereof, the process comprising:
(a) providing a continuous supply of rod filter material;
(b) supplying objects to a first hopper that provides a reservoir for objects;
(c) feeding objects from the first hopper to a second hopper;
(d) positioning individual objects within the supply of filter material at pre-determined spaced intervals;
(e) forming the filter material into a continuous rod having individual objects positioned at pre-determined spaced intervals
within that rod;
(f) subdividing the continuous rod at pre-determined intervals; providing a continuous supply of wrapping material; and forming
the filter material into a continuous rod by continuously forming the wrapping material around the filter material; wherein
the first hopper is an upper hopper and the second hopper is a lower hopper, and the upper hopper is adapted to feed objects
to the lower hopper by way of gravity feed; further providing reciprocating screen between the upper hopper and the lower
hopper, the screen having a plurality of holes therein sized to allow the objects to pass individually through each hole.
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