The present invention relates to an apparatus for acquiring data relative to a dimension of an elongated object defining a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end, the apparatus comprising: an imaging sensor device defining a field of view and an optical axis, the imaging sensor device being adapted to image the elongated object in the field of view; a transporting device adapted to position the elongated object in the field of view and to transport the elongated object in a transport direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated object and forming an angle with the optical axis; an illuminating device adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation to illuminate the elongated object in the field of view; and an optical deflection system including an optical deflector which is adapted to be movable between a first operative position where it is located outside the field of view of the imaging sensor device and a second operative position where it is located within the field of view of the imaging sensor device, and which is adapted to deflect electromagnetic radiation travelling parallel to the longitudinal axis towards said imaging sensor device so as to obtain an image of the first or of the second end of the elongated object. The present invention also relates to a method for acquiring data relative to a dimension of an elongated object defining a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second end.

The present invention relates to method for inspecting an inductively heatable aerosol-generating article (1) for the presence of a susceptor (21) using at least one sensor (110) that is responsive to the susceptor (21) being at least one of electrically conductive, magnetic or magnetized. The invention further relates to method and apparatus for inspecting an inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for a desired article alignment at a specific article location in an article manufacturing apparatus, wherein the susceptor is provided for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate comprised in the article, and wherein an arrangement of the susceptor at or in the article is asymmetric with regard to a length axis of the article. The method and the apparatus comprises usage of at least a first senor which is arranged and configured to detect at a first test site of the article location a presence or absence of a susceptor, wherein the presence of the susceptor at the first test is indicative of the presence of the desired article alignment at the article location. The first sensor is responsive to the susceptor being at least one of electrically conductive, magnetic or magnetized and responsive to the presence of the susceptor at the first test site.

A method is proposed for inspecting cylinder-shaped elongated elements for smoking articles that provides projecting from a first half-space a first stripe of light onto an external face of a first elongated element and projecting from a second half-space onto the first elongated element a second stripe of light. The method reconstructs, by means of a first identified curved line and a second identified curved line respectively in a first acquired view and in a second acquired view of the first elongated element, a first closed curved section profile of the first elongated element and identifies possible deformations of the reconstructed first closed curved profile with respect to an ideal section profile. The method further includes the step of arranging an ideal elongated element alongside the first elongated element, respectively in a reference position and in a first position, inspecting simultaneously the first elongated element and the ideal elongated element by the first stripe of light and the second stripe of light reconstructing, by a first identified curved line and a second identified curved line respectively in the first view and in the second view a first closed curved section profile of the ideal elongated element monitoring the reconstructed closed curved profile of the ideal elongated element generating a warning if the reconstructed closed curved profile of the ideal elongated element is different from an ideal section profile, for example circular.

An inspection group is proposed for inspecting cylinder-shaped elongated elements for smoking articles, in which a working plane is selected passing through a longitudinal axis of a first elongated element and there are considered a first half space and a second half space arranged on opposite parts with respect to the working plane. The inspecting group includes: a projecting device adapted to project a first stripe of light from the first half space onto an inspection portion of an external surface of the first elongated element and to obtain a first three-dimensional light trace, and also adapted to project a second stripe of light from the second half space onto the inspection portion to obtain a second three-dimensional light trace; an optical assembly adapted to frame the first elongated element and to process a first view and a second view; a processing device adapted to reconstruct a first closed curved section profile of the first elongated element processing an identified first curved light line in the first view and a second identified curved light line in the second view and comparing the first reconstructed closed curved profile with an ideal section profile to identify possible deformations of the reconstructed first closed curved profile with respect to the ideal section profile. The projecting device includes a single projector of a single stripe of light; a shield, arranged between the single projector and the first elongated element, adapted to split the single stripe of light into a first part of a stripe of light and into a second part of a stripe of light; first deflectors of the first part of a stripe of light arranged in the first half space and second deflectors of the second part of the stripe of light arranged in the second half space to obtain respectively the first stripe of light projected from the first half space and the second stripe of light projected from the second half space by a single stripe of light.

Machine and method for producing a substantially cylindrical article, which comprises a tubular body, a container element, arranged in the area of one end of the tubular element, a heat generating element, partially housed inside the container element, and loose material for generating flavour; in use, the loose material is inserted into the container element, vertically oriented, and the heat generating element is partially inserted into the container element by being moved downwards, so as to obtain a combined element; subsequently, the combined element is at least partially inserted into the tubular body.

A measuring system measures parameters of a multi-segment rod-like article that has at least one filled segment and at least one tubular end segment. An illuminating device of the measuring system generates a light beam that illuminates a front surface of the filled segment by passing through the interior of the tubular end segment. A registering device of the measuring system registers an image of the multi-segment rod-like article, and receives light of the light beam scattered by the material of the filled segment, which penetrates through a material of a wrapper of the multi-segment rod-like article and reaches the registering device, to form an outline of the front surface of the filled segment in the image. A processing unit of the measuring system processes the image of the multi-segment rod-like article registered by the registering device, and determines production process parameters and/or parameters of the multi-segment rod-like article.

A method is provided for evaluating porosity distribution within a porous article such as a crimped filter, a tobacco plug, or a cigarette, including obtaining a digital image of a transverse area of the article and determining a pore area fraction for each of a plurality of identically dimensioned sub-areas of the transverse area of the article. This provides a plurality of pore area fractions. The plurality of pore area fractions allow the evaluation of a local porosity distribution within the transverse area of the porous article. Each sub-area within which a pore area fraction is calculated overlaps with at least one adjacent sub-area by between 10% and 95%. The method for quantitatively evaluating porosity distribution may be used to control a process for manufacturing the porous article.

A method and device for detection of rotated segments in a continuous multi-segment rod transferred in a machine used in tobacco industry. A signal of an error of the shape of said continuous multi-segment rod is generated, the rod including a plurality of segments arranged one after another in a common wrapping, in which the rod that is transferred in a direction along its axis is simultaneously scanned by optical sensors, the directions of scanning of the optical sensors being oriented at an angle other than 90? to each other. The rod diameter is measured by repeated scans such that the shortest segment of the rod is scanned at least once, the results of the scans being compared with a predetermined reference value, and each difference between the results of the scans and the predetermined value is converted into the signal of the error of shape.

A protective member for rod-like elements, in particular rod sections and/or an endless rod, travelling within a measuring head used in tobacco industry, the measuring head including at least two neighboring sensor units enabling to take measurements of the parameters of the rod-like elements by the radiation emitted and received by the sensor units, the protective member extending through the operation zones of the specific sensor units. The protective member includes compartments defined therein, each compartment corresponding to the operation zone of one sensor unit and each compartment including at least one first opening enabling percolation of the radiation. A measuring head including the protective member is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for optical analysis of a component of an aerosol generating article, the method comprising: providing a component of an aerosol generating article defining a first end and a second end, the component comprising: o an aerosol forming substrate; o a susceptor in thermal contact with the aerosol forming substrate; providing a first polarized camera including a sensor to detect polarization information of electromagnetic radiation; illuminating the component by electromagnetic radiation; detecting transmitted, infected or refracted electromagnetic radiation from the component by the first polarized camera; generating a first image of the first end of the component by the first polarized camera, the first image being formed by a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels containing polarization information about the detected electromagnetic radiation; anddetecting in the first image a position of the susceptor.