An apparatus for manufacturing a consumable for an aerosol provision system. The apparatus includes a feeding apparatus for receiving and supplying a sheet of aerosol-generating material along a conveyance path, and a sensor configured to detect information indicative of defects in the sheet as the sheet passes along the conveyance path. The apparatus can include a consumable forming apparatus configured to receive the sheet of aerosol-generating material and form the sheet into a consumable, and a controller configured to determine the presence of a defect in the sheet based on the information detected by the sensor. A consumable for an aerosol provision system can be manufactured by the apparatus and/or method disclosed herein. Additionally, an apparatus, method and controller for analyzing a sheet of aerosol-generating material for an aerosol provision system consumable and a system for manufacturing a consumable for an aerosol provision system.

Apparatus is disclosed for orientating a tobacco product containing a strip component. The apparatus comprises means for producing an image of the tobacco product, means for determining an apparent width of the strip component from the image, means for determining an amount of rotation of the tobacco product based on the apparent width, and means for rotating the tobacco product relative to the imaging mean by the determined amount of rotation. This may allow the product to be rotated such that the strip component has a known orientation with respect to the imaging means.

An apparatus and method for recovering tobacco material from tobacco rod sections is provided, each tobacco rod section including a wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material. The apparatus includes a centrifugal object-orienting device including a disc disposed at an incline within a cylindrical container, the cylindrical container and the disc being rotatable about a rotation axis such that the rotating cylindrical container and disc impart centrifugal force to the tobacco rod sections, the tobacco rod sections being responsive to the centrifugal force to orient lengthwise. A first conveyor device is configured to receive and convey in a conveyor direction the tobacco rod sections, with the tobacco rod sections being oriented lengthwise relative to the conveyor direction. A slitting device is operably engaged with the first conveyor device and configured to lengthwise slit the wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material of each of the tobacco rod sections.

An apparatus and method for recovering tobacco material from tobacco rod sections is provided, each tobacco rod section including a wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material. The apparatus includes a centrifugal object-orienting device including a disc disposed at an incline within a cylindrical container, the cylindrical container and the disc being rotatable about a rotation axis such that the rotating cylindrical container and disc impart centrifugal force to the tobacco rod sections, the tobacco rod sections being responsive to the centrifugal force to orient lengthwise. A first conveyor device is configured to receive and convey in a conveyor direction the tobacco rod sections, with the tobacco rod sections being oriented lengthwise relative to the conveyor direction. A slitting device is operably engaged with the first conveyor device and configured to lengthwise slit the wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material of each of the tobacco rod sections.

The invention relates to a method of inspection of rod-shaped articles, the method comprising: —providing a first drum having a plurality of seats; —providing at least one seat of the plurality of seats of the first drum with an inductive sensor comprising a coil; —providing the at least one seat of the plurality of seats of the first drum with a rod-shaped article including a first susceptor, the first susceptor comprising a conductive material; —inserting the rod-shaped article in the coil of the inductive sensor; —detecting a maximum value or a minimum value of a parameter function of the impedance of the coil during the insertion of the rod-shaped article; —discarding the rod-shaped article on the basis of the maximum value or the minimum value of the parameter function of the impedance.

The invention relates to a method of inspection of rod-shaped articles, the method comprising: —providing a first drum having a plurality of seats; —providing at least one seat of the plurality of seats of the first drum with an inductive sensor comprising a coil; —providing the at least one seat of the plurality of seats of the first drum with a rod-shaped article including a first susceptor, the first susceptor comprising a conductive material; —inserting the rod-shaped article in the coil of the inductive sensor; —detecting a maximum value or a minimum value of a parameter function of the impedance of the coil during the insertion of the rod-shaped article; —discarding the rod-shaped article on the basis of the maximum value or the minimum value of the parameter function of the impedance.

The present invention relates to an inspection device for the quality control of rod-shaped articles, the device comprising: ⋅a drum (4) defining an outer surface (13,40) and including a plurality of seats (41), each seat (41) of the plurality adapted to receive a rod-shaped article; ⋅an inductive sensor (5) located at a seat (41) of the plurality, the inductive sensor (5) including a coil (51) defining an inner volume (50) large enough to receive therein an end of the rod-shaped article, the inductive sensor (5) being adapted to sense a characteristic of a susceptor (12) in the rod-shaped article; ⋅wherein the coil (51) includes a first semi-coil and a second semi-coil, the first semi-coil and/or the second semi-coil being movable from a first operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are in contact to each other forming the coil (51) where current can flow to a second operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are separated from each other and no current can flow, and vice-versa; ⋅the first semi-coil being located below the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4) and the second semi-coil being located above the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4); and ⋅an actuator (6) adapted to move the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil from the first operative position to the second operative position and vice-versa.

The present invention relates to an inspection device for the quality control of rod-shaped articles, the device comprising: ⋅a drum (4) defining an outer surface (13,40) and including a plurality of seats (41), each seat (41) of the plurality adapted to receive a rod-shaped article; ⋅an inductive sensor (5) located at a seat (41) of the plurality, the inductive sensor (5) including a coil (51) defining an inner volume (50) large enough to receive therein an end of the rod-shaped article, the inductive sensor (5) being adapted to sense a characteristic of a susceptor (12) in the rod-shaped article; ⋅wherein the coil (51) includes a first semi-coil and a second semi-coil, the first semi-coil and/or the second semi-coil being movable from a first operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are in contact to each other forming the coil (51) where current can flow to a second operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are separated from each other and no current can flow, and vice-versa; ⋅the first semi-coil being located below the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4) and the second semi-coil being located above the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4); and ⋅an actuator (6) adapted to move the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil from the first operative position to the second operative position and vice-versa.

An apparatus and method for recovering tobacco material from tobacco rod sections is provided, each tobacco rod section including a wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material. The apparatus includes a centrifugal object-orienting device including a disc disposed at an incline within a cylindrical container, the cylindrical container and the disc being rotatable about a rotation axis such that the rotating cylindrical container and disc impart centrifugal force to the tobacco rod sections, the tobacco rod sections being responsive to the centrifugal force to orient lengthwise. A first conveyor device is configured to receive and convey in a conveyor direction the tobacco rod sections, with the tobacco rod sections being oriented lengthwise relative to the conveyor direction. A slitting device is operably engaged with the first conveyor device and configured to lengthwise slit the wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material of each of the tobacco rod sections.

An apparatus and method for recovering tobacco material from tobacco rod sections is provided, each tobacco rod section including a wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material. The apparatus includes a centrifugal object-orienting device including a disc disposed at an incline within a cylindrical container, the cylindrical container and the disc being rotatable about a rotation axis such that the rotating cylindrical container and disc impart centrifugal force to the tobacco rod sections, the tobacco rod sections being responsive to the centrifugal force to orient lengthwise. A first conveyor device is configured to receive and convey in a conveyor direction the tobacco rod sections, with the tobacco rod sections being oriented lengthwise relative to the conveyor direction. A slitting device is operably engaged with the first conveyor device and configured to lengthwise slit the wrapping paper wrapped about the tobacco material of each of the tobacco rod sections.