An apparatus for accurately dosing moist smokeless tobacco includes a dosing assembly and a dosing air source. The dosing assembly defines a loading chamber and a dosing chamber for containing a quantity of moist smokeless tobacco material. The dosing assembly also includes a discharge opening communicating with the dosing chamber. The dosing air source communicates with the dosing chamber and is operable to deliver compressed air to the dosing assembly so as to move moist smokeless tobacco material from the dosing chamber to the discharge opening. A method of pouching moist smokeless tobacco includes placing a predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco in a dosing chamber having a predetermined volume, and ejecting the predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco to pouching apparatus using compressed air.

An apparatus for accurately dosing moist smokeless tobacco includes a dosing assembly and a dosing air source. The dosing assembly defines a loading chamber and a dosing chamber for containing a quantity of moist smokeless tobacco material. The dosing assembly also includes a discharge opening communicating with the dosing chamber. The dosing air source communicates with the dosing chamber and is operable to deliver compressed air to the dosing assembly so as to move moist smokeless tobacco material from the dosing chamber to the discharge opening. A method of pouching moist smokeless tobacco includes placing a predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco in a dosing chamber having a predetermined volume, and ejecting the predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco to pouching apparatus using compressed air.

Apparatuses and methods for tamping the contents of a container are disclosed. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a tamp head for tamping the contents of the container; and a container support assembly structured and arranged to temporarily support the bottom surface of the container during tamping, the container support assembly comprising a support element having a protrusion extending upward from a substantially flat and horizontal upper surface, wherein the protrusion is sized and shaped to correspond to the size and shape of the bottom surface of the container.

The invention relates to a filling flow divider for food products and to a method for discharging food products and a filling machine, wherein the filling flow divider has an inlet via which an inflowing mass flow can be divided into a plurality of partial mass flows, transported further in a plurality of partial lines and discharged portion-wise onto or into an object via their outlet, and a plurality of commonly driven dosing devices for adjusting the volume flow of the respective partial mass flows. In this context, a valve device is arranged in each of the respective partial lines, which can divert the partial mass flow such that no mass is discharged via the outlet of the respective partial line.

The invention relates to a filling flow divider for food products and to a method for discharging food products and a filling machine, wherein the filling flow divider has an inlet via which an inflowing mass flow can be divided into a plurality of partial mass flows, transported further in a plurality of partial lines and discharged portion-wise onto or into an object via their outlet, and a plurality of commonly driven dosing devices for adjusting the volume flow of the respective partial mass flows. In this context, a valve device is arranged in each of the respective partial lines, which can divert the partial mass flow such that no mass is discharged via the outlet of the respective partial line.

A filling system includes a first hopper for receiving a smokable product, a second hopper for receiving the smokable product, a feeder for receiving the smokable product from the first hopper, a bowl feeder for receiving the smokable product from the second hopper, a weigh bucket for receiving the smokable product from the feeder and the bowl feeder, a load cell attached to the weigh bucket for measuring the smokable product in the weigh bucket, and a funnel for receiving the smokable product from the weigh bucket and feeding the smokable product to a container. The container is configured to receive a predetermined amount of smokable product within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined amount.

A filling system includes a first hopper for receiving a smokable product, a second hopper for receiving the smokable product, a feeder for receiving the smokable product from the first hopper, a bowl feeder for receiving the smokable product from the second hopper, a weigh bucket for receiving the smokable product from the feeder and the bowl feeder, a load cell attached to the weigh bucket for measuring the smokable product in the weigh bucket, and a funnel for receiving the smokable product from the weigh bucket and feeding the smokable product to a container. The container is configured to receive a predetermined amount of smokable product within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined amount.

Filling apparatus (10) and method for automatically filling containers (100) for smoking articles with a desired metered quantity of incoherent material (M) of the fibrous type. The apparatus (10) comprises a first and a second filling station (A2, A4) each having one or more delivery devices (22) and being configured to deliver respectively a first and a second quantity of incoherent material (M) into each container (100), wherein the second filling station (A4) is disposed downstream of said first filling station (A2) along a working line.

Filling apparatus (10) and method for automatically filling containers (100) for smoking articles with a desired metered quantity of incoherent material (M) of the fibrous type. The apparatus (10) comprises a first and a second filling station (A2, A4) each having one or more delivery devices (22) and being configured to deliver respectively a first and a second quantity of incoherent material (M) into each container (100), wherein the second filling station (A4) is disposed downstream of said first filling station (A2) along a working line.

The invention relates to a system (10) for transporting loose sterile closure elements (12) from the surroundings (14) of an isolator (16) into an interior (18) of the isolator, comprising a container (24) for storing a stock quantity of closure elements in the surroundings of the isolator, an isolator opening (20) and a collecting device (56) for collecting the closure elements and for providing the closure elements in the interior of the isolator, with a metering device (46) for controlling a target quantity of closure elements to be transported from the container through the isolator opening and into the collecting device.