A pre-formed cone filling apparatus (100) is disclosed for filling paper cones (130) with a ground product such as tobacco or another leaf- or plant-based product such as cannabis The apparatus 100 has individual cone holders (110) mounted vertically on the circumference of a horizontally-oriented rotating wheel (120). The cone holders move in pairs between a number of processing stations which are located around the circumference of the wheel (120). The processing stations include a loading station (200) for loading an individual cone (130) into each cone holder (110), a seating station (300) to ensure the cones (130) are correctly seated in the holders (110) and correctly shaped, a filling station (500) for filling a cone with the product, and a closing station (600) for closing the open end of the filled cone. The filling station also has primary and secondary tamping pins for controlling the product density during and after filling.

A process for detecting oil or lubricant contamination in the production of an article by adding a Stokes-shifting taggant to an oil or lubricant of a machine utilized to produce the article or a component thereof, irradiating the articles produced with a first wavelength of radiation, and monitoring the articles for emission of radiation at a second wavelength. The taggant can be in the form of a composition containing a Stokes-shifting taggant, which absorbs radiation at a first wavelength and emits radiation at a second wavelength, different from said first wavelength, dissolved or dispersed in an oil or lubricant.

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; and—detecting in the first image a position of the susceptor.

Testing systems and methods are provided for a smoking article to determine a characteristic of the smoking article, such as density of a material used therewith. The testing system may include a test fixture and an electromagnetic energy generating device The testing methods may be carried out by subjecting the material to the electromagnetic energy and determining the amount of energy absorbed by the material.

A device for off-line detection of circumferential appearance quality of cigarettes includes a mechanical system, a vision system and a control system, where the mechanical system includes a hopper, a feed roller, an auto-rotating roller, an upper chute and a lower chute. A method for off-line detection of circumferential appearance quality of cigarettes by using the above device is further provided. The present disclosure can achieve detection without omission to obtain accurate and quantifiable detection results, and has high processing efficiency.

A cigarette filter inspection method of inspecting a solid flavor element to be disposed in a void between two filter plugs placed in outer filter wrapper, and the cigarette filter inspection method includes an illumination step of irradiating the void with illumination light, an imaging step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void, a filler detection step of detecting the flavor element based on contrast between the void and the flavor element in the inspection image, and an inspection step of inspecting the flavor element detected in the inspection image.

A cigarette filter inspection method of inspecting a solid flavor element to be disposed in a void between two filter plugs placed in outer filter wrapper, and the cigarette filter inspection method includes an illumination step of irradiating the void with illumination light, an imaging step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void, a filler detection step of detecting the flavor element based on contrast between the void and the flavor element in the inspection image, and an inspection step of inspecting the flavor element detected in the inspection image.

Device for grinding and mixing of herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, preparing and dispensing of cigarettes and method for the application thereof The subject of the invention is a device for grinding and mixing of herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, preparing and dispensing of cigarettes, the device comprising a grinding chamber (2) for holding and grinding the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, wherein the grinding chamber (2) has a plurality of tubes (9) for holding pre-rolled cigarette papers (17) and receiving ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, a carousel (10), which is rotatable around a central axis (16). The device further comprises a mixing chamber (5) for mixing the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, which is located below the grinding chamber (2), a mixing unit (4) located in the mixing chamber (5), at least one door (7) on the carousel cover (8) for dispensing one tube (9) or a plurality of tubes (9) with the filled pre-rolled cigarette paper (17), wherein the carousel (10) comprises a plurality of tube holders (14) for holding the tubes (9). The subject of the invention is also the method for the application of the device.

An analysis and/or treatment device (100) for at least one smoking article (60). comprising a closable receptacle (4) for receiving the at least one smoking article (60) therein; a reservoir (62) for a fluid treatment material (8, 9); a hollow injection needle. (2) interiorly insertable into the smoking article (60) received in the receptacle (4) and operably connected to the reservoir (62); means (3) for moving the treatment material (9) from the reservoir (62) through the needle (2) into the interior of the smoking article (60); and at least one sensor means (15) provided in the receptacle (4) for detecting at least one parameter characterizing a property of the smoking article (60) and/or characterizing the treatment conditions in the receptacle (4). A method for applying a treatment to a smoking article (60), wherein the smoking article (60) is enclosed by a receptacle (4), and a treatment material (8,9) is inserted into the receptacle (4) and directly into the interior of the smoking article (60) as a function of parameters measured by sensor means (1), said parameters being indicative of at least one of the temperature and the humidity in the receptacle (4) and the smoking article (60).

An analysis and/or treatment device (100) for at least one smoking article (60). comprising a closable receptacle (4) for receiving the at least one smoking article (60) therein; a reservoir (62) for a fluid treatment material (8, 9); a hollow injection needle. (2) interiorly insertable into the smoking article (60) received in the receptacle (4) and operably connected to the reservoir (62); means (3) for moving the treatment material (9) from the reservoir (62) through the needle (2) into the interior of the smoking article (60); and at least one sensor means (15) provided in the receptacle (4) for detecting at least one parameter characterizing a property of the smoking article (60) and/or characterizing the treatment conditions in the receptacle (4). A method for applying a treatment to a smoking article (60), wherein the smoking article (60) is enclosed by a receptacle (4), and a treatment material (8,9) is inserted into the receptacle (4) and directly into the interior of the smoking article (60) as a function of parameters measured by sensor means (1), said parameters being indicative of at least one of the temperature and the humidity in the receptacle (4) and the smoking article (60).