ROD FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD
A method of forming a wrapped article, comprising the steps of: forming a continuous stream of material such as an agricultural product; moving the continuous stream of material along an elongated path; compressing the continuous stream of material to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof until a predetermined cross-sectional dimension is achieved; drawing the compressed continuous stream of material through a rod-forming arrangement, the rod-forming arrangement having a non-contact displacement transducer associated therewith; folding at least one web longitudinally around the compressed continuous stream of material to form a continuous rod of material; and detecting variations in rod density within the rod-forming arrangement from a signal obtained from the non-contact displacement transducer.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a tongue configured to receive a continuous stream of material;
a folder configured to fold a wrapper material around the continuous stream of material so as to form a continuous rod of material; and
a non-contact displacement transducer for measuring folder displacement, the non-contact displacement transducer coupled to the folder.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to determine a variation of density of the continuous stream of material based on an output from the non-contact displacement transducer.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the variation is outside of a desired range.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cutter configured to cut the continuous stream of material to form an article.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clamp coupled to the folder,
the non-contact displacement transducer directly coupled to the clamp.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact displacement transducer is directly coupled to the folder.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact displacement transducer is an eddy current sensor.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a folder assembly including,
a first folder including the folder,
a first non-contact displacement transducer including the non-contact displacement transducer, and
a second folder.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the folder assembly further includes a second non-contact displacement transducer coupled to the second folder.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the first folder is a short folder,
the second folder is a finishing folder, and
the second folder is downstream of the first folder.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the folder includes,
a base defining an elongated trough,
an upper portion coupled to the base, and
a wedge between the base and the upper portion.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the non-contact displacement transducer is coupled to the base.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the base defines a hole.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the non-contact displacement transducer is in the hole.
15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the non-contact displacement transducer is coupled to the upper portion.
16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the wedge defines a fixed slope.
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey the continuous stream of material along a path.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed section configured to provide a stream of the material.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
an upper compression belt and a pair of squeeze bars configured to compress the stream of the material so as to create the continuous stream of material.
20 . An apparatus comprising:
a short folder;
a first clamp coupled to the short folder;
a first noncontact displacement directly coupled to the first clamp;
a finishing folder downstream of the short folder;
a second clamp coupled to the finishing folder; and
a second noncontact displacement directly coupled to the second clamp.