Patent ID: 11891204
Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for making pouch products, the apparatus comprising:
a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to a first receiving location, the first material including a first elastic layer and a first support layer, the first material dispensing station including:
a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material,
a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and
a stripper plate configured to remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer;

a doser assembly at a dosing location, the doser assembly configured to deliver a filler material to a portion of the first material;
a second material dispensing station configured to transfer a second material to a second receiving location, the second material including a second elastic layer and a second support layer, the first material being aligned with the second material at the second receiving location, such that the filler material is between the portion of the first material and a portion of the second material, wherein the second material dispensing station includes:
a second dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the second material,
a second plurality of rollers configured to convey the second material from the second dispenser roller to the second receiving location, and
a second stripper plate configured to remove at least a portion of the second support layer from the second elastic layer, the second stripper plate adjacent the second receiving location;

a conveyor system, the conveyor system including a rotatable drum, the rotatable drum including a plurality of divots along an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum, the plurality of divots configured to travel along a path of the rotatable drum, the plurality of divots configured to allow a vacuum to be communicated to the plurality of divots at the dosing location, such that separate, respective portions of the first elastic layer are drawn into separate, respective divots of the plurality of divots at the dosing location; and
a cleaner assembly between the doser assembly and the second material dispensing station, the cleaner assembly configured to move the filler material on an upper surface of the first elastic layer into one or more divots of the plurality of divots and to compress the filler material in the one or more divots, wherein the cleaner assembly includes:
a cleaner roller configured to counter rotate with the rotatable drum at a greater tangential speed than at least one of the outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or the upper surface of the first elastic layer, such that an outer surface of the cleaner roller is in contact with the upper surface of the first elastic layer on the outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum, and
a poker roller including a plurality of projections that are each configured to extend into the one or more divots of the plurality of divots of the rotatable drum, the poker roller configured to counter rotate with the rotatable drum at a same tangential speed as the at least one of the outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or the upper surface of the first elastic layer, such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the plurality of divots based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum,
wherein the cleaner roller is between the dosing location and the poker roller, such that the cleaner roller is configured to move the filler material on the upper surface of the first elastic layer into the one or more divots of the plurality of divots of the rotatable drum prior to the poker roller compressing the filler material in the one or more divots of the plurality of divots.