Method and apparatus for measuring the density of filling material in rod- shaped smokers' products taking into account the moisture of the filling material

摘要

For each rod-shaped article or group of articles there is generated a respective first signal dependent upon both the density and the moisture of the filling material. There is also generated a second signal dependent upon the moisture of the filling material. The first and second signals are processed to form for the respective articles respective third signals dependent upon the mass of the filling material but not exhibiting the moisture dependency of the corresponding first signals. The second signal is generated by determining from the generated third signals which of the articles are defective because they contain insufficient filling material and which are non-defective because they contain sufficient filling material. An average signal is derived from only those first signals derived from non-defective ones of the articles. The second signal is derived from the average signal.