APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCT INCORPORATING AN OBJECT, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

摘要

An apparatus (1) and associated method are provided for manufacturing a smokeless tobacco product including tobacco material and at least one object. A forming unit (50) is configured to form a continuous supply of a pouch material (20) into a continuous tubular member (25) defining a longitudinal axis. A tobacco insertion unit (300) is configured to introduce tobacco material into a pouch member portion (116) of the tubular member (25). An object insertion unit (500) is configured to introduce objects into the tubular member (25), with at least one of the objects being introduced into the pouch member portion (116). A closing and dividing unit (600) is configured to close and divide the tubular member (25) at intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof, to form the tubular member into a plurality of discrete pouch member portions (116) such that each discrete pouch member portion (116) includes the tobacco material and the at least one of the objects.