Methods and apparatus for expanding tobacco
AssigneeAirco, Inc.
InventorRonald D. Rothchild
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tobacco impregnated with solid carbon dioxide is heated in a chamber to expand the same by sublimation of solid CO.sub.2 and expulsion of CO.sub.2 gas from the tobacco. The expanded tobacco is separated from the internal atmosphere of the expansion device and the tobacco is discharged through an outlet through which gas flows are substantially precluded. The evolved CO.sub.2 gas and other volatile components are removed from the chamber and a portion of the removed gas is heated and returned to the chamber as the expansion medium. The necessity for external steam is avoided as an atmosphere of high thermal diffusivity is maintained in the expansion chamber by precluding the entry of ambient air.
Claims11
Apparatus for expanding solid carbon dioxide containing tobacco comprising an expansion chamber, means for introducing said solid carbon dioxide containing tobacco into said expansion chamber;
- means for heating the atmosphere in said expansion chamber to thereby expand said tobacco and form a chamber atmosphere comprised substantially of carbon dioxide gas and volatilized moisture and organic materials;
- means connected to said expansion chamber for separating expanded tobacco from said chamber atmosphere;
- means for discharging expanded tobacco from said separating means;
- and means for substantially precluding gas flows through said expanded tobacco discharge means.
Apparatus for expanding solid carbon dioxide containing tobacco in an expansion chamber to produce a chamber atmosphere comprised of carbon dioxide gas and volatilized moisture and organic materials comprising inlet means disposed in a first conduit for introducing solid carbon dioxide containing tobacco into said chamber;
- means for heating the atmosphere in said chamber to thereby expand said tobacco and form a chamber atmosphere comprised of carbon dioxide gas and volatilized moisture and organic materials;
- means connected to said chamber for separating expanded tobacco from said chamber atmosphere;
- outlet means disposed in a second conduit for discharging expanded tobacco from said separating means;
- means for dividing said vented chamber atmosphere into first and second flows;
- means for condensing volatile organic materials in said first flow and means for supplying the non-condensed remainder of said first flow to said first conduit exteriorly of said tobacco inlet with respect to said chamber and to said second conduit exteriorly of said outlet means with respect to said separating means thereby substantially isolating said tobacco inlet and outlet means from ambient air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.