Method and apparatus for producing cigarette filler
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsLouis R. Turano, William T. Callaham, John F. Sherwood, Richard E. Thatcher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing tobacco filler by cutting whole tobacco leaves, including stems, is provided. The leaves, with stems in, are cut to produce strands of lamina and strands of stem and lamina. The strands are carded to disentangle them and then put through a separator to separate the strands of lamina, for use as filler, from strands of stem and lamina. The strands of stem and lamina can be carded again to disentangle may remaining strands of lamina that there may be, and the strands can then be passed through another separator. The process can be repeated several times if necessary.
Claims10
A method for processing whole leaf tobacco for producing cigarette filler, said method comprising the steps of:
- cutting said whole leaf tobacco to substantially the same width as cigarette filler to produce strands of tobacco consisting of lamina and strands of tobacco comprising lamina and stem;
- carding said cut whole leaf tobacco, without first cutting said strands to a shorter length, to disentangle said strands of cut leaf;
- and
- separating said strands comprising lamina and stem from said strands consisting of lamina.
A carding feeder for disentangling strands of cut whole leaf tobacco, comprising:
- a spiked apron for lifting said strands of cut whole leaf tobacco;
- a combing apron substantially parallel to said spiked apron and moving in a direction opposite to and faster than said spiked apron over their region of contact wherein said spiked apron and said combing apron maintain contact over some significant portion of the length of said spiked apron.
A carding feeder for disentangling strands of cut whole leaf tobacco, comprising:
- a spiked apron for lifting said strands of cut whole leaf tobacco;
- a combing roller adjacent a rise of said spiked apron and moving in a direction opposite to and faster than said spiked apron at their point of contact;
- and
- an air knife for stripping said strands from said spiked apron.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.