Process and apparatus for providing roll reconstituted tobacco material
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorGerard E. Leonard
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Abstract
The process is carried out using an apparatus including two pressurized roller systems, each roller system having two rollers in roll contact. A series of generally "V" shaped grooves extends about the periphery of one roller of the first roller system, while the other roller thereof has a smooth surface. The two rollers of the second roller system are spaced apart by a distance of about 0.002 inch to about 0.020 inch.
Claims42
A process for providing reclaimed tobacco material in sheet-like form, said process comprising the steps in combination (a) providing tobacco material including tobacco leaf stem material, the tobacco material having a moisture content less than about 30 weight percent, and then (b) passing the tobacco material through the nip of a first pressurized roller system having two rollers exhibiting a nip zone pressure sufficient to provide compression of said tobacco material thereby providing compressed, admixed tobacco material, wherein at least one of the roller faces comprises a series of grooves, which series extends longitudinally along the roller and each groove extends about the periphery of the roller, wherein each groove has a maximum width near the surface of the roller and a minimum width near the bottom of the groove, wherein each of the grooves has a maximum width and depth which is smaller than the length and/or diameter of tobacco leaf stem material, and wherein the tobacco leaf stem material is employed in a structural strength providing amount, and then (c) forming under pressure reclaimed tobacco material in sheet-like form by passing the compressed, admixed tobacco material through the nip of a second pressurized roller system having two rollers exhibiting a nip zone pressure sufficient to provide the reclaimed tobacco material, wherein the roller faces of the rollers are positioned in a spaced apart relationship in the region along the rollers where the reclaimed tobacco material is formed, and wherein the spaced apart relationship between the faces of the rollers provides a sufficient distance therebetween to provide formed sheet-like reclaimed tobacco material.
An apparatus for providing reclaimed tobacco, the apparatus comprising (a) a first pressurized roller system wherein at least one of the roller faces thereof comprises a series of grooves, said series extending longitudinally along the roller wherein each groove extends about the periphery of the roller, and wherein each groove has a maximum width near the surface of the roller and a minimum width near the bottom of the groove, (b) a second pressurized roller system wherein the roller faces of the rollers are positioned in a spaced apart relationship in a region along the rollers, and wherein the spaced apart relationship between the faces of the rollers is a distance which approximates the thickness of sheet-like reclaimed tobacco material.
A process for providing reclaimed tobacco material in sheet-like form, said process comprising the steps in combination (a) providing tobacco material including tobacco leaf stem material, the tobacco material having a moisture content less than about 30 weight percent, and then (b) passing the tobacco material through the nip of a pressurized roller system having two rollers exhibiting a nip zone pressure sufficient to provide compression of said tobacco material thereby providing said sheet-like material, wherein (i) at least one of the roller faces comprises a series of grooves, which series extends longitudinally along the roller and each groove extends about the periphery of the roller, wherein each groove has a maximum width near the surface of the roller and a minimum width near the bottom of the groove, wherein each of the grooves has a maximum width and depth which is smaller than the length and/or diameter of tobacco leaf stem material, and wherein the tobacco leaf material is employed in a structural strength providing amount and (ii) wherein the roller faces of the rollers are in a spaced apart relationship in the region along the rollers where the reclaimed tobacco material is formed and wherein the spaced apart relationship between the faces of the rollers provides a sufficient distance therebetween to provide formed sheet-like reclaimed tobacco material.
An apparatus for providing reclaimed tobacco, the apparatus comprising (a) a pressurized roller system wherein at least one of the roller faces comprises a series of grooves, which series extends longitudinally along the roller and each groove extends about the periphery of the roller, wherein each groove has a maximum width near the surface of the roller and a minimum width near the bottom of the groove, wherein each of the grooves has a maximum width and depth which is smaller than the length and/or diameter of tobacco leaf stem material, and wherein the roller faces of the rollers are in a spaced apart relationship in a region along the rollers where the reclaimed tobacco material is formed and wherein the spaced apart relationship between the faces of the rollers is a distance which approximates the thickness of sheet-like reclaimed tobacco material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.