US 4,791,942 A · Process and apparatus for the expansion of tobacco

Abstract

A process for expanding tobacco includes the steps of adjusting the moisture content of cut tobacco, pressurizing the cut tobacco with or without treatment, releasing the pressurized cut tobacco rapidly into a dryer and reordering the tobacco. The apparatus includes a housing having at least one chamber and preferably a chamber divided into a plurality of isolated sectors. Tobacco is received in the chamber or in each sector and released quickly from the housing following at least the step of pressurization of tobacco by steam. The apparatus may be used for batch and continuous treatment of tobacco. According to the continuous treatment, the sectors are formed by a rotating member, and each sector of the member is filled with tobacco as the member rotates relative to an inlet. The inlet and an outlet through which treated tobacco falls are in vertical alignment.

Claims18

Dependent claims

The process of expanding tobacco including the steps of

(a) adjusting the moisture content of cut tobacco;
(b) placing the cut tobacco in a gaseous or liquid environment consisting essentially of steam or carbon dioxide and pressurizing the cut tobacco in said environment:
(c) substantially simultaneously depressurizing and drying the cut tobacco;
and
(d) reordering the dried tobacco.

2 more elements

An apparatus for the expansion of tobacco, comprising:

a housing having an interior surface defining a cylindrical chamber;
a rotatable wall structure mounted within said cylindrical chamber for rotation about the axis thereof, said rotatable wall structure comprising at least three wall elements extending substantially from the axis of said housing toward and being sealed effectively to the interior surface thereof, said wall elements being spaced substantially equally about said axis so as to divide the interior of said housing into a like number of substantially uniform chambers, so that when said rotatable wall structure is rotated about said axis said chambers are effectively rotated with respect to said housing,
said housing further defining an inlet passage for supply of tobacco to one of said chambers, an outlet passage for withdrawal of tobacco from one of said chambers, and an inlet passage for supplying a pressurizing medium to one of said chambers, and
wherein the sizes and locations of said inlet and outlet passages in said housing are such that only one thereof is permitted to communicate with any one of said chambers at a given time.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and apparatus for the expansion of tobacco

Life of this patent

Process and apparatus for the expansion of tobacco

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18