Tobacco expansion apparatus
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorsLucas Jones Conrad, Jackie Lee White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for expanding tobacco includes a chamber having a spool and shell arrangement and a device for compressing tobacco into the shell for impregnation. The spool includes first and second cylindrical end members and a connecting rod between the first and second end members. A seal is provided between the outer surface of the end members and the shell. Expansion agent is introduced into the chamber to impregnate the tobacco for expansion.
Claims17
Apparatus for impregnating tobacco with an expansion agent comprising:
- a chamber for confining a charge of tobacco under elevated pressure conditions;
- means for admitting expansion agent in fluid form into said chamber for impregnating the tobacco;
- and
- an accumulator connected to said expansion agent introduction means and being adapted for maintaining a supply of said expansion agent under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, said accumulator comprising a movable member defining two separate fluid zones wherein one of said zones contains said expansion agent and wherein the other of said zones contains a gaseous pressurizing fluid.
Apparatus for impregnating tobacco with an expansion agent comprising:
- a chamber for confining a charge of tobacco under elevated pressure conditions;
- means for admitting expansion agent in fluid form into said chamber for impregnating the tobacco;
- and
- an accumulator connected to said expansion agent introduction means and being adapted for maintaining a supply of said expansion agent under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, said accumulator comprising a movable member defining at least one fluid zone having a variable volume, wherein said fluid zone contains said expansion agent.
Apparatus for impregnating tobacco comprising:
- chamber means for treating tobacco under conditions of elevated pressure comprising a cylindrical tubular shell, spool means mounted for reciprocal movement between at least a first position outside the shell and a treating position within the shell, said spool means comprising first and second cylindrical end members and a connecting rod extending between and securing said first and second end members together, said end members and said connecting rod defining an annular space around said connecting rod, and sealing means adapted for forming a seal between said cylindrical end members and the inside surface of said shell when said spool means is in the treating position so that said shell, end members and sealing means form a pressure chamber;
- means for loading and compressing a charge of tobacco into said chamber;
- means for introducing expansion fluid into said chamber for impregnation of said tobacco charge;
- and
- means for recovering impregnated compressed tobacco from said expansion chamber.
Apparatus for impregnating tobacco comprising:
- chamber means comprising spool means for treating tobacco under conditions of elevated pressure;
- means for loading and compressing a charge of tobacco into said chamber, said loading and compressing means comprising a pair of opposed conduits on opposing sides of said spool means, and tobacco compressing means mounted for reciprocating movement within each of said conduits between a retracted position and an extended position for moving tobacco through the conduit and compressing the tobacco into said annular space of said spool means;
- means for introducing expansion fluid into said chamber for impregnation of said tobacco charge;
- and
- means for recovering impregnated compressed tobacco from said expansion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.