Tobacco recovery system

A cigarette making system comprising:

• a. a cigarette making machine, comprising;
• a rod forming section in flow communication with a rod forming vacuum conduit;
• and
• a feed hopper having a gravity discharge into said rod forming section, and said hopper being in flow communication with a feed conduit from a cut tobacco source and with a pneumatic feed vacuum conduit, said pneumatic feed vacuum conduit being physically separated from said feed conduit;
• and
• b. a tobacco recovery system, comprising;
• a particle separator having a first inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, said first inlet being in flow communication with said cigarette making machine rod forming vacuum conduit;
• a vertically disposed classification chamber having an inlet in flow communication with said particle separator first outlet, a large particle outlet disposed in a bottom of said classification chamber and being in flow communication with said feed hopper, and a small particle outlet disposed in a top of said classification chamber;
• and
• an airflow source to move tobacco dust and useable tobacco particles from said rod forming section to said particle separator and said classification chamber.

A cigarette making system comprising:

• a. a cigarette making machine, comprising:
• a rod forming section in flow communication with a rod forming vacuum conduit;
• and
• a feed hopper having a gravity discharge into said rod forming section, and said hopper being in flow communication with a feed conduit from a cut tobacco source and with a pneumatic feed vacuum conduit, said pneumatic feed vacuum conduit being physically separated from said feed conduit;
• and
• b. a tobacco recovery system, comprising:
• a centrifugal curve in flow communication with said cigarette making machine rod forming vacuum conduit;
• a classification chamber adjacent said centrifugal curve and in flow communication with said feed hopper;
• a scalping gate interposed between said classification chamber and said centrifugal curve;
• and
• an air lock interposed between said feed hopper and said chamber.