Tobacco extractor

• US 4,448,208 A
• Filed: 01/18/1982
• Issued: 05/15/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fabriques De Tabac Reunies, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Hermann, Brosy, Jacques, Ruf, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Application Number:
  US06/340,399
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 131/297, 23/293 R, 209/13, 209/17, 209/18, 209/160
• US Class Current: 131/297
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/24 by extraction; Tobacco extracts
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 3/18 Other treatment of leaves, e.g. puffing, crimpling, cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0226 with the general transport direction of the solids parallel to the rotation axis of the conveyor, e.g. worm

Abstract

A tobacco extractor (10) for extracting liquid and soluble constituents from cut, small plants or tobacco is disclosed. The extractor (10) consists of a worm conveyor (16) for conveying the tobacco through a V-shaped conduit (11, 12) while the wash liquid passes through the conduit in an opposite direction.

Claims

1. An extractor comprising:

a downwardly sloping inlet conduit;

an upwardly sloping outlet conduit connected to said downwardly sloping conduit at their lowest portions;

a worm conveyor coaxially mounted in said inlet and outlet conduit;

a plant material inlet mounted at the upper end of said inlet conduit;

a plant material outlet at the upper end of said outlet conduit;

an extract discharge line mounted at the upper end of said inlet conduit; and

a wash liquid feed connection mounted at the upper end of said outlet conduit.

2. An extractor according to claim 1 wherein said inlet conduit and said outlet conduit meet at an angle of approximately 140°

to 170°

.

3. An extractor according to claim 1 wherein said worm conveyor is comprised of two worm conveyor sections connected by a cardan joint at the lowest portion of said extractor.