Method of and apparatus for expanding tobacco
First Claim
1. Apparatus for expanding tobacco with a gaseous medium comprising a conveying duct for conveying the tobacco with the gaseous medium, said duct having an inlet and an outlet, said duct being gradually curved from said inlet to said outlet so as to have a generally C-shape in side elevation, means connected to the duct inlet for supplying the gaseous medium to the duct at a given flow rate, said supplying means comprising a tubular venturi section having a throat, said venturi section having a venturi inlet tube and a venturi outlet tube, said tubes being connected at said throat, said venturi inlet tube having a cross-section transition from a circular cross-section to a rectangular cross-section at said throat, said venturi outlet tube having a rectangular cross-section extending from said throat to the inlet of said conveying duct and infeed means connected to said supplying means for feeding a tobacco material to said tubular venturi section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and an apparatus for expanding tobacco, particularly tobacco impregnated with solid carbon dioxide are disclosed. The apparatus comprises an arcuate, generally C-shaped duct for conveying the tobacco material in a hot gaseous medium to sublimate the solid carbon dioxide and expand the tobacco. The duct has a non-circular cross-section, preferably a rectangular cross-section, with a high width-to-depth ratio and an increasing depth from the inlet to an intermediate portion of the duct then a decreasing depth from the intermediate portion to the outlet of the duct. A winnower device infeeds the tobacco material into the duct adjacent the throat of a venturi section connected to the inlet of the conveying duct. A tangential separator with an adjustable baffle at the inlet thereof for controlling velocity in the separator is used to separate the expanded tobacco from the gaseous medium.
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Citations
31 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for expanding tobacco with a gaseous medium comprising a conveying duct for conveying the tobacco with the gaseous medium, said duct having an inlet and an outlet, said duct being gradually curved from said inlet to said outlet so as to have a generally C-shape in side elevation, means connected to the duct inlet for supplying the gaseous medium to the duct at a given flow rate, said supplying means comprising a tubular venturi section having a throat, said venturi section having a venturi inlet tube and a venturi outlet tube, said tubes being connected at said throat, said venturi inlet tube having a cross-section transition from a circular cross-section to a rectangular cross-section at said throat, said venturi outlet tube having a rectangular cross-section extending from said throat to the inlet of said conveying duct and infeed means connected to said supplying means for feeding a tobacco material to said tubular venturi section.
- 10. Apparatus for expanding tobacco with a gaseous medium comprising a conveying duct for conveying the tobacco with the gaseous medium in said duct, said duct having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path having a flow direction from said inlet to said outlet, said duct comprising an intermediate section, a first duct section having a noncircular cross-section with an increasing cross-sectional area from said inlet toward said intermediate section and a second duct section from said intermediate section toward said outlet, said first duct section having a generally arcuate shape in side elevation from said inlet toward said intermediate section.
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22. A method of expanding tobacco impregnated with solid CO2 comprising the steps of:
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introducing the impregnated tobacco into a duct having a non-circular cross-section and an inlet and an outlet; introducing a heated gaseous medium into the inlet of said duct at a flow rate and velocity and a temperature sufficient to expand the tobacco; entraining substantially all the impregnated tobacco in the gaseous medium at said inlet; flowing the gaseous medium with the entrained tobacco from said inlet toward said outlet along a generally arcuate flow path with a non-circular cross-section to sublime the solid CO2 and expand the tobacco along said flow path; decreasing the flow velocity of the gaseous medium and entrained tobacco from said inlet toward said outlet; and separating the expanded tobacco from the gaseous medium. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification