GB1413846A - Tobacco moistening method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1413846 Moistening tobacco AMF INC 24 Jan 1973 [18 Feb 1972] 7668/72 Heading A2C Bales of tobacco 9 are moistened by placing them within an enclosed chamber 12, evacuating the chamber 12 and introducing steam into it while applying suction at at least one end of and elongated cavity 10 formed in the tobacco 9. the tobacco 9 being unsupported at the elongated surface of the cavity 10. As shown, the tobacco 9 is supported on a flat trolley provided with a central well 13 which underlies the cavity 10 and which is connected by pipes 14, 15, 16 to a suction source. An impervious blanket 17 seals the top end of the cavity 10, and steam is introduced through a pipe 18. The cavity may be produced by removing a core of tobacco, the core being ejected into the well 13 where it is also moistened. Alternatively, the tobacco can be packed around a core mould, which mould is removed before processing. Other embodiments are described in which (a) suction is applied through the top end of the cavity, (b) the trolley is run on a track to a position where a hole in the bottom of the trolley overlies a stationary suction well and a bell shaped chamber is lowered over the whole, and (c) a series of bales are transported intermittently on a perforated conveyor belt first to a coring station, and then to a moistening station where the suction and steam connections are located immediately beneath the conveyor. The single cavity in each bale may be supplemented by having several symmetrically arranged cavities. If desired the steam and suction connections may be reversed.