MY100950A - Tobacco conditioning apparatus. - Google Patents

Abstract

A TOBACCO CONDITIONING APPARATUS INCLUDES AN OUTER, ROTATABLE, HOLLOW DRUM HAVING A TOBACCO INLET AT ONE END AND A TOBACCO OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE END WITH AN INNER, HOLLOW DRUM EXTENDING THROUGH THE TOBACCO INLET END,GENERALLY COAXIAL WITH THE OUTER DRUM AND EXTENDING A DISTANCE LONGITUDINALLY INTO THE OUTER DRUM LESS THAN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE OUTER DRUM. THE OUTER AND INNER DRUMS COOPERATE TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR GAS FLOW-THROUGH PASSAGEWAY WHICH IS OPEN TO AN EXHAUST CHAMBER. TOBACCO TO BE TREATED IS INTRODUCED INTO THE INNER DRUM AND FLOWS THEREFROM INTO THE OUTER DRUM WHILE A STREAM OF TOBACCO TREATING GAS IS INTRODUCED INTO THE TOBACCO OUTLET END TO FLOW IN COUNTER-CURRENT DIRECTION TO THE FLOW OF TOBACCO THROUGH THE OUTER DRUM SO THAT VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE TOBACCO IS CONTACTED AND TREATED BY THE GAS. THE TREATING GAS LEAVES THE OUTER DRUM THROUGH THE ANNULAR FLOW-THROUGH PASSAGEWAY AND INTO THE EXHAUST CHAMBER FROM WHICH IT IS EXHAUSTED FROM THE APPARATUS. BAFFLES ARE LOCATED IN THE ANNULAR FLOW-THROUGH PASSAGEWAY TO DEFINE A SINUOUS PATH TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE GAS IN TRAVERSING THE ANNULAR PASSAGEWAY IN ORDER TO SEPARATE ENTRAINED PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM THE TREATING GAS BEFORE THE TREATING GAS ENTERS THE EXHAUST CHAMBER. (FIG. 2)