TH11399A - Tobacco leaf processing methods. - Google Patents

Abstract

The lamina and stem portions of the tobacco leaves are fed simultaneously into the grinder, resulting in a homogeneous mixture of lamina and stem particles. This mixture, with little or no further size reduction, can then be fed into the cigarette making machine.

Claims (48)

1. Method of processing tobacco material, which involves feeding tobacco leaf lamina and tobacco stem strands with a moisture content higher than their transition moisture content as previously defined herein through a leaf reduction device. The arrangement of the said device and the operating conditions under which the product exiting the said device is a mixture consisting of small pieces of the said lamina and the said stem strands. 2. The method under claim 1 in which the aforementioned product does not require further reduction in size before being inserted into the device for inhalation. 3. The method under claim 1 or 2, in which the lamina and stem fed into the aforementioned device consist of the entire blade as previously defined herein. 4. The method under claims 1, 2, or 3, where the lamina and stem fed into the aforementioned device are the lamina prior to separation. 5. The method under claims 1 through 4, where the feed rod into the aforementioned device is the rod before separation from the attached lamina. 6. Any method under one of the preceding claims in which the minimum moisture content of the majority of the tobacco material fed into the aforementioned equipment is higher than the moisture content change. 7. The method under any of the preceding claims in which the tobacco material is fed into the aforementioned device is fed by its gravity. 8. A method pursuant to one of the preceding claims in which the said device consists of a blade section, a blade reduction section and a second section of material flow between and across to the surface of the said section, and a driving method that causes movement in a transverse direction between the said sections. 9. The method under claim 8, in which at least part of the aforementioned part is a circular disc. 10. The method under claim 8, where the aforementioned surface is in the shape of a cone. 11. The method under claims 8, 9, or 10, in which the aforementioned part consists of projections on its opposite surface as mentioned. 12. The method according to claim 11 in which the aforementioned projection is generally a linear configuration and the aforementioned projection is attached to its linear axis which extends perpendicularly in the direction of the aforementioned relative motion between the aforementioned components. 13. Any of the methods under Claims 8 through 12 are to be used to drive only the aforementioned components. 14. Any of the methods described in Claims 8 through 12 in which the propulsion method is implemented when the two components mentioned are driven. 15. Any of the methods under Claims 8 through 14 in which the aforementioned relative motion is a relative rotational motion. 16. Any method under any of the preceding claims which passes through the aforementioned laminate and the aforementioned side into the aforementioned device only once. 17. Any method under one of the preceding claims in which, during the passage of the blade material into the said equipment, a steam pressure of a certain value comes into contact with the said blade material. 18. Any method under one of the preceding claims in which the flow of leaf material to and through the said device is aided by maintaining the product outflow of the said device by reducing the air pressure. 19. Any method under any prior claim which, prior to feeding the leaf material to the aforementioned equipment, is performed on the aforementioned leaf material or a part of it with a modifying agent for pumping. 20. Any method under one of the preceding claims in which the aforementioned product is processed using tobacco leaf expansion techniques. 21. Any method under any prior claim in which the said product is included in the item for smoking. 22. The method under claim 21, in which the item for smoking is said to be cigarettes. 23. The method under claim 21, in which the item for smoking is said to be a cigar. 24. The method stipulated in claims 21, 22, or 23, in which the aforementioned product is fed into a machine for pumping. 25. The method under claim 24, prior to feeding into the aforementioned machine, does not perform any further reduction of the aforementioned product or only performs minimal additional particle size reduction. 26. Any of the methods under Claims 21 through 25, prior to the inclusion of the aforementioned products in the pumping medium, results in the aforementioned products being homogeneously mixed with the other pumping medium. 27. Items for smoking consisting of smoking materials, which are products of any of the methods of processing tobacco materials as specified in Articles 1 through 20. 28. Items for smoking as per claim 27 and that are cigarettes. 29. Items for smoking as per claim 27 and that are cigars. 30. Smoking material consisting of a well-blended mixture of small pieces of lamina and stem strands. This material is a product of feeding lamina of tobacco leaves and tobacco stems with a moisture content higher than their transition moisture content through a leaf-reducing device. 31. The material for pumping under claim 30, its repost angle shall not be more than approximately 45 degrees horizontally. 32. Materials for pumping as per claim 31, whose repost angle is not more than approximately 35 degrees horizontally. 33. Materials for pumping as per claims 30, 31 or 32, which have a shape factor as defined herein above of approximately 60 percent or more of the dust-free particle size of 0.5 or higher. 34. Materials for pumping pursuant to claim clause 33, whose shape factor as defined herein above is approximately 70 percent or more of the dust-free particle size is 0.5 or higher. 35. Any material for smoking under claims 30 through 34 whose Borgwaldt original value is lower than that of the original material of the lamina portion of cigarettes in general. 36. Items for pumping consisting of pumping materials as specified in any one of the claims in Articles 30 through 35. 37. Items for smoking as per claim 36 and which are cigarettes. 38. Items for smoking as per claim 36 and as cigars. 39. Method of processing tobacco material so that the fill material for smoking, which is whole tobacco leaves as previously defined, with a moisture content higher than its transition moisture content as previously defined, passes through the channel defined by the interconnected protruding parts of the first and second parts of the relative rotating part of the grinding component of the leaf reduction device from the inlet of the aforementioned channel, away from the aforementioned inlet, to the outlet of the aforementioned outlet, consisting of a compatible mixture of small pieces of lamina and strands of stem. 40. The method according to claim 39, in which the aforementioned exit is located at the edge of the jointly protruding part. 41. Original materials or items for pumping, which are products of the method according to claim clause 39 or 40. 42. Method of manufacturing the pumping equipment in which the fill material, a product of the method under claim 39 or 40, is fed into the pumping equipment. 43. Items for smoking, which are products of the method under claim 42. 44. Fill material for vacuuming, which is a homogeneous mixture of small pieces of lamina and rod fibers, having a shape factor as previously defined herein of approximately 60 percent or more, and a dust-free particle size of 0.5 or higher. 45. Fill material for the pumping machine, which is the fill material under claim 44, is fed into the pumping machine. 46. Items for smoking, which are products of the method under claim 45. 47. Method of cigarette making in which tobacco material is reduced in size so that the whole leaves, separated as previously defined herein, are fed through a grinder, where the product at the outlet of the said grinder is a homogeneous mixture consisting of small laminate pieces and stem fibers, and this mixture is fed into a cigarette rolling machine. 48. Methods of processing the tobacco leaf material as described in Experiments 1 and 2 and 4 through 10 detailed above, in order to obtain a compatible mixture consisting of small lamina pieces and stem fibers directly (Clause 48, page 6, figure 8).