TH24810A - The processes and equipment for preparing tobacco and expanding it. - Google Patents

Abstract

The tobacco puffing process and equipment are provided to create tobacco batches with a specified tobacco quantity, involving steam exposure of the batch, loading the batch onto a spool assembly, and infusion of the batch with puffing agent. A dual piping system is provided to simultaneously load two created tobacco batches onto opposite sides of the infusion spool. The tobacco batches are created within a batching chamber containing vertically adjustable screens to accommodate various operating parameters and/or tobacco types and/or forms. The batches are conveyed through an air-separated zone to a preheating and compression zone. The separable zone is defined by a sequence of interconnected actuators, with at least two of them forming a barrier to prevent movement out of the puffing agent infusion zone. In the pre-compression zone, the batch is compressed, pushed against the permeable barrier, steam is applied, and then loaded onto the spool assembly for infusion with the puffing agent.

Claims (34)

1. A tobacco batching device for a tobacco processing system consisting of: a tobacco batching chamber, partially enclosed by vertical inlet walls and horizontally and vertically separated butt-side walls; an inlet channel, shared with the inlet wall, for pneumatically entering the chamber and positioned to convey the tobacco transversely towards the butt-side walls; a conveyor for supplying tobacco to the inlet channel at a flow rate sufficient to cause the tobacco to accumulate against the butt-side walls; an adjustable screen positioned within the chamber with an upper baffle for the pneumatically conveyed tobacco through the inlet channel; this adjustable screen moving between at least two vertical positions to adjust the volume of the batching chamber; and a sensor operating in conjunction with the chamber to determine when a specified quantity of tobacco has accumulated horizontally against the butt-side walls. 2. A tobacco batching device as defined in Claim 1, where the sensor is an optical sensing device. 3. A tobacco batching device as specified in Claim 1, whereby such sensors are used to monitor the pressure difference above and below the said sieve. 4. A tobacco batching device as defined in Claim 1, whereby the sensor is a proximity sensor. 5. Tobacco batching device as defined in Claim 1, where the sensor is a capacitive sensor. 6. Tobacco batching equipment as specified in Claim 1, where such conveyor is a pneumatic conveyor. 7. A tobacco batch making device as specified in Claim 1, which includes a repositioning device in conjunction with the said sieve to change the vertical position of the said sieve. 8. A tobacco batching device as specified in Claim 7, which includes a controller in conjunction with such controller to activate the controller in accordance with a set of instructions. 9. Tobacco batching equipment as specified in Reputation 1, where the inlet consists of a first section together with the said inlet port and a second section located near the tobacco dispenser, where the diameter of the second section is longer than the diameter of the first section. 10. A tobacco batching device as described in Requisition 1, where such chamber shall be defined by a chamber closure that moves between a first position where the closure comprises at least part of the bottom of such chamber, and a second position which is defined as a port for expelling tobacco from such chamber. 11. Tobacco batch making device as specified in Claim 1, where such seal constitutes a gas seal in its closed position. 12. A tobacco batch making device, as specified in Claim 1, which includes an actuator to push the said chamber closure back and forth between the first and second positions. 13. Tobacco batch making device as specified in Claim 1, which includes: a controller that operates in conjunction with the said sensor and with the said shut-off actuator; and where such controller contains a set of instructions to operate the said shut-off actuator in response to information from the said sensor. 14. Tobacco batch making equipment as specified in Requisition 1, which consists of: a tobacco batch making chamber; a horizontal tube extended by its side and bottom walls and by its first section, which is connected in conjunction with the batch making chamber to hold tobacco batches in succession from the chamber; a permeable barrier in conjunction with the tube and installed to move between the outer retaining position of the tube and the inner barrier position and extending transversely across it at the point between the first section of the tube and the second end of the tube; a conductor that extrudes the tobacco batches one batch at a time along the axis adjacent to the first and second lines inside the horizontal tube towards the second end thereof; the first line extended between the first section of the tube and the specified pre-compression position, which is horizontally separated from the barrier position by a gap. The gap between the pre-compression position and the barrier position shall be defined as the pre-compression zone; A second pathway extends from the pre-compressed position to a position adjacent to the second end of the pipe; and at least one opening is used to strip the wall of the pipe in the pre-compression zone and connects to a steam source to heat the tobacco in the pre-compression zone. 15. The tobacco batching device, as specified in Requisition 14, which consists of a vertical tube connecting the aforementioned first section of the aforementioned horizontal tube and the batching chamber; the vertical tube which consists of a demarcated zone defined by at least two closures, each moving between the open and closed positions; and an inert gas supply to draw inert gas into the vertical tube at the point between the said closures; the said closures and the said inert gas supply work together to provide a gas barrier in the demarcated zone of the vertical tube when the said closures are in their closed position. 16. A tobacco batching device as specified in claim 14, in which such permeable barrier is connected low in conjunction with an actuator that restrains such barrier from its position. 17. A tobacco batching device as specified in claim 16, which includes a control unit connected to the said actuator for the said permeable barrier and contains a set of prescribed commands for retracting the said barrier from the said barrier position. 18. A tobacco batch making device, as specified in claim 14, which includes a heater in conjunction with the said side wall of the said shintrack zone to heat the said side wall. 19. A tobacco batching device as specified in Claim 14, in which the heater shall be adjusted to maintain the temperature of the side walls above 85°C (200°F). 20. Tobacco inflation equipment for the batch forming process system, consisting of: a tobacco batching chamber partially defined by vertical inlet walls and horizontally and vertically separated butt-end walls; an inlet channel shared with the inlet wall to guide tobacco into the chamber and positioned to convey the tobacco transversely to the butt-end wall; a conveyor to supply the inlet channel with a sufficient flow rate to cause the tobacco to accumulate against the butt-end wall; a vertical pipe located beneath the batching chamber; a pre-compression zone extended vertically and positioned below the vertical pipe to receive tobacco from the pipe; a heating zone shared with the pre-compression zone, defined by side, upper, and lower walls; an inlet channel shared with the pre-compression zone to push the tobacco into the pre-compression and heating zones; and a steam port positioned along the upper wall of the heating zone for steam infusion of the tobacco. 21. Tobacco inflation device as specified in Claim 20, where such steam ports are of a specified size and number to control the volume and rate of steam. 22. A tobacco puffing device as specified in Claim 21, in which the circulation and volume of vapor shall be sufficient to increase and maintain the temperature of the tobacco batch at least 85°C (200°F). 23. Tobacco inflation device as specified in claim 22, whose controller is connected above the said steam chamber and whose steam port is enclosed in the said upper wall of the heating zone. 24. A tobacco inflation device as specified in Claim 20, which includes at least one selectable steam port. 25. The tobacco-making device, as specified in claim 20, which consists of at least one shaped anti-condensation insert, is inserted into the steam port, including the opening for steam to enter the heating zone. 26. The process for puffing tobacco consists of the following steps: creating a specified batch of tobacco from tobacco with a moisture content above 12% by weight; positioning this moist batch of tobacco adjacent to the penetration zone; exposing the positioned moist batch of tobacco with steam to increase the temperature of the tobacco batch; inserting the steam-treated tobacco batch into the penetration zone; and penetrating the tobacco batch with a puffing agent. 27. The process specified in Claim 26, which consists of the following steps: air-distribution of tobacco to a batching chamber consisting of at least one end wall and a closed chamber; creation in such chamber of a continuous layer of tobacco extending horizontally from such end wall; monitoring to see when such layer of tobacco has extended to the specified horizontal distance from such end wall; and opening and closing the chamber to expel the tobacco from such chamber. 28. The process specified in Claim 27, which includes the following steps: the expulsion of tobacco from the chamber into a vertical pipe located beneath the chamber, where the pipe contains an isolated zone defined by the chamber closure and the pipe seal; the maintenance of the pipe seal in the closed position while the chamber closure is open; the containment of tobacco on the surface of the pipe seal; the closing of the chamber closure; and the opening of the pipe seal to expel the batch of tobacco. 29. The process specified in claim 28, which includes the pre-compression of the aforementioned batch of tobacco. 30. The process as specified in Claim 29, which consists of the following steps: providing a movable conductor; pushing such conductor against the tobacco batch; and pushing such tobacco against the protruding surface to arrange for pre-compression of the batch. 31. The process specified in claim 30, which involves separating the aforementioned protruding surfaces so that the said conductor can push the tobacco batch further. 32. The process as specified in Claim 29, which consists of the steps for steaming the said tobacco batch. 33. The process specified in Claim 33 consists of the procedure of providing a heating zone consisting of side and top walls; and heating such walls to a specified temperature. 34. The process as specified in claim 32, which consists of the following steps: bringing the vaporized tobacco onto a spool intended for back-and-forth movement; and contacting the tobacco with the expanding agent.