R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Dale Bowman Poindexter

Keith Rowan Guy

Jack Gray Flinchum, Jr

Hoyt Sturdivant Beard

Russell D Barnes

Robert Calvin Johnson

Franklin Allan Stump, Jr

John E Stewart

Tony Dean Stewart

Harold Eugene Richardson

Ricky Harris Laurence

Douglas Edwin Wilhelm

A method of expanding tobacco involves introducing a steam flow and a tobacco material into a duct having an inlet and an outlet and defining an arcuate flow path. The tobacco is entrained in the steam flow and conveyed along the arcuate flow path and toward the outlet. The presence of the steam results in volumetric expansion of the tobacco as the steam and entrained tobacco travel along the flow path. The steam and entrained tobacco are then collected and separated. As such, an expanded tobacco is provided.

Method of expanding tobacco using steam

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.

Method of and apparatus for expanding tobacco

Tobacco cut filler is volume expanded using the DIET process and equipment. During depressurization of a pressure vessel containing a mixture of cut filler impregnated with liquid carbon dioxide, gaseous carbon dioxide is bubbled through the mixture to provide a mixture of decreased density and decreased integrity. Liquid water is introduced into the sublimator region of the equipment in order to act as a heat sink, causing tobacco cut filler in that region and related equipment components to not experience overly high exposure to heat. A vertically extending duct in the sublimator region has a relatively large inner diameter so as to allow adequate residence time of the tobacco cut filler in the expansion region. A spray of water applied to the expanded tobacco cut filler and atmosphere in the post expansion region of the DIET equipment moistens the cut filler and reduces the temperature experienced thereby.

Process and apparatus for expanding tobacco cut filler

Tobacco cut filler has an extremely high filling capacity. Tobacco cut filler is contacted with tap water under extraction conditions, and resulting aqueous tobacco extract is separated from the water insoluble extracted tobacco material. The extracted tobacco material is contacted with humectant, provided at a desired moisture level, and subjected to volume expansion conditions. Volume expanded extracted tobacco materials are used as smokable materials in cigarette manufacture.

Process for increasing the filling power of tobacco material

Growing community of inventors

East Bend, NC, United States of America

Dale Bowman Poindexter