The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 06, 1976
Filed:
Aug. 17, 1973
Waldemar Wochnowski, Hamburg-Meiendorf, DT;
Hans Forster, Hamburg, DT;
Jurgen Koehn, Wentorf, DT;
Reinhard Hohm, Pinneberg, DT;
Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG, Hamburg-Bergedorf, DT;
Abstract
The moisture content of a stream of tobacco leaves is increased during travel through a rotary drum wherein the leaves are contacted by and exchange heat and moisture with a current of hot humid air which flows concurrent with the leaves. The moisture content of air is regulated in dependency on deviations of the final moisture content of tobacco leaves from a desired final moisture content by varying the temperature of a shower of water droplets across which the air current passes on its way into the inlet end of the drum. The temperature of air is normally constant but is changed when the initial moisture content of tobacco leaves exceeds the desired final moisture content. Tobacco leaves entering the inlet end of the drum are subjected to a preliminary moisturizing action of steam and/or atomized water, and such moisturizing action can be varied in dependency on fluctuations of initial and/or final moisture content of tobacco and/or in dependency on fluctuations in the rate of tobacco delivery into the drum. The preliminary moisturizing action requires no adjustment if the steam of tobacco leaves is equalized upstream of the drum.