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:
Mar. 04, 1980
Filed:
Apr. 03, 1978
James W Sullivan, Glendale, KY (US);
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Louisville, KY (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and a process for reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes is described in which cigarettes are first treated with hot water to saturate the paper wrapper and soften the glue holding together the edges of the cigarette wrapper. Saturation of the paper wrapper is followed by impacting the moistened cigarettes with steam. At sufficiently high temperatures, this will open the glue seam adjacent to the tobacco bearing section of the cigarette. At lower temperatures, the tobacco rod is expelled through the open end or ends of the cigarettes. The tobacco is thereafter dried and separated from the remainder of the cigarette material. The advantage of the process of the invention resides in its capacity to separate and reclaim the tobacco with minimal reduction of particle sizes. Long strands of tobacco are reclaimed intact. In addition, if the rejected cigarette includes a filter component, the filter structure may be separated intact from the remainder of the cigarette.