Method of and apparatus for simultaneously producing two continuous

Abstract

Two tobacco streams are made simultaneously by feeding a main flow of tobacco particles upwardly through a suction duct which terminates beneath two parallel foraminous belt conveyors. The sidewalls of the duct have alternating wedge-like ramps which divide the ascending main flow into plural first and second flows in such a way that the first flows advance from one of the sidewalls toward the other sidewall and the second flows advance from the other sidewall toward the one sidewall. In addition, the sidewalls and their ramps define several passageways for unimpeded ascent of numerous relatively small third flows of tobacco particles directly against the convex underside of a partition which is located in the duct between the two conveyors. The partition breaks up each third flow into two equal partial flows and causes each partial flow to rise toward a different foraminous conveyor. This ensures the division of the main flow into two equal streams without any classification and/or other undesirable influencing of tobacco particles.