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:
Dec. 10, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 24, 1994
Applicant:
Inventors:
E Barry Fischer, Chester, VA (US);
Warren D Winterson, Midlothian, VA (US);
Assignee:
Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, NY (US);
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A24B / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
131296 ; 131291 ; 181212 ;
Abstract
A tobacco expansion apparatus and method comprising a source of tower gas, an obloid transfer duct, in communication with the gas source, a tobacco feeder at a location along the obloid transport duct and a separator for recovering tobacco from the expansion apparatus. The tobacco feeder is adapted to introduce tobacco uniformly across the width of the obloid transfer duct. The apparatus improves the filling power of the processed tobacco and can be operated at higher production rates with less tobacco breakage, thereby improving tobacco yield.