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:
Jan. 07, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 28, 1995
John R Wagner, Greensboro, NC (US);
J E Smith, Greensboro, NC (US);
SCW, Inc., Greensboro, NC (US);
Abstract
A tobacco expansion method is provided whereby cured tobacco is first moistened with a humectant solution, as is conventional in the industry, to increase the resident liquids thereof. Next, the prepared tobacco in shredded form is placed in a sealed chamber and the chamber evacuated to vaporize a portion of the resident liquids. Next, ethyl alcohol vapor is allowed to enter the pressure chamber below 70 mm (Hg) absolute to prevent a water-ethyl alcohol azeotrope from forming. Thereafter, a hydrocarbon vapor, such as n-pentane vapor, is directed into the chamber and the pressure restored to atmospheric. The n-pentane vapor diffuses into the cellular structure of the tobacco with the assistance of the ethyl alcohol, whereafter the tobacco is heated and the n-pentane and ethyl alcohol acts as a propellant to expand the tobacco.