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:
Sep. 23, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 01, 1996
Hoyt S Beard, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Lucas J Conrad, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
J Edward Crook, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
James E Lovette, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Robert Calvin Johnson, Advance, NC (US);
Donald A Newton, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Hamid Neshan, Houston, TX (US);
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Abstract
This invention provides tobacco expansion processes and apparatus that can be employed for expanding tobacco at rapid throughput rates employing high pressure tobacco impregnation conditions. The processes and apparatus of the invention are particularly useful in tobacco expansion processes employing cycle times of less than 20-30 seconds; the use of preheated, prepressurized expansion agent such as propane; preheating of tobacco batches; and/or compression of tobacco within a high pressure impregnation zone for greatly improving use of available space in a high pressure impregnation vessel.