Abstract: Misaligned pipes for handling fluids under high pressure are coupled by a sealed union which, despite the angular displacement of the pipes, remains sealed during the heavy shocks which occur during high pressure service. The coupling employs a conventional annular seal, typically an O-ring, and can be made up without applying a significant bending stess to either pipe.

Abstract: For supplying tobacco from a redryer to a packer, the invention provides apparatus comprising four consecutive conveyors, the first conveyor operating continuously in one direction to feed tobacco from the redryer to the second conveyor, the second conveyor being reversible to act selectively as a holding conveyor and a supply tobacco to the third conveyor, the third conveyor being a weighing conveyor operated at a slower speed to weight and at a faster speed to deliver the weight quantities onto the fourth conveyor which carries the successive weighed quantities of tobacco to the packer. The conveyors are so controlled that the weighed quantities, when on the fourth conveyor, are spaced apart by intervals and the packer is operated through a packing cycle during each such interval.

Abstract: Method and apparatus which reduces the charger height and the total cycle time when packing leaf or stripped tobacco by the two fill approach. When the first fill is completed, an air pressure differential is established across the tobacco in the charger from top to bottom, the pressure differential compacting the tobacco to make room for the second fill. The second fill is then supplied and the two fills are compacted into the compression chamber by the packer ram. The air pressure differential is established by providing a volume of air under pressure between the press head of the ram and the tobacco of the first fill and withdrawing air from the bottom of the charger, and withdrawal of air is continued during the second fill and the compression stroke of the ram.

Abstract: A press for packing loose compressible material, such as tobacco, into rectangular cases or cylindrical hogsheads. The press includes a charger for delivering the material into the container and a pressing ram movable through the charger to pack the material into the container. The bottom of the charger, which is receivable in the container, comprises a double-walled sleeve, the inner wall being perforated and the outer wall being imperforated. An air conducting channel is defined between the walls which communicates with a manifold at the top of the sleeve. This manifold is connected to a pump to draw air out of the sleeve, up the channel and into the manifold. Use of the sleeve creates a negative pressure in the sleeve so that atmospheric pressure, exerted on the top of the loose material in the charger, will reduce the height of the material in the charger and thus allows use of shorter chargers, rams and cycle times, as well as reducing dust.

Abstract: Enclosed bales of compressible material such as tobacco are produced by forming a compressed cake of the material in a compression zone, placing the compression zone in communication with a laterally extending sleeve, placing a container such as a bag or carton over the sleeve in such fashion that a closed end of the container extends across the end of the sleeve, forcing the compressed cake of material through the sleeve, and positively moving the container off the sleeve at essentially the same rate at which the cake emerges from the sleeve.