Abstract: An apparatus for threshing tobacco includes a rotatable stripper and a feeder which includes a pair of cooperating counter-rotatable elements for delivering tobacco leaves to the stripper. The feeder and the stripper are arranged such that, in use, the tobacco leaves experience shearing forces as they pass from between the counter-rotating elements to the rotating stripper. These forces at least partially strip the lamina from the stems.

Abstract: A pack for smoking articles having a cut-away section in the front which reveals a backing member. The backing member may be hingedly connected to the front panel of the pack by Z-folds to ensure identical color and location registration in the cut-away.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing tobacco, in which tobacco leaves are threshed to form a mixture of free lamina, clean stem pieces from which lamina has been completely or substantially completely removed and uncleaned stem pieces which have useful pieces of lamina attached thereto. This mixture is sifted to separate the clean stem pieces from the unclean stem pieces. The unclean stem pieces are subjected to additional threshing by recycling the unclean stem pieces to the thresher. A sieve may be used to carry out the method and as a part of the apparatus.

Abstract: A pack (13) for elongate smoking articles encased in an inner wrapping includes a paperboard outer container having a generally rectangular base (14), four hingedly connected side walls (15-20) which upstand from the base, and a top panel member (22) which at least partially closes off the top of the pack. The side walls (15-20) are substantially the same height as the smoking articles and are secured with respect to the base. Access to the smoking articles is made beside the top panel member (22).

Abstract: A merchandise display system has a carrier supported by an array of adjustably interconnecting arms from a mounting base. The mounting base is connectable to a mounting structure in a variety of different orientations so that the carrier can be displayed as desired. The mounting base has a clamp structure which is engageable with a horizontal counter edge, or with a vertical post or partition edge. Where no such edge is available the clamping structure can be detached allowing the mounting base to be mounted directly on a vertical wall surface, e.g. by wood screws.

Abstract: Tobacco is treated to cause its expansion by a process which comprises the steps of subjecting it, in a treatment chamber, to a reduced pressure of not greater than 7 kPa, impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapour at a temperature in the range of from 70.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. and maintaining the tobacco in contact with the vapour at a pressure of at least 400 kPa, removing excess isopentane vapour from the treatment chamber, contacting the impregnated tobacco with steam to expand the tobacco cell structure, reducing the pressure in the treatment chamber at a rate of at lest 10 kPa/minute, preferably 30 kPa/minute, and then venting the treatment chamber back to atmospheric pressure. The final filling value of the tobacco treated according to this process is directly proportional to the rate at which the pressure in the treatment chamber is reduced following the steam treatment of the tobacco.

Abstract: Tobacco is treated using the following series of steps:(1) subjecting in a chamber the tobacco to a reduced pressure of not greater than 70 mbar (7 kPa);(2) impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapor at a temperature in the range of from 70.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. and maintaining the tobacco in contact with isopentane vapor at a pressure of at least 4 bar (400 kPa) for up to 30 minutes to cause impregnation of the tobacco;(3) removing excess isopentane vapor from the impregnated tobacco by evacuating the chamber, the pressure change being effected adiabatically;(4) contacting the impregnated tobacco with steam to expand the tobacco; and(5) subjecting the expanded tobacco to a reordering process.

Abstract: There is provided a pack (10) for smoking articles, which pack (10) has an outer carton (15) having generally rectangular front, back, side, top and bottom panels and an inner frame (12). The outer carton (15) has an upper portion (16) and a lower portion (17) which are hingedly connected together about a hinge line which extends across the rear panel of the outer carton substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges of the rear panel. The lower edge (20) of the front panel area of the upper portion (16) has at least a portion which is not parallel to said hinge line.

Abstract: A process for treating smoking material comprising the steps of (i) heating smoking material having a moisture content of from 5 to 75% by weight at a temperature of from 70.degree. to 220.degree. C. at about or above atmospheric pressure in the presence of air and (ii) reducing the pressure on the heated smoking material to a level of from 0.1 to 50 kPa at a rate such that the water contained within the smoking material evaporates causing the smoking material to expand, the smoking material being heated during pressure reduction to accelerate water evaporation.