Abstract: A novel cigarette structure is provided which permits a cigarette of lower tar to be provided without impairing the flavor. Strips of more highly-flavored tobacco are provided on opposite sides and sandwich a layer of lesser-flavored tobacco between them.

Abstract: Winnowing of shredded tobacco stem material, or other particulate tobacco material, is effected by metering the shredded stem material from a reservoir and then picking the metered flow to open and separate the particles one from another. The resulting stream of separated individual particles of shredded tobacco stem material is projected into an upwardly-flowing air stream to entrain a desired lighter fraction of the particles and carry it out of the separator device. The undesired heavy fraction falls in the separator device and is collected. The collected heavy fraction preferably is reprocessed to separate agglomerates of shredded stem material present in the heavy fraction into individual particles, which are then entrained in a second upwardly-flowing air stream which subsequently joins up with the first gas stream.

Abstract: Tobacco feed material suitable for cigarette formation is formed by blending shredded tobacco stem material and shredded tobacco lamina material while in partially-dried form and drying the blend to the final moisture content.

Abstract: Tobacco leaf is processed into a form suitable for use in the manufacture of cigarettes by first cutting the leaf into strips, air classifying the strips into a lamina fraction and a stem fraction, threshing the stem fraction to separate lamina associated with the stem, and cutting the lamina strips and the separated lamina into shreds. The stem also may be processed for blending with the lamina shreds.

Abstract: Shredded tobacco lamina material and shredded stem material are mixed for use in cigarette making. A coarse intermixture of the materials first is formed and the mixture is metered and opened to form individual particles. The individual particles then are intermixed to form aggregates containing both lamina and stem material.

Abstract: Drying of tobacco particles in heated rotary drum drier is improved by flowing air through the drum at a flow rate, usually at least 10 ft./sec. (3.25 m/sec), which imparts translational or linear motion to the particles. The translational motion causes the particles to become classified based on size and weight and thereby to cause smaller particles to pass through the drum at a faster rate than larger particles. In this way, smaller particles are less exposed to the drying heat than larger ones, so that overdrying of small particles is avoided and overall filling power is improved.

Abstract: A novel tobacco feed device (10) and method of use thereof for the direct feed of tobacco to rod formation in a cigarette making machine are described. The device (10) includes a reservoir tube (42) containing a reservoir of opened cut tobacco, metering rolls (54) to meter required amounts of cut tobacco from the reservoir tube (42) to discharge metered tobacco to the cigarette maker. Internal hoppers, carding drums and picker wheels are avoided by the structure of the invention giving rise to greatly enhanced tobacco filling power.

Abstract: A tobacco metering, conveying and separating system (10) is provided for feeding cut tobacco from a source thereof (12) to a cigarette-making machine at a substantially lower rate, with consequential decrease in tobacco degradation than in conventional systems. A continuous air flow is used in the conveyor pipe (32) and a rotary air lock (50) is used to discharge tobacco from the tobacco-air separator (34).

Abstract: The transportation of a tobacco layer, in which the tobacco lamina or leaves are horizontally oriented, on a vertically-reciprocating conveyor surface to a cutting machine wherein tobacco shreds are formed from the tobacco in the layer is assisted, so that the orientation and juxtaposition of the tobacco in the layer is maintained to the cutting machine.

Abstract: A tobacco metering, conveying and separating system (10) is provided for feeding cut tobacco from a source thereof (12) to a cigarette-making machine at a substantially lower rate, with consequential decrease in tobacco degradation than in conventional systems. A continuous air flow is used in the conveyor pipe (32) and a rotary air lock (50) is used to discharge tobacco from the tobacco-air separator (34).

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for measuring the moisture content of materials, e.g., tobacco. In cases where the material flow is intermittent, the maximum moisture content of the last sample is indicated and held either for a predetermined time or until the moisture content of the next sample is determined.

Abstract: Novel shredded tobacco stem material having a much lower burn rate than other stem material and other beneficial properties and useful in the formation of cigarettes is formed by a novel procedure which produces only a relatively minor proportion of particulate material. The procedure, which is also applicable to tobacco stalk and tobacco winnowing, involves an initial thorough soaking of the stem, stalk or winnowings to a relatively high moisture level and mechanical fiberizing of the soaked material in a disc refiner at atmospheric pressure and preferably at ambient temperatures. The resulting shredded stem, stalk or winnowings in fibrous form is dried to the desired moisture level.

Abstract: Tobacco shreds of substantially less impaired filling power result from a tobacco lamina shredding machine when the lamina are formed into a tobacco layer in which the lamina are horizontally oriented and which is precompacted without the use of any force other than gravity and vibration and the tobacco layer is fed to the cutting operation without any substantial change in tobacco lamina orientation.

Abstract: A steaming doffer for use in the moistening and opening of tobacco from bales is described. The device includes a plurality of pairs of arms fixedly mounted to a rotatable axle. Each arm member pair is angularly offset from each adjacent pair so that the outer extremities of the arm members lie on helices. A plurality of axially-directed steam-jet forming openings are provided at the outer extremity of each arm member and communicate with an external source of steam through a bore in the axle member which feeds a bore in each arm member.

Abstract: A steaming doffer for use in the moistening and opening of tobacco from bales is described. The device includes a plurality of pairs of arms fixedly mounted to a rotatable axle. Each arm member pair is angularly offset from each adjacent pair so that the outer extremities of the arm members lie on helices. A plurality of axially-directed steam-jet forming openings are provided at the outer extremity of each arm member and communicate with an external source of steam through a bore in the axle member which feeds a bore in each arm member.

Abstract: Burlap-clad bales of turkish or other oriental small leaf tobacco are passed between two upright steam applicators each having a plurality of individual steam jet openings. The openings cause injection of steam through the outer burlap cover and penetration into the loosely packed bale along the grain of the bale. The outer burlap cover is then removed and the bale opened by placing the same on a vibrating conveyor.

Abstract: An air lock for discharge of solid particulate material, for example, cut tobacco, from a vacuum line to atmospheric pressure conditions without ingress of air to the vacuum line consists of a radially bladed rotor, an upper inlet, a lower outlet and arcuate side walls, located between and connected to the inlet and outlet, in engagement with the radial extremities of the rotor blades. The side walls are made flexible so that the vacuum in the vacuum line acting through the inlet draws the side walls into sealing engagement with the radial extremities of the rotor blades.

Abstract: Leaf tobacco is processed to form cut tobacco suitable for direct formation of cigarettes therefrom. The leaf is cut into shreds dimensioned for direct use in cigarette rod-forming, the shreds are air classified into a heavier stem containing fraction and a lighter stem-free lamina fraction, the heavier fraction is threshed to separate lamina from associated stem, and the separated lamina and lighter fraction are mixed. The procedure results in an improved rod-forming feed quality.

Abstract: Bales of tobacco are moistened and opened by impinging steam onto one end face of a tobacco bale to cause penetration of steam into the face and removing tobacco from the moistened face. The bale is located on a horizontal surface with the grain of the tobacco layers extending vertically and from one end face to the other. The tobacco is removed from the moistened end face by forces acting transverse to the face perpendicularly to the grain.

Abstract: A tobacco feeding system for feeding tobacco from a source thereof to a plurality of individual cigarette-making machines includes a tobacco distribution system for the distribution of source tobacco sequentially to a plurality of tobacco reservoirs and a tobacco metering system associated with each reservoir for feed of tobacco to the machine feeds. The system avoids the necessity to recycle tobacco to the source and hence minimizes tobacco degradation.