Abstract: A method and apparatus for carrying out the volume-expansion (puffing) of disintegrated tobacco, wherein said tobacco is impregnated with an impregnating medium containing water and/or orthophosphoric acid and/or the sodium or ammonium salts thereof and/or ammonium sulphate to an initial moisture content of at least about 35% by weight, and is then reduced to a final moisture content of about 10-13% by weight with the aid of a heating medium containing gaseous water vapor, the overall duration of the method being at least about 10 seconds.

Abstract: A smokable, coherent sheet of disintegrated vegetable materials and/or tobacco waste, said sheet being provided with a water-insoluble film on one surface and being obtained in that the vegetable materials and/or tobacco waste are pressure-formed with binding agents and water, the share of which is lower than that of the dry substance employed, between forming elements, the formed, coherent and still moist sheet is coated at a moisture content of 30 to 50% with a solution or suspension having at least one water-soluble, modified pectin from the group of low-esterified pectin with an esterification degree of below 40% and/or amidified, low-esterified pectin with an amidation degree of over 15%, the modified pectin is contacted with bivalent and/or trivalent metal ions and the coated sheet is dried, with the concentration of the modified pectin on the sheet surface being at least 0.5 percent by weight, as referred to the dry weight of the finished product.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method of increasing the volume of cut tobacco ribs by impregnating tobacco ribs with an impregnating agent, which contains at least water, up to a water content of at least 45% by weight, heating the impregnated tobacco rib parts with a gaseous heating and transport medium containing steam and having a temperature of from approx. 105.degree. to approx. 250.degree. C., said tobacco rib parts being transported through an expansion zone and a drying zone a pneumatic transport system. The impregnated tobacco rib parts are kept in the expansion and drying zones for a period of at least approx. 10 seconds and are dried to a final moisture content of at least 12.5% by weight.

Abstract: Method for making artificial tobacco. Comprises preparing a homogenous composition from finely divided plant material and additives, this composition having a moisture content of from about 20 to 50 percent by weight, forming said composition into strand sections and rolling down said strand sections between squeeze rollers, operating at different relative speeds of rotation. An apparatus for performing such method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Smokable, substantially homogeneous, flake-like or leaf-like products of approximately equal thickness, and containing tobacco and/or tobacco substitutes, are disclosed, together with a process and apparatus for obtaining said products. The apparatus comprises a belt for transporting a wetted mixture of tobacco particles, means for distributing the wetted mixture to the belt, a second belt in close confronting relationship to the transport belt and movable in the same direction but at a different speed, the second belt being adapted to spread the mixture on the transport belt and form a layer, means downstream from the second belt and adapted to be in contact with the layer of wetted mixture for at least partially cutting the layer into irregularly shaped particles, means downstream of the cutting means for removing such particles from the transport belt, and means for drying and separating the irregularly shaped particles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a smokable product such as cigars, cigarettes and the like with a paper cover, having meerschaum particles as an absorbant, characterized by the fact that the paper is admixed with the meerschaum particles which particles have a diameter of 100 mm or less. The inventive smokable products exhibit selective absorption of certain injurious smoke components.

Abstract: The present invention provides a smokeable product such as cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco and the like, having meerschaum particles of 100 .mu. diameter as the absorbent and of which at least a part of the tobacco is regenerated tobacco formed of pulp and/or tobacco substitute formed of a pulp. The inventive smokable products exhibit selective absorption of certain injurious smoke components.

Abstract: Reconstituted tobacco product and process of making same. Process comprises disposing a mist, tobacco-containing mass on a transport surface, compressing the moist mass between the transport surface and a counterpart surface to form a substantially flat sheet, pressing the moist flat sheet with an element having separating forms so as to partially separate the sheet into essentially individual leaf-shaped members, removing the members from the transport surface, and drying the members to a desired final moisture content.

Abstract: A smoking material and the process of making the material so that the material serves as a smoke-producing substitute for smoking tobacco, regenerated tobacco, or the like, wherein the material is molded from a homogeneous aqueous mash of comminuted botanicals, binders and plasticizers with addition of nitrogen donors and flavoring compounds. The preferred additives are urea compounds of vanillin or paraffin being from the group consisting of vanillylidene-urea C.sub.9 H.sub.10 N.sub.2 O.sub.3 and divanillylidene - urea C.sub.17 H.sub.16 N.sub.2 O.sub.3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a homogeneous nicotine-free tobacco substitute which consists of:5,000 grams of filler consisting of: one or more of gramineous plants or shells of nuts, cocoa beans or coffee beans,600 grams magnesium formate50 grams tartaric acid300 grams potassium nitrate1,000 grams paraffinurea300 grams diammonium hydrogen phosphate10 grams vanillylidenurea1,500 grams sodium carboxymethylcellulose1,4000 grams glycerine150 grams diethylene glycol1,050 grams fruit concentrate600 grams raw molasses105 grams malt extract.

Abstract: An extruder nozzle for an apparatus for producing tobacco fiber from a paste, pulp, mash or slurry of comminuted botanics, which may or may not contain tobacco, binders, plasticizers and organic and inorganic salts, comprises a nozzle surface formed with a multiplicity of orifices through which strands of the dryable composition are extruded. Distributed among the orifices are openings for a compressed gas, e.g. compressed air, which passes along the fibers in the direction of extrusion thereof and hence applies an entraining force to the strands tending to break them off into fibers.