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: 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.