Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning dryer which includes a vaporization unit with a chamber for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the vaporization unit is arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vaporization unit for introducing water vapor into the flow of process gas in a tobacco dryer which includes a through-flow tank in which water introduced via a number of spray jets is completely vaporized, in contact with the process gas, and to a method for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, wherein vapor is added to the process gas by introducing and vaporizing water, the water in the flow of process gas being vaporized in an vaporization unit before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles by scanning by means of a fine-beam light barrier, the diameter of which is smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particles, and from the distribution of the dimensions of the tobacco particles determined by darkening of the fine-beam light barrier.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.

Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, comprising a means for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the means comprises a vaporization unit arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and plant of treating tobacco stems for the production of cut tobacco for smokable articles, wherein uncut stem are sauced to a moisture content of approximately 45% at the maximum, the sauced stems are overdried to a moisture content of less than approximately 12%, and the overdried stems are remoistened to the processing moisture content for the subsequent stem process, e.g. a CRS process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a plant for the treatment of tobacco leaves for the production of cut tobacco for smokable articles, in which stems and the lamina material of the tobacco leaves are conditioned and cut separately from each other. The conditioned, non-rolled, cut and optionally expanded stems are blended with the conditioned and cut lamina, and the lamina and stems are then jointly conditioned and dried.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of denitrating tobacco stem material in which the tobacco stem material is input at a first point in a housing, guided through a solvent and output at a second point from the housing, the complete method being implemented at an overpressure, and to an apparatus for implementing the method with an elongated, approximately cylindrical housing and at least one rotatable feeder screw, said housing being configured pressure-tight and comprising locks or nozzles or inputting and/or outputting process flows.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a plant for the treatment of tobacco leaves for the production of cut tobacco for smokable articles, in which stems or winnowings, on the one hand, and the lamina material of the tobacco leaves, on the other, are conditioned separately from each other. The conditioned, non-rolled stems are precut and the conditioned winnowings are rolled and individually respectively or also jointly blended with the conditioned and uncut lamina material; the resulting blend is then cut and dried.

Abstract: In a drying process for increasing the filling power of tobacco material, the cut and moistened tobacco material is conveyed in a drying gas flow, dried within a tubular drying section and subsequently separated from the drying gas. The drying gas has at a feed point into the drying section a temperature of at least 200.degree. C. and a flow velocity of at least 30 m/sec. The flow velocity of the drying gas is reduced in the drying section. The flow velocity of the drying gas at the charge point into the drying section is at the most 100 m/sec. Within the drying section, to reduce the local heat transfer coefficient and the local mass transfer coefficient between the surface of the tobacco material and the surrounding drying gas, along with the reduction of the flow velocity of the drying gas, the flow velocity of the tobacco material is also reduced. At the end of the drying section the drying gas has a flow velocity of at the most 15 m/sec and a temperature of at the most 130.degree. C.

Abstract: A device provides a directed supply of tobacco ribs to a cutting tool. A vibrator conveyor conveys the tobacco ribs into the inlet area of a press conveyor disposed upstream of the cutting tool. The vibrator conveyor includes vertical partitions extending in the direction of tobacco rib transport. The intervals between the partitions are less than the average tobacco rib length. A device regulates the level of the tobacco rib flow transported between the partitions. Tobacco ribs can be precisely aligned in the axial direction prior to cutting, and can be transferred to the cutting tool without any loss of orientation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the production of a coaxial tobacco or filter rod, a first production machine processing a strip-like first covering material and a stream of filling material to give a preformed rod which is deposited in a special magazine in order to be removed again therefrom in due course and supplied to a second production machine which brings the preformed rod together with a stream of filter or smoking material and a strip-like second covering material and processes it to form the coaxial tobacco or filter rod.

Abstract: With the present invention a tobacco sheet or foil is proposed which has an elevated filling force and consists of tobacco particles, water, binders and moisturizers, and relatively gas-impermeable, in particular surface-sealed cover layers being connected together by a spongy structure which is formed by gas-filled bubbles, and in which cavities are formed having a shaggy, furrowed and/or torn surface.

Abstract: A separator for separating tobacco particles from a tobacco/gas mixture comprises a hood, a circular deflection space disposed in the hood, an inlet for the tobacco/gas mixture to be separated opening tangentially into the circular deflection space, a downwardly directed outlet in the deflection space for the tobacco particles, an outlet for the tobacco particles at the lower end of the hood, and an outlet for the gas above the deflection space. The deflection space is formed by an upwardly closed and downwardly open cylinder; the gas is withdrawn from the hood above the deflection space; the size ratio of the area of the deflection space to the area of the inlet lies between 5 and 30; and the size ratio of the area of the hood to the area of the inlet is greater than 50.

Abstract: Comminuted tobacco material expanding apparatus which includes a cellular wheel feeder and an expansion chamber integrated in the cellular wheel feeder. A nozzle opening in a wall of the expansion chamber provides for the introduction of a mixture of air and stream for accelerating the tobacco material under a pressure drop to at least 50 m/s with a residence time of the tobacco material in the expansion chamber of less than about 1/10 s. At least one nozzle opening is located in an end wall of the expansion chamber near the bottom so that an adjustable stream/air mixture moves the tobacco material substantially at a right-angle out of the expansion chamber. The expansion chamber is connected to an acceleration tube with converging cross-section which is connected to a delay tube.

Abstract: For the moistening of comminuted, more particularly overdried, smoking materials, the requisite quantity of water is applied in at least two spraying sections situated one in succession to the other, in which the water is divided into tiny droplets by means of ultrasonic atomizers. Cooling sections are arranged between the individual spraying sections.