Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing whole tobacco leaves with stem, veins, and lamina material. The whole tobacco leaves are tipped, in order to receive tips and butts. The tips and butts are then separated. The separated tips are further processed by cutting or shredding, in order to receive light and heavy tip material. Once the light tip material is separated from the heavy tip material, the light tip material is dried, before it is finally packaged.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing whole tobacco leaves with stem, veins, and lamina material. The whole tobacco leaves are tipped, in order to receive tips and butts. The tips and butts are then separated. The separated tips are further processed by cutting or shredding, in order to receive light and heavy tip material. Once the light tip material is separated from the heavy tip material, the light tip material is dried, before it is finally packaged.

Abstract: A process for preparing tobacco stem for use as filler for a smoking article includes classifying the green tobacco stem by diameter to provide a plurality of stem grades and rolling each grade separately. Each grade is rolled under rolling conditions optimized for that grade including rolling the grade through the nip between rollers with the nip size being adjusted for each grade so as to achieve a uniform rolled stem thickness and the oven volatiles content of the stem being adjusted before the rolling. The yield of flat rolled stem which may be used directly as filler is increased, and the average stem length and thus the average length of cut filler from stem is increased.

Abstract: A cam is provided having one or more end blades, each having a respective support surface to compress a corresponding end region of a tobacco rod, and one or more interposed blades, each having a respective support surface to comprise a corresponding intermediate region(s) between the end region(s) as the cam rotates. The lengths of the blades are varied to proportionately vary the density of the regions and the widths and thicknesses of the support surfaces are varied to proportionately vary the width and length of the regions. A tobacco rod, and ultimately a cigarette, is produced having intermediate compressed regions between compressed end regions.

Abstract: A cam is provided having one or more end blades, each having a respective support surface to compress a corresponding end region of a tobacco rod, and one or more interposed blades, each having a respective support surface to comprise a corresponding intermediate region(s) between the end region(s) as the cam rotates. The lengths of the blades are varied to proportionately vary the density of the regions and the widths and thicknesses of the support surfaces are varied to proportionately vary the width and length of the regions. A tobacco rod, and ultimately a cigarette, is produced having intermediate compressed regions between compressed end regions.

Abstract: An apparatus for wire drawing including a die and a rotatable block around which the wire leaving the die is arranged to be wrapped, a cooling means located between the die and the block for cooling the wire using a coolant and a wiping means for wiping substantially all the liquid coolant from the wire before it passes onto the block. The cooling means is in the form of an elongated chamber through which the wire is arranged to pass while in a substantially straight configuration and moving in the direction of its length. The chamber is provided with nozzles arranged to direct jets of the liquid coolant onto the straight moving wire and with a slot which extends longitudinally from one end of the chamber to the other.