Abstract: Bales of compressed tobacco ribs and/or tobacco leaf laminae having a moisture content of 8-11 percent are advanced past a battery of microwave generators or through one or more electric high frequency fields to raise the temperature of particles in the bales to between 30.degree. and 90.degree. C. The bales or portions of the bales are thereupon loosened, prior to complete cooling back to starting temperature, by the pins of a conveyor which delivers the particles of loosened bales or portions of bales into the magazine of a shredding machine wherein the particles are cut. The moisture content of shreds is raised to 12-13.5 percent at which the shreds are ready for processing into smokers' products, or above 13.5 percent, for example, to between 21 and 30 percent. Such moisturizing to above the processing moisture content is or can be followed by drying of the shreds.

Abstract: Extraction means capable of providing a constant feed rate to the inlet of a tobacco expansion pneumatic transport system is provided at the outlet of a tobacco reservoir zone. The extraction means is preferably in the form of a pinned roller capable of metering tobacco, associated with a pinned tobacco opening roller. The extraction means feeds the extracted tobacco into a transport duct as a stream extending across the full width of the duct at a flow rate which is also uniform across the width of the stream.