Abstract: A method of conditioning tobacco including the steps of: a) vibrating tobacco particles by means of a vibratory conveyor to produce a continuous stream to be transferred along a predetermined path, the conveyor being vibrated in such a manner that the stream of tobacco particles remains in contact with the supporting surface of the conveyor during transportation; b) contacting substantially all of the particles of tobacco with steam by continuously passing steam upwardly through perforations in said conveyor; and c) maintaining said steam at a pressure sufficient to enable the steam to diffuse into the interstices between the particles without causing said stream of tobacco particles to be lifted out of contact with the supporting surface of the conveyor, wherein the steam passing by way of the perforations includes a component of flow parallel with the supporting surface of the conveyor.

Abstract: The invention provides a rotary dryer for tobacco products comprising a cylinder arranged for rotation about an inclined axis and having means for feeding tobacco into one end of the drying cylinder and means for conveying dried tobacco from the other end of the drying cylinder, heating means arranged to heat the cylinder, a housing arranged to contain the drying cylinder and sealed to be substantially airtight, means for reducing pressure in the drying cylinder below atmospheric pressure; and preferably but not essentially, means for superheating steam, means for injecting steam adjacent the superheating means, for conveying steam leaving the injection means at one end of the cylinder to the superheating means, and ducting for conveying superheated steam for said superheating means to the other end of said cylinder.

Abstract: Apparatus for the expansion of tobacco includes a substantially cylindrical container (10), conveyors for feeding tobacco into the container and jet nozzles or slits for introducing a heating medium in the form of steam and/or humid air into the container. The jet nozzles or slits (12) are arranged substantially longitudinally of the container axis serving to direct high pressure steam and/or humid air substantially tangentially to the interior surface of the container (10) to engage the tobacco being fed into the container causing a turbulent mixture of steam, and/or humid air, and tobacco to travel along a helical path and to be maintained by centrifugal force in close proximity to the interior surface of the container as the stream moves axially therein and to maintain the circulation and to provide a succession of repeated high relative velocity, highly turbulent and dispersive contacts between the heating medium and the tobacco.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the continuous measurement of the bulk density of particulate material comprising an endless belt weighing conveyor having a compression zone and a weigh span downstream of the compression zone, means for feeding the material to said compression zone, a compression unit at said compression zone having a series of rollers an axes extending transverse to the direction of movement of the weighing conveyor, and transducer means provided at the weigh span for producing signals proportional to material weight. The rollers may be driven with a surface speed equal to the weighing conveyor belt speed and additional rollers may be mounted below the weighing conveyor to carry the load. The rollers are preferably embraced by a belt which gives a continuous surface and prevents tobacco getting between the rollers. In which case, the belt is driven with the same speed as the weighing conveyor belt, via a terminal roller and the other rollers follow.