Abstract: A cigarette filler rod-forming method and apparatus therefor are described for production of a filler rod containing two different blends of tobacco, so as to provide to a cigarette formed from the filler rod more uniform smoking characteristics. Discrete bunches of tobacco of a first blend are formed by employing a vacuum wheel having a belt which forms chords of a circle, so that, after trimming, the bunches have a flat surface adjacent the belt and a curved outer surface. Spaces between the bunches are filled with tobacco of another blend at least to the maximum height of the bunches of the first blend of tobacco, by a variety of procedures.

Abstract: Degradation of tobacco brought about by refuser and recycle procedures in conventional cigarette-making machine operations is eliminated by feeding, metering and opening tobacco from a reservoir directly onto the external surface of a rotary or rectilinear transportation device which conveys the tobacco to rod formation. Specific modifications to the Molins Mark IX and Hauni Protos cigarette-making machines are described.

Abstract: The quality of a tobacco filler rod as formed in cigarette-making machines is improved. The improvement is achieved by by-passing all the metering and refusing mechanisms of a conventional cigarette-making machine and providing a wide carpet of opened tobacco particles directly to the filler rod-forming procedure.

Abstract: Winnowing of shredded tobacco stem material, or other particulate tobacco material, is effected by metering the shredded stem material from a reservoir and then picking the metered flow to open and separate the particles one from another. The resulting stream of separated individual particles of shredded tobacco stem material is projected into an upwardly-flowing air stream to entrain a desired lighter fraction of the particles and carry it out of the separator device. The undesired heavy fraction falls in the separator device and is collected. The collected heavy fraction preferably is reprocessed to separate agglomerates of shredded stem material present in the heavy fraction into individual particles, which are then entrained in a second upwardly-flowing air stream which subsequently joins up with the first gas stream.

Abstract: Tobacco feed material suitable for cigarette formation is formed by blending shredded tobacco stem material and shredded tobacco lamina material while in partially-dried form and drying the blend to the final moisture content.

Abstract: Shredded tobacco lamina material and shredded stem material are mixed for use in cigarette making. A coarse intermixture of the materials first is formed and the mixture is metered and opened to form individual particles. The individual particles then are intermixed to form aggregates containing both lamina and stem material.

Abstract: The transportation of a tobacco layer, in which the tobacco lamina or leaves are horizontally oriented, on a vertically-reciprocating conveyor surface to a cutting machine wherein tobacco shreds are formed from the tobacco in the layer is assisted, so that the orientation and juxtaposition of the tobacco in the layer is maintained to the cutting machine. Confining movable side walls are located at each side of the vibrating conveyor to engage the side edges of the tobacco layer. The movable side walls are moved in the direction of movement of the tobacco layer during transportation of the tobacco layer on the conveyor surface.

Abstract: The transportation of a tobacco layer, in which the tobacco lamina or leaves are horizontally oriented, on a vertically-reciprocating conveyor surface to a cutting machine wherein tobacco shreds are formed from the tobacco in the layer is assisted, so that the orientation and juxtaposition of the tobacco in the layer is maintained to the cutting machine.

Abstract: Novel shredded tobacco stem material having a much lower burn rate than other stem material and other beneficial properties and useful in the formation of cigarettes is formed by a novel procedure which produces only a relatively minor proportion of particulate material. The procedure, which is also applicable to tobacco stalk and tobacco winnowing, involves an initial thorough soaking of the stem, stalk or winnowings to a relatively high moisture level and mechanical fiberizing of the soaked material in a disc refiner at atmospheric pressure and preferably at ambient temperatures. The resulting shredded stem, stalk or winnowings in fibrous form is dried to the desired moisture level.

Abstract: Tobacco shreds of substantially less impaired filling power result from a tobacco lamina shredding machine when the lamina are formed into a tobacco layer in which the lamina are horizontally oriented and which is precompacted without the use of any force other than gravity and vibration and the tobacco layer is fed to the cutting operation without any substantial change in tobacco lamina orientation.

Abstract: A steaming doffer for use in the moistening and opening of tobacco from bales is described. The device includes a plurality of pairs of arms fixedly mounted to a rotatable axle. Each arm member pair is angularly offset from each adjacent pair so that the outer extremities of the arm members lie on helices. A plurality of axially-directed steam-jet forming openings are provided at the outer extremity of each arm member and communicate with an external source of steam through a bore in the axle member which feeds a bore in each arm member.

Abstract: A steaming doffer for use in the moistening and opening of tobacco from bales is described. The device includes a plurality of pairs of arms fixedly mounted to a rotatable axle. Each arm member pair is angularly offset from each adjacent pair so that the outer extremities of the arm members lie on helices. A plurality of axially-directed steam-jet forming openings are provided at the outer extremity of each arm member and communicate with an external source of steam through a bore in the axle member which feeds a bore in each arm member.