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: 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: A device for spreading tobacco leaves comprises a suction box with a perforated wall and a shield composed of a plurality of sections transversely movable outwards from a closed position in which they cover the perforated wall with the exception of a central area against which the mid rib portion of the tobacco leaf can be clamped by means of a rail. The leaf is held by suction against the shield sections during their opening movement and is so spread and stretched transversely in a direction away from the mid rib. Trailing brushes that are moved outwards together with the shield sections are further provided for this purpose. The perforated wall may comprise knives which, when being run over by a roller, cut out wrappers or binders or blanks therefor from the tobacco leaf while this is still being held firmly against the wall after full opening of the shield.