Tobacco – Tobacco treatment – With fluid or fluent material
Patent
1982-09-13
1985-11-26
Millin, V.
Tobacco
Tobacco treatment
With fluid or fluent material
131306, A24B 306
Patent
active
045549338
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an apparatus and process for the continuous preconditioning and opening of cases and hogsheads of tobacco lamina (i.e. moistening and then separating the lamina).
The cases or hogsheads of lamina are stored at room temperature with only 12% moisture content and at an average bulk density of 20 to 24 lbs/ft.sup.3 (320 to 384 kg/m.sup.3). At this moisture content and bulk density the lamina is very friable and very tightly packed. Any attempt to open the tobacco (i.e. separate the lamina) under these conditions results in degradation (i.e. breakage of the lamina).
The pre-conditioning process is a condensation process in which saturated air heats the tobacco by condensation adding approximately 1% moisture per 22.degree. F. (12.degree. C.) depending on the specific beat. The added moisture is largely temporary (false order) and can be lost by cooling the tobacco in ventilated conditions.
The tobacco is normally heated to 170.degree. F. (77.degree. C.) which adds approximately 5% moisture content. At this condition the lamina is flaccid and can be opened without damage.
Opening can be carried out manually or by tipping the bulk into the hopper of an autofeed, which may comprise an elevator band with pins, which draw the lamina from the bulk. Permanent moisture is added to the laminae in a subsequent process such as a recirculating cylinder.
Due to the way cases and hogsheads are packed the lamina is largely lying in parallel planes and the case or hogshead cleaves more readily in these planes.
The problem of pre-conditioning is to get moisture to penetrate between the tightly packed leaves before they are removed. The difficulty of doing this is related to the packing density. The problem of opening is to remove laminae without breakage and this is dependant on the condition and the relationship of the removal means to the planes of lamination.
One process for pre conditioning is known in which the case or hogshead is placed in a vacuum chamber, and the air is evacuated and replaced by steam which is condensed on the tobacco to heat and moisten it. The penetration is dependent on density and there is usually a high density `hard spot` or `cold spot` which has not pre-conditioned even after repeating the evacuation and steam back cycles several times.
In a further process the pre-conditioning is carried out in a chamber at atmospheric pressure. Such a process known as the compressed tobacco conditioning (CTC) process is described in U.K. Pat. No. 781,365 of the British Imperial Tobacco Company of Canada, and features a perforated probe inserted into the hogshead whereby saturated air is drawn through the tobacco. Water vapour condenses on the tobacco heating and moistening it.
The main weakness of the two batch processes above is that the processes are slow and so to achieve the production rate, several cases or hogsheads are preconditioned at one time in large chambers. The resultant output of several cases or hogsheads at one time means that the last to be opened has remained standing for 30 to 40 minutes losing condition (moisture).
U.K. Pat. No. 947,291 to John Mohr & Sons discloses a combined probe and vacuum chamber reducing the cycle time to 12 to 15 minutes. A three-probe device, described in U.K. Pat. No. 1,493,443, speeds the process up to a 6 minute cycle time.
The first continuous pre-conditioners, in which the tobacco is moistened and opened in the one operation were disclosed in U.K. Pat. Nos. 1,023,470 and 1,136,439 to Bowen in which the face parallel with the laminations is treated with moist air or steam to both condition and peel off the lead in a single operation. The cases are turned through 90.degree. so that the plane of laminations is vertical and a succession of such cases conveyed continuously into a treatment chamber, with the planes of lamination at right angles to the direction of conveying.
The disadvantages of the latter machine are: doffer or give a surge of output. cuts through the laminations degrading the lamina size. chamber or at the lamina discharg
REFERENCES:
patent: 1507054 (1921-08-01), Folsche
patent: 1693989 (1925-07-01), Milligan
patent: 4222397 (1980-09-01), Brackmann et al.
patent: 4307736 (1981-12-01), Brackmann et al.
patent: 4349037 (1982-09-01), Brackmann et al.
AMF Incorporated
Dougherty David E.
Gallagher John H.
Macey H.
Millin V.
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