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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7650892 | Methods for hindering formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines The present invention relates to methods for hindering formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines during processing of dark fire tobacco, as well as a facility in which at least portions of these methods may be conducted. According to the present invention, dark fir... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7320326 | Method for the treatment of tobacco In a process for the treatment of tobacco, in particular Burley tobacco, the tobacco, which is preferably in the form of leaf tobacco, is treated with a casing, which preferably contains sugar. A thermal treatment of the casing-treated tobacco with saturated steam f... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7293564 | Method for chemically modifying tobacco during curing A method for chemically modifying a tobacco material during a curing process involves treating the tobacco material in a curing enclosure at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce cured tobacco. The method also involves contacting the tobacco material wi... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7294838 | Traversing measurement system for a dryer and associated method A system and method for obtaining measurements across a width of material being processed is provided, which includes a near-infrared (NIR) detector head (102) which reads and transmits an NIR signal that has been reflected from the material, and a fiber-opti... | 11/13/2007 |
| 6929696 | Apparatus and system for spray coating an article An apparatus is provided for spray coating an article and includes a housing defining a spray chamber. A spray gun is mounted on the housing for spray coating the article in the spray chamber. A shroud is disposed about the spray gun and defines an air passage betwe... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6895974 | Tobacco processing Tobaccos are cured in a manner so as to provide tobaccos having extremely low tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) contents. Harvested Virginia tobacco is subjected to flue-curing so as to provide flue-cured tobacco. During the curing processing steps, contact of the... | 05/24/2005 |
| 6834653 | Apparatus for expanding tobacco The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zo... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6786220 | Tobacco curing barn A facility and method steps for air curing tobacco in an enclosure include hanging the tobacco in the enclosure having at least one vertically arranged air duct positioned in a central portion of the enclosure, at least one in-line fan positioned in a vertical porti... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6602555 | Tobacco extract composition and method A method of extracting corrosion inhibiting constituents from tobacco comprises the steps of soaking tobacco in an extraction solution under certain extraction conditions, followed by filtration to remove tobacco residue from the resultant aqueous tobacco... | 08/05/2003 |
| 6564808 | Method for reduction of tobacco specific nitrosamines Tobacco is treated with an effective amount of one or more bactericidal gases before or during curing to reduce or eliminate bacteria, bacterial activity and/or fungal activity from tobacco leaves, and/or to reduce or eliminate the amount of tobacco-speci... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6557267 | Method for the heat treatment of bales A heat treatment process for fiber feedstock, comprises repeatedly subjecting the bale to a reduced pressure atmosphere followed by the introduction of steam which permeates the bale. The interior of the bale may ultimately reach a temperature of about 80... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6510855 | Tobacco recovery system A cigarette manufacturing system includes a feed hopper for feeding cut tobacco at a preselected rate to a cigarette rod forming device which in turn feeds formed cigarette rods to a filter tip attaching device. A tobacco recovery system is provided which... | 01/28/2003 |
| 6425401 | Method of treating tobacco to reduce nitrosamine content, and products produced thereby A method of treating tobacco to reduce the content of, or prevent formation of, harmful nitrosamines which are normally found in tobacco is disclosed. The method includes the step of subjecting at least a portion of the plant, while the portion is uncured... | 07/30/2002 |
| 6397851 | Method for expanding tobacco A method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprisi... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6273093 | Incorporating smoke-modifying agents in smoking material rods A method of, and apparatus for, incorporating particulate smoke-modifying agent in a smoking material rod, wherein said agent is introduced into a flow of filamentary smoking material to the suction band of a rod making machine, the location of introducti... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6202649 | Method of treating tobacco to reduce nitrosamine content, and products produced thereby A method of treating tobacco to reduce the content of, or prevent formation of, harmful nitrosamines which are normally found in tobacco is disclosed. The method includes the step of subjecting at least a portion of the plant, while the portion is uncured... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6155269 | Method for regulating the output humidity of tobacco The invention relates to a method and device for regulating the output moisture content of tobacco conditioned by a loosening/conditioning and optionally casing (saucing) drum comprising injecting a throughflow of water into the infeed region of the drum ... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6089237 | Electronic humidor A device and method are provided for generating moisture in a humidor and regulating the internal humidity of the humidor. The device includes a thermoelectric module, a cold plate, and a heatsink (that may comprise the humidor housing). Energizing the th... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6067994 | Tobacco expansion batch forming, unloading and expansion agent purging process and apparatus Processes and apparatus are provided for processing tobacco for expansion thereof including process and apparatus for forming a batch of tobacco for delivery to a tobacco impregnation apparatus and processes and apparatus for unloading the expanded tobacc... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6053174 | Method and apparatus for the enhancement of tobacco A tobacco enhancement apparatus and a method of enhancing tobacco using the apparatus comprising a tunnel (12) having a vibratory conveyor floor (18), and an inlet (14) for receiving unexpanded tobacco shreds. A steaming and swirling station (32) is locat... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6047701 | Tray with grooves and slots for recirculation of moist air for a humidor in operation The present invention comprises a tray with grooves and slots for recirculation of moist air for a humidor in operation, intended to conserve products, typically cigars, fresh and in their natural state. These grooves or channels are substantially paralle... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5957554 | Humidifiers The present invention provides humidifiers for use in maintaining tobacco at desired levels of humidity. The humidifier includes a humidifier tank having a reservoir chamber fluidly connected to a pair of evaporation chambers by a pair of capillary tubes ... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5908033 | Tobacco drying apparatus A high humidity drying apparatus for cut tobacco is shown. The apparatus has a furnace which heats circulated air within the apparatus. The air is forced through a first arcuate elbow which has a tobacco air inlet located thereon for inserting the cut tob... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5755238 | Method and apparatus for low residence time redrying of tobacco A method and apparatus is given for a low residence time redrying of strip tobacco. The apparatus thoroughly and evenly dries and cools the tobacco consistently through the entire tobacco bed as it passes through the dryer and cooler. The apparatus utiliz... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5720306 | Tobacco drying apparatus A high humidity drying apparatus for cut tobacco is shown. The apparatus has a furnace which heats circulated air within the apparatus. The air is forced through a first arcuate elbow which has a tobacco air inlet located thereon for inserting the cut tob... | 02/24/1998 |
| 5339837 | Drying process for increasing the filling power of tobacco material In a drying process for increasing the filling power of tobacco material, the cut and moistened tobacco material is conveyed in a drying gas flow, dried within a tubular drying section and subsequently separated from the drying gas. The drying gas has at ... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5299583 | Method of and apparatus for separating fragments of tobacco ribs from shredded tobacco A mixture of unsatisfactory fragments of tobacco ribs and shreds of tobacco leaf laminae and/or tobacco ribs which are bonded to each other and/or are clumped together and/or crimped is treated to loosen the coherent and/or clumped shreds and/or uncrimp i... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5199448 | Method and apparatus for separation of objectionable particles from tobacco material A method of separating objectionable particles from host tobacco material which includes fluidizing the tobacco material with a fluidizing air stream to allow heavy unwanted particles to fall, to cause light unwanted particles to rise and be air transport... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5163454 | Method of and apparatus for measuring moisture content of a moving stream of tobacco A method of and an apparatus for accurately measuring the moisture content of a moving bed of a product, such as strip tobacco, are disclosed. As the bed of tobacco is conveyed by a perforated or porous conveyor, a flow of air is directed upwardly through... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5125420 | Process for utilizing ethylene and heat to accelerate the yellowing of tobacco in a tobacco curing and drying process The present invention entails a method for curing and drying tobacco wherein the initial phase of the curing and drying process, that is the yellowing phase, is accelerated by the simultaneous application of ethylene and heat. In particular, the process o... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5060670 | Method and apparatus for blowing cut moisturized tobacco material The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for blowing cut tobacco material, wherein a stream of a carrier gas and entrained tobacco ribs is surrounded in a flow channel section at least at one point by a hot gas stream separately introduce... | 10/29/1991 |
| 4984587 | Rotary cylinder dryer and method of drying tobacco products 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... | 01/15/1991 |
| 4967769 | Combined feeder/conditioner An apparatus for feeding and conditioning tobacco which includes a housing into which steam is supplied to treat tobacco being uniformly conveyed therethrough and wherein the inlet and outlet to the housing include rotating vanes for allowing for the pass... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4945930 | Apparatus for expanding and/or drying particulate material 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... | 08/07/1990 |
| 4836222 | Process for treating tobacco A process for degreening and coloring tobacco by subjecting the tobacco to air containing ethylene gas and thereafter wilting, dehydrating and curing. The air containing ethylene gas is exchanged within a controlled environment at a substantially high rat... | 06/06/1989 |
| 4757830 | Tobacco conditioner Tobacco conditioning apparatus comprising a covered generally U-shaped trough containing an axially extending rotatable paddle assembly. Tobacco to be conditioned is introduced through an aperture in the cover at the inlet end, and the trough is mounted w... | 07/19/1988 |
| 4744375 | Process for forming flavor compounds in tobacco A tobacco treating process for forming favorable flavor compounds in a moisturized tobacco including the steps of introducing the moistened tobacco into a containing zone; introducing an ammonia source into the containing zone; heating the contained zone ... | 05/17/1988 |
| 4730627 | Method and apparatus for treating particulate material An improved method and apparatus for treating particulate material with a liquid additive in a rotatable cylinder involves the use of a pressurized fluid such as steam directed obliquely against the inner wall of the cylinder to effect a cleaning action o... | 03/15/1988 |
| 4709708 | Control system for humidity controller of tobacco leaves A system for controlling the water content and temperature of tobacco leaves in a humidity controller is provided. Said system comprises means for measuring the water content, temperature and flow rate of the tobacco leaves conveyed to the humidity contro... | 12/01/1987 |
| 4706691 | Tobacco treating process An improved tobacco treating process for smoking articles including the steps of shredding the tobacco in a disc shredder, controlling the specific energy imparted to the tobacco being shredded to an empirically predetermined value, and processing the shr... | 11/17/1987 |
