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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7445011 | Method for improving the loading capacity of tobacco The invention relates to a process for enhancing the filling capacity of tobacco, such as cut tobacco leaf or tobacco midribs, or tobacco additional material, by treating the tobacco material having an initial moisture of 10-30% with a treatment gas consisting of ni... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7104265 | Filter containing a metal phthalocyanine and a polycationic polymer A tobacco smoke filter comprising one or more than one metal phthalocyanine, such as a copper phthalocyanine or an iron phthalocyanine, and further comprising one or more than one polycationic polymer. ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7070001 | Expandable sealing apparatus The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for sealing a wellbore. The sealing apparatus includes an expandable tubular body having one or more sealing elements disposed thereon. In one aspect, the sealing elements include swelling and non-swelling seal... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7025338 | Seal and pressure relief for steam injection heater A direct contact steam injection heater is placed directly in line with a flow of stock through a pipe. The steam injection heater includes a Mach diffuser having a plurality of steam diffusion holes and an adjustable steam-plug cover that is positioned within a sta... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6907937 | Expandable sealing apparatus The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for sealing a wellbore. The sealing apparatus includes an expandable tubular body having one or more sealing elements disposed thereon. In one aspect, the sealing elements include swelling and non-swelling seal... | 06/21/2005 |
| 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 |
| 6779527 | Device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during ... | 08/24/2004 |
| 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 |
| 6227205 | Method for treatment of tobacco fine cut The invention relates to a method of treating tobacco fine cut in which the cut tobacco is preheating and moistening is moistened to a moisture content of a maximum of 18 to 18.5%, after which it is supplied without any further drying to a screening and c... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6221413 | Device and method for puffing products such as foodstuffs and tobacco A device for puffing products such as foodstuffs or tobacco comprises an upright puffing reactor having a vessel for receiving product therein. The vessel has a wall provided with a plurality of openings. A chamber surrounds the vessel. The vessel has no ... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6209546 | Apparatus and method for improved hydrate formation and improved efficiency of recovery of expansion agent in processes for expanding tobacco and other agricultural products An apparatus and a method for recovering additional expansion agent in a process for the expansion of tobacco or another agricultural product are disclosed. One embodiment is a method for recovering additional expansion agent in a process for the expansio... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6158440 | Swollen tobacco material manufacturing method Disclosed is a method of producing an expanded tobacco material. According to the method, a tobacco material (TM) is fed into a pressure vessel (11), followed by pressurizing the interior of the pressure vessel (11) with a carbon dioxide gas to a predeter... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6125855 | Process for expanding tobacco Tobacco is treated to cause its expansion by a process which comprises the steps of subjecting it, in a treatment chamber, to a reduced pressure of not greater than 7 kPa, impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapour at a temperat... | 10/03/2000 |
| 6082369 | Process for treating tobacco Tobacco is treated using the following series of steps: (1) subjecting in a chamber the tobacco to a reduced pressure of not greater than 70 mbar (7 kPa); (2) impregnating the cell structure of the tobacco with isopentane vapor at a temperature in the range of... | 07/04/2000 |
| 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 |
| 5944026 | Tobacco products or materials resembling tobacco products containing natural substances having an antioxidative effect and processes for the preparation thereof Smokable products made of tobacco and/or another smokable material, which comprise natural substances having an antioxidative effect and/or naturally identical synthetic products thereof. These natural substances are selected according to the invention fr... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5908032 | Method of and apparatus for expanding tobacco A method of and an apparatus for expanding tobacco, particularly tobacco impregnated with solid carbon dioxide are disclosed. The apparatus comprises an arcuate, generally C-shaped duct for conveying the tobacco material in a hot gaseous medium to sublima... | 06/01/1999 |
| 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 |
| 5865187 | Method and apparatus for expanding tobacco A tobacco expansion apparatus and method comprising a source of tower gas, an obloid transport duct (20), in communication with the gas source, a tobacco feeder (18) at a location along the obloid transport duct (20) and a separator (22) for recovering to... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5826590 | Method and plant for treating tobacco stems for the production of cut tobacco The invention relates to a method and plant of treating tobacco stems for the production of cut tobacco for smokable articles, wherein uncut stem are sauced to a moisture content of approximately 45% at the maximum, the sauced stems are overdried to a moi... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5819754 | Tobacco expansion processes and apparatus An apparatus for impregnating tobacco with an expansion agent includes a chamber for confining a charge of tobacco under elevated pressure conditions. An accumulator connected to the chamber maintains a supply of an expansion agent in fluid form under con... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5816264 | Bio-humidor An apparatus for and method of imparting moisture to a cigar or tobacco product is a bio-humidor. The bio-humidor includes a moisture impervious housing configured to hold the cigar, a moisture impervious lid, and a moisture imparting element configured f... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5810019 | Process and apparatus for tobacco batch preparation and expansion A tobacco expansion process and apparatus is provided to form a tobacco batch having a predetermined amount of tobacco, contact the batch with steam, load the batch onto a spool assembly, and impregnate the batch with an expansion agent. A double conduit ... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5799665 | Process and apparatus for impregnation and expansion of tobacco A process for expanding tobacco is provided which employs carbon dioxide gas. Tobacco temperature and OV content are adjusted prior to contacting the tobacco with carbon dioxide gas. The disclosed process is suitable for impregnating and expanding tobacco... | 09/01/1998 |
| 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 |
| 5740817 | Processing of smoking material A process for treating smoking material comprising the steps of (i) heating smoking material having a moisture content of from 5 to 75% by weight at a temperature of from 70° to 220° C. at about or above atmospheric pressure in the presence of air and (... | 04/21/1998 |
| 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 |
| 5711319 | Dry ice expanded tobacco In a process for expanding tobacco, an equilibrium pressure within a process vessel (1) containing a mixture of gaseous carbon dioxide and liquid carbon dioxide is selected before charging a sample volume of tobacco from a batch of tobacco into a sealable... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5687748 | Spool and shell with pressurizing fluid activated seal A process and apparatus for tobacco expansion is employed for expanding tobacco at rapid throughput rates. The apparatus includes a spool and shell assembly wherein the spool is moveable within the shell between loading, impregnating, and unloading positi... | 11/18/1997 |
| 5682907 | Tobacco expansion apparatus An apparatus for expanding tobacco includes a chamber having a spool and shell arrangement and a device for compressing tobacco into the shell for impregnation. The spool includes first and second cylindrical end members and a connecting rod between the f... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5669397 | Tobacco expansion processes and apparatus This invention provides tobacco expansion processes and apparatus that can be employed for expanding tobacco at rapid throughput rates employing high pressure tobacco impregnation conditions. The processes and apparatus of the invention are particularly u... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5657771 | Process and apparatus for tobacco batch preparation and expansion A tobacco expansion apparatus is provided to form a tobacco batch having a predetermined amount of tobacco, contact the batch with steam, load the batch onto a spool assembly, and impregnate the batch with an expansion agent. A double conduit apparatus is... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5653245 | Tobacco expansion processes and apparatus This invention provides tobacco expansion processes and apparatus that can be employed for expanding tobacco at rapid throughput rates employing high pressure tobacco impregnation conditions. The processes and apparatus of the invention are particularly u... | 08/05/1997 |
| 5649552 | Process and apparatus for impregnation and expansion of tobacco A process for expanding tobacco is provided which employs carbon dioxide gas. Tobacco temperature and OV content are adjusted prior to contacting the tobacco with carbon dioxide gas. The disclosed process is suitable for impregnating and expanding tobacco... | 07/22/1997 |
| 5647382 | Component spool and shell pressure vessel with hydraulic fluid actuated pressure seals A process and apparatus for tobacco expansion is employed for expanding tobacco at rapid throughput rates. The apparatus includes a spool and shell assembly wherein the spool is moveable into and out of the shell between loading, impregnating, and unloadi... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5638834 | Treatment of hygroscopic material An apparatus for providing a water vapor-air mixture for treating a hygroscopic material having a mixing chamber, supply for providing air to the mixing chamber at a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 80° C. and at a pressure in the range of 1 to 3 ba... | 06/17/1997 |
| 5590667 | Tobacco expansion method A tobacco expansion method is provided whereby cured tobacco is first moistened with a humectant solution, as is conventional in the industry, to increase the resident liquids thereof. Next, the prepared tobacco in shredded form is placed in a sealed cham... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5582193 | Method and apparatus for expanding tobacco A tobacco expansion apparatus and method comprising a source of tower gas, an obloid transfer duct, in communication with the gas source, a tobacco feeder at a location along the obloid transport duct and a separator for recovering tobacco from the expans... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5483977 | Tobacco expansion processes and apparatus This invention provides improvements in tobacco expansion processes which are capable of dramatically improving tobacco throughput in high pressure tobacco impregnation systems. In accordance with various aspects of the invention, tobacco can be impregnat... | 01/16/1996 |
