GB935212A - Improvements in or relating to reconstituting tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

935,212. Reconstituting tobacco. MOLINS MACHINE CO. Ltd. May 19, 1961 [May 20, 1960], No. 17920/60. Class 130. Tobacco is reconstituted by pulping the fibrous portion in a solution of the soluble constituents of tobacco and concentrating the insoluble portion of the pulpy product so that the final dried product has substantially the same constituent composition as the original tobacco. Tobacco continuously fed by a worm 4 into a tank 1 (Fig. 1) is both broken up into individual fibres and mixed with solution and fresh liquid (e.g. water) fed from pipes 6 and 7 respectively, by the high speed propeller shaped rotor 12. The mixture flows from the bottom of the tank 1 through a series of four papermaking type refiners 18, 19, 20 and 21 and the resulting pulpy product is fed through an output regulating valve 25 and through a control system into a concentrator 29. A continuous sheet S of the pulpy product, which is formed on the outside of a cylinder 56 in the concentrator 29 is carried on a felt band 58 over a load cell 59 and thence transferred to a dryer 60. In the control system (Fig. 2), the pulpy product is discharged into a compartment 31, any excess overflowing into a compartment 33 and passing thence to the concentrator 29. A solenoid operated butterfly valve 38 is momentarily opened and drops the contents of the compartment 31 into a glass or plastics compartment 41 in which electrodes 48, 49 and 50 are embedded. As the liquid drains through the sheet of solid matter that forms on a fine copper wire mesh flap valve 43, the time taken for the level to drop from the electrode 48 to the electrode 49 is measured and by means of an integrating controller 27 controls the degree of opening of the valve 25. A process controller 40, which operates the butterfly valve 38, also causes the flap valve 43 to swing downwards after the liquid has drained through, and momentarily opens a valve 53 allowing water to back wash the solid matter into the concentrator 29. The process repeats when the compartment 31 has refilled as defeated by the electrode 61. A continuous weight signal produced by the load cell 59 is transmitted to a controller 11 which splits it into two components, one of which adjusts the rate of feed of tobacco into the tank 1 and the other controls water feed valves 8 and 65. Solution extracted through the sheet S is emptied through trunnion ends 66 and pumped by a pump 63 via either valve 10 or 64 back to the mixing tank 1 or the concentrator 29 respectively. A centrifuge may be inserted in a line adjacent the pump to remove any fine precipitate that forms in the solution. Specified types of known means are used to prevent fermentation. A simplified apparatus for batch production is also described.