SEALED PNEUMATIC TOBACCO CONVEYING AND TREATING APPARATUS

摘要

TITLE SEALED PNEUMATIC TOBACCO CONVEYING AND TREATING APPARATUS INVENTORS Richard Dean FALTER Kevin R. KORTE An apparatus for treating a tobacco as it is conveyed through the apparatus includes a heater for heating the treating and conveying gas, a tobacco-gas separator device for separating the treated tobacco from the treating and conveying gas, and a tobacco feed device for introducing tobacco to be treated into the treating gas stream between the heater device and tobacco-gas separator device. The separated treating gas is returned to the heater device for reuse in treating more tobacco. The apparatus further includes a venturi which maintains a substantially zero internal atmospheric pressure at the tobacco feed device to prevent the escape of treating gas from the apparatus or entry of ambient air into the apparatus.