Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for post-threshing inspection and sorting of tobacco lamina

US8281931B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by

67References

15Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Key Technology, Inc. · US

Inventors

Harry Drewes · Hamburg, DE
Wolfgang Benz · Burscheid, DE
Hans Dierken · Munster, DE
Peter Funke · Hanau, DE
Frank Schuster · Erkrath, DE
Cliff J. Leidecker · Rogue River, US
J. Thomas Higgins · Medford, US

Key dates

Filing date	Sep 18, 2009
Grant date	Oct 9, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 31, 2030

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA24C5/396
WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for post-threshing inspection and sorting of tobacco lamina is described and which includes a separation conduit which receives a source of post-threshed tobacco lamina and other contaminants for inspection and sorting, and wherein a source of pressurized air causes the tobacco lamina to move along the separation conduit past an inspection station where it is optically inspected to identify undesirable tobacco lamina or other contaminants; and a downstream reject station is provided which responds to a sorting signal provided by the inspection station and which removes unwanted or undesirable tobacco lamina and other contaminants from an air stream so as to provide a resulting product which is substantially free from contaminants or other defects.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.