Claims
- 1. Apparatus for building at least one stream of smokable material from a mixture containing relatively large first particulate material and relatively small said particulate material, comprising:transporting means including a pneumatic conveyor having an endless running belt including a first side and a second side, and at least one first suction chamber adjacent one side of said belt and having an outlet; means for feeding at least a portion of the mixture against the other side of the belt opposite said first suction chamber, said belt having a permeability such that it entrains the first material but permits at least some second material to pass into said chamber; means for evacuating second material from the first suction chamber by way of said outlet; means for admitting evacuated second material against at least one of (a) said other side of said belt and (b) the first material being entrained by the belt; at least one second suction chamber disposed at said one side of said belt and arranged to gather second material being furnished by said admitting means and having passed through the belt due to suction in at least one of said chambers; and means for drawing air and second material from said at least one second suction chamber.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said material admitting means and said means for drawing air and second material comprises at least one air conveying conduit.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the volume of said at least one first suction chamber greatly exceeds the volume of said at least one second suction chamber.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one pneumatic conveyor further includes means for moving said belt in a predetermined direction, said at least one second suction chamber being disposed upstream of said at least one first suction chamber, as seen in said predetermined direction.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one second suction chamber is disposed in said at least one first suction chamber.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one pneumatic conveyor further includes means for moving said belt in a predetermined direction, said at least one second suction chamber having a first length and said at least one first suction chamber having a greater second length, as seen in said predetermined direction.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one pneumatic conveyor further includes means for moving said belt in a predetermined direction, said at least one second suction chamber being spaced apart from said admitting means as seen in said predetermined direction.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for admitting the evacuated second material is arranged to discharge second material into said feeding means.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one pneumatic conveyor further includes means for moving said belt in a predetermined direction, said means for admitting the evacuated second material being arranged to discharge second material with a component of movement in said predetermined direction.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for monitoring the pressure in said at least one second suction chamber.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for monitoring the pressure in said at least one first suction chamber.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for regulating the pressure in said at least one second suction chamber.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising signal generating first sensor means for monitoring the pressure in said at least one first suction chamber, second signal generating sensor means for monitoring the pressure in said at least one second suction chamber, control means for processing the signals being generated by said first and second sensor means, and means for adjusting said air drawing means in response to signals being processed by said control means.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transporting means includes two conveyors each having an endless foraminous running belt and discrete second suction chambers for each belt, said feeding means including means for dividing the mixture into two fractions, and means for feeding a discrete one of said fractions of the mixture against the other side of each of said belts, said means for admitting including means for directing second material toward the other side of the respective belt at least substantially opposite the respective second suction chamber so that at least a substantial part of second material having been directed against the other side of the respective belt is drawn into the respective second suction chamber.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for admitting further includes adjustable means for breaking up second material into a plurality of discrete masses, one for each of said directing means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
100 51 031 |
Oct 2000 |
DE |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 09/976,291 filed Oct. 15, 2001, which claims priority of the commonly owned German application Serial No. 100 51 031.0 filed Oct. 14, 2000. The disclosure of the above-referenced patent applications, as well as that of each US and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
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