Patent ID: 6877515
Filing Date: 2005-04-12
Classification: A24C

Abstract:
1. A method of simultaneously building at least two stream of smokable material from a mixture containing randomly distributed relatively large first particulate material and randomly distributed relatively small second particulate material including a coarser fraction and a finer fraction, comprising the steps of: advancing the mixture against one side of at least one moving belt forming part of a pneumatic conveyor and having a permeability such that the belt entrains the first material but permits at least some of the second material to pass therethrough; thereupon at least partially segregating the coarser and the finer fractions of the at least some second material from each other; admitting at least some of the segregate coarser fraction into the entrained first material; breaking up the mixture into at least two flows, and wherein said advancing step includes simultaneously advancing each of the at least two flows against one side of one of at least two discrete moving belts; and dividing the at least some second material which has passed through the at least two belts into at least two masses prior to said segregating step.