Patent Description:
In general, reconstituted tobacco is obtained with the use of tobacco by-products and processing scraps (ribs, small pieces of leaves, powder, etc.) which, properly ground up to be practically reduced to powder and mixed with water, glycerin binders and other liquid additives, allow to obtain an extremely fluid mixture (slurry) having a liquid content of about <NUM>% by weight, which is then poured in the form of a veil on a steel strip and with this transferred to a drying. Here the evaporation of the liquid fraction of the mixture takes place, so that the solid residue forms a sort of continuous strip of tobacco having approximately the same width as the steel strip. Subsequently, the dried mixture strip is separated from the steel strip and is cut into pieces of various sizes according to the request. These pieces are then transformed into thin filaments which, suitably mixed, are fed to a traditional cigarette packing machine.

Depending on the raw materials used and, in particular, depending on whether shredded tobacco by-products up to a particle size between <NUM> and <NUM> are used, or whether ground tobacco leaves with dimensions between <NUM> and <NUM> are used, the reconstituted tobacco is distinguished into conventional or unconventional.

<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> describe known techniques for the production of reconstituted tobacco, which however require large plants and involve high energy consumption to carry the slurry, which when it is product is rather fluid, to the consistency of a sheet of tobacco. It is sufficient to point out that a drying oven can reach up to <NUM> in length.

Another drawback of the known techniques for the production of reconstituted tobacco with the use of by-products consists in the fact that the formation of the sheet starting from the slurry film is rather irregular, since the starting products are not homogeneous and their distribution on the steel is not uniform; it follows that the reconstituted tobacco sheet does not allow it to be reeled or cut regularly.

<CIT> describes a method for the preparation of strips of reconstituted vegetable material in which, between a pre-lamination phase and the final lamination phase, a remixing of the pre-laminated sheet is provided inside a mixer in order to obtain a homogeneous mass from then submit to the final lamination.

<CIT> discloses a method for the preparation of reconstituted tobacco in which the solid components of shredded tobacco are mixed with water, at least one binding agent and at least one material to form an aerosol until a mixture with a liquid content of about <NUM>- <NUM>%, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>%.

<CIT> describes a method a process for preparing reconstituted tobacco comprising: a first drying unit, a grinding unit, a mixing unit for the solid components (i.e. tobacco powder with solid powder of natural binders), a mixing unit for the liquid components (i.e. liquid/nanogel with propylene glycol and glycerin), a unit for mixing the solid mixed components with the liquid mixed components, from one to three lamination units to obtain a <NUM> film -<NUM>, and a dryer to reduce the moisture content of the film.

The object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to produce both conventional and non-conventional reconstituted tobacco, with much smaller plants.

Another object of the invention is to produce reconstituted tobacco with limited energy consumption.

Another object of the invention is to produce reconstituted tobacco using apparatuses that are partly already available on the market, even if never used in this specific technical sector.

Another object of the invention is to produce reconstituted tobacco in an alternative way to traditional methods.

Another object of the invention is to produce reconstituted tobacco with characteristics suitable for satisfying different market demands.

Another object of the invention is to produce reconstituted tobacco by operating at low temperatures and therefore preserving all the aromas of the tobacco.

According to the invention, all these objects and others that will result from the following description are jointly or separately achieved with a method of producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim <NUM> and with a plant according to claim <NUM>.

In particular, the method according to the invention to produce reconstituted tobacco is characterized by the fact that it includes the carrying out, in sequence, of the following steps:.

The present invention is further clarified hereinafter in some of its preferred embodiments reported for purely illustrative and non-limiting purposes with reference to the attached drawings, in which:.

As can be seen from the figures, the plant for producing reconstituted tobacco according to the invention comprises several sections designed to operate on the incoming raw materials until they are transformed into a continuous strip of reconstituted tobacco to be sent to the subsequent cigarette packaging operations.

In particular, the plant according to the invention for the production of reconstituted tobacco comprises:.

Advantageously, the plant also comprises a mixture forming unit <NUM> for forming a plurality of portions <NUM> of said mixture; suitably, therefore, the first rolling unit <NUM> is configured to form from the portions <NUM> of said mixture a continuous strip with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>.

Preferably, the plant according to the invention comprises:.

Conveniently, the preparation and pretreatment section of the starting solid products is different depending on whether the plant is intended to produce reconstituted tobacco of a conventional type (<FIG>) or of an unconventional type (<FIG>). Moreover, advantageously, a section for the preparation and pre-treatment of the tobacco ribs can also be provided (<FIG>), to be used for the production of both conventional and unconventional reconstituted tobacco.

Advantageously, if the preparation and pre-treatment section is intended to feed a plant for the production of reconstituted tobacco of a conventional type (<FIG>), it comprises a tilter <NUM> of the cartons containing the tobacco by-products, aimed at overturning their content on a feeder <NUM> of a vibrating conveyor <NUM>, which separates any heavy bodies from the product to be treated. The heavy bodies are collected in a suitable container <NUM>, while the product to be treated is transferred, through a pneumatic conveying line <NUM>, a cyclone <NUM>, a conveyor belt <NUM>, equipped with a metal detector <NUM> for the removal of any metal bodies, and a pneumatic conveying line <NUM>, to the mill <NUM>, preferably of the cryogenic type.

Advantageously, if the preparation and pretreatment section is provided for the preparation of reconstituted tobacco of an unconventional type (<FIG>), it comprises a feeding station with a bench <NUM> for unpacking the bales of tobacco leaves from cartons of about <NUM>, which generally contain them, and the transfer of these to a grinder <NUM>.

Conveniently, the output of this grinder <NUM> is connected, through a pneumatic conveying line <NUM>, to a cyclone <NUM>, in which the transport air is separated from the solid product, which is transferred to a vibrating sieve <NUM> for the separation of the fine parts from the remaining parts of the product. The outlet of the fine parts is directly connected to the cryogenic mill <NUM>, while the outlet of the remaining parts of the product feeds a traditional twine levering machine <NUM>, which eliminates any twine previously not removed from the bales of tobacco leaves.

The outlet of the twine lever machine <NUM> feeds a classification chamber <NUM> for the separation of any heavy foreign bodies from the ground tobacco leaves, which through a pneumatic conveying line <NUM>, a cyclone <NUM>, a conveyor belt <NUM>, equipped with metal detector <NUM> for the removal of any metal bodies, a weighing system <NUM> (master scale), and a pneumatic conveying line <NUM>, are transferred to storage and mixing silos <NUM>, from which they can then be transported through another line of pneumatic transport <NUM>', to the cryogenic mill <NUM>. These silos <NUM> are sized so as to contain the quantities of product necessary to form the batch according to the particular recipe to be prepared.

Advantageously, if the preparation and pre-treatment section is provided for the preparation of the tobacco ribs to be used for the production of both conventional and
unconventional reconstituted tobacco (<FIG>), it comprises a tilter <NUM> of cartons containing the tobacco ribs, a rib feeder <NUM> to a vibrating conveyor <NUM>, for the separation from these of any heavy bodies, and a pneumatic conveying line <NUM> for their transfer to a pin mill <NUM>, where they are ground.

The pin mill <NUM> has its outlet in turn connected, by means of a pneumatic conveying line <NUM> equipped with cyclone filters <NUM>, to one or more storage silos <NUM>.

The output of the silo or silos <NUM> is at its connected, by means of a screw conveyor <NUM>, to a weighing system <NUM> (slave scale), which doses the ground ribs in the percentage required by the particular recipe to be prepared, before sending them through the same pneumatic transport line <NUM>', to the storage and mixing silos <NUM>.

As mentioned, the plant according to the invention also includes the mill <NUM> (<FIG>), which grinds the various products received until it reaches an average particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>.

There are various types of mills that can be used, although it is more advantageous to use a cryogenic pin mill, which allows the product to be kept at low process temperatures and therefore to retain the aromas of the tobacco.

The pin mill is traditional in itself and comprises within a closed structure a fixed disc and a rotating disc or two counter-rotating discs, provided with facing and partially interpenetrating pins. Being a traditional apparatus in itself, it has been globally indicated with <NUM> in <FIG> and <FIG> but is not shown in its internal construction characteristics or in its operating modes.

Preferably, the pin mill <NUM> is designed to carry out cryogenic grinding, that is, grinding in the presence of liquid nitrogen.

As stated, in a reconstituted tobacco production plant a cryogenic pin mill <NUM> is somewhat more advantageous than a traditional mill, essentially due to the different ways in which the products to be ground are treated. In fact, grinding at room temperature can lead to poor quality products while grinding in the presence of liquid nitrogen allows the physical properties and the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the products to be preserved.

The amount of liquid nitrogen used in cryogenic grinding processes is a key part to consider when investigating the pros and cons of the process, and can vary depending on the materials being processed. Liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -<NUM> is injected into the product inside the chamber of a screw conveyor <NUM> which feeds the mill <NUM> and its residence time in contact with the nitrogen is approximately <NUM> to <NUM> sec. , which is also the transit time of the product inside the screw that feeds the pin mill. The temperature of the product that leaves the mill <NUM> is advantageously lower than <NUM>, so that the nitrogen vapors, which are released almost instantaneously upon contact with the tobacco to be cooled, go through the entire feeding system of the mill in countercurrent the desired pre-cooling effect. The flow of liquid nitrogen in the pre-cooling system and in the mill is controlled by thermocouples, which make the cryomind process fully automatic.

In summary, the positive factors of cryogenic grinding are:.

Conveniently, the outlet of the cryogenic pin mill <NUM> is connected to a fluid bed sieve <NUM>, which has the function of separating the ground product, which comes out of the mill itself and generally has an average particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>, from larger sizes, inevitably present.

Conveniently, the fluidized bed sieve <NUM> therefore has the function of classifying the product and reintroducing the one with fractions greater than <NUM> into the mill <NUM>, after having separated them from those between <NUM> and <NUM>, which through a pneumatic transport <NUM> are sent to one or more mixing and storage silos <NUM>.

Advantageously, the outlet of the mixing and storage silos <NUM> feeds, through a pneumatic transport line <NUM>, a cyclone filter <NUM>, which has the function of breaking down the dusty air and more specifically to separate the dust, which is then recovered and reintroduced into the cycle, from the air, which can then be expelled.

Conveniently, the outlet of the cyclone filter <NUM> feeds, through a continuous dosing system, preferably with a screw, the mixer <NUM>, which can be of various types, for example of the horizontal tilting type or vertical spiral type.

The mixer <NUM> is fed with metered quantities of ground tobacco, water, at least one binding agent and at least one material to form an aerosol, and is configured to obtain a mixture with a liquid content of about <NUM>-<NUM>%, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>%.

In particular, the values of liquid or humidity, indicated in the present description, are intended to be determined according to the measuring system on a wet basis. In particular, the humidity values are defined as the percentage of water contained in the total mass of the corresponding product and, in other words, as the percentage ratio between the quantity of water and the total mass of the assembly. Conveniently, these values are obtained using the traditional methods provided in the literature to measure the amount of water in a product, such as those presented in " tobacco Moisture, Water and Oven Volatiles.

Preferably, at least one duct for inlet water, a material for the formation of aerosols (for example glycerin) and at least one binding agent (binder) is connected to the mixer <NUM>. Conveniently, one or more inlet ducts can be provided for other additives required by the particular recipe to be prepared.

More particularly, the plant comprises one or more storage tanks <NUM> for aerosol formation material and one or more premixers <NUM>, into which said material for aerosol
formation can be introduced and, preferably, a plurality of additives dosed in the right proportions to form the liquid to be introduced into the mixer <NUM>.

In order to increase the resistance of the sheet of finished product and at the same time to increase the density of the product itself, the invention envisages introducing it into the mixer <NUM>, together with the other components of the mixture, including powdered cellulose. Conveniently, the cellulose powder used is made up of an organic fiber obtained from natural cellulose, and not a compound derived from cellulose. The powdered cellulose thus added preferably has a particle size comprised between <NUM> and <NUM> and is preferably in a percentage comprised between <NUM>% and <NUM>% by weight with respect to the ground tobacco.

The added powdered cellulose is predominantly or exclusively of natural origin. In particular, the powdered cellulose thus added is not synthetic and is not obtained by chemical treatments.

Conveniently, the powdered cellulose thus added does not have a binding function but the function of lowering the specific weight of the finished product and of reducing the solid components of tobacco, thus reducing the costs of the finished product, since cellulose has a much lower cast than tobacco. Furthermore, the addition of cellulose makes the finished product less brittle by increasing the tensile strength, and therefore it is more easily workable, and this is particularly useful in the case in which a pleated sheet of finished product is to be obtained.

This powdered cellulose, which before its use is contained in bags or big-bags, can be directly introduced into the mixer <NUM> (<FIG>) and in this case, after being poured into a traditional hopper, it is fed to a cyclone filter <NUM>', which through a continuous dosing system, preferably of the screw type, introduces it in a metered quantity into the mixer <NUM>.

Alternatively, the powdered cellulose can be introduced, again through a cyclone filter <NUM>' and a continuous dosing system, in the pneumatic conveying line <NUM>' which feeds the mixing and storage silos, from which it is then transferred to the mill <NUM> (<FIG>) through the pneumatic conveying line <NUM>', together with the other components of the mixture, present in the line itself. From the mill <NUM> the contents of the mixing and storage silos <NUM> are then transferred, through the conveyor line <NUM>, to the weighing device placed at the inlet of the mixer <NUM>.

Examples of preferred materials for aerosol formation (and in particular for the formation of a visible aerosol) include polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol and tetraethylene glycol), aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids (e.g., methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedium and dimethyl-tetradecandioate), as well as their mixtures. Suitably, glycerin, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol and tetraethylene
glycol can be mixed together to form an aerosol-forming material. The aerosol forming material can also be provided as a portion of the binding agent (e.g., when the binding agent is propylene glycol alginate). Advantageously, suitable combinations of materials for aerosol formation can also be provided.

Preferably, said at least one binder includes at least one of hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), corn starch, potato starch, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin and alginates (e.g., ammonium alginate and sodium alginate).

Preferably, the binder and the added powdered cellulose are defined by materials different from each other. Conveniently, the powdered cellulose mainly serves to form a three-dimensional framework with a high thickening effect, a pseudoplastic behavior and a good capacity to retain liquids, while the binding agent serves exclusively or mainly to bind together the various components to be mixed.

Advantageously, the outlet of the premixers <NUM> is connected to an inlet of a hydrator <NUM>, having other inlets connected to a water supply line <NUM> and to a compressed air supply line <NUM>.

Preferably, the outlet of the mixer <NUM> feeds the mixture forming unit <NUM> to obtain a plurality of portions <NUM>, preferably shaped like loaves/loaves and separated from each other. Conveniently, the forming unit <NUM> comprises a pair of forming cylinders <NUM>, affected by grooves preferably parallel to the axis of the cylinders themselves and intended to pick up the mixture at the inlet and to supply the portions <NUM> at the outlet. Advantageously, the unit <NUM> is also configured for roughing the mixture and for this purpose, preferably, comprises a hopper <NUM> provided with an internal lump breaker and said pair of forming cylinders <NUM> on the bottom.

Advantageously, at the outlet of the forming unit <NUM> a conveyor belt <NUM> is provided for the transfer of the portions <NUM> to the first rolling unit <NUM>.

Preferably, the first rolling unit <NUM> comprises a lobe feeder <NUM> to homogenize the mixture formed by the portions <NUM>.

Advantageously, along the transfer path from the forming unit <NUM> to the lobe feeder <NUM>, a further metal detector <NUM> can be provided, having the function of removing any metal parts, which could still be present in the mixture and could damage subsequent processing units. These metal parts are conveyed along a distinct path to the inlet of the lobe feeder <NUM> and are collected within a suitable container <NUM>.

The lobe feeder <NUM> comprises a series of lobed feed rollers, between which the portions are made to pass <NUM> (which come out of the forming rolls <NUM> of the forming unit <NUM>) so as to be mixed together and homogenized before being pushed between a pair of rolling rolls <NUM>, which are configured to form a continuous strip of thickness about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>.

Conveniently, therefore, the lobe feeder <NUM> causes homogenization of the product which leaves the forming unit <NUM> and which could have lumps. Advantageously, moreover, the lobe feeder <NUM> also advances the product to push it into the inlet between the pair of laminating cylinders <NUM>.

Conveniently, therefore, the first rolling unit <NUM> comprises a homogenization module, preferably defined by the feeder lobe <NUM>, which is positioned immediately upstream with respect to a pre-lamination module which is defined by at least one pair of lamination cylinders <NUM>, which are configured to form a continuous strip with a thickness of approximately <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>. Advantageously, the strip thus obtained has a greater elasticity.

Conveniently, in a version not shown of the plant, the rolling line <NUM> can be provided directly downstream of the lobe feeder <NUM>. In particular, in this case, the rolling line receives the single-layer continuous strip having a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>, which comes out of the first rolling unit <NUM> provided in the lobe feeder <NUM> Advantageously, downstream of the first rolling unit <NUM> and upstream of the lamination line <NUM>, a layering unit <NUM> can be provided. Preferably, it is configured to arrange on several layers the single-layer continuous strip, having a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, which comes out of the first rolling unit <NUM>, so as to transform it in a multilayer belt with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, which is then sent to the inlet of the rolling line <NUM>.

Preferably, said stratification unit <NUM> consists of an upstream conveyor belt <NUM>, the which has the function of depositing the product belt on an underlying downstream conveyor belt <NUM>, preferably belonging to the rolling line <NUM>, arranging it so that it is layered on said downstream conveyor belt <NUM>, for example by multiple folding on itself. Preferably, the upstream conveyor belt <NUM> is elevated with respect to the downstream conveyor belt <NUM> and is equipped with a continuous forward motion with respect to its support structure, and at the same time with an alternating motion with its support structure, parallel to the its longitudinal axis.

Conveniently, the layering unit <NUM> feeds the subsequent and underlying rolling line <NUM>, and depending on the type of plant the upstream conveyor belt <NUM> of the layering unit <NUM> can be arranged parallel or perpendicular to the rolling line <NUM>. In particular, if the downstream conveyor belts <NUM> of the rolling line <NUM> have a width substantially equal to the width of the product belt that leaves the stratification unit <NUM>, the upstream conveyor belt <NUM> is arranged parallel to the downstream conveyor belts <NUM> provided in the rolling line <NUM> (<FIG>), while if the downstream conveyor belts <NUM> of the rolling line <NUM> are wider than the product belt exiting the layering unit <NUM>, it is preferable that the upstream conveyor belt <NUM> is arranged orthogonally to the downstream conveyor belts <NUM> provided in the rolling line <NUM> (<FIG>), so that with its movements can distribute the product strip aver the entire useful width of the rolling line <NUM>.

Conveniently, in both cases, the alternating movement of the support structure of the upstream conveyor belt <NUM> of the layering unit <NUM> causes a stratification on of the product belt, which leaves the first rolling unit <NUM> on the underlying first downstream conveyor belt <NUM> of the rolling line <NUM> and the formation of a stratified belt having a width substantially equal to the useful width of the rolling line itself.

The rolling line <NUM> is formed by several rolling stations, each comprising a pair of cylinders <NUM>, which delimit an increasingly narrow passage between them to progressively reduce the thickness of the strip of product being processed. In particular, the rolling line <NUM> is configured to progressively bring the continuous strip to a thickness of <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>.

Preferably, between each rolling station and the next there is a conveyor belt <NUM> having a length preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>, which has the function of allowing the product to rest before it is subjected to the subsequent rolling step.

Advantageously, the rolling line <NUM> is then completed with one or more calibration stations, each formed by a pair of calibrating lamination rolls <NUM>.

It is advantageously provided that the118 and possibly also the calibrating rolls <NUM> can be heated, so as to being able to start the drying phase already during lamination. Conveniently, downstream of the rolling line <NUM> there is a dryer <NUM>, preferably with air recirculation (<FIG>), to bring the liquid content of said rolled strip to about <NUM>-<NUM>%. Advantageously, the dryer <NUM> can be divided into two units <NUM>, <NUM>, placed in series with each other. More particularly, the upstream unit <NUM> is provided for carrying out the first drying phase and is equipped inside with a steel belt or net conveyor belt for transporting the product leaving the rolling line <NUM>; the downstream unit <NUM> is provided for carrying out the second drying phase and the subsequent cooling phase and is internally equipped with a network conveyor belt.

Furthermore, the dryer <NUM> is advantageously provided at the inlet and outlet with sensors <NUM>, preferably with infrared rays, which monitor the product along its entire length.

The operation of the plant just described for the production of conventional reconstituted tobacco (<FIG>) is as follows.

Preferably, the tobacco waste containers are placed on the tipper <NUM>, which overturns the products into the feeder <NUM>, which transfers them to the vibrating conveyor <NUM>. Here the separation of any heavy bodies from the tobacco by-products takes place: the former are collected in the container <NUM> while the latter are transferred by an air flow along the pneumatic conveying line up to the cyclone <NUM>, which separates the air from the solid products and lets these fall on the conveyor <NUM>, for their transfer, through the pneumatic line <NUM>, to the cryogenic mill <NUM>.

Preferably, for the production of reconstituted tobacco of an unconventional type instead (<FIG>), the cartons containing the tobacco leaves are placed in the undressing bench <NUM>, where the individual bales of tobacco leaves are removed from the cartons and sent to the grinder <NUM>, which reduces the leaves themselves to a substantially uniform size between <NUM> and <NUM>.

Conveniently, the ground product is then transferred along the pneumatic conveying line <NUM> to the cyclone <NUM>, which separates it from the air and makes it fall onto the vibrating sieve <NUM>.

Here the separation of the finer parts takes place, which are sent directly to the cryogenic mill <NUM>, from the remaining parts which, after passing through the twine levering machine <NUM>, reach the classification chamber <NUM>. In this, any heavy bodies are separated from the ground leaves, which after being subjected to the control of the metal detector <NUM> are sent to the cryogenic mill <NUM>.

Conveniently, if the recipe requires it, also shredded tobacco ribs can be transferred to the same cryogenic mill <NUM>, which can be used for the production of both conventional and unconventional reconstituted tobacco.

In this case (<FIG>) the containers with the ribs are placed on the overturning device <NUM>, which feeds the ribs themselves to the vibrating conveyor <NUM> for the removal of any heavy bodies. The ribs are then transferred through the pneumatic line <NUM> to the pin mill <NUM>, which shreds them to reduce them to a size between <NUM> and <NUM>.

From here the shredded ribs, separated in the cyclones <NUM> from the transport air, are transferred to the storage silos <NUM>, from which the different types of ribs, coming from different qualities of tobacco, can be picked up and transferred through the screw conveyor <NUM> to the rib dispenser <NUM>, which doses them according to the particular recipe to be prepared.

The ground and dosed ribs in the correct quantities are transferred through the pneumatic line <NUM> to the cryogenic mill <NUM>.

Advantageously, regardless of the type of reconstituted tobacco to be produced, and therefore of the type of solid parts of tobacco introduced into the shredding unit, by this last comes a ground product with an average particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>. Preferably, the ground product, which comes out of the fluid bed sieve fed by the cryogenic mill <NUM>, has an average particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>.

Advantageously, the product thus ground is sent to the mixing and storage silos <NUM>, from which the products can then be withdrawn according to the needs and transferred to the mixer <NUM>.

In addition to the ground tobacco and the cellulose and in general all the solid products coming from the mixing and storage silos <NUM>, water, at least one binding agent and at least one material to form an aerosol are also introduced. Advantageously, compressed air and other additives can also be introduced, including in particular ground cloves.

Conveniently, the whole is then mixed together to form a mixture having a percentage of liquids (humidity) of about <NUM>-<NUM>%, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>%, by weight on a wet basis, i.e., a rather dense consistency.

Preferably, the mixture thus obtained is transferred to the forming unit <NUM>, from which a plurality of portions <NUM>, preferably shaped like loaves, come out.

These portions of mixture <NUM>, which come out of the forming unit <NUM> are suitably transferred to the first rolling unit <NUM> which is configured to homogenize the mixture and to provide at the outlet a continuous strip with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably of approximately <NUM>-<NUM>. This continuous strip, which comes out of the first rolling unit <NUM>, is transferred directly to the lamination line <NUM> or - by means of the stratification unit <NUM> - is folded on itself to be thus deposited in the form stratified on the inlet belt <NUM> of the rolling line <NUM>.

Conveniently, as mentioned, the stratification is obtained by letting the continuous belt fall on the conveyor belt <NUM>, which is made to advance with respect to its support structure, which is moved by alternating motion, so as to arrange the product belt on several layers on said inlet conveyor belt <NUM>. Depending on the plant and the direction of the alternating movement, the support structure of the conveyor belt <NUM> immediately downstream of the layering unit <NUM>, the product belt is arranged on several layers parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rolling line <NUM> or orthogonally thereto.

Conveniently, at each passage from one station to another of the rolling line <NUM>, the product strip undergoes a thickness reduction, until it reaches the desired thickness in correspondence with the output calibrating cylinders <NUM>, which has a significantly constant value of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>. Advantageously, moreover, at the exit from the rolling line <NUM> the strip has a liquid content lower than <NUM>% or even <NUM>%, if the laminating cylinders <NUM> are heated and the removal of the water has already begun during the rolling process.

The web of product leaving the rolling line <NUM> is then subjected to drying in the dryer <NUM>, where its liquid content is brought to about <NUM>-<NUM>%.

Preferably, the dryer <NUM> is air-recirculated, and compared to the dryers traditionally used in reconstituted tobacco production plants it is somewhat more advantageous both in terms of manufacturing complexity and in terms of overall dimensions and in terms of energy consumption. This is because traditional plants treat a very fluid and not very stable product (slurry), unlike the product treated by the plant according to the invention, which is much denser and much more stable. Consequently, while the plants that treat slurry require traditional irradiation and conduction dryers, the plant according to the invention can advantageously use a recirculating air dryer <NUM> with a network conveyor belt or a combined system of steel conveyor belts for the first drying phase and net conveyor belts for the second drying phase and for the cooling phase. In this way, with the same performance, reduced dimensions are obtained (about <NUM> compared to aver <NUM> of a traditional dryer) and lower energy consumption due to the lower quantity of water to be removed (using about <NUM>/hour of steam/hour compared to aver <NUM>/hour of steam from a traditional dryer).

Conveniently, at the exit of the dryer <NUM> the product is ready to be wound in reels or to be cut into threads of predetermined dimensions, to be used for the packaging of cigarettes.

Conveniently, in the method according to the invention, the homogenization of the mixture is carried out mainly or exclusively by means of the lobe feeder <NUM> and is in any case carried out always and only upstream, preferably immediately upstream of the pre-rolling module, which transforms the homogenized mixture in a continuous strip with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>, to be sent in the final rolling line <NUM>.

In particular, once the homogenized mixture has been transformed in a continuous strip with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>, the latter is no longer remixed, but is sent in the form of a strip to the rolling line <NUM> to be thus brought to the desired thickness, which has a significantly constant value of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>. Advantageously, the fact that the rolling line <NUM> receives a strip at the inlet, and not a deformed mixture, allows to guarantee a constant inlet flow, increasing the accuracy of the thickness of the sheet in the subsequent rolling steps and also allows to reduce the number of laminating cylinders <NUM> of the same line, thus reducing the cast and the overall dimensions of the plant.

Conveniently, if the plant is envisaged for the production of reconstituted tobacco of an unconventional type, in addition to using a different preparation and treatment section already described, it uses, as an alternative to the molding unit <NUM> or in addition and to upstream of this, a cylinder refiner <NUM> which has the task of bringing the solid components of the mixture to a grain size not exceeding <NUM>.

The refiner (<FIG>) comprises inside a closed container a plurality of cylinders <NUM> arranged in sequence in close proximity to each other, so as to delimit corresponding grinding slots. The lower cylinder <NUM>' is mounted with the axis outside the plane containing the axis of all the other cylinders <NUM> and functions as a feeder of the mixture which is taken from the bottom of the container and made to rise upwards so as to pass between the lower cylinder and the one immediately above and then to follow among all the others. The various pairs of cylinders <NUM>, between which the mixture passes, rotate at different speeds, in the sense that the upper cylinder rotates at a higher speed than the lower cylinder, with which it cooperates, so as to subject the mixture to stretching during the passage between the cylinders <NUM> of each pair and to thus reduce the size of the particles of the mixture itself. In fact, one of the fundamental parameters for the success of the refining process is precisely the different speed of the different cylinders <NUM>, on which the passage of the whole mass of mixture that has passed through the grinding slot depends.

The pressure between the cylinders is hydraulically controlled.

All the cylinders <NUM> are cooled with cold water which circulates inside each cylinder and in this way contrasts the heat, which develops from the mixture due to the friction due both to the movement of the cylinders and to the rubbing with the product. In this way the temperature of the product mass is reduced until it reaches <NUM>.

Thanks to the refiner <NUM> just described, the friction action, which is exerted on the mixture by the cylinders <NUM> of the latter, develops a considerable binding action of the cellulose fibers contained in the tobacco and in particular in the ribs of the latter, and this involves the double advantage of developing the aromatic components of the product and eliminating the need to introduce more fiber into the mixture to obtain the required binding effect.

The operation of the plant in this different embodiment provides that the shredded leaves and the shredded ribs coming from the preparation and pre-treatment stations are fed to the cryogenic pin mill <NUM> in proportionally dosed quantities according to the recipe to be obtained, and are from this leads to a particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>.

The product is then transferred in the manner already described into the mixer <NUM>, in which a product mixture is formed as described above.

The mixture thus obtained is then fed to the cylinder refiner <NUM>, which has the task of bringing the solid components of the mixture to a grain size not exceeding <NUM>. In this way, the friction action exerted on the mixture by the cylinders <NUM> of the refiner <NUM> develops a considerable binding action of the cellulose fibers contained in the tobacco and in particular in the ribs thereof, and this entails the double advantage of developing, from a on the other hand, the aromatic components of the product and, on the other hand, to eliminate the need to introduce more fiber into the mixture to obtain the required binding effect.

Claim 1:
Method for producing reconstituted tobacco wherein
- the solid components of tobacco are ground up to a particle size of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>,
- the ground product thus obtained is mixed with powdered cellulose, water, at least one binding agent and at least one material to form an aerosol until a mixture with a liquid content of about <NUM>-<NUM>%, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>%obtained,
- said mixture is subjected to a first lamination to obtain a continuous strip with a thickness of about <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>-<NUM>, characterized by the fact that
- the strip already subjected to said first lamination is subjected to a series of further lamination steps, until a strip having considerably constant thickness of about <NUM> - <NUM>, preferably of about <NUM>-<NUM>,
- said strip is dried until its liquid content is brought to about <NUM>-<NUM>%.