Smokeless tobacco products and processes

Abstract

An improved pouching machine is provided. The improved pouching machine comprises a feed hopper with a first and a second end and a feed screw with a plurality of pins extending from the circumference. The feed screw is connected to a first shaft and the first shaft is connected to a motor to rotate the first shaft. An agitator screw is positioned adjacent to the feed screw and has a plurality of pins extending from the circumference. The agitator screw is connected to a second shaft.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to tobacco products and packaging for tobacco products in smokeless form, including those smokeless tobacco products characterized as “snus.”BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Tobacco may be enjoyed in a so-called “smokeless” form. Particularly popular smokeless tobacco products are employed by inserting some form of processed tobacco or tobacco-containing formulation into the mouth of the user. Various types of smokeless tobacco products are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,376,586 to Schwartz; 4,513,756 to Pittman et al.; 4,528,993 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al.; 4,624,269 to Story et al.; 4,987,907 to Townsend; 5,092,352 to Sprinkle, III et al.; 5,387,416 to White et al.; and Des. 335,934 to Howard; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005 / 0244521 to Strickland et al. and 2006 / 0162732 to Winn et al.; U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2006 / 0191548 to Strickland et al., 2007 / 0261707 to Winterson et al., 2007 / 0062549 to Holton, Jr. et al.; 2007 / 0186941 to Holton, Jr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]The tobacco formulation can be contained within a container, such as a pouch or bag, such as is the type commonly used for the manufacture of snus types of products (e.g., a sealed, moisture permeable pouch that is sometimes referred to as a “portion”). A representative moisture permeable pouch can be composed of a “fleece” type of material. The tobacco formulation is in turn contained within a package. The package is sealed tightly, and is composed of a suitable material, such that the atmospheric conditions within that sealed package are modified and / or controlled; that is, the sealed package can provide a good barrier that inhibits the passage of compositions such as moisture and oxygen therethrough; in addition, the atmosphere within the sealed package can be further modified by introducing a selected gaseous species (e.g., nitrogen, argon, or a mixture thereof) into the package prior to sealing or by drawing a vacuum therein (vacuum sealing). As such, the atmospheric conditions to which the tobacco composition is exposed are controlled during conditions of preparation, packing, storage and handling.

Problems solved by technology

Consumers who formerly used smoking products and switch over to snus or other pouched tobacco products may find that the initial feeling in the mouth along the cheek or gum is uncomfortable.

The fleece used for snus also may exhibit discoloration after being stored over time.

This discoloration can make the snus pouches unappealing to the consumer.

Furthermore, the consumer may assume that the snus pouch has degraded in some fashion because of the discoloration, and dispose of the pouch without using it.

Furthermore, snus pouches are typically a whitish color, and different flavors of snus are not easily distinguished.

Problems exist in the art with respect to efficiently feeding tobacco into pouches.

The problems lie in the material flow through the hopper of the high-speed pouching equipment.

The feed hoppers are subject to dead zones and rat holes due to the dimensions of the hopper and the properties of the tobacco that is supplied to the hopper.

This causes loss of product flow in the hopper.

This increases production time and lowers production efficiency.

Typically, one flavor is supplied in one package because otherwise, the flavors can leech into each other, which can adversely affect the taste of all of the flavors.

A used snus or other smokeless tobacco pouch is typically damp and unpleasant to keep in a user's pocket.

Another alternative would be to put the pouch back in the container, but the used and damp pouch could negatively affect the unused pouches.

The need to keep such formulations refrigerated increases the cost of shipping and storing snus.

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