Method and apparatus for separating ribs from tobacco leaves

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIGHTER PARTICLES FROM HEAVIER PARTICLES WHICH FORM A MIXTURE WITH SAID LIGHTER PARTICLES, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING FORMING AN INCLINED ASCENDING PATH FOR AN AIR STREAM AND HAVING A LOWER PART AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID PATH AND AN UPPER PART AT THE TOP OF SAID PATH AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION SPACED FROM SAID LOWER PART AND SAID UPPER PART; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID LOWER PART OF SAID HOUSING AN AIR STREAM CONTAINING SAID MIXTURE OF LIGHTER AND HEAVIER PARTICLES AT SUCH A HIGH SPEED THAT SAID AIR STREAM CONTAINING THE ENTIRE MIXTURE OF SAID LIGHTER AND HEAVIER PARTICLES ASCENDS TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID HOUSING SPACED FROM SAID LOWER AND UPPER PART THEREOF; MEANS FOR DEFLECTING AT SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID HOUSING PART OF SAID AIR STREAM WITHOUT PERMITTING ANY LIGHTER OR HEAVIER PARTICLES TO BE CARRIED ALONG WITH SAID DEFLECTED PART OF SAID AIR STREAM SO AS TO REDUCE AT SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID HOUSING THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID ASCENDING AIR STREAM, THEREBY CREATING AT SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID HOUSING A SEPARATION ZONE IN WHICH THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID UNDEFLECTED PART OF SAID AIR STREAM IS REDUCED SO AS TO LOSE ITS CAPACITY TO CARRY ALONG SAID HEAVIER PARTICLES WHICH THEN DESCEND FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOUSING FOR REMOVING AT A POINT LOCATED UNDER SAID SEPARTION ZONE THE THUS DESCENDING HEAVIER PARTICLES; AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FROM SAID UPPER PART OF SAID HOUSING SAID LIGHTER PARTICLES FURTHER ASCENDING ALONG SAID INCLINED ASCENDING PATH WITH SAID UNDEFLECTED PART OF SAID AIR STREAM INTO SAID UPPER PART OF SAID HOUSING.