US Patent 7802578 Shredded tobacco supply device for a cigarette manufacturing machine

A shredded tobacco supply device for a cigarette manufacturing machine includes a separation throat (20) diverging from a gravity chute (18) through which shredded tobacco is let fall down, and an extension (68) extending from the outlet (20b) of the separation throat (20) and forming an air confluent nozzle (69) in cooperation with the trough bottom (38) of a fluid bed trough (36). The air confluent nozzle (69) produces a transport flow by joining together primary and secondary air jets J1 and J2 used for winnowing the shredded tobacco, and the transport flow causes a shred mixture obtained by the winnowing to be conveyed along a conveyance surface (38) toward a tobacco band.