Granted Patent B2

US 12,564,209 · App. 16/972,673 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Inventors: Silvia Capo (Capaccio-Paestum, IT); Chiara Fasciani (Avekzzano, IT); Rui Nuno Batista (Morges, CH)

Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.

A24B3/14A24B15/14A24C5/01

Abstract

Claims (32)

1 . Casting apparatus for the production of a cast sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the casting apparatus comprising:

a casting box adapted to contain a slurry of the material containing alkaloids;

a slurry supply element adapted to feed the slurry to the casting box;

a movable support;

a casting blade adapted to cast the slurry contained in the casting box onto the movable support so as to form the cast sheet; and

path diverting fins adapted to come into contact with the slurry and placed within the casting box.

2 . The casting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the path diverting fins comprise a plurality of curved fins.

3 . The casting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of curved fins is arranged in at least one row of curved fins.

4 . The casting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each curved fins of the plurality defines a concavity, the curved fins of a same row having equally oriented concavity.

5 . The casting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the curved fins of two adjacent rows have their concavity oppositely oriented.

6 . The casting apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a first adjusting element apt to swivel the path diverting fins around an axis.

7 . The casting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said casting box comprises a sidewall, and comprising a second adjusting element apt to change a distance between the path diverting fins and the movable support or between the path diverting fins and the sidewall of the casting box.

8 . The casting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said casting box includes a sidewall, and said path diverting fins face the sidewall of the casting box.

9 . The casting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said casting box includes an aperture, the movable support being positioned below the aperture, and said path diverting fins face the movable support.

10 . A method for the production of a cast sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the method comprising:

providing a casting box;

providing a casting blade connected to the casting box;

providing a movable support facing the casting blade;

introducing slurry inside the casting box;

providing path diverting fins within the casting box for meandering a flow path of the slurry within the casting box; and

casting the slurry on the movable support by means of the casting blade.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein providing path diverting fins includes:

providing path diverting fins facing the movable support.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , including:

adjusting an orientation of the path diverting fins depending on parameters of the slurry or of the cast sheet.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , including:

adjusting a distance between the path diverting fins and the movable support or between the path diverting fins and a sidewall of the casting box depending on parameters of the slurry or of the cast sheet.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , including:

Swivelling the path diverting fins around an axis perpendicular to the movable support.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the cast sheet of a material containing alkaloids includes a homogenized tobacco sheet.

16 . The casting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a line joining between a first end and a second end of each fin is a curve, the curve extending along the main direction of flow of the slurry.

17 . The casting apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the curve defines a concavity.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)