Casting apparatus and method for the production of a cast sheet of a material containing alkaloids

Abstract

The invention relates to a casting apparatus to cast a sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the casting apparatus including: a casting box apt to contain a slurry to be cast to form the sheet; a slurry supply element defining a feeding channel apt to introduce the slurry into the casting box in a supply direction; path diverting fins positioned within the feeding channel, the path diverting fins being apt to come into contact with the slurry inside the feeding channel; a movable support; and a casting blade apt to cast the slurry contained in the casting box onto the movable support so as to form the cast sheet. The invention relates also to a method to cast a sheet of a material containing alkaloids.

1 . A method to cast a 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;   providing a slurry supply element defining a feeding channel;   providing path diverting fins positioned within the feeding channel;   introducing slurry into the casting box along a supply direction trough the feeding channel;   casting the slurry on the movable support by means of the casting blade; and   adjusting an orientation of the path diverting fins with respect to the supply direction depending on parameters of the slurry or of the cast sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein introducing slurry inside the casting box comprises introducing the slurry in the casting box along a supply direction forming an angle with a horizontal plane comprised between about −45 degrees and about +45 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein introducing slurry inside the casting box comprises introducing the slurry in the casting box along a supply direction forming an angle with a vertical plane comprised between about −15 degrees and about +15 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 adjusting a position of the path diverting fins shifting the path diverting fins along the supply direction depending on parameters of the slurry or of the cast sheet. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 adjusting an orientation of the path diverting fins with respect to the supply direction depending on parameters of the slurry or of the cast sheet. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cast sheet of a material containing alkaloids includes a homogenized tobacco sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the path diverting fins comprise a plurality of curved fins arranged in at least one row. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of curved fins of a same row have equally oriented concavity. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the path diverting fins protrude from a wall of the feeding channel. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding channel comprises a wall, and wherein each of the path diverting fins comprises two main surfaces substantially perpendicular to the wall of the feeding channel. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the path diverting fins comprises two main surfaces, wherein each of the two main surfaces are curved surfaces. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding channel defines a channel width, and wherein the path diverting fins are distributed along the channel width. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding channel defines a channel width substantially perpendicular to a casting direction defined by the movable support. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one row comprises a first row and a second row, and wherein the first row is located downstream of the second row in a direction of flow of the slurry. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising drying the cast sheet to form a homogenized tobacco sheet.