Tiered container with flow distribution system

Abstract

A tiered container for use in an autoclave of an apparatus used in a process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco, said process utilizing a compound to impregnate the tobacco and a hot gas to vaporize the impregnating compound.

I claim:  .[.1. A tiered container for use in the autoclave of an apparatus used in a process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco, said process utilizing a volatile organic compound to impregnate the tobacco carried in beds in the tiered container and a hot gas to vaporize the compound in the tobacco, said tiered container comprising at least two baskets, each of said baskets including: 
     
        its bottom..].  .[.9.  The tiered container of claim 8, further including a sealing member for closing the upper end of the conduit of the uppermost basket when said baskets are being utilized in said apparatus..]. .[.10. The tiered container of claim 9, further including means for securing said baskets together..]..Iadd. 11. An improved apparatus for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco having a pressure vessel for receiving the tobacco and which utilizes a volatile organic compound to impregnate the tobacco and a hot gas to vaporize the compound in the tobacco, said improved apparatus comprising: a stack or tier of containers mounted within said pressure vessel and comprising a plurality of spaced apart, individual containers each comprising a basket including:   (a) a bottom with an aperture therein;   (b) a side wall secured to and circumscribing said bottom;   (c) a perforated member positioned above said bottom and within said side wall providing a flow passage between said perforated member and said bottom, said perforated member receiving a portion of the total quantity of tobacco to be processed; and   (d) a conduit communicating with the flow passage and said aperture within its basket and the aperture and flow passage of an adjacent basket, whereby a fluid can pass upwardly through said apertures into said flow passages and through the perforated members into the tobacco beds and downwardly through said beds into said flow passages and into said conduits adjacent said basket,   means operably connected to said central flow passage for supplying a volatile organic impregnating fluid upwardly through said central flow passage and substantially simultaneously upwardly and outwardly through the flow passages and perforated members of said individual containers to contact and treat tobacco confined within the individual containers with the impregnating fluid in a bottom-to-top manner, and   means operably connected to said vessel and communicating with the spaces between said individual containers for supplying a hot gas into said spaces and downwardly through the perforated members and flow passages of said individual containers and into and downwardly through said central flow passage to contact the tobacco confined within said individual containers with the hot gas in a top-to-bottom manner to vaporize the   
     
     
        impregnating fluid and expand the tobacco. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12.  The apparatus of claim 11, further including a sealing member on the lowermost basket to prevent fluid from passing between the lowermost basket and the pressure vessel wall thereby directing the fluid through the aperture in the bottom of the lowermost container and into the central flow passage. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A process for treating a predetermined quantity of tobacco to increase its filling capacity utilizing a pressure vessel and comprising the steps of: dividing said quantity of tobacco into several small portions and confining said small portions into individual containers of a plurality of stacked containers, each container having a bottom wall with an aperture therein, a side wall secured to and circumscribing said bottom, a fluid permeable floor member positioned within said side wall and above said bottom wall, providing a flow passage between the permeable floor member and the bottom wall and an open top tobacco confining space above the floor member and within said side walls, and a conduit communicating with said flow passage and said aperture in said bottom wall and extending upwardly from the flow member to the bottom of the next adjacent container with said conduit communicating with the aperture therein, the conduits of said plurality of stacked containers cooperating to provide a substantially continuous central flow passage communicating simultaneously with the flow passages of said individual containers to produce a predetermined flow pattern;   passing a volatile organic impregnating fluid into said pressure vessel and directing said impregnating fluid upwardly through said central flow passage and substantially simultaneously upwardly and outwardly through the flow passages and fluid permeable floor member of said individual containers to contact and impregnate tobacco confined in the individual containers in a bottom-to-top manner;   passing a hot gas into said pressure vessel and directing said hot gas downwardly through the tobacco in said tobacco confining spaces and downwardly through said fluid permeable floor member, flow passages of each of said individual containers and through said central flow passage in a top-to-bottom manner to vaporize the impregnating fluid and expand the tobacco. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The process of claim 13, further including providing a means to separate the internal spaces within the pressure vessel into upper and lower zones with a tobacco bed confined in the upper zone and the impregnating fluid being directed into the lower zone and then upwardly through the tobacco in the upper zone and the hot gas being directed into the upper zone and downwardly through the tobacco into the lower zone. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. An improved tobacco processing apparatus for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco by impregnating the tobacco with a volatile organic compound and using a hot gas to vaporize the compound in the tobacco, said tobacco processing apparatus being contained within a pressure vessel and comprising a plurality of spaced-apart individual containers, each of said containers comprising:   (a) a bottom wall having an aperture therein;   (b) a side wall secured and subscribing said bottom;   (c) a fluid permeable floor member positioned above said bottom and within said container side wall to provide a flow passage between said bottom and said floor member and an open-topped tobacco confining space above the floor member and within said side wall; and   (d) a conduit communicating with said flow passage and said aperture in said bottom wall and extending upwardly from said floor member to the bottom wall of the next adjacent container where said conduit communicates with the aperture therein, the conduits of said plurality of containers cooperating to provide a substantially continuous central fluid passage communicating simultaneously with the flow passages in said individual containers so that said volatile organic impregnating fluid can be directed upwardly through said central flow passage and substantially simultaneously upward and outwardly through the flow passages and fluid permeable floor members of said individual containers to contact and treat tobacco confined within the individual containers with the impregnating fluid in a bottom-to-top manner and for directing the hot gas into the confining spaces and downwardly through the fluid permeable floor members and flow passages of said individual containers and into and downwardly through said central passage to contact the tobacco confined within the individual containers with the hot gas in a top-to-bottom manner to vaporize the impregnating fluid and expand the tobacco. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The tobacco processing apparatus of claim 15, further including a sealing means disposed between the lowermost individual container in said plurality of containers and the side wall of said pressure vessel to divide the interior space within the pressure vessel into separate upper and lower zones. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The tobacco processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein said containers further include means for supporting and positioning the basket with respect to adjacent lower containers. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. The tobacco processing apparatus of claim 15, further including means for connecting the containers together, whereby said plurality of containers can be handled as a single unit. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The tobacco processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein said bottom wall of said containers is cone-shaped, whereby said flow passage diverges inwardly from said container side walls into the center of the container. .Iaddend.