Expanding apparatus for agricultural product or the like

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An expanding apparatus supplies an expanding agent to an impregnating vessel, and continuously supplies and discharges a material, e.g. a tobacco material to and from the impregnating vessel through a valve while pressureincreasing or pressure-decreasing the material thereby, continuously expanding the material. The expanding agent supplied to the impregnating vessel, the valve and the, like is recovered and, air, an impurity gas or the like, mixed in it is removed. Thereafter the expanding agent is pressure-increased to a high pressure and supplied to the impregnating vessel and the valve again.