US1194351A

US1194351A - G-sobge hillard beh j amiit

Info

Publication number: US1194351A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1916-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1933-08-15

Description

UNTTED gTATEfi union,

enonen nrnnann nnnaarrrrn'or new roan, n". r.

METHQD 0F DEHYDRATINQ AND ClU'lBfillltlfit. TUBACCU.

manner,

We Drawing.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that l, GEORGE Hrnnnnn BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method oflDehydrating and Curing Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

My improved method has for its objects: first, to remove the major portion of the normally contained moisture and second, to develop the color and aromatic properties of the tobacco.

To carry my invention into eil'ect,-T proceed in the following manner: The tobacco leaves astaken from the fields, are suspended in any suitable dehydrating or ouring apparatus and therein subjected to the action of large volumes of heated air of definite temperature and humidity, until a certain proportion of the normal water contents of the tobacco has been removed, or otherwise, until the tobacco shows a change of color; then to the action of large volumes of air of relatively higher temperature and lower humidity, until a further proportion of water has been removed; then withdrawing the tobacco from the dehydrating apparatus, packing and treating it in the usual manner to set up fermentation to effect curing In practice T prefer to subject the tobacco to the action of moving air currents of large volume, heated to approximately 7 5 l ah renheit and having a humidity of approxi mately 85%. The action of the air currents should be maintained for anywhere from three to five days, depending somewhat upon the nature of the tobacco treated.

the character of the leaf, that is, its texture, amount of water, nicotin, essential oils, acids, etc. With leaves of coarse texture (which, to use a trade term, sweat easily) the duration of the treatment will be somewhat less than will be the case with leaves of finer texture. The treatment as above described, should be continued until the leaves have a distinctly yellow color. After the treatment as above described has been continued for the required time, the temperature is raised to approximately 100 Fahrenheit, and the humidity lowered to between 70% and 75%, and the treatment continued until all oil the original water contents of the tobacco is removed with the Specification of Letters Patent.

humidity may be somewhat varied.

Tobacco, as is well known, varies as to' Patented Aug. 115, llhllfi.

Application filed November 12, 1914. Serial No. 871,671.

exception of approximately 20%, which amount is found to be that necessary to coact with the enzym present to set up the fermentation required in the curing of the tobacco, or otherwise, until the stems of the tobacco become brittle. The action of the air currents should be maintained for anywhere from three to five days, depending, as before stated, upon the nature of the tobacco treated.

Tt will be observed from the above description, that the method, so far as described, consists essentially in first subjecting the tobacco to a'comparatively low temperature with high humidity, and then to a higher temperature with lower humidi'ty. In practice it has been demonstrated that by using a low temperature with high humidity,;the original extraction of moisture is slow, whereas in the subsequent treatment, by using a higher temperature with lower humidity, the extraction of the moisture is comparatively rapid.

Tn the treatment of various grades of tobacco, it is sometimes necessary to repeat the steps before the final extraction is completed. That is, the tobacco is first subjectedto a low temperature with high hu- -midity, then to a high temperature with low the tobacco plant, or any chemical change in the structure of the plant, or destroy the enzym present.

Tn my prior application, Serial No. 854,598, above mentioned, T have generally described the treatment of vegetable substances with air currents of various temperatures with various percentages of moisture,

'and have pointed out in such application that my intention was to produce exosmotic effects upon the material treated by the action of air currents of various degrees of temperature and moisture thereby effecting the extraction of the required percentage of moisture without in any wise altering the Mid chemical characteristics of the body acted to approximately 75 Fahrenheit and having a humidity of 85 continuing the action of the air currents for a definite time until the tobacco becomes yellow, and secondarily to the action of air currents having a temperature of 100 and a humidity of from to 3. The method of treating tobacco which consists in subjecting it for a sufiicient time to the action of successively applied moving bodies of air, one body having a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit and a humidity of 85%, and the other a temperature of'100 Fahrenheit and. a humidity of between 70% and 4:. The method of treating tobacco, which consists in first subjecting it to the action of air currents having a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit and a humidity of 85%, continuing theaction for approximately three days, or untilthe tobacco shows a change of color, then subjecting it to the action of air currents having a temperature of 100 Fahrenheit and ahumidity of from 70% to 75%, and continuing the temperature and humidity for approximately three days, or until the required amount of the original moisture content has been removed and the stems become brittle.

5. The method of treating tobacco, which consists in first subjecting it to the action of air currents having a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit, and a humidity of 85%, continuing the action for approximately three days, or until the tobacco shows a change of color, then subjecting it to the action of air currents having a temperature of 100 Fahrenheit and a humidity of from 70% to 7 5% and continuing the temperature and humidity for approximately three days, or until approximately of the original moisture content has been removed, then removing the tobacco out of the action of the air currents, packing it, and setting up formentation to effect final curing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE HILLARD BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

HELEN E. Konnson, LESTER BEARDSLEY.