US1509902A - Tobacco-curing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30 1924. 1,509,902

J. C. REYNOLDS woiaAco CURING APPARATUS Filed May '2 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 1 32 Qnmntocf5 26 26 Josh an (I. f? ,5 A? Reynolds 7 (Ittomeq;

Sept. 30, 1924. 1,509,902

J. c. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CURING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shut 2 mailanllllll I gwuentoz dos/2 HQ Gags 22W Sept. 3051924. 1,509,902,

J. C. REYNOLDS TOBACCO (HIRING APPARATUS Filed May 2 1923 3 Sheets-Sheep s,

I I I my 61mm Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,509,902 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA C. REYNOLDS, OF OWENSBOBO, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CLARENCE D. BROWN, OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-CURING APPARATUS.

Application filed Kay 2, 1923. Serial No. 636,183.

To all wiwm it may comm:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA C. REYNoLos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco- Curing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for curing tobacco and has special reference to the general type of apparatus disclosed in Letters Patent, No. 1,413,783, granted to me April 25, 1922. The present invention has for its object to simplify the construction and reduce the cost, to provide for a more intense heat, and to effect a more general distribution of the heat as well as to more thoroughly protect the tobacco from possible burning in the event any leaves should fall from the drying racks. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation, partl broken away and partly in section, of the heat-generatingmechamsm Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the to removed;

ig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section of the burner and the ignition pan.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a curing barn in which the tobacco, indicated at 2, is hung in the usual manner. In carrying out my invention, I erect within the barn a supplemental shed or awning 3 consisting of a suitable supporting frame 4 having roof trusses 5 extending between its sides and ends and covered with a plate 6 of metal having perforations 7 extending therethrough throughout its area. The supporting frame is disposed in spaced rela tion to the walls of the barn so as to provide an aisle or passageway, indicated at 8, around the frame and extends from end to end and from side to side of the barn except for the area included in the said passageway. J

A truck, consisting of runners 9 and suitable supporting and bracing members, is disposed under the awning or hood 3, and

this truck carries a drum 10 and burners 11 disposed within the drum. The runners have both ends upturned, as indicated at 12, so that the truck may be readily moved in any direction within the barn and under the awning and the two runners are connected by transverse braces 13 which are bolted to the longitudinal rib 14 upon the upper sides of the runners and are slightly arched, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, whereby they may readily clear objects upon the floor of the barn. Props 15 are secured at their lower ends to the longitudinal ribs 14 of the runners and extend upwardly in divergent relation therefrom, the upper ends of the props being bolted to the inner side of the drum 10 adjacent the lower edge thereof so that the drum will be firmly supported, as will be readily understood. The bottom of the drum is open throughout its area and the drum is preferably constructed of two similar semi-elliptical plates having their ends overlapping, as shown at 16, and

secured together by bolts 17 so that they adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the drum and its central portion is raised so that the hood has a frusto-conical form. Brackets 20 are secured to the under side of the hood and have depending portions which are adapted to fit closely within the upper end of the drum and thereby maintain the hood in proper relation upon the drum and. extending over the same. A pan 21 is placed upon the hood and consists, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, of a dished bottom '22, adapted to fit directly upon the inclined sides of the hood and be thereby held in proper position thereon, and a side rim or wall 23 of any desired height so that water placed within the pan will be held in proper restraint.

A tank or reservoir 24 is provided for the storage of a hydro-carbon fuel and is supported in an elevated position at any convenient point within the barn. A hose or flexible tube 25 extends from this reservoir to a pipe 26 upon the truck and branch pipes 27 carry the fuel from the said pipe 26 to the several burners 11. The pipe 26 is disposed longitudinally of the truck and is held in position thereon by clamps 28 titted over the pipe and bolted upon the peaks of the transverse arched braces 13, the said pipe 26 being equipped with a cut-off valve 29 and the hose being connected with the end of the pipe through a. nipple 30 and hose clamps 31 in a well-known manner.v The fuel pipe 26 extends from one end of the truck to the center of the same and is connected with the several branch pipes 27 through a four-way coupling 32, as shown and as will be readily understood. Each branch 27 rises vertically ii to a point within the drum and is equipiped with a regulating valve 33 so that the ow of fuel to the burners may be cont-rolled. An operating rod or rock shaft 34 is attached in any preferred manner to the handle member 35 of each valve 33 and extends to the side of the drum below the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the outer portion of the controlling rod being supported by a hanger 36 secured to and depending from the drum and the outer extremity of the rod being bent or otherwise treated to provide a hanbe dle 37.

Within the drum, the upper end portion of the burner-supplying pipe 27 is bent laterally, as shown at 38, and is then carried upwardly, as shown at 39, a suitable distance, the upper end of the tion being bent laterally, as shown at 40, so that it is brought back into substantially the vertical plane; of the main portion of the burner-supp] 'ing pipe and merges into a coil 41 whic 1 carries the burner 11 at its lower end. The said burner 11 consists of an open bottom casting or head having its top provided with a central depressed portion 42 from which a nipple 43 rises to be engaged in and secured to the extremity of the coil 41. Between the depressed central portion 42 and the bottom of the burner, the top plate thereof is inclined downwardly and outwardly, as shown at 44, and through this downwardly and outwardly inclined portion jets or perforations 45 are formed. plug or cap 46 is fitted in the bottom or lower end of the burner, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, so as to form a closure therefor. An ignition pan 47 is provided adjacent to and low each burner 11, and t-his ignition pan is provided on its under side with a web or rib 48 constructed with a clamp member 49 adapted to fit over the lateral portion 38 of the burner-supplying pipe. A mating clamp plate 50 is fitted against the under side of the said pipe and the ends of the twoclamp plates are bolted together, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the ignition pan will be firmly secured upon the pipe and will be maintained in proper operative relation to the burner. he reservoir or tank 24 may be of any deis preferably supported in an elevated said vertical porsired capacity, form or construction and it )OSI- tion, as shown and as previously stated, in order that the fuel may be fed to the pipe 26 by gravity, thereby avoiding complicated and expensive constructions. A force feed apparatus may, however, b provided upon the tank, if desired, in order that the fuel may be fed to the burners under greater pressure. When the cut-off valve 29 is opened, the fuel will obviously flow into and through the pipe 26 and rise through the several branch or burner feeding pipes 27 so as to circulate through the several coils 41 and ow into the burners. Initially, a small quantity of the fuel will be permitted to overflow through the 'ets 45 into the respective ignition pans, a ter which the flow is cut-off by proper manipulation of the regulating valves 33. The portion of the fuel within the ignition pans is then ignited and the ensuing flame will play directly upon and about the burner and the coil supporting the same so that the burner and the coil will be quickly raimd in temperature and any fuel subsequently admitted thereto will vaporized and issue from the jets 45 in small gas-like streams. These gas-like streams, of course, will ignite immediately upon meeting the air surroundin the burners and the flame thus produced will play directly upon the coils so that the heated condition of the same will be maintained and all the fuel then flowing to the burners will be quickly and thoroughly vaporized and proper combustion maintained. After the burners begin to work properly, the flow of oil is regulated by the manipulation of the valves 33 in an obvious manner and the operator need then pay no further attention to the burners as long as the supply of fuel lasts. The heat generated by the burners will, of course, play upon the sides and hood of the drum and the water within the pan upon the hood will be evaporated so that moisture will be supplied to the heated air and humid heat will pass to the tobacco. Of course, after the burners have been operating for a short while, some heat will escaoe under the lower edge of the drum and Wlll pam around the sides of the same eventually escaping through the perforations 7 in the awning or auxiliary shed 3 and thence passing up to and around the tobacco leaves suspended in the barn. It will be noted that the bracing arch 13 at one end of the truck is not required to aid in supporting the fuelsupplying pipe. This arch may be engaged by any convenient pulling tool so that the truck may be quickly and easily shifted to any point under the awning or supplemental shed as the condition of the tobacco or other circumstances may suggest, and the flexible tube or hose 25 should be long enough to permit the truck to be moved to any point dosired under the said shed or awning. My improved device is very simple in its construction and compact in the arrangement of its parts. The flames at the burners are enclosed so that they cannot reach the tobacco and any leaves which may happen to fall from the hangers or drying racks will be caught by the shed or awning 3 and will be prevented thereby from passing to the burners or to the hood and drum surrounding them. It will also be noted that the heat cannot rise directly from the burners to the tobacco leaves but is distributed by the perforations in the awning or auxiliary shed so that it is very evenly and more thoroughly distributed than has heretofore been possible. By humidifying the heated air, I prevent the tobacco upon the lower hangers or racks drying too rapidly and also avoid the brittleness in the product which frequently follows the curing as now most generally practiced. Bolts or screws are used throughout the apparatus so that the parts may be quilcslrelg assembled .When the apparatus is to be and this means of connecting the parts permits the manufacturer to ship the entir apparatus in knock-down form within a very small compass. The ignition ans are supported in a very firm and simp e manner immediately below the burners and the quantity of fuel passing to the burners may be controlled without requiring the operator to pass under the drum. Moreover, it is possible to closely observe the initial combustion inasmuch as the cover is not rm-anently secured to the drum but simp rests thereon and it may obviously be easily lifted from the drum and placed in position after the burners are seen to be working properly.

rum it is held against displacement b the shape of the drum and the provision o the brackets 20 which are secured to the hood and engage the inner sides of the drum.

While my apparatus is intended more particularly for curing tobacco, it may be ad vantageously employed in preparing plant beds for tobacco and vegetables. By moving the apparatus over the ground which is to be used as a bed, the vegetation therein will be destroyed by the heat so that the entire germinating strength of the ground will act upon the seed which is subsequently planted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is; I

1. Means for curing tobaccofoomprising an awning, means for supporting said awn-- ing within a tobacco-curing barn below tobacco hung in the barn, the said awning being provided with perforations throughout its area, and a heat-creating medium disposed below and freely movable under the awning. Y

2. In tobacco-curing apparatus, a truck, a drum mounted upon the truck and having an open lower end, a hood covering the upper end of the drum, a pan carried upon said hood, and heat generators carried by the truck below th hood.

3. In tobacco-curing apparatus, a truck, a

drum supported by and above the truck, heat generators disposed within the drum, a hood covering the drum, and a water pan resting on and supported by the hood.

4. Means for curing tobacco comprising an awning, means for supporting said awning within a tobacco-curing barn below tobacco hung in the barn, and a heat-creating medium disposed below and freely movable under the awning.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSHUA C. REYNOLDS. [LS-1

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