US2516355A - Fire protection for curing tobacco in barns - Google Patents

Description

y 1950 R. THOMPSON 2,516,355

FIRE PROTECTION FOR CURING TOBACCO IN BARNS Filed May 20, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTEIRN EYE July 25, 1950 R. THOMPSON FIRE PROTECTION FOR CURING TOBACCO IN BARNS Filed May 20, 1947 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z w m M WW .9 a GM 3 A'ITD RN EYE Patented July 25, 1950 Y rum rnorsc'rroN FOR CURING ToBAcco IN BAR Ross Thompson, Durham, of 'one half to Earl N. HowardgRaleigh, N. C.'

Application May 20, 1947, Serial Iva-749,273 1Q v for the prevention of fires in tobacco barns that use the flue curing process.

Frequently in tobacco barns some of the tobacco hung from rafters in the upper part of the barn above the heated flues will fall thereon and become ignited, usually resulting in completely destroying both the barn and its contents.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a fire guard screen that, made in one piece, is suspended in its horizontal operating position immediately below the lowest layer of tobacco hanging above the flues on the floor of the barn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard screen havin means incorporated therewith that will wind the screen in a neat roll for storage, which means is secured to the walls of the barn in staggered relation to each other, and to provide means for holding the free end of the screen which is positioned on the walls in opposite relation to the storage means.

With the above and other objects and advantages in View, the invention consists of the novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a flue curing tobacco barn with an embodiment of the invention in operating position therein;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed view partly in section of the fastening means for the screen;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the screen partly broken away showing the free end that is attached to the means shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the storage means for the screen;

Figure 6 is an elevational view partly in section of the handle for operating the means shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an end view partly in section of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary end view partly in section of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is an end view of Figure 5 and Figure 10 is an end view of Figure 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral designates a tobacco curing barn which may be of any conventional size in use at the present time.

Supported within the barn in the conventional manner are the drying racks 2| from which the tobacco 22 is hung for the curing thereof. These racks are ofconventional type and are so spaced that sufiicient distance is'provided for the proper curing of the tobacco. f I The barnshown is of the flue curing process type, in-whichthefire boxes 23 are positioned on the floor m of the barn, 'and the fiues zfiare connected to each other and'to the fire boxes 23 in a horizontal plane beneath the tobacco for the curing thereof. A conventional flue 26 is provided for the fire boxes and extends upwardly of the barn in the conventional manner.

The invention contemplates a flexible fire guard screen 27 which is suspended from both walls of the barn, and the number used depends upon the size of the barn, since the guards are designed to completely cover the area immediately above the fire boxes and lines, as shown in Figure 2, and below the last row of tobacco, as shown in Figure 1.

The screen 21, at its storage end, is connected to a drum 28 having circular end flanges 29, and the drum is mounted on the axle 30, which is journalled in brackets 3|, which are secured to the wall of the tobacco barn by any well known securing means; One end of the axle 30 is provided with a key 3:! which is adapted to enter the key slot 33 while the axle enters the bore 34 of the crank 35 which engages the axle 30 and communicates with the slot 33. Thus when the crank is positioned on the axle, the drum can be revolved thereby to wind the screen on the drum. The flange adjacent the end of the axle on which the crank is positioned is provided with even spaced openings 36 which are adapted to receive the sliding bolt 3! mounted in the bracket at this end of the drum, whereby unwinding of the drum is prevented when the screen is in operative position.

Secured to the free end of the screen 2! is the U-shaped binding iron bar 38 which is provided with spaced openings 39 which are adapted to be inserted on the hooks 40 secured to the opposite side of the barn on which the drum is mounted in alinement with the opening 39.

The screen is reliable and safe, and when properly installed and extended, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, will prevent falling tobacco from being ignited upon contact with the fiues or fire boxes. After the screen has been positioned as shown, the crank is revolved in the winding direction to pull the screen taut, and the bolt 31 slipped into one of the openings 36 to hold the screen in this position to prevent sagging thereof, When the screw is wound on the drum in storag position, the doors 4| and 42 may be entered for the details of construction, arrangement and coma-hi0.

bination of parts may be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit ofsthea-inyentionaand the scope of the appended claims. I Having thus described the invention, what. is.

claimed as new and desired to beasecuredwygl'liiq Letters Patent is:

1. A fire guard screen of the--cliaracter -described for use in flue curing tobacco barns comv prising a flexible screemof a size to extendfrom one side of thebarn to, the other, a drum secured 20 for" iournalling said axle: thereimiliook" means 25 3 9 7 secured" to the side, of the. barn opposite to said 4 side on which the drum is mounted, at substantially the same elevation as the drum and means on said screen for engaging said hook means, whereby said screen is suspended in horizontal relation to the floor of the barn below the lowest row of tobacco to be cured in the barn.

2. 'Ifhe invention as in claim 1,, wherein said drum is prbvided' withifcircula'r endflanges and relatively spacedopenings in one Of said flanges are adapted to cooperate with means on one of said brackets to prevent rotation of said drum fontheiunwindingtthereof when the screen is in .1 horizontal operating position.

ROSS THOMPSON.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file..o. this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 197,234 "Wagner Nov; .20, 187 7 322,347 Carey Ju1y:14, 1885' 191581056 Hill" f Junei.5',:.1923 Thexton Sept;14,-:194'T

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