US2759721A

US2759721A - Tobacco curer

Info

Publication number: US2759721A
Application number: US390660A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jessie T Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-11-06
Filing date: 1953-11-06
Publication date: 1956-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1973-08-21

Description

Aug. 21, 1956 J. T. LEE 2,759,721

TOBACCO CUREJR Filed Nov. 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 Fig. 5

Jessie 7. L as IN VEN TOR.

Aug. 21, 1956 Filed Nov. 6, 1953 J. T. LEE

TOBACCO CURER Fig.2

2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Jess/e 71 Lee INVENTOR.

United States P t 2,759,721 TOBACCO CURER Jessie T. Lee, Wilmington, N. C.

Application November 6, 1953, Serial No. 390,660

3 Claims. Cl. 263-19 i This invention relates to a tobacco curer and more particularly to a tobacco curer which is smokeless and automatic in operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a tobacco curer for use in tobacco barns comprising a casing having curing means and coloring means mounted therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tobacco curer having a heat diffusing hood mounted for adjustment on a casing having heat producing means therein.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a tobacco curer having a heat diffusing hood which hood can be adjusted to direct the heat from the curer in a desired direction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tobacco curer for use in tobacco barns comprising a casing adapted to be placed on the floor of the barn and having an air inlet duct leading from outside the barn to the interior of the casing.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the preferred form of the present invention, showing the casing of the tobacco curer mounted on a platform within a tobacco barn and having an air duct extending through the wall of the barn;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the tobacco curer forming the subject of this invention;

Figure 3 is a top view of the preferred form of the present invention, with parts of the hood broken away to show the mounting of the burners within the casing;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the section line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the section line 55 of Figure 2 and showing the mounting of the burners.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the improved tobacco curer forming the subject of this invention includes, as shown in Figure l, a casing having a hood 12 mounted thereon, and an air duct 14 secured thereto and communicating at one end with the air outside the barn 16. The tobacco curer is placed at an angle to the sides of the barn and the air duct 14 is provided with a bend at the mid-portion so that the end of the duct 14 extending through the wall of the barn 16 will be perpendicular to the wall.

A platform 18 is provided within the barn upon which the casing 10 is adapted to rest. The casing 10 is formed of a pair of upper side walls 20 which are joined at opposite ends to vertical V-shaped end plates 22. The lower edges of the side walls 20 are spaced from one another. The conduit 14 is provided with a trough-like extension 26 which trough-like extension is connected "ice at its upper edges to the lower edges of the side walls 20. The trough-like extension 26 extends beyond the end wall 22 which is opposite the air duct 14 to form a control box 28. The control box 28 is provided with an opening in the top thereof as at 30.

A plate 32 is mounted within the casing 10 below the lower edges of the side walls 20. The plate 32 divides the interior of the casing 10 into a combustion chamber and an air inlet chamber. Two

gas burners

34 and 36 are secured to the upper surface of the plate 32 by means of brackets 38. The burner 34 constitutes a coloring burner for the tobacco and the burner 36 constitutes a curing burner for the tobacco.

The

burners

34 and 36 are of the conventional ribbon type burner. They are formed of a pipe having a longi-. tudinal slot along one side thereof and having a plurality of corrugated ribbons disposed within the slot. Each burner is provided with a conventional Venturi for mixing air with gas, which Venturi is positioned within the control box 28. Control valves 40 are positioned within the control box 28 for regulating the fiow of gas to the burners. Lines 42 lead from a suitable source of fuel to the control valves 40.

The plate 32 is provided with a plurality of apertures 44 which allow air to pass from the trough-like extension 26 into the'combustion chamber for aiding in the burning of the gas. The side walls 20 are also provided with a plurality of apertures 46 for allowing the air from the barn to circulate through the casing 10. The air entering the casing 10 through the apertures 46 will be heated by the

burners

34 and 36 and will be recirculated into the barn.

The difiusing hood 12 is formed of a lower horizontal plate having an upper curved plate secured at its edges to the edges of the lower plate. The hood 12 is open at both ends to permit air to circulate through the hood from end to end. The hood 12 is pivotally secured to the casing 10 so as to allow the heated air from the casing to be directed to a desired place within the barn. The pivotal mounting for the hood 12 comprises a pair of ears 48 extending upwardly from the side walls 20. One of the ears 48 is secured to each of the side walls 20. The hood 12 is provided with a pair of ears 50 extending downwardly from each side thereof. The ears 50 are pivotally secured to the ears 48 on the side walls 20. In this manner the angle at which the hood 12 rests with respect to the casing 10 can be adjusted.

Means are provided for maintaining the hood 12 in adjusted position. This means comprises a leg 52 extending downwardly from one end of the hood 12. One end wall 22 of the casing 10 is provided with a bracket 54 for receiving the lower end of the leg 52. The leg 52 loosely fits within the bracket 54. The bracket 54 is provided with a plate 56 therein which has extending from one side thereof a screw 58. The screw 58 extends through an opening in the side of the bracket 54. The screw 58 is provided with means on the end thereof for imparting rotation to the screw. The aperture in the bracket 54 is internally threaded so that rotation of the screw 58 will move the plate 56 against the leg portion 52 to frictionally engage the same. There is thus pro vided a means for securing the hood 12 in adjusted position.

In practical use, the casing 10 is placed within a -tobacco curing barn with the conduit 14 extending through the wall of the barn to the outside. The conduits 42 are connected to a suitable source of fuel. The burner 34 is first turned on to provide a low amount of heat for coloring the tobacco. Air entering the conduit 14 which extends outside of the barn will pass under the casing 10 allowing some of the air to pass upwardly through the The burner 36 will be turned on after the desired 7 coloring of the tobacco is obtained in order to cure the mbflCOL The fiumes of combustion be exhausted; finorm the; casing 10: into the barn to aid in the coloring and curing oil the tobacco. The hood 12. canbe adjusted with respect to the casing to direct theheat from the casing towards a cool spot in the barn. Air will circulate through; the hood: from end to end to: aid in the difiusion of the heat throughout the barn.

From the foregoing; the construction and operation ofi the device. will be. readily understood? and funtherexplana lion is believed to be unnecessary; However, since nu menous: modifications and changes will readily: occur to those; skilled in. the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact constnuction: shown and described, and accordingly allsuitabl'e modifications: and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the app ed cl What is claimed as new: isas follows:

1;, A tobacco. curercomprising an inlet? duct having an. elongated trough-likeextension at one, end adapted to, be placed. on the floon of a tobacco barn and having its other end extending outside; the bat-n a casing includ ing end walls' and upwardly diverging side walls extend ing upwardly from said trough-like extension, an elongated apermred plate mounted in said trough-like extension in spaced relationship to the bottom thereof, elongated slotted burner pipes supported on said apertured plate within said casing and a plurality of openings in the side walls of said casing.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said elongated trough-like extension extends, beyond one end wall of said casing to form a control box carrying fuel valves and air mixing venturi's connected to said elongated slotted burner pipes.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein a hollow, open-ended diffusing hoodis, pivotally supported on the side walls of said casing in spacedrelationship to the open top of said casing, co-operating means being provided on one side wall of said casing and the corresponding end of said diffusing hood for maintaining said hood in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED $TATES. PATENTS 2511245014: Mal-Y3, July 19-, 1-938 2,191,925; Spikes Apr; 16, 1940 2,2785284 Flow et; al Feb. 17; 1942 25%,621- Ma-YG NOV. 134, 1950