US340468A - Tobacco-drier - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. WALTON.

TOBAGGO DRIER.

No. 340,468. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WALTON, OF OARTERSVILLE, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,468, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed October 28, 1885. Serial No. 181,167. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WALTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oartersville, in the county of Cumberland and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Curing Tobacco, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for curing tobacco by artificial heat tempered with moisture, the object being to cure the tobacco leaves and develop their color speedily and uniformly.

The invention consists in the combination, with a heating-fine or heat-conveying pipe, of a water-pan havinga concaved bottom,whereby it is adapted to rest upon and partially surround said flue or pipe, the water-pan being deepest at the sides and comparatively shallow in the center to present an extensive surface to the action of heat, and thereby facilitate evaporation.

The invention also consists in certain other peculiarities in the construction and combina tions of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a cylindrical hot-air due with one of my improved evaporating-pans in position. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section, and Fi g. 3 is a longitudinal section ofthe same.

-eferring to these drawings, the letter A designates a hot-air line or pipe, preferably cylindrical in form. A number of these fines are run through the drying house or apartment in the usual manner, and are supplied with heat from any suitablesource, preferably from a furnace or furnaces located outside of the drying or curing apartment.

Upon each heating-flue A is arranged a series of evaporating-pans, B, each of which is formed with a bottom, a, that is concaved longitudinally on the underside to fit the flue on which the pan rests. These pans may be made of tin or other metal, are preferably oblong in form, and may be provided with covers or not, as preferred. If a cover is employed, as shown at 0, Fig. 2, it is preferable to provideit with perforations c, for the exit of steam.

The several pans B may be made to communicate by means of pipes or tubesb at the water-level, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to maintain a uniform depth of water throughout the series. With an equable distribution of heat through the flues uniform degree of evaporation can thus be secured in all parts of the tobacco-curing apartment.

In order to afford a proper draft and facilitate the distribution ofheat, the fine A should be arranged in an inclined position,with a rise of, say, from one to two inches to the foot. The concave pan-bottoms will be made with about the same inclination from end to end, so as to bring the top of the pan into a horizontal plane when the pan is in position upon its supporting-flue.

The tobacco to be treated is suspended in the drying or curing apartment upon tobaccosticks as usual. Water is supplied to the evaporating-pans B, and the temperature of the drying or curing apartment is raised by means of heat applied through the dues A, on which the evaporating-pans are supported.

This heat is moderated by the evaporation evaporating-pans are only partially filled, so

that there will bea thin stratum of water on each side of and immediately above the heat flue. By this means evaporation or the formation of steam will take place rapidly at a comparatively low temperature. This moist heat equally distributed throughout the apartment results in speedily curing tobacco with a uniform development of color in all the leaves.

In curing tobacco it is desirable to produce a proper and uniform color in all the leaves, but as no leaves are alike this has hitherto been difficult to accomplish. The bottom leaves of the plant usually advance more rapidly in curing than those next to the bottom, and so on to the top or bud leaves, which are the most difficult to bring to the proper color and by subjecting the tobacco to a moderate and uniform degree of moist heat as afforded by ,the size of the flue,

my improved tobacco-curing apparatus. The tobaoco, being suspended in the curing-apartment, isthoroughly exposed to this heat in ascending currents, so that the leaves are caused to sweat and become cured and colored uniformly in a few hours.

If at any time the contents of the evaporating-pansshould become too 'much heated, they can be furnished with an additional supply of cold water, or the pans may be removed from the flues or raised at one end, to admit air beneath the pan-bottom. When elevated at one end for this purpose, the pan can be supported at that end by a piece of metal or other material placed between it and the flue, or any other suitable support may be employed.

The flues A and pans B can be of any suit able or convenient size. Flues of about ten inches diameter and pans about twenty inches long with a width and depth proportioned to so as to expose a thin stratum of water above and on each side of the flue, as shown in Fig. 2, being in most cases preferable.

Although I prefer to employ the concavebottomed pans B in connection with the tines A, it is obvious that the flues may be dispensed with and the pans arranged instead over open fires or upon stoves.

The construction of the pan B with a concave bottom affords an extensive fire surface and enables a thin stratum of water to be exposed to heat, thus producing a rapid and extensive evaporation at a comparatively low temperature. The tobacco, being thoroughly exposed to the moderate and moist heat thus produced, is quickly and uniformly cured with a very superior and uniform development of color.

What I claim is-- 1. An evaporating-pan for tobacco-curing apparatus, having its bottom wall concaved from end to end to form pendent contracted side channels, and adapted to set securely up on the heat-conveying flues, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination, with a heat-conveying flue, of an evaporating-pan having its bottom wall concaved from end to end to form pendent contracted side channels,arranged,respectively, along the sides of the flue, resting in contact with the surface of the flue, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a heat-conveying flue, of an evaporating pan having at one end a connecting-pipe, b, and provided with a concaved bottom wall resting in direct contact with the outer surface of the flue, and forming pendent contracted channels at the sides of the pan, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD WALTON.

Witnesses:

J. S. ADAMS, W. H. PARRISH.

said bottom wall

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