US355579A - otho wilson - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) S. 0.`WILSON.

ToBAGco sTIo'K.

- No. 355,579. Y Patented Jan. 4, 1887.v

sinn UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

s. oTHo wILsoN, ork RALEIGH, NORTHA CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-STICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,579. dated January 4, 1887.

i Application filed August 27, 1886. Serial No. 212,039. (No model.)

Y ripen, beginning at the bottom of the stalk and leaving the green leaves on the stalk until they ripen, when they are removed in their turn and cured ata later` period. By this pro! cess waste is prevented, and the tobacco is obtained without the stalk and without the necessity of tying. The leaves can be so selected as to be uniform in color, and to produce a uniform color when cured. A further advantage of curing the leaf separately from the stalk is that evaporation will take place more rapidly, and the drying process will thus be hastened and take place at a much lower temperature, thus securing a brighter color in the product. A further advantage of thus curing the leaves .separately from the stalk is that the tobacco can be stored away to be ordered or tied up in bundles, necessitating less labor in grading by reason of the fact that any particular grade is accessible to the farmer when `wanted without handling all the grades.

My invention relates to a stick or hanger whereon the leaves of tobacco may be strung for curing and storage; and it consists in certain details of construction which will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and then pointed 'out specifically in the claims.

- In said drawings, Figure I is a perspective view showing one of my improved tobacco sticks or hangers on which are strung a number of tobacco leaves. Fig. II is a plan of the stick. Fig. III is a sectional view of one form thereof, and Fig. IVa similar View of a modiied form. l

1 is a stick of wood, which may be of any ordinary Aor desired length. It is generally, however, about four feet in length. At or about its center there is provided a hole, 2, through which passes a wire, 3, sharpened at each end. This wire is of such length that when bent in the form shown it will not project beyond the ends of the wooden stick 1. It may be of substantially the same lengt-h as the stick or slightly shorter.

On each side of the stick the wire 3, on passing through the hole,is bent in an opposite direction from that in which its end lies. It is then bent outward in a line at right angles to the stick, this portion 4 being half an inch in length or thereabout, and is then againv bentat right angles so as to run toward the end of the stick and parallel therewith. It will be seen that the wire beingv bent in this manner on each side of the stick, the result .will be that a clear space is allowed between the wire and stick to admit the stern of the tobacco leaf without bruising it, and at the same time the wire is prevented from slipping transversely through the stick. When the wire has lthus been placed in position, there is passed through the stick, midway between its center and ends, or at shorter intervals, nails 5, square or round, and barbed or not barbed; preferably, however, they are barbed, as shown. After being placed in position these nails are bent in the form of a hook, as shown at 6, to support the ywire when the tobacco leaves have been strung thereon.

Near each end of the stick, on that side on which lies the wire, is a nail, 7, similar to nail 5, but having its projecting end bent soas to form an eye, 8. These eyes thus formed may beset at a distance of about one inch from each end of the wire, so that by slighty bending or springing the wire its end may be inserted in the eyes and then secured in the hook. It is thus securely retained.

When in operation, the stick is held in one hand and the tobacco leaves pulled from the stalk with the other. the wire is passedthrough the stem of the leaf, near the end, andthe loaves are strung along on the wire at proper distances from each other. Instead of this being done in the field, the leaves may be pulled from the stalk and carried to the barn or curing-house, or elsewhere, and there strung on the wire. The

The sharpened point of i ICO wire when full is then sprung outward from the stick at a point intermediate of its center and end to shorten it sufficiently to enable the passage of the end'of'the wire through the end eye. The intermediate portion of the wire is then supported over the hook 6. One end of the stick being thus filled, the stick is reversed and the other end is filled in the same manner. The stick with its supported'tobacco may then be hung in a barn for curing in the usual Way. When cured, the tobacco can be bulked or hung on the sticks, or slipped off of the wire, and the sticks used again for further curing.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a tobacco-stick, 1, a Single Wire, 3, passed through the middle poru, tion of the stick and extending in opposite directions to the ends thereof, parallel with and on opposite sides of the stick, and hooks ends are supported, substantially as shown and A described.

S. OTHO WILSON. Vitnesses:

OoTAVIUs KNIGHT, HARRY C. KNIGHT.

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