Improvements in and relating to Process for Re-sweating and Preserving Cigars and Leaf Tobacco.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Process for Re-sweating and
Preserving Cigars and Leaf Tobacco.
We, HENRY HERMAN STRATER, Druggist, and RAMON SOLIS, Cigar Manu-
facturer, citizens of the United States of America, both of 2009-2015 Arapahoe
Street, in the City of Denver, County of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, one
of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention;
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to a process for re-sweating and preserving cigars and leaf
tobacco.
The object of our invention is to improve the flavor of the cigar, and at the
same time, so preserve said cigar as to retain this flavor for an indefinite time,
under all conditions of temperature and atmosphere.
Another advantage of our invention is that it can be carried out after the cigars
or leaf tobacco have been packed, labeled, and stamped, ready for shipping.
With these objects in view, the invention consists essentially in simultaneously
re-sweating the cigars or tobacco contained within a cedar box, and hermetically
sealing said box by immersing the same in a heated solution, capable of impregnating
the wood, and rendering the same impervious to air and moisture.
The invention consists also in certain details hereinafter fully explained.
All leaf tobacco is subjected to a sweating process before manufacture into
cigars, and before cigars are packed in their cedar boxes for shipment and it is very
desirable to retain the flavor imparted to the cigars under such treatment.
It is also well known that cigars kept in stock lose their flavor and become dry,
thus rendering them less desirable than a freshly made cigar. For these reasons,
it is not desirable to keep a large quantity of cigars in stock, or ship them for any
great distance, unless they are packed with unusual care, involving an additional
expense upon the manufacturer.
Now the object of this invention, as before stated, is to avoid these difficulties,
and so pack the cigars and tobacco, that they can be kept indefinitely, without
injury, and in so applying this preservative means, we also re-sweat them within
their boxes, and thus give them an additional flavor, which is also retained.
Now in carrying out our process, we take an ordinary box of cigars, or leaf
tobacco, which has been securely fastened, labeled, and stamped, and completely
immerse the same in a hot bath of paraffine, silicate of soda or potash, japan wax,
or stearine, spermaceti, or beeswax, said bath being maintained at a temperature of
about 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
The closed box is allowed to remain in this bath a short time, then removed, and
the process is completed.
By immersing the cigar box in the heated solution of the impregnating compound,
the oils of the cedar wood are partially vaporized, driven inward, and permeate the
tobacco, thus re-sweating said tobacco and improving its flavor.
At the same time the solution is producing the re-sweating operation, the pores
and interstices of the wood are being filled with this impregnating compound,
which renders said wood impervious to air and moisture, and thus hermetically
seals the box during the re-sweating operation, so that the aroma driven from the
cedar cannot escape, but instead, be taken up by the cigars, and inasmuch as the air
contained within the box is somewhat moistened, the tendency of the tobacco to
become dry will also be avoided.