IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND COOKING ROLLS OR CAKES OF TOBACCO
Year: 1884

page_text: I; DOMINIC CAVANAGH, of Number Twenty one North Bridge in the City of
Edinburgh, and County of Midlothian, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSING
AND COOKING ROLLS OR CAKES OF TOBACCO to be as follows:-
The said invention consists of a steam press or chest, cast in whole or made with
plates of iron or other similar material, which may be of any size, provided with a
chamber or separate chambers for each roll of tobacco while in a green state, and
which is to be heated and pressed, and made ready for use. The press can be
adapted to the pressing and cooking of cake tobacco but in this case the chamber
or chambers will be square in their formation..
The pressure is applied by means of a screw and nut fitted in a bridge overhead.
The heating process is obtained by steam from a boiler, circulating round the
chamber or chambers already mentioned.
The heating takes from four to five hours. After which cold water may be,
applied for the purpose of cooling down the rolls or cakes more rapidly than if the
heat caused by the steam was allowed to cool in ordinary course.
After the rolls or cakes are finished they are discharged from the bottom of the
heating chamber or chambers by means of a movable door.
For cake tobacco the press is also adapted but in this case the chambers in place
of being round would be square.
There is claimed for the Invention a saving of labour, time and material in the
pressing of the rolls or cakes, there being no evaporation during the process. The
minimum loss being from 1 to 3 per cent in the manufacture. A roll of any size
may be produced in from four to five hours heat. Neither. cording, cloth or paper
are required. The machine produces a clean smooth well finished roll or cake-as
good in the centre or core as outside.
The special feature is the arrangement of the press and its compartment or
compartments for each roll.

page_text: I, DOMINIC CAVANAGH, of 21 North Bridge, in the City of Edinburgh, and
County of Midlothian, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND COOKING
ROLLS OR CAKES OF TOBACCO," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of my invention is to manufacture an improved form of apparatus, by
the use of which Tobacco may be cooked,. pressed, and prepared for use, in an
expeditious, economical and superior. manner.
My invention consists of a steam press or chest, which may be formed of cast
iron or of plates of iron, or other suitable metal, bolted or rivetted together, to
enable it to sustain the necessary steam pressure.
This steam press, or steam chest, may be of any suitable size, and may contain
one, two, or any other number of separate chambers or retorts, such chambers being
cylindrical for rolls of tobacco, and rectangular for cake tobacco.
The pressure is applied by means of screws and nuts, and the heating of the press
is effected by means of steam from a boiler or boilers, to the cellular portions of
the press, the heat from which passes through the walls of the chambers to the
enclosed Tobacco.
The heating takes from four to five hours, after which the tobacco may be allow
to cool naturally; or the cooling process may be hastened by allowing cold water
to circulate through the press.
This invention effects a great saving of labour and time in pressing the rolls or
cakes; and a prevention of waste, there being no evaporation during the process;
and neither cording, cloth, or paper are required.. The apparatus produces a clean,
smooth, well finished roll or cake, as good in the centre or core as at the outside.
་
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a front view or elevation of a steam press or chest, made in accordance
with my invention, containing a nest of three cells or retorts; Fig. 2 is a side view
of the same, partly in section, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.
Any number of cells or retorts may be grouped together according to require-
ments.
"
a is the steam chest, b.b are the cells, chambers or retorts, into which the roll
tobacco is placed for treatment. For cake tobacco these chainbers are formed.
rectangular. c c are steam and cold water pipes fitted to the cellular portion of the
press and conveying high pressure steam or cold water thereto. d is a pipe which
conveys the condensed water away. ee are moveable doors which are fitted air-
tight to the back ends of the chambers, and are hinged at f (see Fig. 3) the outer
ends being held by wedges inserted in the studs g, as shewn in Fig. 2. These
doors are closed after the insertion of the tobacco. Pistons or covers h h are fitted,
air-tight, to the outer ends of the chambers or retorts such pistons being forced

page_text: inwards upon the tobacco by the screws k k working in the cross heads 17; the
latter being held by nuts and bolts m m, as shewn. The screws are formed with
square ends to which the square-hole spanner n is applied, for turning the screws
and actuating the pistons.
I sometimes arrange the cells in pairs, end to end; in which case a moveable
plate is placed between each pair, and, in such case, the pistons opening with hinges
take the place of the moveable doors e, the latter being dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1 The method of pressing and cooking rolls or cakes of tobacco, substantially as
herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
2 The arrangement of the press and its compartment or compartments for each
roll, substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.