CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
LLOYD, of the Firm of John and Francis Lloyd and Co., of Snowhill, in the
City of London, Tobacco Manufacturers, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day
of October, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the eleventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Francis Lloyd, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I; the said Francis
Lloyd, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Lloyd, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands'
of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO ;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Francis Lloyd,
should cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Lloyd, hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described in and
by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:―
"
Whereas in the preparation and manufacture of the description of tobacco
known by the name of "cut" or "shag" tobacco, the practise commonly
followed, in order to "open I or get (it) out of cut," as it is technically termed,
has been to place the tobacco on coming from the cutting machine on a heated
plate of metal, on which plate the workman keeps turning and opening it out
by hand until it is supposed that an equal degree of heat is diffused through-
out the mass, and the "getting out of cut" thoroughly effected, but that by
this mode of operation it unavoidably happens (even with the greatest care and
attention on the part of the workman) that some portions of the tobacco are
longer in contact with the hot metal than others, and not unfrequently over-
dried and even scorched, whereby the quality of the article is much impaired.
Another mode adopted is as follows:-The cut tobacco is first placed on a
plate of perforated metal or wire gauze covered with cloth, through which
perforated metal or wire gauze and cloth covering steam is made to ascend and
mix with the tobacco, which is from time to time turned and partially opened
out by hand as before, and when the tobacco is supposed to have been thus
thoroughly and uniformly heated it is transferred to a solid heated plate, on
which the process of "getting out of cut" is completed also by hand. But
this latter method, though superior to the former, has been found equally open
to the objection of being uncertain and defective in its results, since it is at all
times dependent on the attention and skill of the workman. Now, the nature
of my improvements, in so far as they relate to this branch of the tobacco
manufacture, consist in preparing "cut" or "shag" tobacco for the process of
opening out" or "getting out of cut," and also partially effecting that process
by means of certain steaming machines, whereby manual labor is wholly
dispensed with (except in so far as it may be required for putting in motion or
feeding and directing such machines), and the process is more uniformly,
expeditiously, and beneficially accomplished than heretofore. These machines
are of two sorts. The details of the first are represented in Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, and 5, of the Drawings annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2, a longitudinal section
on the line v, ; Figure 3, a transverse section on the line y, ; and Figure 4,

page_text: a left-end view with the cover removed. A is an oblong box, which is
mounted on a standard F, and formed at top, bottom, and sides of two plates
(rivetted together) placed at a little distance apart so as to leave a continuous,
open, or jacket-like space K, K, all round (except at the ends). The bottom
of the box A is. at the left end, about four inches shorter than the sides and
top. C, C, are end covers, which are made of single plates or boards,
removeable at pleasure, being secured to the box by keys passed through the
pins or studs C, C. The right-hand end cover c¹ terminates at about four
inches below the top of the box, leaving an aperture O¹ for the introduction of
the tobacco into the box. Z is a plate or false bottom of zinc, which is
carried a little way above the hollow bottom K, and is narrower than
it by about one and a half inches on each side, so as to leave a free
passage on each side up into the interior of the box. S1 and S2 are two
steam pipes communicating with a boiler or some other suitable source of
supply. The pipe S' leads into the jacket-like space K, K, and supplies steam
for warming the top, bottom, and sides of the box (A). The other pipe S",
which is intended to convey steam into the interior of the box, passes outside
of the box down to a level with the bottom (see Figure 4), then turns off at a
right angle under the bottom till it reaches midway between the two sides,
when it is bent up, carried round to one end of the hollow bottom K, and then
continued along from end to end of the box in the space between the hollow
bottom K and the false bottom Z. The last-mentioned portion of this pipe,
namely, that between the two bottoms, is perforated at the sides with a number
of small holes to allow of the escape through them of the steam, which then
spreads under the false.bottom Z, and finds its way up the open spaces at the
sides into the interior of the box. C and C are syphon tubes, which are
respectively connected with the jacket space K and steam pipe S², and serve to
carry off any condensed steam from those parts of the apparatus. C³ is a
waste pipe which carries off the water of condensation from the interior
of the box, that is to say, such water as collects on the top of the
hollow bottom, which bottom is, for the sake of facilitating the escape
of the water, slightly inclined on both sides towards the middle (see
Figure 3), and has also a slight inclination from the left end to the
right (where the water pipe C³ is placed). S3 is a vent pipe to allow
the air to escape from the jacket space K when the steam is admitted.
R¹, R', R, R', and R¹ are five rollers, all in one horizontal plane, two of
which are mounted inside of the box, two outside of it, and one on a line
with the right end of the box. R³, R2, R2, are three other rollers, which are
mounted within the box below the first set, and R3, R3, R³, a third set, which

page_text: are mounted below the second set, and also within the box. Each of these
sets of rollers is encompassed by an endless web n, n (that of the first or top
set passing through the opening O¹ in the right end of the box), and revolving
with its web independently of the others, each web travelling in the direction
indicated by the arrows annexed. The sets, moreover, are so placed in
vertical relation to one another, that supposing a layer of tobacco to be placed
on the first' web, when it reaches the farther or delivery end (f¹) of that web
it drops on to the second web, and when carried forward by that web to its
delivery end f, it drops on to the third web, which carries it to the discharge
shoot T of the machine. The second and third sets of rollers are each
carried by bearing bars of the form shewn in the elevation, Figure 5. Each
bar is made in two pieces m¹, m³, to allow of the endless web being put on
the rollers with facility, and it is fitted at one end with a sliding brass X, in
which turns one end of the last roller of each set. To each sliding brass
there is a weight W (Figure 1), attached by a cord, which passes over a small
pulley w outside of the box (A), which weight serves to keep the endless
web always at a proper degree of tension. Each bar has on one side chipping
pieces q, q, which keep it at a little distance from the adjacent side of the box, to
which it is made fast by bolts and nuts, as shewn (Figure 4). The bearing bars
of the top set of rollers (R¹) are made in one piece, as the endless web can be
readily put on by removing the coupling brasses at the right end, but they are
provided with sliding brasses and weights the same as the others.. The end
roller of each set is made of cast iron and slightly cambered, but the middle
ones are made of brass, and straight. P¹ is a pulley of nine inches in
diameter, which is attached to one end of the axes of the outermost of the
first set of rollers R¹. P2, another pulley of six inches diameter, which is
attached to the same side end of the axis of the innermost of the second set
of rollers R² and P³, a double pulley of four and a half inches in diameter, which
is fixed on the corresponding end of the axis of the outermost of the third set of
rollers R³. These three pulleys are connected by bands, as shewn (Figure 1),
and being set in motion by any suitable prime mover give motion to the rollers
and endless webs. The pulleys P¹ and P³ move from right to left, but P² from
left to right, and as the pullies are of different diameters; the endless webs neces-
sarily move at different rates of speed. Guides b', 6' and 62, 62, are affixed in
angular positions, as shewn, to the sides and ends of the boxe, in order to guide
the tobacco in its fall from one web to another. Below the end roller of the mid-
dle set there are two other guides similar to b¹, but they are not shewn in the Draw-
ings. The mode of operating with the machine is as follows:-The hollow space
r jacket K is first filled with steam, by opening the steam cock of the pipe S¹,
or

page_text: and then the steam cock of S2 is opened to admit steam into the interior of the
box, as before explained. The endless webs are then set in motion, the first or
stop set at the rate of about one foot per minute, and the others at rates corre-
sponding to the diameters of the pulleys by which they are respectively moved.
The "cut" or "shag" tobacco is then taken as it comes from the cutting
machine, and spread over that part of the first endless web which is outside of
the box, and by that web it is carried forward to the opposite end of the box,
and delivered on to the second endless web, which, carrying it back in the
opposite direction, delivers it in its turn to the lowest endless web, after
travelling over which it falls down the shoot T into any suitable receiving
vessel. By causing the tobacco thus to travel to and fro within an atmosphere
of steam, which is prevented from.condensing (to any considerable extent) by
the high temperature maintained with the jacket of the steam box, by also
turning it over repeatedly during its progress, so as to present at each turn a
set of new surfaces to the action of the steam, and, further, by subjecting
every portion to precisely the same amount of such heating and turning over,
the tobacco is not only raised to a very high and uniform temperature without
the least injury to its texture, but expanded to a degree which greatly.
facilitates the subsequent process for completing the "opening" or "getting
out of cut."
Instead of employing an apparatus constructed as before described, in
which the steam box is stationary, and endless webs revolve within it, another
may be made use of with similar advantage of the description represented in.
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, in which the steam box is of a cylindrical form, and
revolving, and the office of the endless webs is performed by. shelves or par-.
titions fixed to. the inside.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of the second apparatus; Figure 7, a. side
elevation; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of it without any of its internal
fittings; and Figure 9, a transverse section of it with its internal fittings.in
their places. C is the steam cylinder, which is double-sided like the box A of
the first apparatus, and formed by rivetting two plates of copper to two hoops,
one at each, the one plate to the inside of the hoop, and the other to the out-.
side, and by inserting two end covers D1, D2, the one (D¹) fixed, and the other
(D2) moveable. E is a framework or standard, in which the. cylinder. C is
supported on friction rollers in the manner to be presently explained. C is a
cross, which is screwed on to the fixed cover D¹ of the cylinder. T is a
stuffing box, which is attached to the centre of the cross C², and encircles (but
so as to rotate freely upon) a fixed steam supply pipe S on the outside. This
stuffing box is formed to a true circle, and rests upon or is sustained by three

page_text: friction rollers F, F, F, at the left-hand end of the framework E, so that it
serves at that end as a bearing axis to the cylinder C. R is a broad hoop,
which is passed over the right end of the cylinder, and made fast to it by
.screws. X, X, are pins or studs, which project from the edge of the hoop R;
and Y, Y, keys, which are inserted through slots in these pins or studs at
right angles to the hoop, and serve to hold fast in its place the moveable
.cover D². The hoop R rests on or is sustained by three friction rollers
F, F, F, mounted at the right-hand end of the framework, so as to
serve at that end the purpose of bearing axis to the steam cylinder.
The steam supply pipe S terminates in a chamber S³, which is an enlarged
prolongation of the stuffing box T, and from this chamber two branch pipes
S & S proceed, the former of which serves to convey steam into the hollow
sides or. jacket of the cylinder, and the latter into the interior of it. The
cylinder is divided in the inside from end to end into four compartments by
the peculiarly shaped and placed partitions or shelves G1, G2, G3, G, each
chamber opening into an open space G³ in the centre common to the whole.
Pipes for the escape of the displaced air and condensed steam are provided,
as in the case of the apparatus first before described, but are not shewn in
the Drawings. Two valves should also be added in this case to the steam
chamber, one to prevent it from being overcharged with steam, and the other
to admit air when the steam is shut off. The mode of operating in this
machine is as follows:-The cylinder is first warmed by admitting steam
through the pipe S³ into the jacket. The moveable cover D is then taken off
by taking out the keys Y, Y, from the pins or studs X, X, and the compart-
ments formed by G1, G2, G3, G4, are about half filled with the cut or shag
tobacco. The cover D2 is then replaced and refastened by the keys Y, Y,
and steam admitted into the interior through the pipe S by unscrewing the
valve V2. The steam first enters into the central space G³, from which it
passes into the surrounding compartments. The cylinder is then turned
round by hand or any other convenient means, revolving, as before explained,
on the friction rollers at each end, and the rotation of the cylinder causes
the tobacco to be turned over and over unceasingly while the steam is
permeating its fibres. I prefer employing with both machines steam as the
heating medium, but hot air may be substituted for it according as convenience
or other considerations may dictate. Both machines may be also employed
without the introduction into the interior of either steam or hot air, that is
to say, the interior of the chambers A and C may be raised to the required
temperature by the heat radiated from the double casings or jackets, and in
the case of the chamber C the tobacco, besides being heated by travelling

page_text: through an atmosphere of high temperature, would be farther heated by coming
in contact with the metal sides of the cylinder.
I have represented the first of the chambers before described as having
three sets of rollers and endless webs only, and the second as having four
shelves or compartments only; but I do not limit myself to these numbers,
as the numbers proper to be employed in each case must depend on the
size of the machines and other circumstances, and even fewer than what I
have stated by way of exemplification might be used with advantage.
Again, the shelves or compartments employed in the second of these
machines, instead of being made solid and plain, may be made of a serrated
or indented form, or of a rake-like form, or of any other form that may be
better suited to open up the tobacco without injury to it. Both of the
machines before described, the latter especially, may be applied with advantage
to the steaming of leaf tobacco in the compressed state in which it is imported,
the opening up and separation of the leaves preparatory to damping being
thereby much facilitated. The first of these machines may be also applied
with some slight modification to the damping of leaf tobacco. For this
purpose one, two, or more sets of rollers and endless webs may be mounted in
a suitable framework, and each endless web surmounted by a pipe placed at
right angles to the line of motion, and perforated with a number of minute
holes through which water (supplied from any convenient source) is made to
trickle upon the tobacco, as it passes underneath.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that the improvements which
I claim as constituting my said Invention are as follows:-
First, I claim in the preparation and manufacture of tobacco the preparatory
heating and partial "opening," or "taking out of cut," of "cut" or "shag"
tobacco by means of machines constructed and worked, and acting as before
exemplified and described.
Second, I claim the application of the machines herein-before described to
the steaming of leaf tobacco in its imported state. And,
Third, I claim the application of the first of the machines herein-before
described (modified as aforesaid) to the damping of leaf tobacco.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Lloyd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
FRANCIS (L.S.) LLOYD.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid Francis Lloyd came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.