THE NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE STEM OR STALK OF THE TOBACCO LEAP
Year: 1854

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William John Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1854.
I, WILLIAM JOHN. WRIGHT, of Red Cross Street, Cripplegate, in the City
of London, Snuff and Tobacco Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "THE NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE STEM OR STALK
OF THE TOBACCO LEAP" to be as follows:
In manufacturing tobacco from the leaf either into cigars or cheroots, or
for preparing it for smoking in pipes, the stalk or stem of the leaf must
be first carefully removed, and then the thin part of the leaf is ready to be
made up into cigars or manufactured into tobacco. It will be understood that
the stalk or stem forms a very considerable portion of the gross weight of the
leaf, and when removed therefrom has usually been sold at a reduced cost,
and consequently entails a considerable loss on the manufacturer.
As the stalk or stem contains the same valuable properties as the other
portions of the leaf, it is usually manufactured into snuff'; but as it would be
equally useful for smoking purposes if properly prepared, the object of my
Invention is to apply it to these purposes, and thereby effect a considerable
economy in the manufacture of cigars and tobacco, without detracting from
the value of the manufactured article.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention, I propose to strip off or detach the stalk or
stem from the leaf in any convenient manner, and then either cut it up into
pieces of suitable lengths, or shred or otherwise prepare it. These cut pieces
may then be employed for the "filler" or inside of cigars in lieu of the leaf,
which is now usually employed for that purpose. The wrapper or cover of the
cigar or cheroot will be made of leaf tobacco as before, the only difference
between cigars manufactured according to my improvements and those usually
made being that the stalk or stem of the leaf is used as the filler, instead of
leaf tobacco, as usual. I would observe, that the stalk, before being used
as a "filler," may, if thought advisable, be steeped in water, or otherwise
prepared this operation may, however, be left to the discretion of the
manufacturer.
For manufacturing the stalks or stems into an imitation of ordinary
smoking tobacco, such as returns or other cut tobacco, I shred up the stalks or
stems into very fine filaments by means of any suitable cutting or shredding
machine, and, if required, the tobacco may also be subjected to any previous
or after process that may render it more suitable for the market. It is scarcely
necessary to say, that when stripping the stalks or stems from the leaf, care
should be taken that different kinds of tobacco do not become mixed, and that
the prepared stalks or stems of each particular kind should, if made into
cigars, be enveloped in a leaf of the same kind of tobacco. This will be
important in carrying out my improvements, as otherwise an inferior wrapper
would spoil the flavor of the filler, and deteriorate the value of the cigar.