IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TORACCO
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hopkinson, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and Frederick Wills, of Bristol, in the County of
Gloucester, Tobacco Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TORACCO”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hopkinson and
Frederick Wills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th April 1881.
JOHN HOPKINSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
FREDERICK WILLS, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Tobacco Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TOBACCO."
Our Invention relating to the treatment of tobacco has reference to processes
known as heating or stoving, and cooling, and the object of our Invention is to
effect an economy of time and labor in carrying out the said processes, whilst at
the same time ensuring that the operations are performed in a reliable and efficient
manner, and also removing the fumes from the atmosphere of the work room, thus
making the process less injurious to health.
According to one mode of carrying out our Invention as applied to the process
of heating or stoving tobacco, in order to effect the objects before mentioned, we
employ a revolving hollow cylinder, open at both ends, in the interior of which the
tobacco is to be treated. This cylinder is supported upon rollers within a suitable
chamber or casing, and is driven by gearing or otherwise, provision being made if
necessary for varying the speed of rotation of the cylinder by means of friction
discs, cone pulleys, or equivalent devices. Beneath the revolving cylinder and
within the surrounding chamber or casing are arranged a series of gas or oil
burners for the purpose of heating the cylinder; or we may substitute for ordinary
gas or oil the raw gases from a furnace. The heating chamber is provided with a
flue or chimney on the top for the escape of the products of combustion, and around
the said flue or chimney and around the upper part of the heating chamber are

page_text: formed or fitted a surrounding flue and chamber or loose cover communicating with
the interior of the revolving cylinder, the arrangement being such that by the heat
of the internal flue or chimney an upward current is induced in the surrounding
flue, whereby the fumes and vapor from the treated tobacco are carried off. The
flues may be fitted at their upper ends with suitable deflecting hoods or covers
if desired. The tobacco is introduced into the hollow cylinder at one end by
means of an endless travelling apron of wire, cloth, or other suitable material, and
is subjected to the heat of the cylinder for a sufficient period while the latter is in
motion, and is then discharged from the opposite end. In order to facilitate the
passage of the tobacco through the cylinder, and to ensure that every portion of
-the mass of tobacco shall be uniformly exposed to the action of the heat, we form
on the internal periphery of the cylinder a scroll or archimedian screw, or a series
of scrolls or archimedian screws formed alternately of continuous sheet iron and
of spikes, and we prefer to employ in addition a series of spikes arranged in
rectilinear directions along the interior of the cylinder, so that as the tobacco is
gradually conducted through the cylinder by the scrolls or screws it shall be opened
out and separated by the action of the spikes, and thus be more thoroughly
permeated by the heat.
In lieu of a revolving cylinder as hereinbefore described, we may employ a
stationary cylinder and a revolving scroll or archimedian screw in conjunction or
not with spikes, the apparatus being otherwise arranged substantially in the
manner herein before described. Or we may dispense with the scroll or archimedian
screw, and conduct the tobacco by means of an endless travelling band of wire
cloth or other suitable material through a series of cylinders, chambers, or boxes,
each heated and also provided with flues or passages for removing the fumes and
vapours, substantially as herein before described.
For the purpose of cooling tobacco we employ apparatus constructed substantially
in the manner hereinbefore described; but in lieu of heating the cylinder or cylinders,
chambers or boxes, we cool the same by continually moistening the exterior
thereof and causing rapid evaporation by exhausting the air, or by passing a rapid
current of air round the cylinder or cylinders, chambers or boxes, or we effect the
cooling of the cylinder or cylinders, chambers or boxes by passing air artificially
cooled around the same, or by applying a stream of cold water direct to the surface
thereof.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hopkinson and Frederick Wills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th October 1881.
JOHN HOPKINSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
FREDERICK WILLS, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Tobacco Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TOBACCO,"
Our said Invention relating to the treatment of tobacco has reference to the
processes known as heating or stoving, and cooling, and it has for its object effecting
an economy of time and labour in carrying out the said processes, whilst at the
same time ensuring that the operations are performed in a reliable and efficient
manner, and in the case of the process of heating or stoving, removing the fumes
from the atmosphere of the work-room, whereby the process is rendered less
injurious to health.
In carrying out our said Invention as applied to the process of heating or stoving
tobacco, in order to effect the objects before mentioned we employ a revolving
hollow cylinder open at both ends, in the interior of which the tobacco is to be
treated. This cylinder is supported upon rollers within a suitable chamber or
casing, and is driven by gearing or otherwise, provision being made if necessary for
varying the speed of rotation of the cylinder by means of friction discs, cone
pulleys, or equivalent devices. Beneath the revolving cylinder and within the
surrounding chamber or casing are arranged a series of gas or oil burners for the
purpose of heating the cylinder; or we may substitute for ordinary gas or oil.
the raw gases from a furnace. The heating chamber is provided with a flue or
chimney on the top for the escape of the products of combustion, and around the
said flue or chimney and around the upper part of the heating chamber are formed
a flue and chamber communicating with the interior of the revolving cylinder, the
arrangement being such that by the heat of the internal flue or chimney, an
upward current is induced in the surrounding flue, whereby the fumes and vapor
from the heated tobacco are carried off. The flues may be fitted at their upper
ends with suitable deflecting hoods or covers if desired. The tobacco is introduced
into the hollow cylinder at one end by means of an endless travelling apron of
wire, cloth, or other suitable material, and is subjected to the heat of the cylinder
for a sufficient period while the latter is in motion, and is then discharged from
the opposite end. In order to facilitate the passage of the tobacco through the
cylinder, and to ensure that every portion of the mass of tobacco shall be uniformly
exposed to the action of the heat, we form on the internal periphery of the cylinder
a scroll or archimedian screw, or a series of scrolls or archimedian screws formed
alternately of sheet iron and of spikes, and we sometimes employ in addition one
or more series of spikes arranged in rectilinear directions along the interior of the
cylinder, so that as the tobacco is gradually conducted through the cylinder by the
scrolls or screws, it shall be opened out and separated by the action of the spikes,
and thus be more thoroughly permeated by the heat.
In lieu of a revolving cylinder as hereinbefore described, we may employ a
stationary cylinder and a revolving scroll or archimedian screw in conjunction or
not with spikes, the apparatus being otherwise arranged, substantially in the
manner herein before described.
For the purpose of cooling tobacco, we conduct the same by means of an endless
travelling band of wire, cloth, or other suitable material through a chamber or
series of chambers cooled by the evaporation produced by drawing a current of air

page_text: through a surrounding chamber or chambers, cold water being applied to the
external walls of the inner chamber or chambers in order to moisten the saine and
afford a large evaporating surface. Or the exhaust in the surrounding chamber or
chambers may be dispensed with, and the cooling be effected by applying cold
water to the external walls of the inner chamber or chambers, the cooling being
however in either case assisted by the induced reverse current of cold air, which is
drawn in by the motion of the heated tobacco through the inner chamber or
chambers.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of an
apparatus for heating or stoving tobacco constructed according to our said
Invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation and partial transverse section of the same, and
Figure 3 is a plan of the lower portion of the apparatus shewing the arrangement
of the heating pipes.
Figure 4, Sheet 2, represents in longitudinal section the two opposite ends of an
apparatus for cooling tobacco constructed according to our said Invention.
Figure 5 is a sectional plan corresponding to Figure 4, and Figure 6 is à trans-
verse section of the apparatus.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, which illustrate apparatus constructed according
to our said Invention for heating or stoving tobacco, A is a revolving hollow
cylinder open at both ends, in the interior of which the tobacco is to be treated.
This cylinder is supported upon rollers B within a stationary closed casing C,
forming a heating chamber C³, and is driven by gearing or otherwise. In the
arrangement shewn in our Drawings, the longitudinal shafts a supported in
bearings b, b, in the frame D of the machine, and carrying the rollers B, are
extended at one end, and has each secured thereto at this extended portion a worm
wheel E, to which motion is imparted through the intervention of screws or
worms E on a shaft c and a belt d, and reversed cones F, F, from the driving
shaft G, provision being thus made for varying the speed of rotation of the cylinder
when necessary at any stage of the operation. Beneath the revolving cylinder A
and within the heating chamber C₁ are arranged a series of gas burners H for the
purpose of heating the cylinder, the gas being supplied to such burners through
branch pipes e from a main gas pipe f. The heating chamber C¹ is provided with
a flue or chimney I on the top for the escape of the products of combustion, and
around the said flue or chimney, and along the upper part of the heating chamber
are formed a surrounding flue I¹ and chamber K, the latter communicating at each
end with the interior of the revolving cylinder A. Under this arrangement by
means of the heat of the internal flue or chimney I an upward current is induced
in the surrounding flue I', whereby the fumes and vapor from the heated tobacco
are carried off. The flues I, I', are fitted at their upper ends with deflecting hoods
or covers L, L¹.
The tobacco is introduced into the hollow cylinder A at one end by means of
an endless travelling apron M of wire, cloth, or other suitable material, and is
subjected to the heat of the cylinder for a sufficient period while the cylinder is in
motion, and is then discharged from the opposite end N into a suitable receptacle,
or, if desired, on to the travelling band of the cooling apparatus hereinafter
described.
In order to facilitate the passage of the tobacco through the cylinder and to
ensure that every portion of the mass of tobacco shall be uniformly exposed to the
action of the heat, we form on the internal periphery of the cylinder a scroll or
archimedian screw 0 (which may be either continuous, as shown, or interrupted),
and one or more series of spikes P arranged spirally between the convolutions or

page_text: threads of the scroll or screw, so that as the tobacco is gradually conducted through
the cylinder by the scrolls or screws it shall be opened out and separated by the
action of the spikes, and thus be more thoroughly permeated by the heat. We
sometimes employ in addition to the scroll or screw and spiral series of spikes one
or more series of spikes arranged in rectilinear directions along the interior of the
cylinder in order to assist in the operation of opening or separating the tobacco for
the purpose before mentioned.
In lieu of a revolving cylinder, as hereinbefore described, we may employ a
stationary cylinder and a revolving scroll or archimedian screw in conjunction or
not with spikes, the apparatus being otherwise arranged substantially in the
manner herein before described.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 (Sheet 2), illustrate apparatus for cooling tobacco constructed
according to our said Invention.
A is a chamber open at both ends in which the tobacco is to be cooled. This
chamber is surrounded by another or cooling chamber B containing a perforated
water pipe C, through the perforations in which water is projected on to the upper
external side of the chamber A, an opening being provided at b for the egress of
the said water. Through the chamber passes an endless travelling band D of wire,
cloth, or other suitable, material which is carried on rollers E and receives its motion
by means of a pawl and ratchet wheel F or otherwise from any suitable prime mover.
The tobacco to be cooled is placed on the endless travelling band D at one end a of
the chamber A, and the band being in motion the tobacco is conducted through the
said chamber to the opposite end a¹. During the passage of the tobacco through
the chamber A the latter is maintained cool by the evaporation produced by
drawing (by the aid of any suitable exhaust apparatus) a current of air through
the chamber B, whilst external walls of the chamber A are moistened by the water
projected thereon from the pipe C, or the exhaust may be dispensed with and the
cooling be effected by the cold water projected on to the external walls of the
chamber A. In either case the passage of the heated tobacco through the chamber
having the effect of inducing a current of cold air in the reverse direction, which
assists the cooling operation, so that the tobacco is discharged at the end a¹ of the
machine in a perfectly cooled condition. If desired, in lieu of simply projecting
water on to the external side of the chamber A the chamber B may be filled with
water, or a constant stream of water may be passed through it.
In both the apparatus for heating or stoving and for cooling tobacco the
operations may be carried on continuously, the supply of tobacco being kept up at
the feeding end as fast as the tobacco operated upon is delivered at the opposite
end.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
.
First. Apparatus for heating or stoving tobacco in which the tobacco is con-
ducted by means of a revolving scroll or archimedian screw through a hollow
cylinder heated on its exterior, and communicating with a chamber through which
the fumes and vapor from the heated tobacco are carried off, all substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination in apparatus for heating or stoving tobacco of a
revolving hollow cylinder with scroll or archimedian screw and spikes, of external
means of heating the said cylinder, and of an automatic exhaust for drawing off
the fumes and vapor from the heated tobacco, all substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. Apparatus for cooling tobacco in which the heated tobacco is conducted
by an endless travelling band through a chamber or series of chambers cooled on

page_text: its or their exterior, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hopkinson, on behalf of myself and the
said Frederick Wills, have to this our Specification set my hand and seal,
this Fourth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN HOPKINSON. (L.S.)