Improvements in and Apparatus for the Treatment of Tobacco Enclosed in Canisters or the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Dec., 1888
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Treatment of Tobacco
Enclosed in Canisters or the like.
I, HENRY HERBERT WILLS of the firm of W. D. and H. O. Wills of Bristol and
London, Tobacco Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
:-
My Invention has for its object to treat tobacco when enclosed in Canisters or the
like so that it is improved in quality and rendered capable of keeping without its
quality being impaired. With this object I submit the tobacco whether in a
manufactured or unmanufactured condition and whether or not in the form of Cigars
or made up as Cigarettes and after being enclosed in tight or hermetically closed
Canisters or other containers to the action of heat which may be applied by means
of hot air or water or by steam or in any convenient way. An apparatus which I
havo devised especially suited for this heating operation consists of a vessel provided
with means by which stean is admitted thereinto. Traversing this chamber are
tubes or passages preferably made to fit the Canisters or the like and opening through
each of the ends or sides of the vessel. Into these tubes the Canisters or Containers
are passed so that as they traverse the said tubes or passages they are submitted to
the heat of the steam admitted to the vessel.
The Canisters or the like may be passed into the tubes or passages by hand or there
may be an automatic feeder at the entering end of the tubes or passages consisting for
example of a lever or pusher or levers or pushers moved forward at intervals so that
at each forward movement it or they bears or bear on a Canister or Canisters which
has or have descended into the path thereof from a hopper or shoots therefor and so
a line of Canisters is urged through each tube or passage and the Canisters as they
pass from out the said tubes or passages may be caused to descend guides or be
delivered onto a creeper by which they can be led to any desired place or to any
desired machine for further manipulation or be disposed of in any desired order.
Dated this 9th day of Anril 1888.

page_text: 144
I, HENRY HERBERT WILLS of the firm of W. D. & H. O. Wills of Bristol and
London, Tobacco Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
¡n and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to treat Tobacco when enclosed in the Canisters or
tho like in which it is packed ready for sale so that it is improved in quality and
rendered capable of keeping. With this object I submit the tobacco whether in a
manufactured or partially manufactured condition, such for example as ordinary
smoking tobacco or cigarettes, and after being enclosed in canisters or other
containers, to the action of heat which may be applied by means of hot air or water
or by steam or in any convenient way and either in a stationary or in a rotating
receptacle. may apply the heat either before or after the canisters or containers
are closed absolutely airtight or both before and after. In cases where the canisters
or containers are to be closed air tightly before heating I prefer to first submit them
to heat for a short period in order that those canisters or containers which may not
be properly closed and are therefore not perfectly airtight can readily be detected by
reason of the end or ends not protruding somewhat which protrusion occurs (when the
cnnistor is airtight) undor internal pressure due to the expansion which takes place
inside the canister or container when heat is applied. And I remedy any defect in
closure of any of the canistors or containers and then I again subject the canisters or
containers and their contents to heat. I do not limit myself to the precise way of
applying the heat, nor to a particular temperature or length of exposure as this
necessarily depends upon the size of the canisters or containers and the condition of
their contents but generally 1 find that good results are obtained if, in treating (in
the apparatus hereinafter described) Tobacco in tins containing one quarter of a
pound weight, I employ a temperature corresponding to forty pounds of steam and
submit them first (for detecting badly closed tins) to this heat for three or four
minutes and at the next exposure for six to ten minutes. An apparatus which I
have devised, especially suited for the heating operation, is illustrated in longitudinal
section in Figure 1 and in end view in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. It
consists of a vessel A capable of rotating in end-standards a on hollow trunnions, a² a³,
by one of which (that at a) steam is admitted thereunto by the pipe a', and by the
other of which (a) condensed water is discharged by the pipe a. Traversing this
vessel A, are tubes or passages B, preferably made, so that the canisters or the like
can just pass easily through then and opening through each of the ends of the
vessl A. Into these tubes or passages B, the canisters are passed so that as they
traverse the said tubes or passages they are subjected to the heat of the steam
admitted to the vessel.

page_text: The vessel A is rotated at a uniform speed by means of a pinion c on a shaft C
engaging with a toothed wheel a" on the vessel A. The speed may be adjusted by
means of the cone pulleys or any equivalent arrangement so that the canisters or
the like remain in the tubes B the proper time they being put in at one end of the
said tubes as they come opposite the rest d when the canister or the like at the other
end of the tube is ejected so that the canisters or the like remain in the tubes the time
of a revolution of the vessel A. multiplied by the number of canisters or the like which
each tube holds.
By the arrangement of rotating vessel as described the heat is uniformly distributed
all round the canister or the like.
The canisters or the like may be passed into the tubes B by hand, or there may
be an automatic feeder at the entering end of the said tubes, consisting for example,
of a lover or pusher or levers or pushers moved forward at intervals, so that at each
forward movement, it or they bears or bear on a canister or canisters or the like
which has or have descended into the path thereof from a hopper, or shoots therefor, and
so a line of canisters or the like is urged through each tube B and the canisters or the
like, as they pass from out the said tubes, may be caused to descend a guide as at e and
be delivered on to a creeper, by which they can be led to any desired place or to any
desired machine for further manipulation or be disposed of in any desired order. I
generally prefer however to effect the feeding by hand and to provide the rest at d to
act as a guide to rest the canisters or the like upon and feed them in to the tubes and
simultaneously eject one from the opposite end at the proper time and place.
is a clutch and fa clutch shifter for stopping and starting the machine.
After the canisters or the like have passed through the tubes and their contents
have thus been subjected to the desired temperature for the requisite time a hole is
made in the canister or the like (if one does not already exist therein) to allow the
confined air and vapour to escape and then the hole is soldered up to hermetically
close the canister or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The treatment of Tobacco by heat applied whilst the Tobacco is enclosed in
the canisters or containers in which it is packed ready for sale substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Second. The apparatus for treating Tobacco as claimed in the preceding claiming
clause, the said apparatus being arranged and worked substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1888