Absorbent Bodies for use by Smokers of Tobacco in Conjunction with Tobacco Pipes, Cigar-holders, and Cigarette-holders.
Year: 1891

page_text: late of Application, 9th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Absorbent Bodies for use by Smokers of Tobacco in Conjunction
with Tobacco Pipes, Cigar-holders, and Cigarette-holders.
I, EDWARD Mandell Taylor of Cuckoo Nest, Polefield, Prestwich in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention consists in absorbent bodies for use by smokers of tobacco in
conjunction with tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders and cigarette-holders for the purpose
of absorbing moisture whether present in the tobacco being smoked or escaping into
the tobacco-pipe, cigar-holder, or cigarette-holder from the mouth of the smoker
and for the purpose of absorbing or neutralizing to a great extent the poisonous
substances contained in the tobacco being smoked and preventing such substances
from passing into the mouth of the smoker.
According to my invention 1 prepare in any suitable manner such as by boiling
and disintegration, from paper or materials adapted for manufacture into paper and
preferably from such materials as have not been or do not need to be bleached by
the use of chloride of lime, a pulp containing a small proportion of caustic alkali
which pulp may be made of any suitable consistency and I slightly acidulate the
said pulp with any suitable acid and preferably with pure sulphuric acid or muriatic
acid or if a pulp be prepared which is acid, caustic alkali is added so as to partially
neutralize the acid and leave the pulp slightly acid. I also add to the said pulp a
solution of silicate of soda in a proportion equivalent to about one part of silicate of
soda to one hundred parts of the solid matter contained in the pulp. The solid
matter contained in the pulp is then separated from the liquid in any suitable
manner and portions of such solid matter are slightly compressed so as to be formed
into porous bodies about equal in size to a somewhat large pea and of a spherical
or other shape but preferably of a cubical or other shape which presents angles on
its periphery. The said bodies may also be perforated if it is deemed desirable.
The pressure to which the said bodies are subjected in their formation should
be about equivalent to that which may be readily exerted by the fingers upon
portions of the material held thereby. After their formation the said bodies are
dried and are then ready for usc.
In order to more clearly illustrate the manner of carrying my invention into
effect I will now refer more especially to the details of the process of making the
bodies above described.
Clean white paper of the kind known as printing paper of the best quality made
in the usual way is boiled and brought into a state of pulp or paper-pulp or
"half stuff" of the best quality made by paper-makers and preferably made from
rags is employed. The pulp or half stuff is boiled in open kiers with sulphuric acid
or muriatic acid for about one hour and well stirred and broken and a solution
of caustic soda or caustic potash is added in sufficient quantity to partly neutralize
the acid and leave the pulp with a slightly acid taste. After the pulp has been
boiled for a little time longer the said pulp is strained and boiled in clean water
and, if need be, again strained and boiled with clean water, care being taken that
the evaporation of the water does not cause the pulp to become too thick. After
being boiled with clean water the pulp is strained and formed into cubical or
spherical or other bodies of a bulk about equal to one sixty-fourth of a cubic inch
and after such bodies have been slowly dried they are ready for use.
If it be desired that the bodies formed as above described should be flavoured
with any flavouring material such as cinnamon or mace such material may be
added when the pulp is being finally boiled in clean water as above described.

page_text: When one of the above described bodies is to be used in a pipe for smoking
tobacco such body is placed in the bowl of the pipe and the tobacco is placed over
it and lighted and smoked in the usual way. Any moisture contained in the
tobacco or produced by the combustion of such tobacco or passing down the stem
of the tobacco-pipe from the mouth of the smoker will be absorbed by the said body
and the acid contained in such body will neutralize or combine with the poisonous
substances present in the tobacco and prevent such poisonous substances from
reaching the mouth of the smoker. The silicate of soda contained in the said body
will prevent such body from being burnt or charred and imparting a disagreeable
flavour to the smoke. By absorbing the moisture and containing acid which
combines with or neutralizes the poisonous substances present in the tobacco
the said body will prevent the pipe from becoming foul by absorbing or becoming
charged with the moisture and poisonous substances and will also prevent the
adherence of the ash to the sides of the bowl of the tobacco-pipe and so render it
unnecessary to clean the pipe as has hitherto been necessary. The use of the said
body formed from the pulp as above described will render the smoke less pungent
and more pleasant to the taste and will also render the tobacco-pipe cleaner in use
than tobacco-pipes have hitherto been. The use of the said body will also render
it possible to consume the whole of the tobacco placed in the tobacco-pipe in
consequence of preventing any portion of such tobacco from becoming soaked with
moisture. When the tobacco placed in the bowl of the tobacco-pipe has been
consumed the tobacco-ash and the body formed from the pulp above described may
be disposed of in any suitable manner or the said body may be used a second time
if squeezed to expel the liquids absorbed by it or several times in a manner similar
to that above described but I prefer that a fresh body should be used every time
the tobacco-pipe is charged with tobacco as then the advantages attendant upon
the use of my invention are more fully obtained and the cost of each of such bodies
in comparison with the cost of the tobacco being practically negligible there is
practically no economy in using each of the said bodies more than once and in such
use there is the disadvantage that the chemical properties of the bodies are
destroyed after the first or second time such bodies are used.
The use of bodies formed as above described; placed in cigar-holders and
cigarette-holders before the insertion therein of cigars and cigarettes to be smoked
will be attended by advantages analogous to those obtained by the use of such
bodies in tobacco-pipes as above described.
If the material from which the pulp above described is to be or has been formed
contains or has been subjected to the action of chloride of lime, the quantity
of alkali or acid or alkali and acid added to the pulp will require to be somewhat
increased in order to expel from the pulp all but a trace of the chlorine contained
in the chloride of lime present in such pulp.
In some cases the use of silicate of soda may be dispensed with.
In some cases also whether silicate of soda be or be not employed as above
described the use of alkali and acid in the manner above described may be
dispensed with in which case the poisonous matters of the tobacco will like the
moisture be simply absorbed by the bodies formed from the pulp and in such cases
it is more important that care should be taken that the pulp is formed from
material which has not been or does not need to be bleached by the use of chloride
of lime or that care should be taken that any chlorine which is present in the pulp
shall be combined with alkali or expelled by acid, in order that the combustion or
heating of the said bodies and the nicotine or other substances absorbed by them
may not result in the formation of noxious substances which passing into the mouth
of the smoker would be productive of injury.
my
invention may
The bodies formed from the pulp prepared in accordance with
be made of any suitable size and may be used in tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders and
cigarette-holders of any size and shape and the quantities of acid and alkali which
each of such bodies may contain may be varied to a great extent without greatly
interfering with the advantages attendant upon the use of my invention.

page_text: 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. For use by smokers of tobacco in conjunction with tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders
and cigarette-holders; absorbent bodies formed from pulp formed and treated with
an acid and an alkali and with silicate of soda and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. For use by smokers of tobacco in conjunction with tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders
and cigarette-holders; absorbent bodies formed from a pulp formed and treated
with an acid and an alkali and employed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described.
3. For use by smokers of tobacco in conjunction with tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders
and cigarette holders; absorbent bodies formed from a pulp formed and treated
with silicate of soda and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
4. For use by smokers of tobacco in conjunction with tobacco-pipes, cigar-holders
and cigarette-holders absorbent bodies formed from a pulp such as is hereinbefore
described and without treatment by an acid or an alkali and without treatment with
silicate of soda and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
Dated this Eighth day of June 1901
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.