Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 8.djvu/843

 EOBINSON V. BUTTER. 829 �darker than others, and the prooess of resweating is intended to bring the tobacco to a dark and uniform oolor. �Eobinson claims to have discovered that tobacco can be succesS- fully resweated by packing the leaves closely in a mass in a wooden box or tub made substantially tight, except so far as the pores of the •wood will admit vapor or moisture to slowly percolate through the •wood and diffuse itself with the mass of leaf, from a body of warm water and expanded steam contained in an outer tank or chamber surrounding the tobacco holder ; the process to continue from three ,to eight days, according to the mass of tobacco to be operated upon. The apparatus ■w^hichfhe devised for this purpose,and which is covered by bis patent, .consiste — �First, of a tank, or chamber, adapted to hold a body of water, and suOl- ciently tight to hold expanded steam, or steam generated or let into the cham- ber at a very low pressure. �The model presented here consista of a tank which is water-tight at the bottom, and substantially water or steam-tight above, with the tobacco holder let into it, and suspended by a rim upon the edge, the holder being made. tight as deseribed; but the patentee does not rescrict himself to this precise form of construction. �Second. A tobacco holder in ■« hich the mass of leaf tobacco is placed, which tobacco holder is placed or suspended inside of the tauk or chamber. �Third.. A steam generator for producing steam, by which the water in the chamber is to be warmed, and steam generated, whereby a warm, humid atmosphere is kept constantly about the tobacco holder, and the warm .moist- ure gradually diffused through the tobacco in the holder. �The si2;e and capacity of the apparatus is wholly within thc con- trol of the operator. It is obvious that the water-tank or chamber must be, for practical purposes, large enough to contain the tobacco holder, and give a space underneath the holder for water, and a spaee above the water and around the holder for steam to diffuse itself, so as to wrap the tobacco holder in the wet steam or moisture; that is to say, the tank must be large enough to contain the tobacco holder, giving a water space underneath, and space about the tobacco holder around which steam can be circulated. The tobacco holder is made comparatively tight, so as to prevent the steam from coming in direct contact with the tobacco, but enough moisture is found to be admitted through the pores of the wood, in connection with the warmth, to secure the process of resweating. The heater or steam generator is placed outside the chamber, and its only function is to supply the ��� �