DR. ROBERT WILSON, MD
Medical Practice at Fairview Rd, Charlotte, NC

4178745, Dec 18, 1979

Nov 4, 1976

5/738968

Robert W. Wilson - Charlotte NC

Powell Manufacturing Company, Inc. - Bennettsville SC

A01D 4516

56 275

Tobacco handling apparatus that receives tobacco from a source, such as a trailer, and elevates it by a conveyor to a discharge end from which it is discharged in a flow path having a substantial maximum horizontal extent disposed above a container that has a longitudinal horizontal extent aligned with and underneath the flow path for receipt of the tobacco leaves therefrom in condition for subsequent curing. A leaf distributing mechanism is included for varying the horizontal extent of the flow path within the maximum extent in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the container. The container is preferably a large size bulk curing container and the leaf distributing mechanism is preferably a plurality of deflectors which are oscillated laterally in conjunction with a longitudinal reciprocating movement. The leaves can be handled after harvesting at the barn or while harvesting takes place in the field.

4424024, Jan 3, 1984

Nov 16, 1981

6/321707

Robert W. Wilson - Charlotte NC
Olin C. Trull - Monroe NC

Powell Manufacturing Company, Inc. - Bennettsville SC

F27B 1900

432 90

Apparatus for bulk curing tobacco comprising a barn having a heat exchanger therein defining interior flow paths for heated water and exterior heat exchange surfaces disposed within the curing air flow path within the barn, hot water storage tank unit, a power operated pump for circulating hot water between the hot water storage tank unit and the heat exchanger, a hot water heating unit and a power driven pump for continuously circulating water between the hot water heating unit and the hot water storage unit. The hot water heating unit comprises an inner casing structure defining an interior combustion chamber, an outer casing structure extending over a portion of the exterior of the inner casing structure and defining therewith a water circulating space communicating with the continuous circulating pump, a grate assembly within the combustion chamber for supporting solid fuel for combustion therein, a forced draft blower for establishing a forced flow of combustion air into the combustion chamber, an induced draft blower for inducing a flow of combusted gases from the combustion chamber, and the operation of the blower being controlled to control the combustion rate of the supplied solid fuel and hence the amount of heat added to the water circulating in the water circulating space.