Today in 1872, US Patent 133152 A was issued, an invention of Nehemiah E. Hinds, for his “Improvement in Apparatus for Curing Hops.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to an Improvement in kilns for curing hops; and consists, first, of a series of tubes connected with a steam generator outside of the kiln, arranged within the kiln in such a manner as to discharge the steam beneath the hops and permit it to pass up through the hops, thereby thoroughly saturating them, the object of this part of the invention being to keep the hops thoroughly dampened while undergoing the bleaching process; secondly, of a pair of frames, covered with canvas, arranged within the kiln in such a manner as to be swung down upon and I completely cover the hops, the object of this part of the invention being to partially confine the steam, but more especially the fumes of the brimstone, within the kiln, and only permit them to escape slowly through the canvas—the united objects of the two parts of the invention being to produce a kiln that will cure hops in a manner far superior to the kilns heretofore in use.