Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Materials to the Action of Air, Gases, or Vapours, more especially intended for Use in Drying Tea Leaves, Coffee, and other Produce by Means of Hot Air.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1594-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Materials to the Action
of Air, Gases, or Vapours, more especially intended for Use in
Drying Tea Leaves, Coffee, and other Produce by Means of
Hot Air.
I WILLIAM JACKSON, of Thorngrove, Mannofield, Aberdeen, North Britain,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient apparatus for
subjecting materials to the action of air gases or vapours in such manner that the
action of the air gases or vapours, upon the materials, in different parts of the
apparatus can be modified regulated or differentiated as required by means of one
fan or air exhausting device. The apparatus is especially intended for drying
tea leaves coffee and other produce by means of hot air and I will describe it as
applied to so drying tea leaves, from which its other applications will also be readily
understood.
According to my invention I provide two or more separated chambers in which
the tea leaves to be dried are contained. The hot air is supplied, from a suitable
tubular or other heating stove into these separate chambers and an exhaust fan or
air exhausting device is arranged so that it communicates with both or all of the
chambers. The communication between the said fan or air exhausting device and
each of the chambers is controlled by a valve by which the communications can
each independently be opened closed and controlled as desired. This can be done
by leading a communicating passage from the fan or air exhausting device into
each chamber and providing each passage with a valve or there may be movable
louvres or other air controlling devices situated in the chambers by which the
communication, from the stove to the fan, or air exhausting device through each
Where for instance, a
chamber, can be opened closed and controlled as desired.
considerable number of chambers is used they may be situated in two main com-
partments into each of which a valve controlled passage from the fan, or air
exhausting device, opens, the passage for hot air through the chambers in each
compartment being opened closed or regulated as required by movable louvres
provided for each of them. The leaves to be dried may be supported upon
perforated trays, which can be inserted and withdrawn by hand, or otherwise.
By opening, closing, or regulating, each of the valves the heated air can be caused
to pass as desired through the several chambers according to the nature, or class
of tea in each chamber, so that, for instance, light leafy teas, or tea dust, may be
put in one chamber through which a limited quantity of hot air can be passed, and
in another chamber heavy green leaf can be placed, and a full current of hot air
be passed therethrough, or all the chambers can be shut down for drying light teas,
or fully opened for drying heavy green leaf.
It will be understood that the apparatus can be similarly arranged, with the
chambers for the materials, which are to be subjected to treatment by air, gases, or
vapours, situated between a fan, or air exhausting device, and the place from which
the air, gases, or vapours, are drawn the chambers being provided with means
whereby the passage of the air, gases, or vapours, through them, can be opened,
closed, and controlled, as described.
M1004
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,.
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Materials to the Action
of Air, Gases, or Vapours, more especially intended for Use in
Drying Tea Leaves, Coffee, and other Produce by Means of
Hot Air.
I, WILLIAM JACKSON, of Thorngrove, Mannofield, Aberdeen, North Britain,
Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient apparatus for
subjecting materials to the action of air, gases, or vapours, in such manner that the
action of the air, gases, or vapours, upon the materials, in different parts of the
apparatus, can be modified, regulated or differentiated, as required by means of one
fan or air exhausting device the apparatus is especially intended for drying tea
leaves, coffee and other produce, by means of hot air, and I will describe it as
applied to so drying tea leaves, from which its other applications will also be readily
understood.
According to my invention I provide two or more separated chambers in which
the tea leaves to be dried are contained. The hot air is supplied from a suitable
tubular, or other heating stove, into these separate chambers and an exhaust fan,
or air exhausting device, is arranged so that it communicates with both or all of
the chambers. The communication between the said fan or an exhausting device,
and each of the chambers is controlled by a valve, by which the communications
can each independently be opened, closed, and controlled as desired. This can be
done by leading a communicating passage from the fan, or air exhausting device,
into each chamber, and providing each passage with a valve, or there may be
moveable louvres, or other air controlling devices, situated in the chambers by
which the communication from the stove to the fan or air exhausting device through
each chamber, can be opened, closed and controlled, as desired. Where, for
instance, a considerable number of chambers is used they may. be situated in two
main compartments into each of which a valve controlled passage from the fan, or
air exhausting device opens the passage for hot air through the chambers in each
compartment being opened, closed, or regulated, as required by moveable louvres
provided for each of them. The leaves to be dried may be supported upon
perforated trays, which can be inserted and withdrawn by hand, or otherwise. By
opening, closing or regulating each of the valves the heated air can be caused to
pass as desired through the several chambers according to the nature, or class, of
tea in each chamber, so that, for instance, light leafy teas, or tea dust, may be put
in one chamber through which a limited quantity of hot air can be passed and in
another chamber heavy green leaf can be placed, and a full current of hot air be
passed there-through, or all the chambers can be shut down for drying light teas, or
fully opened for drying heavy green leaf.
It will be understood that the apparatus can be similarly arranged, with the
chambers for the materials, which are to be subjected to treatment by air, gases, or
vapours, situated between a fan, or air exhausting device, and the place from which
the air, gases or vapours, are drawn, the chambers being provided with means
whereby the passage of the air, gases, or vapours through them can be opened,
closed, and controlled, as described.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will describe with reference
to the accompanying drawings what I consider the best methods of carrying it

page_text: into practical effect premising however that I do not limit myself to the precise-
details shewn.
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations partly in section and at right angles to each other
of an arrangement wherein two drying chambers are used in conjunction with one
fan and Figure 3 is an elevation of an arrangement wherein several sub-chambers
are arranged in conjunction with one fan.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 A A' are the drying chambers separated by
the partition a and B is an exhaust fan placed over them and with the eyes or side.
openings of the fan in communication by the passages C.C with the respective
chambers. The said passages C C² are provided with valves D D each capable of
being operated by a lever or handle L L secured to the centre pins d d on which
each valve turns. E E are segments with holes in them. By passing a pin 0.
through the handles or levers and into one or the other of these holes the valves.
are held to any position to which they have been brought so as to maintain them:
fully open or closed or partly open so that the fan B when in operation can be
caused to draw hot air through either chamber (A or A³) only or through both in
equal quantity or through both in unequal quantities in accordance with the position.
of the valves D D³.
The valve D is shewn fully open and the valve D2 is shewn closed.
I have shewn the drying chambers as being provided with removeable trays F
with perforated or reticulated bottoms for supporting the tea leaves to be dried,.
and I have shewn a tubular stove for heating the air and supplying it by the:
passage G into the drying chambers.
In Figure 3 I have shewn the drying chambers A. A' (separated by the wall a),
subdivided each into a number of sub-chambers a² a* a³ a³ by the walls H there
being over each louvres I with their pivots or centre rods projecting and provided.
with levers i connected together by rods so that the passage through each
sub-chamber (a a³) can be opened or closed or partly opened by means of the said.
louvres whilst the passage (C or C2) from each main chamber A. A' to the fan B.
can be opened or closed or partly opened by the valves D D as in Figures 1 and 2..
I may use the louvres alone as the means of closing and opening and regulating
the passage through the sub-chambers or the main chambers as desired or there
may be passages from any number of drying chambers each leading to the fan and
provided with a valve (such as D and D2) as described or I may use any other
equivalent means for regulating the passage through each chamber or sub-
chamber for instance for opening and closing the passage through each chamber or
sub-chamber I may provide a tray F which has an unperforated or solid bottom
which when the passage through a chamber is to be closed is inserted in that.
chamber in place of a tray with a perforated or reticulated bottom so as to cut off
the passage therethrough for hot air from the stove to the fan.
Although I have described and shewn apparatus for drying tea leaf by hot air
it will be readily understood that apparatus similarly arranged can be employed for
subjecting coffee or other produce or materials to the action of hot air gases.
or vapours generally in the manner described so that the drawing of air gases or
vapours by one fan or equivalent device through two or more chambers can be
controlled and regulated as desired.
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 :
1. In apparatus for subjecting materials to the action of air gases or vapours the
combination of two or more chambers and a fan or other device for causing
currents of air gases or vapours to pass through the said chambers and passages
leading from or through each chamber to the fan or the like and valves or louvres
or valves and louvres or equivalent devices for opening closing and regulating
independently the passage of air gases or vapours through each of the said chambers
substantially as herein before described.

page_text: 2. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the drying apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2 or in Figure 3
of the accompanying drawings.
-
Dated this 18th day of June 1894
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.