An Improved Apparatus for Mixing Tea and other Granular Substances.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Mixing Tea and other Granular
Substances.
I, CHARLES HENRY BARTLETT, of 2 and 3 Welsh Back, Bristol, in the County
of Gloucester, Weighing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus particularly designed for mixing
or blending teas but also applicable for mixing other granular substances.
Heretofore it has been usual, after the mixing or blending operation has been
performed, to discharge the contents of the mixer, through the charging aperture
in the periphery of the drum, into a drawer, hopper, shoot, or other receptacle,
below. In performing this operation, the drum is turned into such position that
the charging aperture is brought to the underside and there held whilst the bulk of
the contents runs out by gravity. The internal pallets with which the drum is
provided, prevent the whole of the contents running out at once in a continuous
stream and it is necessary to turn the drum to and fro to completely empty it. In
discharging the drum by allowing the contents to fall into a receptacle below, as
above described, much dust is liable to escape into the air and the contents must be
transferred, by shovelling, scooping, or otherwise, into the bins or final receptacles.
My invention has for its object to render the apparatus more compact and avoid
the inconveniences inherent to this mode of discharging such mixers by providing
the drum with internal means whereby it is rendered self-discharging when
required and the contents are delivered direct from the drum into the bins or final
receptacles in a continuous quietly-flowing stream without causing the escape of
any dust.
For this purpose the drum is provided with an axial discharge aperture in the
form of a hollow trunnion at one end closed by a pivoted or other shutter operated
from any convenient point and with an internal shoot mounted upon a support
passing through the other trunnion and extending axially within the drum. This
shoot is situated within the upper part of the drum and is inclined towards the
axial discharge aperture short of which it may terminate so as not to interfere with
the mixing action of the internal pallets in which case this shoot would be provided
with an extension whereby it may, when it is required to discharge the drum, be
continued to, or through, the discharge aperture. This extension shoot may slide
telescopically or be hinged or otherwise arranged so that it may be normally held
retracted by a spring or weight and when required be extended or continued to the
discharge aperture by a connection passing through the tubular axial support of
the stationary shoot and operated from any convenient position external of the
drum, said connection being provided with a locking device to hold the extension
shoot in position for use.
In order to discharge the drum it is continuously rotated, as in the mixing
operation, and the contents are carried up by the internal pallets and deposited in
the shoot by which they are discharged through the hollow trunnion in a
continuous stream and may be conveyed by a stationary external shoot to the bins
or other receptacles.
The hollow trunnion being of relatively considerable diameter, in order to afford
a large discharge aperture, it is preferably mounted on antifriction roller bearings.
Dated this 7th day of April 1891.
C. H. BARTLETT.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Mixing Tea and other Granular
Substances.
1, CHARLES HENRY BARTLETT, of 2 and. 3, Welsh Back, Bristol, in the.County
of Gloucester, Weighing Machine Manufacturer, 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 relates to an improved apparatus particularly designed for mixing
or blending teas but also applicable for mixing other granular substances.
Heretofore it has been usual after the mixing or blending operation has been
performed, to discharge the contents of the mixer through the charging aperture in
the periphery of the dram into a drawer, hopper, shoot, or other receptacle below.
To perform this operation the drum must be turned into such position that the
charging aperture is at the underside and there held whilst the bulk of the
contents runs out by gravity. As however the internal pallets with which the drum
is provided, prevent the whole of the contents running out at once in a continuous
stream it is necessary to turn the drum backwards and forwards several times to
completely empty it. In discharging the drum by allowing the contents to fall
into a receptacle below, as above described, much dust is liable to escape into. the
air and the contents must be transferred by shovelling scooping or otherwise into
the bins or final receptacles.
My invention has for its object to render the apparatus more compact and the
mixing action more efficient and avoid the inconveniences inherent to this mode of
discharging such mixers, by providing the drum with internal means whereby it is
rendered self-discharging when required and the contents are delivered direct from
the drum into the bins or final receptacles in a continuous quietly-flowing stream
without causing the escape of" any dust.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional
elevation, Figure 2 a cross-section, and Figure 3 a horizontal section, of the
improved mixer. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
A is the mixer drum mounted to rotate about its horizontal longitudinal axis
and furnished with internal pallets Beach pallet being, for the purpose of my
invention, composed of two oppositely-inclined portions meeting at about mid-
length of the drum so that when the latter is rotated in the direction of the arrow,
the contents of the drum will be gathered towards the mid-length of the drum
and delivered into the shoot as hereafter described. For the purpose of my
invention the drum is provided with an axial discharge aperture C through a
hollow flaring trunnion at one end and within the drum is a shoot D D' whereof
the part D is mounted upon a tubular support d passing through the other
trunnion, this part of the shoot being stationary and situated within the upper
part of the drum and inclined towards the discharge aperture C. The other
part D is carried by a rod d' sliding in d and likewise through a hood E covering
the discharge aperture C. This part D is movable longitudinally in order that it
may he retracted beneath the part D during the mixing operation as shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 1 or drawn forward so as to form an extension of the part D
whereby the shoot may, when it is required to discharge the drum A, be continued
to or through the discharge aperture C, as shewn in full lines in the same figure.
This extension portion of the shoot may be operated from any convenient position
external of the drum and upon the rod which carries it is also carried a plug
cover which fits in the flaring mouth of the discharge aperture C during the
mixing operation and is locked in the closed position by a lug d' on bar d A
hinged pivoted or other cover might however be used instead. The part D of the

page_text: shoot materially assists the mixing operation by receiving the contents from the
pallets B and gently re-delivering the same thereto, without allowing such a height
of fall as to injure the contents or cause the formation of dust.
In order to discharge the drum the shoot extension D' is drawn forward and
aperture Cunclosed, as shewn in Figure 1, and the drum is continuously rotated
as in the mixing operation so that the contents carried up by the pallets and
deposited in the shoot will be discharged through the aperture C in a continuous
stream and may be at once delivered into or conducted by a stationary external
shoot, to bins or other receptacles. The hollow trunnion being of relatively
considerable diameter in order to afford a large discharge aperture, is preferably
mounted on anti-friction roller bearings ee. The drum may be driven by spur
gear from a winch-handle, as shewn, and is provided with a filling aperture in its
circumference closed by a sliding shutter at which the charge to be mixed may he
received from a tea or other mill supported on the framework above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a mixing or blending machine the combination, with the drum having an
axial discharge aperture, of an internal shoot adapted to receive the charge from
the pallets and deliver the same through the discharge aperture, substantially as
specified.
2. In a mixing or blending machine the combination, with the drum having an
axial discharge aperture, of an internal shoot constructed in two parts forming the
one an extension of the other and moving telescopically or otherwise in relation to.
one another so that when contracted the charge will be re-delivered to the pallets
and when extended will be discharged through the aperture C, substantially as
specified.
3. In a mixing or blending machine the combination, with the drum having
pallets and an axial discharge aperture as described, of an internal shoot composed
of stationary and movable parts and of the cover for the discharge aperture moving
with the shoot so as to close said aperture when the shoot is retracted, and vice
versa, substantially as specified.
Dated this s
of December 190
1001
VIS
20 Y
C. H. BARTLETT,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.