IMPROVEMENTS IN TEA SIFTING AND CUTTING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM PARNALL of 108 Victoria Street in the City and County of Bristol
Grocers Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN TEA SIFTING AND CUTTING MACHINES, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to Apparatus for Sifting and Cutting Tea its object being
to provide an apparatus that will cut and sift Tea of any ordinary size And in
order that this my Invention may be more readily understood and carried into
practical effect I have hereunto appended 2 Sheets of Drawings having the various
figures therein marked with similar letters to denote similar parts and reference
being hereinafter had thereto.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the back and front of the combined apparatus.
Figure 3 represents the combined apparatus in section. Figure 4 represents the
Tea Mill with portable roller partially drawn forward.
The stand or case A and drawers B are made of wood or other suitable material
The top C of the case A I prefer to make of cast iron.
Figure 4 represents the Tea Mill D in Figures 1. 2. 3. it is provided at E with
an opening through which the roller F may be withdrawn and another with
different size cells put in its place The front bearing cap G is secured in position
by the thumb-screws H. H.-Both ends of the mill are recessed so that the ends of
the roller fit into said recesses, which cover the ends of said roller at F. The
ball and lever I works loose on the end of the knife bar J. into said end of bar is
inserted a pin which works in a slot shown in the Drawing, this pin prevents the
ball and lever from dropping into a perpendicular position and holds the ball so
that its weight effectually keeps the knife K either up or down as required. The
Drawing shows the knife up.
I may make this mill in two parts (top and bottom) as shown by the dotted
lines L and bind said top and bottom parts together by bolts and nuts M or by
any other convenient arrangement. I may make this mill with 2 or more rollers
side by side and adapt and modify my invention to suit the increased number of
rollers The ends and sides of the mill are bolted together in the usual manner
The mill D Figure 3 is fastened to the top of the stand or case, it also supports a
wood hopper N said hopper is provided with a division at O. hinged to this
division are 2 slanting boards the lower one being fitted with a figured graduated
gauge the indicator is made to slide up or down and covers said lower board from
front to back of the interior of said hopper N.-P represents a slanting board
which is portable-underneath at Q is a sloping frame, into which is fitted any
mesh of sieve, said sieves being portable, said frame is connected with an eccentric
or crank motion at R. said motion is worked in the ordinary way with a belt from
the fly wheel driving a shaft on which is fixed said eccentric or crank motion
The larger semicircular line at R. represents a sheet iron covering which is intended
to keep dust from the working parts-S. represents the 2 iron supports which
carry the ends of the shaft before described.
At the lower end of the sloping frame Q I fix a number of ordinary magnets or
pieces of magnetized steel at sufficient distances apart with nails or wires between
so fixed as to check or stop any loose nails or pieces of metal that may become
mixed with the Tea being operated upon,

page_text: At T is fixed a regulating slide held in position by a thumbscrew & bolt or other
suitable device At U is a sloping-board which also forms a portion of the side of
the wood hopper N the top shelf at V is provided to receive the Chest of Tea when
lifted into position by the lifter W.
✗ represents a sheaf pulley. attached to a spindle said spindle ends are carried
by the supports Y These supports are fastened to the sides of the wood hopper N.
and to the top of the case C.
To the said sheaf pulley is fixed a leather belt which runs over a smaller guide
pulley, thence to the back of the lifter W, said lifter is made to fold up out of the
way of the legs of the operator.
The end of the spindle which carries said sheaf-pulley is fitted with a handle
one end of which is perforated, into said perforations a stop pin may be inserted
and carried through into a perforated bracket attached to top C. when said stop-pin
is in position it prevents the lifter W. from running down and enables the operator
to give his attention to the Chest of Tea intended to be operated upon.
To use the apparatus for cutting only-The Chest or Box of Tea may be placed
upon the lifter W the perforated handle is then rotated until said box is at or
about the position Z Figure 3 said handle is then secured by stop pin contents of
box is tipped into the hopper (the slide T being down) The second handle on
mill Figure 2 is then rotated the Tea passes cut into the drawer underneath.
To use the apparatus for cutting and sifting the same method as before described
may be used to bring the Chest of Tea to the top of the apparatus but instead of
tipping contents of chest into compartment before described it is tipped into the
one on the opposite side of the division, the slide T is put into the required position,
the operator now rotates the second handle as before described, and the long Teas
pass over the sieve and magnets into the mill; it is then cut and falls into the
drawer underneath the dust passing through the sieve into the drawer immediately
underneath the sieve.
I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my Invention Tea Cutting
Mills with cells or Tea Sifting Machines as both of these are now in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st. A mill for cutting Tea provided with an aperture through which the roller
may be withdrawn and again replaced substantially as hereinbefore set forth and
described.
2nd. A mill for cutting Tea said mill being divided at its centre so that the
rollers may be taken out and replaced substantially as herein before set forth and
described.
3rd. A sloping frame carrying a portable sieve said frame being worked by an
eccentric or crank motion and inside a wood hopper N. substantially as and for the
purposes described and herein before set forth.
4th. A perforated handle operating by means of a shaft pulley and strap a
lifter W. substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and set forth.
5th. The combination adaptation and arrangement of a Tea Mill Figure 4,
working in connection with a sloping frame and portable sieve Q perforated
handle, shaft, pulley, and strap and lifter W all substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore specified and set forth and as illustrated on the accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1886.