in machinery or apparatus foring
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted. 23rd Nov., 1888
L, ALFRET
TURATIO DELL
om
UT
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for drying
leaves of the tea plant, the same being also applicable for drying other analogous
substances.
'
Special objects of the Invention are to render the apparatus less complicated and of
a less costly construction than as ordinarily made, and to render the method of
operation capable of being more expeditiously and advantageously effected than in
apparatus of ordinary construction, and to economise and use to the best advantage
the drying agent, and to lessen the manual labor necessary in carrying out the said
operation.
The Invention consists in constructing the drying apparatus with series of vertically
disposed or approximately vertically disposed elevating and lowering devices which
are provided with projecting perforated trays buckets or equivalent carrying surfaces
which are so formed and arranged in relation to their supporting connections as that
the tea is supported both while being raised in the drying chamber and while being
lowered therein, and such series of elevating or carrying devices being so arranged
relatively to each other as that the leaves or other material after being operated while
supported by the one series are automatically transferred from the descending side
of such series to a lower part of the ascending side of the next adjacent and relatively
lower series, and so on until the complete series is traversed.
The elevating and lowering devices of each of such series are connected by links
or any other suitable connections, and each of such series is supported within the
drying chamber by top and bottom pulleys, adapted if required with means of
adjustment, and to which a fast or slow motion as required is imparted by any
suitable means.

page_text: The drying chamber is shaped conformably to the arrangement of the said elevating
and lowering devices, and is also adapted with internal divisions disposed conform-
ably to the arrangement of such devices, the arrangement being such as to constitute
an elongated or circuitous drying chamber the area of which for the greater part
of its extent is practically confined to the space required for the traverse of the
ascending or descending sides of the said means supporting the leaves or material
under treatment.
The drying operation is effected by the agency of heated air which may be raised
to the required temperature in a connected multitubular air heating apparatus or in
any suitable air heating apparatus so constructed, applied and used as that the air will
not be vitiated by any other products of the heating apparatus, the heated air
being drawn into and through the drying chamber and the perforations of the trays
buckets or parts supporting the tea leaves by means of an exhaust fan applied to the
chamber at an upper part and operated by any suitable means.
The arrangement of certain of the said internal partitions may be such that the
heated air led direct into compartments formed thereby from the heating apparatus
may be drawn therefrom by the fan upwardly through the descending toa carrying
devices on the one side in the reverse direction of the travel thereof and also through
the ascending tea carrying devices on the other side in the same direction as the
travel thereof, and in such modification each of such series of supporting devices
may have a separate current of drying air. Or, the arrangement of the internal
partitions may be such that the drying air from the heating apparatus is caused
to be drawn circuitously through the adjacent series of carrying devices continuously
in the reverse direction of the traverse of the ascending and descending parts of
each series thereof.
The apparatus is also provided with a hopper and feeding flap (automatically
operated from any convenient rotating shaft) arranged at the lower part of the
ascending side of the first series of carrying devices, and with a delivery outlet at the
lower part of the descending side of the last series of such devices.
1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Drying Leaves of the
Tea Plant, the same being also Applicable for Drying other
Analogous Substances.
I, ALFRED HORATIO BELL SHARPE, of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention 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 certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for drying
leaves of the tea plant, the same being also applicable for drying other analogous
substances.
Special objects of the Invention are to render the apparatus less complicated and of
a less costly construction than as ordinarily made, to render the method of opera-
tion capable of being more expeditiously and advantageously effected than in
apparatus of ordinary construction, to economise and use to the best advantage
the drying agent, and to lessen the manual labor necessary in carrying out the said
operation.
The improved apparatus is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in sectional
elevation in Fig. 1, and as combined with a horizontal multitubular air-heating
apparatus, shown in sectional elevation, in Fig. 2.
The Invention consists in constructing the drying apparatus with series of vertically
disposed or approximately vertically disposed elevating and lowering devices, 3, each
of which is formed as or is provided with projecting perforated trays, buckets or
equivalent carrying surfaces, 4, which are so formed and arranged in relation to their
supporting bands, links or connections, 5, as that the tea is supported, both while
being raised in the drying chamber, 6, and while being lowered therein, and such
series of elevating or carrying devices being so arranged relatively to each other as
that the leaves or other material after being operated on while supported by the
one series are automatically transferred from the descending side of such series
as at, 7, to a lower part of the ascending side of the next adjacent and relatively
lower series, and so on until the complete series whether two or more is traversed.
The elevating and lowering carrying surfaces, 4, of each of such series are
connected by bands, links or any other suitable connections, 5, passing around top
and bottom pulleys, 8, 9, which may be adapted, if required, with means of adjustment,
and to which a fast or slow motion, as required, is imparted by any suitable
means, 10.
The drying chamber, 6, is shaped conformably to the arrangement of the said
elevating and lowering devices, and is also adapted with internal divisions, 11, 21,
disposed conformably to the arrangement of such devices, the arrangement being such
as to constitute an elongated or circuitous drying chamber, 6, the area of which for

page_text: the greater part of its extent is practically confined to the space required for the
traverse of the ascending or descending sides of the said means, 4, supporting the
leaves or material under treatment.
The drying operation is effected by the agency of heated air which may be raised
to the required temperature in a connected multitubular air heating apparatus, 12, or
in any suitable air heating apparatus so constructed, applied and used as that the air
will not be vitiated by any other products of the heating apparatus, the heated air
being drawn into and through the drying chamber, 6, and the perforations of the
trays, buckets or parts, 4, supporting the tea-leaves by means of an exhaust fan, 13,
applied to the chamber at an upper part and operated by any suitable means, 14.
The partition or partitions, 21, may be arranged, as illustrated, so that the heated
air led direct into compartments, 15, formed thereby, from the heating apparatus may
be drawn therefrom by the fan, 13, upwardly through the descending tea carrying
devices, 4, on the one side in the reverse direction of the travel thereof and also
through the ascending tea carrying devices, 4, on the other side in the same direction
as the travel thereof as indicated by the arrows, 16, and in such modification each of
such series of supporting devices may have a separate current of drying air. Or,
such partition or partitions may be so arranged as to cause the drying air from the
heating apparatus to be drawn circuitously through the adjacent series of carrying
devices continuously in the reverse direction of the traverse of the ascending and
descending parts of each series thereof.
The apparatus is also provided with a hopper, 17, and feeding flap, 18, (automati-
cally reciprocated from any convenient rotating shaft) arranged at the lower part of
the ascending side of the first series of carrying devices, and with a delivery
outlet, 19, at the lower part of the descending side of the last series of such devices.
The arrows, 20, indicate the direction of travel of the carrying devices, 4.
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 1
claim is :-
1. The construction of apparatus for drying leaves of the tea plant and other
analogous substances, with series of vertically disposed or approximately vertically
disposed elevating and lowering devices adapted with and arranged relatively thereto
and to each other, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The construction of apparatus to be used for the purpose of the Invention,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of October 1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.