Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Compressed Pellets, Tabloids, or Blocks of Dried Vegetable or other sub- stances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Compressed
Pellets, Tabloids, or Blocks of Dried Vegetable or other sub-
stances.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Sirocco Engineering Works, Belfast, Ireland,
Merchant, 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 improvements relate more particularly to apparatus for compressing dried
tea into the form of pellets, tabloids or blocks (hereinafter called the pellets), but
said apparatus can also be similarly employed for compressing other dried
vegetable or like substances.
The objects, amongst others, of my invention are to construct the apparatus
so as to be compact in form, simple in construction, and capable of being operated
either by hand or mechanical power.
My improved apparatus consists of a metal frame or "bear" with a projecting
double arm or jaw, the bottom jaw of which acts as a resisting surface or table
for portable moulds containing the material to be compressed, against the thrust
of a ram mounted in the upper arm or jaw, and of a series of gear wheels so
arranged and mounted in the said metal frame that the power applied for driving
the first wheel of the series, is very highly increased in transmission through
the series up to the last wheel thereof. This wheel operates a crank or excentric
with a connecting arm therefrom to a toggle joint actuating a ram so as to give it
a to and fro movement. This movement in the first part of the stroke is compara-
tively faster than in the latter part, and as it approaches its completion becomes
gradually slower, with an equivalently increasing power, culminating in the
maximum of pressure obtainable through said apparatus from the initial power
applied thereto. The ram operates on dies which it forces into moulds in the
portable mould block, containing the material to be compressed, and which, as
already mentioned, is supported against the thrust of the ram on the resisting
surface or table of the lower jaw of the metal frame of the apparatus.
The said ram is arranged to slide in suitable bearings in the upper jaw or
"bear" of the metal frame, in substantially the same way as the ram of a
mechanically driven punch for iron plates; and the moulds are open at both
top and bottom, and of equal cross section area and shape throughout. The
bottom open end of each mould is closed by a neat fitting male die, which projects
more or less into it, according to the thickness of the pellet required, and the male
die or ram which operates into the top end of the mould is driven down by the
ram of the apparatus, to the required extent, upon the substance to be compressed
into pellets therein.
The mode of working the apparatus is as follows:-
Into the bottom open end of each mould in the portable block, the bottom male
die is inserted, and the substance to be compressed is then filled into the mould
up to the level of its top surface. The top male die or ram is then pushed

page_text: into the mould by any convenient means, so as to slightly compress the material
therein and get the end of said top die or ram inserted a short distance down
into the mould. The portable mould block and dies are then passed between the
jaws of the compressing machine and under the compressing ram, the descent
of which forces the top male die down into the mould, and gives the necessary
pressure on the substance therein to form same into a firm and hard pellet. The
mould is then removed and placed with its bottom edges on raised supports under
another ram, which may be operated by a hand lever or any other equivalent
device, and the top die or ram is forced by said lever right through the mould,
so as to discharge therefrom the bottom die and the compressed pellet at the one
operation.
In the above description it is assumed that only one pellet is compressed at a
time, but the portable mould blocks may be constructed with any suitable number
of moulds, so that several pellets may be made at each operation.
The accompanying drawings will more fully explain the nature of my invention
and how same is carried into effect:
Figure 1 is a side elevation looking on the side on which the driving wheel is
mounted of an apparatus constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus, taken on the side opposite the
driving wheel.
Figure 4 is a plan.
Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the dies and mould, showing the mould
filled with tea or other substance before being compressed.
Figure 6 is an enlarged section of the dies and mould, showing the tea or
other substance after being compressed.
a is a metal frame or bear having a projecting double arm or jaw a¹ and
carrying a spindle b, on one end of which is mounted the driving wheel c, which
may be driven either by hand or by mechanical power. On the opposite side of
spindle b, is mounted a pinion d, which engages with a spur wheel e carried by a
spindle on this spindle is mounted a pinion g which drives a spur wheel h,
mounted on the spindle j. On the spindle j is an excentric or crank k, which by
means of an excentric rod, or connecting arm, operates a toggle joint, which
joint is an arrangement of links m m¹ and n, the links m m' being attached to
an eyebolt o, which is secured to the hood p by means of an adjustable head q.
The link is attached to the compressing ram r which acting on the top male
die s, compresses the tea in mould t, between the top male die s and bottom male
die u.
The dies s, u and mould t are then removed and placed on the raised
support, beneath a second ram w, which is operated by the hand lever a, by
means of links y y or any other equivalent device. The ram to acting on the top
male die s, forces it through the mould t discharging the compressed pellet and
bottom die u, z is a metal frame or stand on which the parts are mounted.
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
1. In apparatus for the manufacture of compressed pellets, tabloids or blocks,
of dried vegetable or other substances, a metal frame or " bear" with a projecting
double arm or jaw, the bottom jaw of which acts as a resisting surface or table
against the thrust of a ram mounted in the upper jaw in combination with a series
of gear wheels mounted in said metal frame and so geared that the power applied
to drive the first wheel of the series is increased in transmission through the
series up to the last wheel thereof, which operates a crank or excentric with a
connecting arm or its equivalent therefrom to a toggle joint operating directly
on said ram, so as to give it to and fro motion in said upper jaw; and with
portable mould blocks containing therein the required moulds and dies on which
said ram acts so as to force same into the moulds upon dried vegetable or other

page_text: substances therein and compress same into pellets, tabloids or blocks, all sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
2. The employment, in combination with the apparatus described in Claim 1, of
a separate ram, actuated by a toggle joint and crank or handle, the said ram
forcing the top male die through the mould block, and discharging the compressed
pellet and bottom die, all substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying drawings.
·
3. The combination of parts herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawings constituting an improved apparatus for the manufacture
of compressed pellets, tabloids ar blocks of dried vegetable or other substances.
Dated this 8th day of February 1899.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.