Improvements in Tea Driers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
I, GILBERT WILLIAM SUTTON, of Rothmans, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, in
the County of Essex, Civil Engineer, do bereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to tea drying apparatus and comprises the improvements
hereinafter described.
Apparatus constructed according to my invention has one or more tiers or
series of trays adapted to slide into a suitable casing drawer-wise.
The supports for these trays are composed of coils of tubing through which
steam is caused to circulate. As each tray rests upon its own coil and as all the
coils are connected with the same steam supply it will be obvious that a very
uniform drying can be obtained and that the heat can be maintained very
uniformly at any desired temperature by regulating the steam pressure.
A steam trap is arranged in conjunction with the coils for removing the water of
condensation.
Dated the 14th dow of December 1906
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Tea Driers.
I, GILBERT WILLIAM SUTTON, of Rothmans, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, in
the County of Essex, Civil 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 :-
My invention relates to tea drying apparatus and comprises the improvements
hereinafter described.
Apparatus constructed according to my invention has one or more tiers or
series of trays adapted to slide into a suitable casing drawer-wise.
These trays have beneath them coils of tubing through which steam is caused to
circulate.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tea drier constructed according to my
invention; and
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the same:

page_text: Figure 3 is a horizontal section, and
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 Figure 3, looking in the direction of the
arrow and drawn to a larger scale than Figure 3.
a is the casing of the apparatus which forms the drying chamber the said
casing having a pyramidal top b, terminating in a chimney c for the escape of
the steam, and the bottom formed with inclines so that anything which falls
on to the said bottom will gravitate towards an opening e formed therein. This
opening also serves for the admission of air into the casing the said opening being
provided with a door f the position of which can be adjusted in order to control
the air current through the drying chamber.
9, are the trays in which the tea to be dried is spread out, the said trays being
constructed to be introduced into and removed from the casing drawer-wise as
herein before stated, the fronts of the trays having flanges or lips h which ensure
the closing of the openings through which the trays slide; as shewn in the
drawing the trays are arranged in two tiers of four each but a greater or less
number of trays may be arranged in a tier and the apparatus may be adapted to
contain one tier only or several tiers.
i, are independent heating coils, arranged beneath the several trays and
connected each at one end to a steam supply pipe j and at the other end to a
steam discharge pipe 7 in which a suitable steam trap, such as m, is placed for
the discharge at suitable intervals of the water of condensation. In the drawing
these coils are shewn as in serpentine form but if desired they may be arranged
spirally or in any other desirable manner. The trays may directly rest upon the
coils but in practice I find it advantageous to arrange angle iron guides, such
as n, Figure 4, so that the trays are supported just above the coils.
guides n, n are not fixed close to the wall of the casing but at a short distance
therefrom so that spaces n¹, n, are left between the guides and the wall to allow
the passage of the steam escaping from the trays to the chimney.
These
With the coils and trays arranged in the manner hereinbefore described it
will be obvious that a very efficient drying can be obtained and that any desired
temperature can be maintained by regulating the steam pressure.
In order, if necessary, to accelerate the draught through the chimney to more
quickly draw off the steam I provide a steam, nozzle o in the chimney connected
with the steam supply pipe so that a steam jet can be employed if desired. In
order to prevent any steam which condenses in the chimney from falling into the
tiny I arrange ascund the bottom of the chimney a trough p having a discharge
pipe 9
which extends outside the casing.
It will be understood that in practice the whole of the casing will be covered
with lagging or otherwise doated with non-conducting material in order to
conserve the heat.
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. A tea drier having a series of trays moving drawer-wise in a suitable casing,
each of the said trays having arranged immediately beneath it a heating coil,
substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
2. The manufacture and use of a tea drier substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.