IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING OR "BULKING TEA AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DICK of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention for, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING OR "BULKING TEA AND OTHER SUBSTANCES" to be as
follows:-
"8
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for mixing or bulking large
quantities of tea or analogous substances.
By methods hitherto pursued the mixing or bulking is ordinarily performed by
hand or in a revolving cylinder fitted internally with a series of rods or their
equivalents for mingling together the quantities and qualities of material
introduced. By the first method the mixing is inefficiently done and the tea
suffers breakage and consequent deterioration in value, whilst by the second
method it also suffers breakage by being repeatedly dashed against the internal
fittings, by the crushing tendency on the lower portions of the superimposed mass
and by the grinding action of the mass in motion.
Under this Invention these defects are overcome and the mixing is effected in an
efficient manner, and with a minimum expenditure of power, by an improved
apparatus constructed preferably of a polygonal form in plan and with an upright
space or shoot running down the centre of its length. This body may be con-
structed in two or more tiers, each subdivided into a series of triangular com-
partments with the narrow end towards the central shoot, the whole being mounted
on an under frame having wheels or rollers for facility of movement.
In the outer side of each of these compartments is an opening having a sloping
lip for filling and the bottom of each compartment is so made as to have an incline
from the sides towards the central part which latter is formed of a separate piece
hinged at the part furthest from the central shoot and connected on each side to
the sides of the compartment by cheeks of leather or equivalent material whereby
it is rendered capable of having a jigging or shaking motion communicated to it.
This motion is given simultaneously to all the bottoms of the compartments by
rods attached to their free ends and also connected by a collar or its equivalent to
an upright spindle passing centrally through the shoot and having its lower and
upper ends suitably guided in steps or brackets.

page_text: At or near the upper end of this vertical spindle a slot is made to receive a cam,
eccentric, or their equivalent, and rotation being imparted to the said cam a jigging
or vertical shaking motion is communicated to the movable bottoms of the several
compartments through the connections above referred to. The effect of this motion
is to simultaneously shake the tea forward and out in a continuous stream into the
central shoot and the lip of each spout being preferably so constructed as to spread
the stream and throw it into contact with those adjacent the whole is intimately
mingled as it passes down the shoot such mingling being further promoted by the
rods radiating from the central spindle to the movable bottoms.
To provide for the total closing of the ports or openings as well as for regulating
the rate of delivery the part of the central spindle above the slot is or may be
screwed and provided with a hand wheel or its equivalent and to overcome the
tendency of the tea to cling in masses or lumps and to assist in its regular delivering
into the central shoot, short rods are or may be fixed to the movable bottoms so as
to project vertically into the mass and when the bottoms are in motion help to feed
it to the ports or openings.
Besides being used for bulking tea it is manifest the apparatus herein before
described may be employed as set forth in mixing or bulking generally quantities
and qualities of granular or other substances together.

page_text: "
I, JOHN DICK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING OR "BULKING TEA AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES," 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 mixing or bulking large quantities of tea or analogous
substances and the machine or apparatus constituting the Invention consists as
seen in side elevation at figure 1, in plan at figure 2, in vertical section at figure 3,
and in horizontal section at figure 4, of the annexed drawings of a casing A,
preferably of polygonal form in plan and with an upright space or shoot B,
extending down the centre of its length.
The casing A, rests on a base or foundation C, to which it is or may be secured
by bolts passing through the lugs a, and it is composed of a series of tiers resting
one on top of another and similarly secured together by bolts passed through the
lugs b, Each tier for convenience of construction is or may be made in two or
more sections and the said tiers are each subdivided by thin metal plates D,
(figure 4) into a series of triangular compartments with the narrow ends all
towards the central shoot B. The plates D, are preferably inserted in or between
flanges or strips projecting from the inner and outer walls of the casing but they
may be otherwise retained in position.
In the outer wall of each of the compartments an opening is made and a hopper
or filling receptacle E, connected thereto, into which the tea or other material to be
bulked is emptied. As shown by figure 4, the sides and outer end of each com-
partment preferably incline towards the centre of the compartment, that is to say
the bottom d, is narrower in breadth than the upper part of the compartment.
The said bottoms d, as seen at figure 3, also incline towards the central shoot B,
and they are each hinged at e, and connected to the sides of the compartments by
strips or cheeks of leather or equivalent material each such side or cheek extending
from f, to g.
The inner end of each bottom d, is attached to one extremity of a rod h, which
at its other end is formed with a jaw through which a pin passes connecting the
rod to a cone i, placed on a spindle j, extending centrally through the shoot B, and
carried in bearings at the upper and lower parts of the casing A. The spindle j,
has roughs or collars h, on it, for the cones i, to rest upon and at or near the upper
end of the spindle an enlargement is made with a space l, in it to receive a cam m,
or an eccentric or its equivalent the said cam being secured on the inner end of a
horizontal shaft n, carried in bearings o, and having fast and loose pulleys on its
outer end, or other means of rotating the cam m, may be adapted. By the cam
acting on the plate p, a jigging motion is given synchronously to all the bottoms d,
the effect of which is to simultaneously shake the tea forward and out in a con-
tinuous stream through the ports r, into the central shoot B, where the various
streams meeting each other the whole is intimately mingled or mixed as the bulk
passes down the said shoot such mixing being promoted by the rods h, radiating
from the central spindle j, to the bottoms d, and by the parts of the bottoms
projecting beyond the ports r, which tend to spread the streams and throw them
into contact with those adjacent.
To provide for the total closing of the ports 7, as well as for regulating the rate
of delivery the plate p, has a screw 8, connected to it and tapped through the upper
end of the spindle i or through a cover plate geoured thonnte an that bo kumina

page_text: the screw the spindle is raised or lowered in position. To overcome the tendency
of the tea to cling in masses or lumps and to assist in its regular delivery into the
central shoot B, short rods are or may be fixed to the movable bottoms as at y,
figures 3, and 4, and so as to project vertically into the mass.
By means of the apparatus herein before described the mixing or bulking of the
tea is efficiently and expeditiously done and the breakage and consequent
deterioration in value incident upon the ordinary modes of mixing by hand or in
revolving cylinders fitted internally with a series of mixing rods or their equivalents
is entirely or in great measure obviated.
Besides being used in bulking tea as hereinbefore set forth the improved mixing
apparatus is obviously generally applicable to mixing or bulking quantities and
qualities of granular and other substances together.
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,
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved mixing or bulking machine or apparatus substantially as herein before
described with reference to the appended drawings.
Second. In a machine or apparatus for bulking tea and other substances a series
of compartments constructed as set forth to contain the materials and provided
with hinged bottoms actuated from a central spindle so as synchronously to deliver
the materials from all the compartments into a central and common shoot
'substantially as described with reference to the appended drawings.
D
112 3 1004