Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 29th Jan., 1889
1 HENRY THOMPSON of Trinity Street, Gainsborough, in the county of Lincoln,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus
employed for rolling or curling tea leaf by means of flat, hollow or furrowed
surfaces.
In carrying out my invention I employ upper and lower tables or rolling surfaces,
the said lower table or rolling surface having underneath or on its under side a central
cylinder or ring, working within such central cylinder or ring is a plug or stopple
capable of being moved therein or operated in an up and down or vertical direction
by any suitable mechanism.
In working the machine or apparatus the action is as follows:-
The plug or stopple is lowered by any suitable mechanical arrangement, to allow
sufficient space or room for the reception of the leaf to be rolled, and when the space
or room aforesaid has been filled with such leaf, the said plug or stopple is raised or
moved vertically so as to impart the necessary pressure to the leaf whilst being
operated upon; thus obviating the necessity of raising and lowering the whole of the
bottom or lower table or rolling surface.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers,
Boar Lane, Leeds,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Fig. 2. is a front elevation of Fig. L.
Fig. 3. is a sectional view, showing lower table or rolling surface, door for such
and other details.
In carrying out my invention I employ upper and lower tables or rolling surfaces A
and B, both of which have motion imparted to them by means of a horizontal shaft C,
geared by hevel wheels D and E to a double crank shaft F fixed vertically, the
topmost crank F giving motion to the upper table or rolling surface, this upper table
or rolling surface A is also supported on other single vertical crank shafts G and H
thereby causing the table or rolling surface A to move in a circular orbit or path.
The lower table or rolling surface B receives its motion by being connected at its
outer edge to the lower crank J on the said double vertical crank shaft F, which
gives it at that point a circular motion, the said table or rolling surface B at the
opposite side is supported on guide bars K pivotted on a centre pin L, slide blocks M
being attached at the outer edge of the table B and working in the said guide bars K
in a straight line; the motion of the lower table being, what may be termed,
elongated or pear shaped.
Further, the lower table or rolling surface B has underneath or on its underside a
central cylinder N, working within such cylinder is a plug or stopple O, capable of
being moved in an up and down or vertical direction by means of hand wheel O',
worm O upon shaft 03, and worm wheel 0* upon cross-shaft 05. Upon the said
cross-shaft are pulleys 0 and 0' which are connected to the pulleys Os and 0 by
means of ropes or chains. Or the plug or stopple O may be operated by other
suitable means.
The rope or chain upon the pulley 0 10 upon the cross-shaft is secured to a rod Ou
from the stopple O.
By turning the hand wheel O' one way or the other the stopple O can be raised or
lowered and will remain in any position required.

page_text: The plug or stopple O may be fitted with a door P or any other contrivance for the
purpose of discharging the leaf when rolled.
The upper table A may be fitted with a cylinder or receptacle R having a plug or
slide S capable of being removed or withdrawn for the purpose of feeding the
machine with leaf to be dried.
In working the machine the action is as follows:-
The stopple O in the central cylinder or well N on the underside of the lower table
or rolling surface B is lowered by the mechanism aforesaid, or by any other suitable
mechanism, to allow sufficient space or room for the reception of the tea leaf to be
rolled the plug or slide S in the upper cylinder or receptacle R is withdrawn, the
machine is then fed and the plug or stopple O in the central cylinder N on the
underneath side of the lower table or rolling surface B is then raised vertically
to control and impart the necessary pressure to the leaf whilst being operated upon,
thus obviating the necessity of raising and lowering the whole of the bottom or lower
table or rolling surface.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood that I
lay no claim to the upper and lower tables or rolling surfaces aforesaid but I declare
that what I do claim is :-
1. In the lower table the use and employment of a cylinder in which works a plug
or stopple capable of being moved up and down as and for the purposes shown and
described.
2. Imparting to the lower table an elongated or pear shaped movement motion or
traverse, and the general arrangement and construction of the machine substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 16th day of November 1888.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers.
Boar Lane, Leeds,
Agent for the Applicant.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers.
Boar Lane, Leeds,
Agent for the Applicant.