CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANISTERS FOR CONTAINING TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Welbourne, of Preston, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CANISTERS
FOR CONTAINING TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 21st August 1866, and dated the 25th June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Welbourne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th June 1866.
I, WILLIAM WELBOURNE, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
CANISTERS FOR CONTAINING TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of preventing the accumulation
of tea dust or similar deposits at the bottom of canisters containing tea or
other substances, and also for enabling the attendant to take tea from the
canister without touching it with the hand, or removing the canister from the
shelf, and the improvements consist in subdividing a canister, box, or receptacle
into several vertical compartments transversely from side to side, the said divi-
sions extending from the top of the canister to a slanting platform placed inside
the canister a slight distance above the bottom thereof; this distance or space
being left conveniently large to allow a small scoop to be inserted therein, a
swinging or sliding door being placed in the lower portion of the canister to
admit the scoop. The middle compartment in the canister is provided with a
door, which when closed divides the said compartment in two, the back one

page_text: having a clear open passage through the diagonal platform into the space in
the bottom of the canister, and the bottom or diagonal platform of the two
outer or side compartments are provided with a sliding door, which when
withdrawn or opened also allows an open thoroughfare from the said side
compartments into the aforesaid space in the bottom of the canister. Thus
when the canister is filled with tea (for example) the density thereof in the
middle compartment prevents the swing or divisional door from opening until
the whole of the tea in the back compartment has been discharged, at which
time the weight of tea in the front compartment forces open the said door so
as to effect a communication for discharge through the same passage into the
bottom space; so soon as as the centre compartment is empty the slide in
one of the side compartments is withdrawn, thereby allowing the tea con-
tained therein to be discharged, and so on in like manner with the opposite
compartment; the discharge of the tea from the several compartments into
the lower space of the canister, as described, is regulated according to the
quantity withdrawn from such space by the scoop.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Welbourne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WELBOURNE, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Welbourne, Her special license that I, the said William Welbourne,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Welbourne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CANISTERS FOR CONTAINING TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Welbourne, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Welbourne, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of preventing the accumulation
of tea dust or similar deposits at the bottom of canisters containing tea or
other substances; and also for enabling the attendant to take ten from the
canister without touching it with the hand or removing the canister from the
shelf, and the improvements consist in subdividing a canister, box, or recep-
tacle into several vertical compartments transversely from side to side, the
said division extending from the top of the canister to a slanting platform
placed inside the canister a slight distance above the bottom thereof, this
distance or space being left conveniently large to allow a small scoop to be
inserted therein, a swing or sliding door being placed in the lower portion
of the canister to admit the scoop. The middle compartment in the canister
is provided with a door, which when closed divides the said compartment in
two, the back one having a clear open passage through the diagonal platform
into the space in the bottom of the canister, and the bottom or diagonal plat-
form of the two outer or side compartments are provided with a sliding door,
which when withdrawn or opened also allow an open thoroughfare from the
said side compartment into the aforesaid space in the bottom of the canister.
Thus when the canister is filled with tea (for example) the density thereof
in the middle compartment prevents the swing or divisional door from
opening until the whole of the tea in the back compartment has been dis-
charged, at which time the weight of tea in the front compartment forces
open the said door, so as to effect a communication for discharge through the
same passage into the bottom; so soon as the centre compartment is empty
the slide in one of the side compartments is withdrawn, thereby allowing the
tea contained therein to be discharged, and so on in like manner with the
opposite compartment; the discharge of the tea from the several compart-
ments in the lower space of the canister, as described, is regulated according
to the quantity withdrawn from such space by the scoop.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in detail
I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about half size, and
having similar letters of reference marked thereupon.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a front view, shewn in elevation, of a canister or receptacle,
its internal arrangement being shewn in dotted lines; Fig. 2 represents a side
vertical section of the canister; Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the same;
Fig. 4 represents a vertical side section of a square canister supplied with
the improved internal arrangement; and Fig. 5 represents a plan view of
the same.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a, a, is the canister or receptacle, which is internally
subdivided into the compartments b, b, b', the divisions extending from the top
of the canister to the slanting platform c, which is securely placed inside at a
small distance above the bottom d; the division or space e formed between
the platform c and the canister bottom d is conveniently large to admit a small
scoop s, which is to be inserted therein through the doorway f. The middle
compartment 6 of the canister is provided with the swing door g, which when
closed divides the said compartiment in two, the back one having a clear
opening or passage h through the platform e into the space e; the bottom or
diagonal platform c of the two outer or side compartments 6, 1, are provided
with a sliding trap or drop doors i, i, which when withdrawn or opened also
allow an open passage from such compartments into the space e. Thus when
the canister a is filled with tea the swing door g being closed allows the back
compartment to become discharged as the tea is withdrawn by the scoop s
from the space e, and as soon as this compartment is empty the weight of tea
in the front compartment forces open the door g, effecting thereby a communi-
cation for discharge through the same passage into the bottom space e; the side
compartment b, b, are being severally emptied in like manner when the slide
i, i, are withdrawn, so as to open the passage between the said compart-
ments b², 6, and the space or chamber e. The square canister, in Fig. 4,
is internally divided into two compartments b, b, these compartments being
again divided by the divisional doors 9, 9, terminating on the diagonal plat-
form c; the back portion of the platform is secured by a hinge to the canister,
and is so constructed that when supported by the leg & the tea is prevented
falling into the space e, but when let down a passage is opened between the
compartments of the canister and the space e, the discharge of the contents
of each being effected directly through these two apertures opened and closed
by the hinged platform; or if the platform be inclined from the sides of the
centre both compartments may be discharged through one central aperture
into which the scoop is inserted.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim the use of the apparatus herein described, or any mere

page_text: modification thereof which may be adapted for the required purposes, as herein-
before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Welbourne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM WELBOURNE. (L.S.)