Improvements in Apparatus for Withering and Drying Tea Leaf.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Withering and Drying Tea Leaf.
1, JAMES ALEXANDER MAIN, of Clydesdale Iron Works, Possilpark, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, Eugineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive apparatus for
holding tea leaf during the operation of withering or for use in drying tea.
The improved apparatus consists of a series of trays each composed of an oblong
wire frame or flat sheet of wire netting which may be suitably strengthened at its
edges if required, and over which may be stretched Hessian or wire cloth or other
fabric having an open mesh of sufficient closeness to retain the leaf. These trays
are suspended to lie horizontally or at any desired inclination each being hung by
hooks or wires from that above it whilst the uppermost is attached to cross bars or
angle irons to which a suspension hook or the like is pin jointed to permit of
inclining the bars and trays on their longitudinal axes.
The several trays are linked together by means of suitable rods or bars to lie in
parallel planes and all at the same iuclination.
When charging the leaf on to the trays and during the withering operation they
are maintained at any suitable angle, but when it is desired to discharge the leaf
the trays are simultaneously tilted by means of the connecting links to cause the
leaf to slip off the trays.
The trays may be placed only a few inches apart so as to leave sufficient space
between them for charging the leaf in thin layers and they are for the like reason
preferably made of greater length than width and are suspended at several points
in their length, the mode of suspension and of linking together the trays being
however such as to form an articulated framework of trays adapted to be
suspended from the joisting or other part of the roof of the building in which the
withering takes place or from rods, bars or beams supported by end standards
resting on the floor.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896
1, JAMES ALEXANDER MAIN, of Clydesdale Iron Works, Possilpark, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive apparatus for
holding tea leaf during the operation of withering or for use in drying tea.

page_text: The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which is
a longitudinal elevation and Fig. 2 an end elevation of the improved apparatus;
and Figs. 3 and 4 are like views of a modification.
The improved apparatus consists of a series of trays A each composed of an
oblong wire or iron frame or flat sheet of wire netting which may be suitably
strengthened at its edges if required, and over which may be stretched Hessian or
wire cloth or other fabric having an open mesh of sufficient closeness to retain the
leaf. These trays A are suspended to lie horizontally or at any desired inclination
each being hung by chains B, hooks, wires or the like from that above it whilst the
uppermost tray is attached to cross bars C or angle irons to which a suspension
hook D as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, or the like is pin-jointed to permit of inclining
the bars C and trays A on their longitudinal axes. Or the several trays may be
linked together by means of suitable rods or bars to lie in parallel planes and all at
the same inclination.
When charging the leaf on to the trays A and during the withering operation
they are maintained at any suitable angle, but when it is desired to discharge the
leaf the trays are simultaneously tilted by means of the connecting links to cause
the leaf to slip off the trays.
The trays A may be placed only a few inches apart so as to leave sufficient
space between them for charging the leaf in thin layers and they are for the like
reason preferably made of greater length than width and are suspended at several
points in their length, the mode of suspension and of linking together the trays
being however such as to form an articulated framework of trays adapted to be
suspended as shown at Figs. 1 and 2 from the joisting or part of the roof of the
building in which the withering takes place, or from rods, bars or beams E
supported by end standards F resting on the floor, as shown at Figs. 3 and 4.
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 :-
Apparatus for withering and drying tea leaf consisting of a series of superposed
trays linked together to form an articulated framework suspended from the roof or
on standards so as to lie horizontally or to be tilted to any desired inclination
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 7th day of October 1896.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.