Improvements in Tea Mills.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tea Mills.
I, THOMAS VIVIAN MACLEOD, of 12, Parsifal Road, West Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, Tea Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the protection of the cells of the usual honeycomb
roller of a tea mill as also the knives of said mill from damage by the presence
of nails and other objectionable substances in the tea.
The cutting knife is divided into several parts each mounted upon independant
bearers, each bearer being connected by links to a rocking piece or lever mounted
upon a shaft.
When a nail or other objectionable substance in the tea is brought by the
honeycomb cell against any section of the knife the said knife section is depressed
and the rocking piece or lever is thrown into the path of a fast moving tappet,
wiper or projection which, catching the rocking piece or lever, causes it to rock
and to move the said knife section forcibly away from the roller thus allowing
the obstruction to escape.
The tappet or wiper shaft is driven from one of the roller cog wheels, and
rotates at a higher rate of speed than the roller and the rocking piece or lever is so
proportioned that a small movement of the knife throws the mechanism into
action.
Furthermore the honeycomb roller is driven by gearing keyed to a sleeve into
which the roller spindle slides and thus no gearing is fixed to the roller shaft at
all; whereby the roller may be drawn out of the frame without taking the frame
apart.
A screw end and nut are used to fix the roller shaft in position in the sleeve.
By means of a handle external of the framework all the knife sections may be
forcibly opened to their full extent in the event of a larger piece of objectionable
substance than usual entering the mill.
The knife sections are preferably mounted so that the upper face of the cutting
knife is radial to the roller and makes an angle preferably of 45° with a vertical
line through the roller centre, and they are made to return to this position after
the clearance of a nail &c. by means of an adjustable spring attached to the knife
bearer, and by means of an adjusting rod also attached thereto, the adjustment to
the proper angle may be obtained, the adjustment rod also acting as a stop to
the knife bearer and as an indicator in the event of its knife section not returning
to its proper working position.
1000

page_text: I, THOMAS VIVIAN MACLEOD, of Parsifal Road, West Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, Tea Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :- 3}
"
The object of this invention is the protection of the cells of the usual honeycomb
rollers of a tea mill as also the knives of said mill from damage by the presence
of nails and other objectionable substances in the tea.
I will describe my invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan partly in section, Figs. 3 and 4 two
opposite end views and Fig. 5 a cross section of a tea mill fitted with my improve-
ments.
☑
a a represent the machine framing, a is the hopper into which the tea to be
treated is passed, bb are a pair of the usual honeycomb rollers a² is a fixed guard
to prevent the tea passing down between the rollers b, b and thereby escape the
action of the knives c, c.
..
The cutting knives c, o are each divided into several parts each mounted upon
independent bearers c¹ loosely mounted on shafts. Each bearer' c¹ is' connected
by links d to a rocking piece or lever é mounted loosely upon a shaft e
ff are fast rotating shafts upon each of which a series of tappets or wipers fl
are fixed, one wiper being provided for each rocking piece or fever e in position
to act thereon when the pointed end of such rocking piece or lever e is moved
into the path of its tappet or wiper fi by a slight motion of the cutting knife.
When a nail or other hard substance in the tea is brought by the honeycomb
cell of a roller b against any section of a knife c, the said knife section is depressed
and the rocking piece or lever e is thrown into the path of its corresponding
tappet or wiper fi which, catching the rocking piece or lever, causes it to rock
and to move the said knife section rapidly and forcibly away from the roller b
thus allowing the obstruction to escape and the knife section to rapidly return
to its acting position.
Each tappet or wiper shaft f is driven by a cog wheel of a honeycomb roller,
gearing with a pinion f2 on such shaft by which means the tappet or, wiper
shaft is rotated at a higher rate of speed than the roller; the rocking piece or
lever has its arms so proportioned that a small movement of the. knife section
throws the mechanism into,action.
The shaft 3 of each honeycomb roller is slidden into a sleeve 6 mounted
in bearings a³ and caused to rotate therewith by a key 65 and key way whilst a
screwed end on each shaft and a nut 66 are used to fix the said shaft in position
in the sleeve. The cog wheels are fixed upon the sleeves ³, and gear' together
and one of such sleeves has an extension 3* on which a driving pulley (not shown)
is fixed.
Thus no gearing is fixed to the honeycomb roller shafts at all whereby the said
rollers may be drawn out of the frame without taking the frame apart. The
ends of the roller shafts opposite to the sleeves are, provided with discs, b, which
fit bearings a in the end frame and thus give support, to such ends of the roller
shafts.
The bearer c of each knife section c has a slot and in each shaft c³ are fixed
a number of pins one, for each slot, thus by means of a handle external of
the framework a fixed on each shaft, c, all the knife sections of each shaft may
be forcibly opened to their full extent in 'the event of a larger piece of objection-
able substance than usual entering the mill.
The knife sections are preferably mounted so that the upper face of the cutting

page_text: 0
ife is radial to the roller and makes an angle preferably or 43
e through the roller centre, and they are each made to return to this position
ter the clearance of a nail &c. by means of an adjustable spring 9 acting upon the
ife bearer.
This spring is mounted upon an adjusting rod.g' pin jointed at one end to a
ojection on the knife bearer and passing through an externally screwed sleeve
hich is screwed into a hole in the framing and is thus adjustable in height
ereby enabling the tension of the spring g to be regulated.
The rod g is screw threaded at its upper end and has a nut and lock nut g³
crewed thereon.
Thus the adjustment of the knives to the proper angle may be obtained and
ach adjustment rod g¹ acts as a stop to the knife bearer and as an indicator in
he event of its knife section not returning to its proper working position.
hh are the usual plates enclosing the sides of the machine.
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. In a tea mill having a honeycomb roller, the combination therewith of a
cutting knife divided into several parts, an adjustable spring actuated inde-
pendent bearer mounted loosely on a shaft for each of such parts, a lever having
à long and a short arm mounted loosely on a shaft, links connecting a knife section
with the short arm of such lever, and a rapidly rotating shaft fitted with wipers
to act on the longer arms of said levers when the latter are thrown into the path
of said wipers by a slight motion of the cutter knife, substantially as herein set
forth and for the purpose stated.
on
2. In a tea mill having a honeycomb roller, the combination therewith of a
cutting knife divided into several parts, an independent bearer mounted loosely
rod pivoted to a projection on
a shaft for each of such parts, a
a guide
each of such bearers, a spring around such rod acting against the bearer,
an adjustable sleeve forming an abutment for the spring and
for the rod, nuts screwed on to- the end of the rod, serving to limit the
motion of the latter and as an indicator of the position of the knife section, a
long and short arm lever mounted loosely on a shaft and having its short arm
connected to a knife section by pivoted links, and a rapidly rotating shaft fitted
35 with wipers to act on the longer arms of said levers when the latter are thrown
into the path of the wipers by a slight motion of the cutting knife, substantially
as herein set forth and for the purpose stated.
3. In a tea mill having a honeycomb roller or rollers, the combination of a
sleeve or sleeves mounted in bearings to receive the axles of said rollers and fitted
40 with the driving gear, a key on each of said axles to fit a key way in each of th
sleeves, a screw thread on one end of said axles, and a nut to secure each axl
in its sleeve, substantially as herein set forth.
4. In a tea mill the arrangement and combination of parts for forcibly an
automatically removing the cutting knife sections from the honeycomb roller
45 allow an obstruction to escape without injury to the machine, substantially
herein set forth.
5. In a tea mill the arrangement and combination of parts for mounting ar
driving the honeycomb roller and to permit of the latter being withdrawn fro
the machine independently of the driving gear, substantially as herein set for
1900.
פח
HARRIS & MILLS,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.