Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Packing Tea and other like Material.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 189
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Packing Tea and
other like Material.
We, PETER DUNLOP, Draughtsman, and THE PULSOMETER ENGINEERING
COMPANY, LIMITED, both of Nine Elms Iron Works, Hayle Foundry Wharf,
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for packing
tea and other like material more especially of the kind for which Letters Patent
were granted to Frank Aaron Eden, bearing date the 28th January 1892 No. 1735
and the object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such machinery or
apparatus and to obtain greater steadiness and smoothness of motion and rigidity in
the working parts.
The framing of the machine consists preferably of a box casting open at the
back, furnished with a driving shaft arranged to rotate in suitable bearings therein
and provided with fast and loose pulleys. A toothed pinion is fixed on the said
shaft and gears with a spur wheel mounted so as to rotate on a stud or trunnion
fixed to the frame.
This spur wheel has a crank pin fixed to it at a suitable distance from its centre.
A connecting rod engages at its lower end with the said crank pin and at its upper
end with a pin in a lever or crank arm secured on a weigh shaft which oscillates in
a bearing at the top of the frame. At the other end of the weigh shaft is fixed
another lever or crank arm, a pin in which takes into the lower end of a link the
upper end of which takes on to a pin projecting from a crosshead secured on the
upper end of the plunger spindle which compresses the tea or other material under
treatment. This plunger spindle slides up and down on a bush in the frame, being
prevented from turning in the said bush by means of a set screw the end of which
takes into a longitudinal groove in the said plunger spindle. Or the said plunger
spindle may be prevented from turning in the said bush by any other suitable
means. The aforesaid crosshead can be adjusted to the required position on the
plunger spindle by means of adjusting nuts which turn on the screwed upper part
of the said plunger spindle.
On the crank pin fixed in the spur wheel takes one end of a link, the other end
of which takes on to a pin in the end of a lever or crank arm fixed on a short shaft
which passes through and turns in a hole in a stud or trunnion on which the spur
wheel rotates. This hole is eccentric to the stud or trunnion. On the opposite
end of the said short shaft is fixed another lever or crank arm, a pin in the end of
which engages in a slot in a lifting rod the upper end of which takes on to a pin on a
crosshead carrying projecting arms which support the funnel or other receptacle in
which the tea or other material to be packed is placed for delivery into the lead-foil,
paper, or other bag or receptacle in which it is to be packed. The crosshead,
carrying the aforesaid projecting arms slides up and down in a guide way
formed in the frame of the machine.
The lower end of the aforesaid lifting rod is slotted to allow of the funnel cross-
head remaining in a state of rest, or partial rest, for a time when in its lowest
position.
The action of the machine is as follows:-As the spur wheel revolves, the crank
pin on it moves the connecting rod up and down, causing the levers or crank arms
with which such rod is connected to oscillate and to move the crosshead and plunger
spindle up and down by means of its link. The downward stroke of the plunger
spindle compresses or squeezes the tea or other material into the bag or other

page_text: receptacle in which it is to be packed and which is placed with the funnel in it on
a table immediately under the plunger spindle, the said funnel being guided into
proper position by means of suitable guides fixed on the said table.
The link connected to the crank pin on the spur wheel is carried round thereby
as the spur wheel revolves and carries with it the levers or crank arms to which it
is connected, causing the eccentric shaft to rotate in its bearing in the stud or
trunnion and the crank arm moved by the said shaft raises and lowers the funnel
crosshead by means of the lifting or connecting rod. As the aforesaid shaft is
eccentric to the stud or trunnion on which the spur wheel rotates, the motion of the
lever arms round their centre is an irregular one which causes the lifting rod to
move up and down at varying speeds. When the lifting rod has allowed the funnel
crosshead to descend until it rests on pins or other stops on the frame of the
machine, the crank pin, which engages in the slot of the lifting rod, leaves the upper
end of the said slot and slides in such slot during the lower half of the revolution of
its crank arm without acting further on the lifting rod until it comes again in
contact with the upper end of the slot, thereby leaving the said crosshead stationary
in its lowest position during that portion of the rotation of the crank arm, and
during that period the package of material last filled is removed from the table and
a fresh empty one with the funnel in it is placed in position, the pressing plunger
spindle being held during that time by its connecting rod in a sufficiently high
position to enable those operations to be performed. By the time the empty bag
and funnel have been placed in position and the tea or other material has been fed
into the bag through the funnel, the plunger spindle has begun to descend to
compress the material into the bag. The funnel crank arm continuing its upward
movement, the pin on it acts upon the upper end of the slot in the funnel lifting
rod and thereby raises the funnel crosshead, its projecting arms and the funnel,
so as to raise the latter out of the package, leaving the tea or other material in
the latter which can then be removed as soon as the continued rotation of the spur
wheel crank pin raises the plunger spindle clear of the package and funnel. The
funnel crosshead is then lowered as before and the cycle of operations is repeated.
By the above described arrangement of crank arms and connecting rod for
operating the funnel, an action is obtained similar to that produced by a cam but
without any shock, jar, or unsteadiness of motion, the entire gear working smoothly
and noiselessly.
Deted this lot day of M 1901
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Packing Tea and
other like: Material.
We, PETER DUNLOP, Draughtsman, and THE PULSOMETER ENGINEERING
COMPANY, LIMITED, both of Nine Elms Iron Works, Hayle Foundry Wharf,
London, 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, that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for packing
tea and other like material, more especially of the kind for which Letters Patent
were granted to Frank Aaron Eden, bearing date the 28th January 1892, No. 1735,
and the object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such machinery or
apparatus, and to obtain greater steadiness and smoothness of motion, and rigidity
in the working parts.

page_text: In the drawings hereto annexed
. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the
said invention,
Figure 2 a sectional elevation taken on line x-x of Figure 1,
Figure 3 a detail view of certain parts to a larger scale than in Figures 1
and 2, and
Figure 4 a sectional elevation looking from right to left in Figure 3.
A is the framing of the machine which consists preferably of a box casting open
at the back as shown furnished with a driving shaft B arranged to rotate in
suitable bearings therein and provided with fast and loose pulleys C C and a fly-
wheel C'. D is a toothed pinion fixed on the said shaft B and gearing with a spur
wheel E mounted so as to rotate on a stud or trunnion E' fixed to the frame. This
spur wheel has a crank pin F fixed to it at a suitable distance from its centre.
G is a connecting rod the lower end of which engages with the said crank pin F
and the upper end with a pin H in a lever or crank arm H¹ secured on a weigh-
shaft H which oscillates in a bearing H at the top of the frame A.
At the other
end of the weigh-shaft H2 is fixed another lever or crank arm H', a pin H' in
which takes into the lower end of a link I the upper end of which takes on to a
pin J projecting from a crosshead J' secured on the upper end of the plunger
spindle K the lower end of which is provided with a foot of a shape suitable for
compressing the tea or other material under treatment. This plunger spindle K
slides up and down on the bush K' in the frame A, being prevented from turning
in the said bush by means of a set screw K2 the end of which takes into a
longitudinal groove K³ in the said plunger spindle K. Or the said plunger spindle
may be prevented from turning in the said bush by any other suitable means.
The aforesaid crosshead J¹ can be adjusted to the required position on the plunger
spindle K to suit the depth of the package by means of the adjusting nuts J Ja
which turn on the screwed upper part of the said plunger spindle.
On the crank pin F, fixed in the spur wheel E, takes one end of a link L the other
end of which takes on to, a pin L' on the end of a lever or crank arm L' fixed on a
short shaft L which passes through and turns in a hole or bearing in the stud or
trunnion E¹ on which the spur wheel E rotates. This hole or bearing is eccentric
to the stud or trunnion E as seen in Figures 1, 3 and 4. On the opposite end of
the said short shaft L' is fixed another lever or crank arm L, a pin L' in the end
of which engages in the slot M of a lifting rod M¹ the upper end of which takes on
to a pin N on a crosshead N' carrying the projecting arms N2 which support the
funnel or other receptacle (not shown in the drawings) in which the tea or other
material to be packed is placed for delivery into the lead foil, paper, or other bag
or receptacle in which it is to be packed. The crosshead N', carrying the
aforesaid projecting arms N2, slides up and down in a guide way P formed in the
frame A.
The lower end of the aforesaid lifting rod M' is slotted at M as shown in
Figure 1 to allow of the funnel crosshead N' remaining in a state of rest for a time
when in its lowest position.
The action of the machine is as follows:-As the spur wheel E revolves, the
main crank pin F on it moves the connecting rod G up and down, causing the
levers or crank arms H¹ and H to oscillate, and to move the crosshead J' and
plunger spindle K up and down by means of the link I. The downward stroke of
the plunger spindle K compresses or squeezes the tea or other material into the
bag or other receptacle in which it is to be packed and which is placed with the.
funnel in it in a mould (not shown in the drawings) on the table Q immediately
under the plunger spindle K, the said mould containing the bag and funnel being
guided into proper position by means of the guides R fixed on the said table Q.
The link L, connected to the main crank pin F on the spur wheel, is carried
round thereby as the spur wheel E revolves, and carries with it the levers
or crank arms L L causing the eccentric shaft L' to rotate in its bearing on
the stud or trunnion E' and the crank arm L' raises and lowers the funnel

page_text: crosshead N' and consequently the filling funnel by means of the slotted lifting
or connecting rod M. As the aforesaid shaft L³ is eccentric to the stud or
trunnion E on which the spur wheel E rotates, the motion of the lever
arms L L round their centre is an irregular one which causes the lifting
rod M¹ to move up and down at varying speeds suited to the movement of the
packing plunger so as to lift the funnel while the pressing of the tea or other
material is taking place, and, just before the said pressing is finished, to lift
the funnel clear of the mould and package in it. When the lifting rod M' has
allowed the funnel crosshead N₁ to descend until it rests on the pins N³ or
other suitable stops on the frame of the machine, the crank pin L which
engages in the slot of the lifting rod M' leaves the upper end of the said slot M
and slides in such slot during the lower part of the revolution of its crank
arm L* without acting further on the lifting rod M¹ until it comes again in
contact with the upper end of the slot M thereby leaving the said crosshead N¹
stationary in its lowest position during that portion of the rotation of the crank
arm L and during that period the mould and its contained package of material
last filled and pressed is removed from the table. When the pressing plunger
in its upward motion is clear of the funnel resting on the supports N the said
funnel is draw off such supports, is surrounded with fresh paper, tinfoil or other
packing material, is again inserted into the mould, the prescribed quantity of
tea or other material is poured in, and then the whole is placed in position on
the table beneath the pressing plunger spindle K which has been held during
that time by its connecting rod G in a sufficiently high position to enable those
operations to be performed. By the time the mould, empty bag, tea or other
material, and funnel, have been placed in position on the table, the plunger
spindle K has begun to descend to compress the material into the package. The
crank arm L continuing its upward movement, the pin L³ on it acts upon the
upper end of the slot M in the funnel lifting-rod, raising the latter and thereby.
the funnel crosshead N¹, its projecting arms N' and consequently the funnel so
as to raise the latter out of the package, leaving the tea or other material in
the latter which, with its containing mould, can then be removed as before as
soon as the continued rotation of the spur wheel crank pin F raises the plunger
spindle K clear of the package and funnel. The funnel crosshead N¹ is then
lowered as before and the cycle of operations is repeated.
By the above described arrangement of eccentric shaft, crank arms, link and
connecting rod for operating the funnel, an action is obtained similar to that
produced by a cam but without any shock, jar, or unsteadiness of motion, the entire
gear working smoothly and noiselessly.
In some cases we dispense with the slot M in the lifting rod M' and arrange for
the crank pin L' to take into a hole in the end of the lifting rod M', but in that
case the funnel does not remain absolutely stationary while in its lowest position
and while the mould and funnel are being replaced in position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In machinery or apparatus for packing tea and other like material the
improved mechanism for operating the packing or pressing plunger which consists
of a weigh-shaft provided with a lever or crank-arm at each end, a connecting rod
by which an oscillating motion is imparted to the said weigh-shaft from a crank
pin, and a link and adjustable crosshead whereby the oscillating motion of the
weigh-shaft is transformed into an up and down motion of the packing or pressing
plunger, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
Second. In machinery or apparatus for packing tea and other like material the
improved mechanism for operating the funnel which consists of a shaft revolving
in a bearing eccentric to the centre of motion of the main crank pin, and

page_text: provided with a lever or crank arm at each end, a driving link by which rotatory
motion is transmitted from the main crank pin to the said shaft and a lifting rod
whereby the rotatory motion of the said shaft is transformed into an up and down.
motion at varying speeds of the crosshead and supports carrying the funnel,.
substantially as described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
Third. In machinery or apparatus for packing tea and other like material the-
improved mechanism for operating the packing or pressing plunger forming the
subject of the first claiming clause hereof, and the improved, mechanism for
operating the funnel, forming the subject of the second claiming clause hereof, both
mechanisms being operated by one crank pin, and arranged to co-operate together
substantially as described.
Fourth. The improved machinery or apparatus for packing tea and other like.
material constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described.
.
* L. 100
P. DUNLOP,
THE PULSOMETER ENGINEERING CO., LD.,.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.