Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Sorting Tea.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1892-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Sorting Tea.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON of Sirocco Works, Belfast, Ireland, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The primary object of my invention is the construction of an improved machine
or mill for cutting large size manufactured tea leaf to a finer size or grade whereby
the appearance of the resulting product is superior in marketable value to that
produced by the machines hitherto employed for this purpose, while at the same
time the proportion broken into fine dust (which is of comparatively low value) is
very small. In combination with the improved cutting machine I employ an
improved arrangement of rotary sifter for separating out the finer sizes of the tea
after it has passed through the cutting machine.
My improved cutting machine or mill is composed of a sharp fluted revolving
roller the depth and width of the flutes varying to suit the fineness or coarseness
of the tea required to be produced. Close to this revolving fluted roller and
almost touching it I place a movable resistance plate or "knife" fitted in vertical
guides at each end, and capable of being regulated with regard to the amount of
space to be maintained between it and the roller, and having either sufficient weight
in itself to resist the lifting action of the tea when it is passing through the space
between it and the fluted roller, or capable of being held down by weights or
springs, the whole so arranged that when any hard material such as a nail, piece of
lead or chip of wood (which may be amongst the unbroken tea) gets between the
roller and the resistance plate or knife it lifts the knife in its vertical guides and
passes the obstruction through. thus freeing itself and the roller without damaging
either.
I mount my improved cutting machine on a base with frames at each end fitted
with bearings for the fluted roller and with guides for the resistance plate or knife.
The ends of this plate or knife project sufficiently through the guides to rest on
levers which are capable of being raised or lowered (by means of screws or other
suitable appliance) whereby the amount of clearance between the roller and knife
can be altered or adjusted as may be required. I also have the two edges of the
knife so bevelled on both sides as to form four different angles which I term the
cutting angles, and by lifting the knife out of its guides and turning it either
upside down or end for end and replacing it in its guides any of these cutting
angles can be set to face the roller, so that whichever is found most suitable for
producing the special cut or style of tea required can be used.
The same frame that carries the fluted roller and knife carries the rotary sifter,
the said roller and the sifter being driven by suitable gearing from the same shaft.
The tea from the cutting devices falls into a hopper or shoot which delivers it to
the sifter. The sifter consists of a polygonal framework of any desired length
with woven or gauze wire or other suitable material stretched on its periphery; a
central spindle from end to end of its axis carries the hubs and is driven at one
end with bevel gearing from a cross shaft which also supports a special bracket
with a bearing for the said spindle so arranged as to be free to move in the arc of
a circle with the said cross driving shaft as a centre. The other end of the spindle
which forms the axis of the sifter is carried in a bearing which is capable of being
raised and lowered so as to vary the inclination of the axis of the sifter. This
bearing is also made self-adjusting to the line of the shaft, and can be locked or fixed
at any required height. By this arrangement and without altering the speed of the
sifter the cut tea can be passed from end to end of the sifter at any desired rate,

page_text: the tea passing more or less quickly according to the greater or less inclination of
the sifter.
I preferably make the sifter of hexagonal form, the hubs being of cast iron
bored to fit the axis shaft and secured thereto with set screws. Wrought iron arms
cast into or otherwise fixed in the said hubs support wood slats running from end
to end of the sifter and forming a framework which provides suitable support and
fastening for the wire netting or gauze; the slats also act as lifters for carrying
the tea to near the top of the sieve when in rotation and dropping it on the netting
or gauze below whereby it is thoroughly sifted. The rotary sieve can thus be
easily removed from its spindle by lifting the outside end bearing from its vertical
guide, slacking the set screws in the hubs and angling up the spindle to allow the
sifter to be drawn off endways when another sieve with wire gauze of different
mesh can be substituted for it. This provides great facilities for altering the sifter
to suit different sizes of tea.
Dated this gond d: 1001
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Sorting Tea.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON of Sirocco Works Belfast Ireland Merchant,
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:
The primary object of my invention is the construction of an improved machine
or mill for cutting large size manufactured tea leaf to a finer size or grade whereby
the appearance of the resulting product is superior in marketable value to that
produced by the machines hitherto employed for this purpose while at the same
time the proportion broken into fine dust (which is of comparatively low value) is
very small.
In combination with the improved cutting machine I employ an
improved arrangement of rotary sifter for separating out the finer sizes of the tea
after it has passed through the cutting machine.
My improved cutting machine or mill is composed of a sharp fluted revolving
roller the depth and width of the flutes varying to suit the fineness or coarseness
of the tea required to be produced. Close to this revolving fluted roller and
almost touching it I place a movable resistance plate or "knife" fitted in vertical
guides at each end, and capable of being regulated with regard to the amount of
space to be maintained between it and the roller, and having either sufficient
weight in itself to resist the lifting action of the tea when it is passing through
the space between it and the fluted roller or capable of being held down by
weights or springs, the whole so arranged that when any hard material such as a
nail, piece of lead or chip of wood (which may be amongst the unbroken tea) gets
between the roller and the resistance plate or knife it lifts the knife in its vertical
guides and passes the obstruction through, thus freeing itself and the roller
without damaging either.
I mount my improved cutting machine on a base with frames at each end fitted
with bearings for the fluted roller and with guides for the resistance plate or knife.
The ends of this plate or knife project sufficiently through the guides to rest on
levers which are capable of being raised or lowered (by means of screws or other
suitable appliance) whereby the amount of clearance between the roller and knife
can be altered or adjusted as may be required. I also have the two edges of the
knife so bevelled on both sides as to form four different angles which I term the
cutting angles, and by lifting the knife out of its guides and turning it either
upside down or end for end and replacing it in its guides any of these cutting angles

page_text: can be set to face the roller, so that whichever is found most suitable for producing
the special cut or style of tea required can be used.
The same frame that carries the fluted roller and knife carries the rotary sifter,
the said roller and the sifter being driven by suitable gearing from the same shaft.
The tea from the cutting devices falls into a hopper or shoot which delivers it to
the sifter. The sifter consists of a polygonal framework of any desired length
with woven or gauze wire or other suitable material stretched on its periphery, a
central spindle from end to end of its axis carries the hubs and is driven at one end
with bevel gearing from a cross shaft which also supports a special bracket with a
bearing for the said spindle so arranged as to be free to move in the arc of a circle
with the said cross driving shaft as a centre. The other end of the spindle which
forms the axis of the sifter is carried in a bearing which is capable of being raised
and lowered so as to vary the inclination of the axis of the sifter. This bearing
is also made self adjusting to the line of the shaft and can be locked or fixed at any
required height. By this arrangement and without altering the speed of the
sifter the cut tea can be passed from end to end of the sifter at any desired rate,
the tea passing more or less quickly according to the greater or less inclination of
the sifter.
I preferably make the sifter of hexagonal form, the hubs being of cast iron
bored to fit the axis shaft and secured thereto with set screws. Wrought iron
arms cast into or otherwise fixed in the said hubs support wood slats running from
end to end of the sifter and forming a framework which provides suitable support
and fastening for the wire netting or gauze; the slats also act as lifters for carrying
the tea to near the top of the sieve when in rotation and dropping it on the netting
or gauze below, whereby it is thoroughly sifted. The rotary sieve can thus be
easily removed from its spindle by lifting the outside end bearing from its vertical
guide, slacking the set screws in the hubs and angling up the spindle to allow the
sifter to be drawn off endways when another sieve with wire gauze of different
mesh can be substituted for it. This provides great facilities for altering the sifter
to suit different sizes of tea.
•
The general arrangement and construction of the apparatus will be more fully
understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 show respectively side and end elevations of the complete
machine.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the cutting mill to a larger scale the driving
pulley being removed.
Figure 4 is a front view partly sectional of the cutting mill the weight being
removed.
Figure 5 is a cross section to a still larger scale of the roller and movable
resistance plate or knife.
The dotted lines a b c and d indicate the various cutting angles of the bevel
shown on this resistance plate and any of which may be employed by turning the
plate or knife upside down or end for end.
The letters which indicate the various parts are the same in each figure and are
as follows:-
A. Framework.

page_text: with a different size of mesh in the wire netting all substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore described and repre-
sented in the accompanying drawings forming an improved machine for cutting and
sorting dry tea.
Dated this 21st day of January 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.