Improved Apparatus for Sifting or Separating and Drying Leaves of the Tea Plant and other Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
IRUVIDIONAL DEVITICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Sifting or Separating and Drying Leaves of
the Tea Plant and other Substances.
I, ALFRED HORATIO BELL SHARPE, of Charlsworth Terrace, Foss Bank, Lincoln,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect the sifting or separation and dryingof
leaves of the tea-plant and other similar substances in a more convenient manner
than hitherto and by more efficient means than have been hitherto used.
The improved apparatus is constructed with an outer casing, within the upper part
of which is disposed a series of any convenient number of successively lower feeding
drums, which permit of the passage through them of a current of hot air as herein-
after described, and are all caused to rotate in the same direction above a correspond-
ingly descending and curved bed plate, and, being provided with circumferential
vanes, are thus effective in successively elevating the tea-leaf and depositing it onto
the next lower drum, from the last of which it falls into a sieving or separating
apparatus which is contained within the lower part of the casing.
The sieves, of which also there may be any convenient number, are supported within
an inner closed frame the sieves alternately inclining downwards to the left and to the
right, or vice-versû, respectively. The sieves are or may be interchangeable, and their
higher ends are pivotted to uprights of their containing frame, and their lower ends
are adapted to slots in opposite uprights of their said frame so as to permit of their
being set at any required inclination respectively. At the bottom end of each sieve
is an opening through which the tea-leaf escapes to the upper part of the sieve next
below such arrangement permitting of the tea leaf traversing the whole extent of
the sieves continuously. At the bottom end of each of the sieves the aforesaid
containing framing thereof is or may be formed with a doorway fitted with a sliding
door for allowing of free access to the sieves for any necessary purpose, and for
allowing of the escape of the tea leaf at any such part, for which latter purpose the
external casing is also at successively lower elevations formed with outlet doorways
fitted with sliding doors and adapted with external shoots for leading away the
broken pekoe, the pekoe and the broken orange pekoe, the aforesaid doorways and
shoots being only used conjunctively when the sifting or separating process is in action;
but if it be only desired to dry the tea leaf then the outlets to such shoots are closed off
and the tea leaf and the fine tea are allowed to fall into other receivers respectively at
the level of the lowest of the aforesaid shoots and at a still lower level.
The framing supporting the sieves is carried by steel springs which are suspended
or supported outside of and adjacent to the outer casing, and are by a connecting rod
caused to receive a reciprocating motion from a suitably supported crank shaft which
is rotated by a strap from the shaft of an exhaust fan which is arranged in a casing
above the top part of the said outer casing and above the said feeding drums but
connects with the interiors thereof, and is used in the drying operation by drawing hot
air from any suitable furnace arranged adjacent to the said apparatus, the hot air
outlet from the furnace being arranged to open through the outer casing into the
interior of the said inner frame through the sieves in which the hot air is drawn when
the fan is in operation.
It will thus be seen that the improved apparatus can be used either for drying or for
sifting or separating the tea leaf, or both for drying and for sifting or separating the
same.
Dated this 10th day of December 1980.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Sifting or Separating and Drying Leaves of
the Tea Plant and other Substances.
I, ALFRED HORATIO BELL SHARPE, of Charlsworth Terrace, Foss Bank, Lincoln,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineer, 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:-
The object of this Invention is to effect the sifting, separating or sorting and drying
of leaves of the tea-plant and other similar substances in a more convenient inanner
than hitherto and by more efficient means than have been hitherto used.
The Improved Apparatus is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in sectional
elevation in Figs. 1 and 2. On the drawings like reference figures indicate like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The Improved Apparatus is constructed with an outer casing, 3, within the upper
part of which there is disposed preferably a series (of any convenient number) of
successively lower feeding drums, 4, which have perforated casings permitting of the
passage through them of a current of hot air as hereinafter described, and are by
straps, 5, or other suitable means all caused to rotate in the same direction as indicated
by the arrows a above a correspondingly descending and curved bed plate, 6, and,
being provided with circumferential vanes, 7, are thus effective in successively
elevating the tea-leaf (which is fed into the apparatus at the hopper opening, 8) and
depositing it onto the next lower drum, from the lowest of which it falls into the
sieving, separating or sorting apparatus which is contained within the lower part of
the casing, 3.
In the modification represented in Fig. 2, but one such drum, 4, is used.
The sieves, 9 (of which also there may be any convenient number), are supported
within an inner closed frame, 10, the sieves alternately inclining downwards to the
left and to the right or, vice-versa. The sieves are or may be interchangeable, their
higher ends are pivoted as at, 11, to uprights, 12, of their containing frame, 10, and
their lower ends are adapted to slide in slots, 13, in the opposite uprights or in any
other convenient part of such frame and are adapted with nuts or other suitable
means of fastening so as to permit of their being respectively set at any required
inclination within certain limits.
At or adjacent to the bottom end of each sieve, 9, there is formed an opening as
at, 14, vide Fig. 1, through which, or over the lower end of each sieve, vile Fig. 2,
the tea-leaf escapes to the upper part of the sieve next below, such arrangement
permitting of the tea-leaf traversing the whole extent of the sieves continuously as
indicated by the arrows, b. At the bottom end of each or of any of the sieves their
framing, 10, is or may be formed with a doorway as at, 15, fitted with a sliding
door, 31, which allows of free access to the sieves for any necessary purpose and also
allows of the escape of the tea-leaf at any of such openings, 15, as may be desired.
The external casing, 3, is also at successively lower elevations formed with outlet
doorways as at, 16, fitted with sliding doors, 17, and is adapted or fitted with external
shoots, 18, for leading away the assorted tea such as the broken pekoe, the pekoe and
the broken orange pekoe, etc. the aforesaid doorways and shoots being intended to be
used when the sifting or separating process is in action, but if it be only desired to
dry the tea-leaf then the outlets to such shoots are closed off and the tea-leaf and the
fine tea are allowed to fall into other receivers, 19, 20, respectively at the level of
the lowest of the aforesaid shoots, 18, and at a still lower level.
21 represents steel springs which are preferably suspended as at, 23, from the
outer casing, 3, and are connected as at, 22, to and support the framing, 10. The
framing and springs are caused to receive a reciprocating motion by a connecting
rod, 24, from a suitably supported crank shaft, 25, which is rotated by a strap, 26,
from any convenient shaft such as that of one of the drums, 4, or of an exhaust
fan, 27. The fan, 27, works in a casing, 28, so arranged relatively to the casing, 3,

page_text: and the feeding drums, 4, as to connect with the interiors thereof, and is used in the
drying operation in drawing hot air from any suitable furnace, 29, arranged adjacent
to the said apparatus, the hot air outlet, 30, from the furnace being arranged to open
through the casing, 3, into the interior of the frame, 10, through the sieves, 9, in
which, and the perforated drum casings, 4, the hot air is drawn when the fan, 27, is
in operation.
It will thus be seen that the improved apparatus can be used as may be required
either for drying or finally drying or for sitting or separating the tea-leaf.
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. The improved arrangement of apparatus for sifting, separating or sorting and
drying the leaves of the tea-plant and other analogous substances, hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for sifting, separating or sorting and drying the leaves of the tea-
plant and other analogous substances, the application and use of one or more
cylindrical revolving feeding drums arranged within the external casing and con-
structed and operating substantially in the manner hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for sitting, separating or sorting and drying the leaves of the
tea-plant and other analogous substances, in combination, an outer casing adapted
with closeable outlets where required, an inner enclosing frame adapted with
closable outlets where required and fitted with adjustable screens, steel springs
supported by the casing and supporting the frame, and a crank and connecting rod
or equivalent means arranged externally of the casing and adapted to impart a
reciprocating motion to the inner frame substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 4th day of June 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant