IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BULKING OR MIXING TEA AND WEIGHING AND REFILLING TEA INTO CHESTS OR BOXES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Brice Tydeman of Manor House Crossness Erith Kent
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BULKING OR
MIXING TEA AND WEIGHING AND REFILLING TEA INTO CHESTS OR BOXES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Brice Tydeman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th November 1882.
BRICE TYDEMAN, of Manor House, Crossness, Erith, Kent. IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR BULKING OR MIXING TEA AND WEIGHING AND REFILLING TEA
INTO CHESTS OR BOXES
This Invention relates to an improved method of Bulking or Mixing and
weighing and refilling the Tea into the packages.
According to the ordinary mode of effecting this operation the Tea is turned
out of the chests or packages on to the floor and is then mixed by hand labour
with wooden scoops or shovels. The Tea is then returned into the packages and
men tread in the Tea, having first covered the Tea in the chest or package with a cloth.
Now this Invention consists of a circular Drum or Hopper of Iron galvanized, or
wood lined with zinc, fitted on a shaft through its centre, which shaft works in
proper bearings on girders or bearers provided for that purpose. The drum or
hopper being supported by the ends, is provided on its periphery with two or more
parts hinged to open outwards, about 2 feet wide and the whole length of drum
or hopper, which parts form trays on which the Tea can be examined, to collect
and prevent any damaged Tea from being turned into the drum or hopper these
trays are so hung at the ends as to nearly balance, for facility in working, and are
fastened by a staple and pin easily fixed. I also provide 6 sets of bolts or rods
from the periphery to the centre of the drum or hopper, arranged at nearly equal
radial distances around the periphery, but these bolts or rods are not fixed parallel
with the axis, but are fixed spirally and alternately left and right for the purpose
of thoroughly mixing the Tea, as the tendency of these bolts or rods is to cause the
Tea to fall first to one side or end and then to the opposite end, this effect being
produced three times in each revolution of the drum or hopper. I also provide two
11

page_text: or more openings on the periphery covered with sliding doors or covers corre-
sponding with similar openings one in each end of the drum or hopper protected
and covered by similar doors or slides provided with proper levers & fastenings,
all working in proper grooves; these openings being for the purpose of emptying
the drum or hopper. I also provide shoots made of a suitable size to guide the
Tea into the chests or packages, which are placed on scales made and fixed in proper
condition for weighing. Fitted to the frames of scales I arrange four double arms
working on centres and fitted with plates to clip or hold the sides of chesta to
prevent the bulging of chests or packages when the Tea is being pressed into them:
these clips also beat or shake the chest or package if preferred. I attach to the
beams or bearers which support the bearings before mentioned of drum or hopper,
presses which as well as the clips are worked by hydraulic pressure, and the
presses are arranged so that the pressure on the Tea can be increased to double
the pressure by a slight movement of a lever working a slide valve of novel
construction.
Motion is given to the drum or hopper by suitable gearing driven by steam or
other power. I prefer a worm wheel and worm, as being most suitable for this
purpose, as the worm acts as a brake, and keeps the drum or hopper steadily in any
position desired.
These scales and clips and presses can of course be used separately for weighing
and refilling the Tea into chests or packages if the Tea is bulked in the ordinary
manner.
By this invention much time is saved, and the operation is much more cleanly
performed.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Brice Tydeman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th May
1883.
BRICE TYDEMAN of Manor House Crossness in the parish of Erith Kent
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BULKING OR MIXING TEA AND FOR WEIGHING
AND REFILLING TEA INTO CHESTS OR BOXES.
My said Invention relates to Bulking or Mixing Tea and weighing and refilling
the same into Chests or Boxes and has for its object the thorough bulking or
mixing by mechanical power of the Tea operated upon and the refilling the exact
quantity into the packages which they contained before being emptied for the
purpose of the Tea being bulked and for the chests to be tared and in order that
my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed more particularly
to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the
annexed sheet of drawing the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the figures.
The Tea in chests with the lids taken off is wheeled on trucks to a hoist or lift
and raised by the lift to a height suitable for emptying into trays and so into the
revolving drum.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation part in section of a revolving drum with bolts
or rods fitted from the periphery to the centre and dotted lines shewing boards or
shelves attached to four sets of the six sets of rods. These rods are of iron-galvanized
and are spaced about two and a half inches apart, and arranged helically around
the drum and alternately right and left; the boards or shelves fixed on the rods are
arranged alternately right and left at an angle with the centre of the shaft and at
varying distances from the periphery to the centre for the purpose of causing the.
contents of the drum to be thrown first to one end and then to the other end
whereby the thorough mixing is ensured. The drum is provided with 2 trays
which are formed so as to open outwards and when closed form a part of the
periphery of the drum. These trays are hinged at each end and are arranged so as
nearly to balance. The drum is also provided with two small doors on the
periphery sliding in grooves and two corresponding doors at ends of the drum for
the purpose of discharging the contents into proper shoots for conveying the Tea
into chests or packages when the chests or packages are on the scales. The inside
of the drum is fitted with internal linings on the bottom half fixed at an angle of
forty degrees so that the Tea runs by gravity to the small sliding doors, and when
the doors are opened by means of levers the Tea in any quantity is run into chests
by means of the shoots before mentioned, which shoots are adjustable to any size
chest or package. By moving a lever the press is caused to descend on to the Tea
and presses it into the chest; by a reverse movement of the lever the press is raised
and more Tea is run into the chest and the operation is repeated until the proper
quantity is run into the chest or package, As the chests are not of sufficient
strength to withstand a great pressure I provide clips for supporting each side of
the chest the clips being arranged and worked similarly to apparatus described
for beating casks in specification of Letters Patent No. 2. 1880 but with only four
levers instead of six and the cylinders for rams are cast in sets of four with a port
common to all four cylinders of a set and these are fitted around the cylinders of
press and are connected together by means of plates bolted to projections cast on
the small cylinders; these plates also form cheeks for pins or fulcrums on which
the levers for clips work, and as the presses are arranged to give a pressure of
double their first power the water in the cylinders with the small rams is locked
fast by means of the slide valve which regulates the action of the presses. These
slide valves are provided with two ports corresponding with the ports in the valve
faces, and when the valves are in position as shewn in figure 6 the press would
descend but if the valves are moved up so that the port for pressure to the top of
the piston is opened to the exhaust the piston would descend and by a slight,
-

page_text: downward movement the piston can be held at rest in any position of its stroke: if
the double pressure is required the valve is moved downwards until the port
connected with the underside of the piston is opened to exhaust; but before the
double pressure can be put on the contents of the chest or package being operated
upon the bar below the bottom port in the valve will cover the port connected with
the bottom row of cylinders with the small rams actuating the clips or beaters and
consequently lock the water in these cylinders but without any increased pressure
on the sides of the chest. These clips being arranged in this manner will fit any
size chest without any adjustment, they being self adjustable.
Figure 2 is a section of Drum shewing the rods trays sloping lining etc: with
scale frame under.
Figure 3 is a modification of Figure 1 fitted with one opening in the periphery
similar to trays and one sliding door in centre of bottom for discharging Tea into
a shoot which revolves and can convey the Tea into any one of six fixed bins or
hoppers sections of which are shown. These bins or hoppers are formed with
sloping bottoms at an angle great enough for the Tea to run to a point in each
hopper covered and protected by a sliding door similar to those described in figure 1
and each bin is provided with a press set of clips or beaters and scales as before
described but instead of raising the chest by a lift or hoist according to this modi-
fication the Tea is emptied into a tray-one of a series of light trays at a point
convenient for emptying chests; these trays being provided with bottoms which
are opened automatically by catches attached to tray or door on top of the drum―
sections of which are shewn on figure 4. These trays are supported at each end on
pins fitted at equal distances on endless chains the chains being moved in exact
relation one to the other by means of gear arranged so that the trays are stopped
in exact position for filling by each tray in succession catching a lever and stopping
the movement of the chains. The third tray in order from the trays being filled is
in position to be emptied by the catches opening the bottom of the tray as before
mentioned. When the whole of the quantity to be bulked in one bed or mark has
been raised and deposited in the drum the tray or door is closed and the drum
caused to revolve for a time sufficient thoroughly to mix the Tea or about three
minutes when the slide at the bottom is opened and the contents allowed to run
by means of the revolving shoot into any one of the six bins, the operation of filling
the chests being by this means continuous as by the time the first bin or hopper has
been emptied the other five will have been filled and thereby the work is done
with great rapidity and cleanliness.
Figure 5 is a plan shewing 6 hoppers or bins arranged centrally under the
revolving drum two trays are also shewn on plan and dotted lines shew position of
scales. The scales are arranged so that the weight of the package of Tea only is
upon the bearings of the scale as when the press descends upon the Tea in the
chest the platform or scale top descends and rests upon two bearings or frames
provided for that purpose, the uprights which support the cylinder of the press
being bolted to these bearers whereby the pressure is confined within the iron
framework and is not put or exerted on the floor.
Figure 6 shews section of valve for press, cylinder for press, with piston and
sections of small rams and cylinders for working clips or beaters.
Figure 7 is a side sectional view of valve, valve face, valve spindle and ports
with glands &c:
Figures 8, 9, & 10 shew respectively a part section: end elevation: and section
of the circular motion for hoist and endless chains for trays-which motion is easily
controlled and of great regularity in its working and of the same power in every
part of its stroke. Upon a shaft I fix a barrel with a feather or helical half way
round right handed and half way round left handed and at any angle desired-the
greater the angle or pitch of the screw the less friction and consequently the greater
power is obtained. The shaft is fitted through three frames to run freely and of
more than double the length of the barrel with the screws or helicals and is
arranged centrally with three cylinders fitted with pistons or rams having heads

page_text: exactly similar to the small part of the screws or helicals. Two bolts or guides to
each ram or piston are fixed to two frames which answer the purpose of holding
the frames together and form guides for the heads of rams or pistons, the water or
steam or other power is admitted to the cylinders in rotation and is governed by a
cam working three valves-one valve to each cylinder-with spindles formed into
pistons the pressure in valve cover forcing the spindles so that contact is always
maintained with the periphery of cam. The cam is fitted on two feathers fitted to
shaft and is moved by means of a lever forked in the usual manner to move a
clutch. The cain can be made to give any desired lap or lead and by this means
the power can be very accurately controlled and the space between the two discs of
the cam is also a cam between the discs in any part and is shewn in figure 10.
When the cam is in position as shewn the shaft would revolve from right to left
looking at figure 9 and if the cam were moved to position shewn by dotted lines
the motion of the shaft would be from left to right and as the reverse motion is
obtained by this movement it is obvious that a distance less than half from either
end will cause the motion of the shaft to cease. For returning the rams when the
helical or screw is made at an angle of less than 30 degrees with the centre of the
shaft the rams are made hollow and a small tube is fitted with glands and packing
in the usual manner to work inside the ram-these tubes being fixed to the frame
at the other end and connected with a cavity common to the three tubes and the
pressure is connected with this cavity and consequently with the tubes and as soon
as the pressure is cut off from the ram or piston the pressure in the small tube will
cause the rams to return in their order when they are again in position to be
forced forward against the helical or feather on the barrel the guides of course
being fixed to the frames the barrel must revolve. Provision is made for wear of
ends of valve spindles working against cams by means of steel screwed bolts with
jam nuts the steel bolts being tapped or screwed into ends of valve spindles and
adjusted as required; rollers can also be used on the ends of the pistons or rams
to work against the feathers or helicals on barrel; rollers can also be fitted to ends
of valve spindles for the same purpose.
I do not limit my Invention to this particular form as it is obvious that it is
applicable in various ways and to any number of cylinders and valves. It is also
applicable for reversing any kind of circular motion obtained by crank or cranks,
and cylinders with rams or pistons.