Improvements in and Apparatus for the Production of Extracts of Tea or other Matters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Production of Extracts of
Tea or other Matters.
I, GEORGE HENRY ROQUE DABBS, of Highfields, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, in
the County of Southampton, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to obtain extracts of tea or other matters in an
economical and efficient manner by a process and apparatus under ready control
and in such manner as to obtain all the desirable constituents from the materials
treated. My invention is more especially intended for obtaining extracts from tea
and in describing my invention I will refer to the material treated as tea although
I do not limit myself to the treatment of tea.
According to my invention the tea in a finely divided condition is subjected to
percolation by water whilst it is contained in a suitable vessel with provision for
the external application of heat. The heating is preferably effected by steam
admitted to a jacket or casing surrounding the vessel containing the tea.
I may
use any convenient number of such percolation vessels connected in such manner
that the liquid passes through thein successively. A convenient arrangement
consists of a column or vessel in or on which are supported a series (say four) of
percolators consisting in receptacles for tea which are connected with a water
supply and with each other so that water passes through the tea in the first
percolator and therefrom into the next and so on until it emerges at the outlet
from the last in the form of an extract. The percolators are each surrounded by
a casing or jacket into which a heating medium such as steam is passed it being
conveniently passed into the aforesaid column or supporting vessel and passing
therefrom into the casing or jacket, surrounding each percolator. The water
should be applied to the first vessel in a cold condition. In case it should be
desired to obtain any constituents which may not be removed from the first or
either of the vessels by the first passage of water therethrough, water may he
again run through them or any of them in any required order, and in order to
provide for a systematic passing of water through the percolators they may be
arranged so that their order can be altered so that a freshly charged percolator
can be put in and the order of the others be changed say the last of the series
may be removed refilled and placed in as the first of the series the others following
in order, that which was No. 1 becoming No. 2. and so on. The material to be
treated should be in a finely divided state and therefore I can efficiently utilize
tea dust for the obtainment of tea extracts according to my invention.
The extract can be introduced into bottles or other coutainers and tightly
closed so as to retain the essential principles.
Dated this 12th day of February 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Production of Extracts of
Tea or other Matters.
I, GEORGE HENRY ROQUE DABBS, of Highfields, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, in
the County of Southampton, Doctor of Medicine 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 object of my invention is to obtain extracts of tea or other matters in an
economical and efficient manner by a process and apparatus under ready control
and in such manner as to obtain all the desirable constituents from the materials
treated. My invention is more especially intended for obtaining extracts from
tea, and in describing my invention, I will refer to the material treated as being
tea, although it is to be understood that I do not limit the application of my
invention to the treatment of tea, as my said invention can be applied also to the
treatment of other substances containing aromatic and extractive principles; such
for example, as coffee, cocoa, and the like.
or other fluid
According to my invention the tea, (or other substance to be treated) in a
finely divided condition, is subjected to percolation by water
employed as the menstruum (I will presume it to be water in the following
description) whilst the said tea or other substance is contained in a suitable vessel
with provision for the application of heat. The heating is preferably applied
externally by means of steam, or boiling water, admitted to a jacket, or casing,
surrounding the vessel containing the tea or other substance. 1 may use any
convenient number of such percolation vessels, connected in such manner that the
liquid passes through them successively.
A convenient arrangement of apparatus for the purposes of my invention is
illustrated in elevation in Figure 1 and in plan in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawing. It consists of a column, vessel, frame, or support A, in or on which is
supported a series of percolators (say consisting of four) constituted by receptacls B,
for tea, the said percolators being provided with covers to allow of the tea being
introduced and withdrawn, and being connected with a water supply and with
each other by the pipes b, so that water passes through the tea in the first
percolator, and therefrom into the next, and so on, until the liquid emerges, at
the outlet 62 from the last of the series of percolators, in the form of an extract.
The percolators are each surrounded by a casing, or jacket C into which a heating
medium, such as steam or hot water from a circulating boiler, is passed it being
conveniently admitted by a pipe as at c and passing from casing to casing of the
percolators by the pipes c2 and then back to the boiler by the pipe c³. The water
which is supplied to the first percolator is preferably cold water, and the degree
of heat in the percolators should at no part reach boiling point, and preferably
should not exceed a temperature of say 200° to 210° Fahrenheit. It is preferable
to pass about three parts by weight of water through the percolators for each four
parts by weight of tea under treatment and to place the percolate thus obtained
aside, and then to subject the said tea to a further extractive process by again
causing water to percolate therethrough, so as, thereby, to obtain the remaining
extractive matter from the tea. This latter percolate is then evaporated, (in open
steam, or vacuum, pans, for example), until it is concentrated so that it weighs
about one quarter of the total original weight of tea first introduced into the
percolators, and the concentrated percolate, thus obtained, is added to that obtained
by the first operation described. The percolation with water may be effected
once, twice, or any desired number of times, through each charge. If desired the
percolators may be arranged so that their order can be altered so that a freshly

page_text: charged percolator can be put in, and the order of the others be changed; say the
last of the series inay be removed, refilled, and replaced, as the first of the series;
the others following in order, that which was No. 1 becoming No. 2, and so on.
The material to be treated should be in a finely divided state, and therefore I can
efficiently utilize tea dust for the obtainment of tea extract, or other comparatively
waste or cheap products according to my invention. The extract can be introduced
into bottles, or other receptacles which will be tightly closed so as to retain the
essential principles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The obtainment of extracts of tea or other substances containing aromatic
and extractive principles, by subjecting the said tea, or other substance, to the
percolative action of water or other suitable menstruum whilst heat is applied,
under the conditions substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. An apparatus for the obtainment of extracts of tea, or other substances, the
said apparatus being constructed, or arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of June 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.