AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE PREPARATION OF TEA."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Peter Brougham, of Culduthel House, in the
County of Inverness, North Britain, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE OR MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE PREPARATION OF TEA."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Peter Brougham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1881.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM, of Culduthel House, in the County of Inverness,
North Britain. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE
PREPARATION OF TEA."
This Invention relates to an improved and simple construction of machine or
apparatus to be used for rolling and preparing tea leaves for the after usual curling
of these, and which is designed to prevent fermentation in the early stages of the
preparation and to accelerate the manufacture of tea and improve the quality of
the article.
The improved machine consists as follows:-Of a large hollow cylinder or drum
carried horizontally on hollow end shafts or gudgeons, fitted to revolve in bearing
blocks in strong side or end frames. The outer circumference or case of this
revolving cylinder may be formed of sheet-iron or other suitable material with
close ends, but it is preferred to construct it of wooden staves secured by metal
hoops outside, like a cask, formed with hinged segmental or other doors for inserting
and with-drawing the tea leaves under treatment. A long spindle is fitted through the
carrying gudgeons of the cylinder or drum, and from this spindle there is suspended
by two lever arms attached to it, a wooden or other roller extending the full length of
the inside of the containing cylinder. This roller is fitted with a central spindle or
studs, which rotate in slots in the outer ends of the lever arms by which it is carried;
and these slots admit of the roller turning in contact with the inner periphery of
the cylinder and of the tea leaves on it, and of its giving way or rising to some
extent to allow of various thicknesses or depths of the tea leaves which are rolled
within the cylinders, passing under the roller. A handle or lever-arm is fixed on

page_text: the outer end of the central spindle by which the spindle and its lever arms
carrying the curling roller may be turned and set to bring the roller from the
lowest position vertically under the axis of the revolving cylinder, to roll in the
cylinder at any desired position with the suspending lever arms inclined so that
the entire weight of the roller may press on the tea leaves, or only the weight due
to its angled position, which forms an important feature in the action or working
of this machine for regulating the depth or thickness of the tea leaves under
treatment, and the pressure of the rolling action. A spur wheel is fitted on
one or both gudgeons of the cylinder in gear with a pinion or pinions on spindles
carried in bearing blocks fixed on the side framing, and driven either by a hand
crank and fly-wheel, or by means of pulleys and belting from any adjacent prime
moving shaft. The cylinder or drum is thus made to revolve at a slow rate and
carry the tea leaves placed within it round under the small revolving roller, and
thereby roll and press the tea leaves, or, it might be, partially curl them ready for
the after processes of curling and dressing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Peter Brougham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1882.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM, of Culduthel House, in the County of Inverness,
North Britain. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE.
PREPARATION OF TEA."
My said Invention relates to an improved and simple construction of machine or '
apparatus to be used for rolling and preparing tea leaves for the after usual curling.
of these, and which is designed to prevent fermentation in the early stages of the
preparation, and to accelerate the manufacture of tea and improve the quality of
the article.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose a Sheet
of explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and showing a modification
of my improved machine for rolling or preparing tea leaves.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show a vertical end
and side elevation respectively of one modification of my said machine for the
treatment, pressing, and rolling of tea leaves; while Figure 3 shows an opposite
end elevation to Figure 1 of the main hollow cylinder or drum A, partly in section;
and Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the lines 1-1, in Figure 1,
corresponding to Figure 2.
The improved machine consists as follows of a large hollow cylinder or drum A
carried horizontally on hollow end shafts or gudgeons A¹ fitted to revolve in
bearing blocks at A" on strong side or end frames B, B. The outer circumference
or case of this revolving cylinder A may be formed of sheet-iron or other suitable
material with close end, but it is preferred to construct it of wooden staves secured
by metal hoops A111 outside, like a cask, formed with a hinged segmental or other
door or doors A³ for inserting and withdrawing the tea-leaves under treatment.
A long spindle C is fitted through the carrying gudgeons A' of the cylinder or
drum A, and from this spindle there is suspended by two lever arms C² attached
to it a wooden or other roller D extending the full length of the inside of the
containing cylinder A. This roller D is fitted with a central spindle or studs D'
which rotate in slots c in the outer ends of the lever arms C¹ by which it is carried,
and these slots c admit of the roller D turning in contact with the inner periphery
of the cylinder A and of the tea leaves on it, and of its giving way or rising to
some extent to allow of various thicknesses or depths of the tea leaves which are
rolled within the cylinder A passing under the roller B. A handle or lever arm C.
is fixed on the outer end of the central spindle C, by which the spindle and its
lever arms C¹ carrying the curling roller D may be turned or set, and fixed by a
pin C to bring the roller from the lowest position vertically under the axis C of
the revolving cylinder A, A, to roll in the cylinder at any desired position with
the suspending lever-arms C inclined so that the entire weight of the roller may
press on the tea leaves, or only the weight due to its angled position, which forms
an important feature in the action or working of this machine for regulating the
depth or thickness of the tea-leaves under treatment and the pressure of the rolling
action. A spur wheel E is fitted on one or both gudgeons A¹ of the cylinder A, in
gear with a pinion or pinions E¹ on spindles F carried in bearing blocks at F' fixed
on the side framing B, and driven, either by a hand crank and fly-wheel, or by
means of pulleys G and belting from any adjacent prime moving shaft. The
cylinder or drum A is thus made to revolve at a slow rate and carry the tea leaves
placed within it round under the small revolving roller D, and thereby roll and
press the tea-leaves, or, it might be, partially curl them ready for the after processes
of curling and dressnig.

page_text: Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed or put into effect or practice, I wish it to be understood
that I do not restrict myself to the preceise details herein described or delineated,
but what I believe to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The construction or combination and arrangement of the parts of a
machine having a large hollow close revolving cylinder A. with a shifting rotating
roller D mounted within it for treating or agitating, rubbing, pressing, and rolling
tea-leaves, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The mounting of a revolving roller D so as to be shifted to any desired
angle within a rotating hollow cylinder for pressing and rolling or treating tea-
leaves between the outer surface of the former and inner surface of the latter, all
substantially as described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Peter Brougham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM.
(IOT)