An Improved Tea Blending or Mixing Machine.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improved Tea Blending or Mixing Machine.
We, JOHN PARNALL, and PARNALL & SONS LIMITED, both of Narrow Wine Street
in the City and County of Bristol Grocers' Machinists do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is to improve the Construction of Tea Blending
Machines, whereby the Tea, after being mixed, is discharged through an aperture or
outlet in the centre of the end of the Drum, and the height of the Machine is thereby
greatly reduced.
Tea Mixers or Blenders as ordinarily constructed, receive and discharge their
contents through a door in the periphery of the Drum, thus causing a great waste of
time, and when the Tea is discharged into open receptacles, permitting a quantity of
dust to escape.
Our improved Machine obviates these inconveniences and is constructed so as
to render it Self-acting in Delivery whilst being rotated, and causes the mixed
tea to be discharged from the Drum in a continuous stream at the will of the
Operator, without any dust escaping.
To accomplish this, a taper conical tube is fitted, projecting from the centre of the
end of the Mixing Drum and forming a Discharge Aperture. Inside the Drum, a
conical disc is provided fitted on its outside face with V or other shaped projections:
this disc slides to and fro on the Drum Shaft, and is actuated by a spring handle
outside the Machine. The end of the Drum is carried by a ring, fitted with bent
arms connected to the shaft to clear the conical disc when sliding to and fro. The
Drum is fitted inside with spiral or other shaped shutes which mix the Tea and act
as Conveyors to deliver it towards the conical disc and discharge Aperture.
Before commencing to mix Tea, the conical disc is pulled forward, closing up the
discharge aperture, but when the Drum requires to be emptied, the conical disc is
pushed back, thus freeing the aperture, and by connecting the Spiral Shutes
with it causes the Tea to glide over the V or other shaped projections of the Disc,
and pass out into receptacles provided to receive it.
The Drum is carried on a central Shaft supported at each end by self-lubricating
bearings, and is provided with a sliding door in its periphery, fitted with handles,
which lie on their sides when the Door is closed and the Drum in motion. These
handles are secured in position by spring catches the said catches also keeping the
Sliding Door in its place.
The Conical Tube forming the discharge Aperture is covered on its upper surface
with a bonnet, to prevent the escape of dust when Tea is falling into the Receptacles.
Dated this 27th day of January 1897.
PARNALL & SONS, LIMITED.
}
EDWARD CRAWFORD, Directors.
JOHN PARNALL,
WILLIAM GRIMES,
Secretary, for the Company.

page_text: An Improved Tea Blending or Mixing Machine.
We, JOHN PARNALL, and PARNALL & SONS, LIMITED, both of Narrow Wine Street,
in the City and County of Bristol, Grocers' Machinists 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 this Invention is to improve the construction of Tea Blending
Machines, whereby the Tea, after being mixed, is discharged through an aperture or
outlet in the Centre of the End of the Drum, and the height of the Machine is
thereby greatly reduced.
Tea Mixers or Blenders as ordinarily constructed, receive and discharge their
contents through a Door in the periphery of the Drum, thus causing a great waste of
time, and, when the Tea is discharged into open receptacles, permitting a quantity
of dust to escape.
Our improved Machine obviates these inconveniences, & is constructed so as to
render it self-acting in delivery whilst being rotated, and causes the mixed Tea to be
discharged from the Drum in a continuous stream at the will of the operator without
any dust escaping.
To accomplish this, a taper conical tube is fitted, projecting from the centre of the
end of the mixing Drum and forming a discharge aperture. Inside the Drum, a
conical disc is provided, fitted on its outer face with V or other shaped projections ;-
this Disc slides to and fro on the Drum Shaft, and is actuated by a spring Handle
outside the Machine. The end of the Drum is carried by a Ring, fitted with bent
Arms connected to the Shaft, to clear the conical Disc when sliding to and fro. The
Drum is fitted inside with spiral or other shaped Shutes, which mix the Tea and act
as Conveyors, to deliver it towards the conical Disc and discharge aperture.
Before commencing to mix Tea, the conical Disc is pulled forward closing up the
discharge aperture, but when the Drum requires to be emptied, the conical Disc is
pushed back, and by connecting the Spiral Shutes with it, causes the Tea to glide
over the V or other shaped projections of the Disc, and pass out into receptacles pro-
vided to receive it.
These
The Drum is carried on a central Shaft, supported at each end by self-lubricating
bearings, and is provided with a sliding Door in its periphery, fitted with handles
which lie on their sides when the Disc is closed and the Drum in motion.
handles are secured in position by Spring Catches, the said Catches also keeping the.
sliding Door in its place.
The Conical Tube forming the discharge aperture is covered on its upper surface
with a bonnet, to prevent the escape of dust when Tea is falling into the Receptacles.
Our Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 3 is a plan, also partly in section.
A is the Mixing Drum, fitted internally with Blades, a¹ for mixing, and mounted
on a horizontal Shaft, 61 working in Bearings, (62) at each end. B represents
spiral shaped Shutes, which convey the contents of the Drum whilst being mixed,
towards the taper conical shaped Tube C, forming the discharge Aperture. D is the
conical Disc, with V shaped projections, (d¹) on its face, which slides to & fro on the
Drum Shaft, and is actuated by a spring Handle d², which locks the Disc in position.
E is the Ring, with bent arms, e¹, which carry the end of the Drum, and admit of
the conical Disc being moved to and fro, for opening or closing the discharge
Aperture C. A sliding Door F, covers an opening in the periphery of the Drum,

page_text: through which the tea to be mixed is passed, f¹ are spring Handles for opening and
closing the Door. G is a Bonnet, which covers the conical Tube or discharge
Outlet, and prevents the escape of dust when the Drum is being emptied.
Before commencing to mix tea, the conical Disc D is pulled forward by the
handle, d, and locked in position, thus closing up the discharge Aperture C, the
mixing is then performed by rotating the Drum A. To empty the Mixer, the conical
Disc D is pushed back by the Handle, d², thus freeing the discharge Aperture C,
the Drum A rotates and the spiral shaped Shutes B carry the tea towards the
conical Disc D, over which it glides & is delivered in a stream through the Discharge
Aperture C. The delivery or discharge of tea can be stopped or started at any
time whilst the Drum is in motion.
The Machine can be fitted at the back in the same manner as is shown in the
front, and will then discharge its contents on both sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we desire
to claim is
1. In combination, a Tea Mixing or Blending Machine, with the Drum having an
axial discharge Aperture, as shown on the drawings annexed.
2. In combination, a Tea Mixing or Blending Machine, having an axial discharge
Aperture, of internal spiral Shutes, delivering the tea on to a moveable conical
Disc, which when pulled forward closes the discharge Aperture, and when pushed
back frees the discharge Aperture, and allows the tea to glide over the Conical Disc,
and pass out through the Aperture, substantially as herein described, and shown on
the drawings annexed.
Dated this 26th day of November 1897