IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WITHERING AND DRYING TEA
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WITHERING AND DRYING TEA." A communication from
abroad by John Charles Allen, of Bengal, India, Tea Planter.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1882.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WITHERING AND DRYING
TEA." A communication from abroad by John Charles Alien of Bengal India
Tea Planter.
The said Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus employed in drying
tea and has for its objects to effect such drying and at the same time and by the
same fires to raise steam for working the machinery for the other processes
such as rolling and the Invention further consists of improvements upon the
apparatus for which I obtained Letters Patent No. 4254 dated as of the 14th day
of November 1877.
In effecting the drying of tea and the raising of steam for other purposes the
apparatus is arranged according to this Invention after two different plans.
In the first case where the tea is to be dried by being subjected to the action of
air together with the fumes from a coke or charcoal fire. In this case a boiler
with longitudinal tubes is arranged with its fire at one end and at the other end a
chamber in which the tea to be dried is placed. The tubes open at one end above
the fire thence pass through the water space of the boiler and open at their other
ends into the drying chamber which is furnished at its top with a chimney for
creating a draft through the furnace tubes and drying chamber. Thus steam is
got up in the boiler and can be led to an engine to operate rolling or other
machinery and the same hot air after being thus used passes into the drying or
withering chamber to dry or wither the leaves therein. In order to prevent
interference with the draught whilst the tea chamber is being charged a bye
passage to the chimney may be provided and bye valves or dampers the tubes may
Ping G71

page_text: be put out of communication with the tea chamber and into communication with
the chimney by the said bye passage. The second form of the improved apparatus
is designed for use when fires are employed the products of combustion from which
are to be kept from contact with the tea leaves. In this arrangement of the
apparatus the fire boiler and drying chamber are arranged relatively to each other
as before described but in addition to the ordinary tubes of the boiler giving
communication between the fire and a bye passage leading to the chimney over the
drying chamber there are additional tubes of sufficient length to pass at the one
end through the furnace end of the boiler where they are open to the outer air
thence extending through or over the furnace and water space and byc passage
through the wall or division which separates this bye passage from the drying
chamber so as to open at their other ends into the said drying chamber. By this
arrangement pure air is heated by the same fires which heat the boiler the said-air
passing into the drying chamber and thence to the chimney which opens from the
upper part thereof the before mentioned bye passage for the products from the
fire also opening into this chimney and creating the draught for drawing air
through the air tubes into the drying or withering chamber. A steam jet from
the boiler may be employed to accelerate the draught.
The drying chamber employed may be of any suitable kind such for example as
that described in my before mentioned Patent No. 4254 A.D. 1877. The aforesaid
bye passage may be a casing around or partly around the drying chamber to assist
the drying operation. A fan or blower may be used to blow the fire and propel
the air if desired. The Invention further relates to improvements in the apparatus
described in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 4254-1877 to
remedy the defects of the said apparatus In place of the air pump described in
the said-Specification a fan and a chimney at the top of the drying oven or chamber
are employed the one to drive charcoal-or-coke fumes into the drying or withering
chamber and the other to draw the said air up through the said chamber In some
cases the fan or blower may be dispensed with the chimney creating by itself the
necessary passage of air or drying agent through the drying chamber a fan being
used if needed in getting up steam.
The inlet for the hot air or drying agent is so placed or led into the drying oven
or chamber in one or more places that the said air or drying agent is directed in
a radial line directly towards the axis of the revolving drum so as to cause the full
area of the trays to be subjected to the action of such air or drying agent.
The Invention consists further of the following improvements in the revolving
tray carrying wheel described in the aforesaid Specification of my said previous
Patent No. 4254 A.D. 1877. All the arms or pallets constituting the spokes or
blades of the wheel are made removeable. For this purpose two discs are arranged
on the shaft of the wheel these discs are slotted on the faces presented towards
each other and into these slots the said arms or spokes will be slidden and the
axle discs spokes trays and doors will all be readily removable the one from the
other and from the cylinder or chamber which will also be in pieces separable for
transit.
In place of forming spikes on the tray doors zig-zag pieces of hoop iron standing
on edge are employed secured to the trays themselves to form separate compart-
ments in each tray.
The wheel will be nicely balanced on its shaft to act as a fly wheel and the
spokes or tray holders held in the grooves in the before mentioned discs will not
extend close to the shaft but leave a clear passage for air through the chamber.
The grooves in the disc will be so symmetrically arranged around the wheel that
the balance of the wheel can readily be maintained when some of the tray carriers
are removed by disposing those remaining equi-distantly around the shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1882.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WITHERING AND DRYING
TEA" A communication from abroad by John Charles Allen of Bengal India
Tea Planter.
The said Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus employed in
withering and drying tea and has for one of its objects to effect such withering
and drying and at the same time and by the same fires to raise steam for working
the witherer or drier and the machinery for the other processes such as rolling or
any one or more of them.
In effecting the drying of tea and the raising of steam for these purposes the
apparatus is arranged according to this Invention after two different plans. The
first case is where the tea is to be dried by being subjected to the action of air
together with the fumes from a coke or charcoal fire. I will explain this with
reference to the full lines of Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings which Figure
represents a longitudinal section of a combined boiler and tea withering or drying
chamber. In this case a boiler A with longitudinal tubes a is arranged with its
fire b at one end and at the other end is situated a chamber C in which the tea to
be dried is placed. This chamber may be of any convenient form but I prefer one
furnished with a revolving wheel of trays constructed as hereinafter described.
The tubes a open at one end above the fire b and thence pass through the water
space of the boiler A and open at their other ends into the drying chamber C
which is furnished at its top with a chimney c for creating or assisting a draught
through the furnace b tubes a and drying chamber C. Thus steam is got up in
the boiler A and can be led from the steam pipe a³ to an engine to operate rolling
or other machinery and also to rotate the wheel of trays in the withering or drying
chamber C and the same hot air after being thus used to generate steam passes
into the drying or withering chamber C to dry or wither the leaves therein. In
order to prevent interference with the draught whilst the tea chamber is being
charged a bye passage c³ to the chimney c may be provided having valves or
dampers did so that by closing the valve d¹ and opening the valves d³ the
tubes a may be put out of communication with the tea chamber C and into direct
communication with the chimney c by the said bye passage c³. The second form
of the improved apparatus is designed for use when fires are employed the products
of combustion from which are to be kept from contact with the tea leaves. In
this arrangement of the apparatus the fire boiler and drying chamber are arranged
relatively to each other as before described but in addition to the ordinary tubes a
of the boiler giving communication between the fire b and the bye passage c³
leading to the chimney cover the drying chamber C (which passage is in this case
permanently closed by the partition from communication with the chamber C)
there are additional tubes of sufficient length to pass at the one end through the
furnace end of the boiler as indicated by the dotted lines at e where they are open
to the outer air the said tubes thence extending through or over the furnace and
water space and through the bye passage c² as indicated by the dotted lines at g
and through the wall or partition which separates this bye passago c² from the
drying chamber C so as to open at their other ends into the said drying
chamber C. By this arrangement pure air is heated by the same fires which heat
the boiler the said air passing through the tubes, (extended as shown by the dotted

page_text: lines) into the drying chamber C and thence to the chimney c the before mentioned
bye passage c² for the products from the fire also opening into this chimney which
thus creates or assists in creating the draught for drawing air through the air tubes
into the drying or withering chamber and for the proper maintenance of the fire in
the furnace A steam jet from the boiler may be led into the chimney to accelerate
the draught. The drying chamber employed may as before stated be of any
suitable kind but I prefer the kind of chamber having a revolving wheel carrying
the withering or drying trays as hereinafter described. The aforesaid bye
passage may be a casing around or partly around the drying chamber to assist
the drying operation (for example as illustrated in the Drawing) A fan or blower
may be used to blow the fire and propel the air either by forcing or drawing if
desired.
The Invention further relates to improvements in that class of tea withering or
drying apparatus in which trays containing the leaves to be withered or dried
are carried by spokes on a shaft or axis running through the withering or drying
chamber so as to constitute a drum or wheel of trays capable of having given
to it a motion of rotation in the said withering or drying chamber-In place of
the air pump custoinarily employed in this class of apparatus a fan and a chimney
at the top of the drying oven or chamber are employed the one to drive charcoal
or coke fumes or other withering or drying agent into the drying or withering
chamber and the other to draw the said air up through the said chamber. In
some cases the fan or blower may be dispensed with the chimney creating by
itself the necessary passage of air or withering or drying agent through the
withering or drying chamber a fan being used if needed in getting up steam.
The inlet for the hot air or withering or drying agent is so placed or led into the
drying oven or chamber in one or more places that the said air or drying agent is
directed in a radial-line directly towards the axis of the revolving drum so as to
cause the full area of the trays to be subjected-to-the-action_of_such air or drying
agent Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings represents a withering or drying
chamber C into which the passage for the withering or drying agent is led by
two branch passages ² opening into the said chamber on either side of the plane in
which the axle & of the drying tray carrier is situated. The openings of the said
passages 12 may be provided with deflectors or directing plates h³ so that the hot
air or fumes or withering or drying agent is directed as shown by the arrows
towards the middle parts of each side of the trays which gives a very effective
action upon the leaves-These deflecting plates may with advantage be perforated
and arranged as shown to an enlarged scale in Figure 2 they being in their normal
position inclined towards each other but they are or may be pivotted so that they
can be turned to any convenient angle-By their use the current can readily be
caused to pass well across the whole of the width of the interior of the oven though
the draught is still directed in lines towards the centre as described.
The Invention consists further of the following improvements in the revolving
wheel or drum of trays and the trays themselves which I will describe with reference
to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings Figures 3 and 4 being
views at right angles to each other of the drum or wheel of trays provided with my
improvements one of the trays and its carrier being shown in section Figure 5 is
a perspective view of a tray carrier separately and Figure 6 is a perspective view
of a tray separately.
In these figures a portion only of the wire gauze is shown but it will be
understood that it extends over the whole of the bottom of the tray and of its
lid or cover The tray carriers are cach formed of arms or pallets connected
by cross pieces m m. To the back cross piece m is hinged or pivotted the cover n
consisting of a frame of bars covered with wire gauze the said cover being
provided with an eye at n which engages with a spring catch m² upon the front
carrier m-The carriers are connected to the discs p at each end of the carrying
axle & the said discs being furnished with a number of radial slots p³ symmetrically
disposed around the centre of the discs p (either on the faces presented towards

page_text: cach other or on their opposite faces as shown) the ends of the arms or pallets
being slipped into these slots and secured by pins or bolts p³ The said carriers
constituting the spokes or blades of the wheels are thus easily removable-The
trays held by the carriers consist of a framing 9 covered at bottom with wire
gauze and strengthened by tie rods q³-In place of forming spikes on the tray
doors zig-zag pieces of hoop iron q standing on edge are employed secured to
the trays themselves to form separate compartments in each tray-The wheel of
trays will be nicely balanced on its shaft k to act as a fly wheel and the tray
holders carried by the arms held in the grooves in the discs p will not extend
close to the shaft k but only so far as to leave a clear passage (as shown at r in
Figure 3) for air through the withering or drying chamber C-The grooves 2³
in the discs p will be so symmetrically arranged around the said discs that the
balance of the wheel can readily be maintained when some of the tray carriers
are removed by disposing those remaining equi-distantly around the shaft k.
It will be readily understood by reference to Figures 5 and 6 that the leaves to
be withered or dried having been placed in the divisions of the trays (Figure 6) on
the cover n of the carrier Figure 5 being thrown back and the said tray placed in
the said carrier the said lid being pressed down upon the tray is held down by the
spring catch fastening n² m² The said trays can readily be removed by raising the
said cover n after the withering or drying is completed If found desirable two
chambers C could be employed the one being used for drying and the drying agent
being led therefrom to the second chamber to effect the withering of the leaf. The
axles, discs, spokes, trays, doors and the cylinder or chamber will have their parts
of such size and so connected together as to be readily separable and capable of
being packed into a small compass for transit.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First In apparatus for withering and drying tea the passing of the heat or
fumes from the fires or furnaces on its or their passage to the drying or withering
cylinder through the tubes or over the heating surface of a steam boiler so that the
saine fires or furnaces are utilised both for drying or withering the tea and for
raising steam for working the tea drying withering and rolling or other apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Second In apparatus for withering and drying tea wherein the same furnaces
or fires are used both to raise steam and to furnish the heat for treating the tea
the combination of a bye passage and dampers so arranged that the heat from the
furnaces or fires may be diverted from the drying or withering cylinders and be
caused to pass directly through or over the boiler tubes or heating surface to the
chimney whilst the tea chamber is being charged substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third In apparatus for withering and drying tea the provision between the
ten chamber and the fires or furnaces of a boiler with two sets of tubes one set
of which communicates with the fires and the chimney and the other set of
which serves to supply heated air to the tea chamber substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Fourth In tea withering and drying apparatus wherein a wheel of trays
carried radially upon a rotating shaft is employed so arranging the inlet or inlets
for the hot air or other agent for withering and drying the ten that the said air
or agent is directed well across the oven and in a radial line directly towards both
sides of the trays for the purpose described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth In tea withering and drying apparatus wherein a wheel of trays is
employed the said wheels being carried radially upon a rotating shaft attaching the

page_text: spokes or blades which carry the trays to the said shaft by means of discs slotted
to receive the said spokes or blades substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth-Providing the said trays with internal zig-zag division plates substan-
tially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Seventh In apparatus for withering or drying tea the combination with a
revolving wheel of trays of inlets for the withering or drying agent arranged to
direct the air onto both sides of the trays and radially towards the centre as
described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings and providing
a space between the shaft of the wheel of trays and the tray carriers for the
passage of air as shown at r in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Eighth The general arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the
improved apparatus for withering and drying tea substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of July One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.