IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEA
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Geeves, of Charlton King's, Cheltenham, in the
County of Gloucester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR TREATING TEA."
Sealed the 25th January 1878, and dated the 22nd November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Geeves at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1877.
WILLIAM GEEVES, of Charlton King's, Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEA."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for treating tea.
It is the custom of the trade, with a view to meet the taste of the public, to mix
together or blend teas of different growths, and some of these teas consist of or
contain leaf of much larger size than the other teas with which they are to be
united to form the blend. It is desirable that these large leaves should be separated
and broken or divided before the blend is made, otherwise this larger and lighter
tea would in use be liable to separate from the rest, and this would not only injure
the appearance of the sample, but would give rise to irregularity of flavour, and
uncertainty in the use of the tea.
The means by which I separate the larger leaves, reduce their size, and make a
uniform blend, are as follows:-I place the tea containing the larger leaves in a
hopper, from which it escapes by gravitation, and passes through a rotating screen,
in at one end and out at the other. The bottom of the screen is set at a small
inclination, so that as the screen revolves the tea travels gradually forward along
the bottom. The tea which is already sufficiently small falls through the perforations,
whilst the larger leaves are delivered at the end of the screen into the mill or
breaker, where they pass between revolving and stationary surfaces, which divide
the leaves into smaller pieces, but without reducing them to powder or dust.
The whole of the tea to make the blend then goes into an apparatus, which some-
Omine 37

page_text: what resembles an hour glass; it consists of two chambers, each having a cylindrical
body, and a funnel-like bottom or end.
The chambers are connected together and communicate by the opening in their
funnel-like bottoms, but by means of a slide this passage can be closed at pleasure.
The two chainbers are carried in a frame which is mounted upon trunnions, so
that it can be turned over to bring either the one chamber or the other to the upper-
most position. There is an opening in the side of one of the chambers by which the
tea is introduced and discharged.
The tea having been put in and the opening closed by a cover, the chamber con-
taining the tea is brought to the top, and the slide between the chambers is drawn
out, so that the tea may flow from one chamber to the other; when it has done so
the chambers are reversed, and it is caused to flow back, and so on for a few times
until the mixture is complete.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Geeves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st May
1878.
WILLIAM GEEVES, of Charlton King's, Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEA."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for treating tea.
It is the custom of the trade, with a view to meet the taste of the public, to mix
together or blend teas of different growths, and some of these teas consist of or
contain leaf of much larger size than the other teas with which they are to be
united to form the blend. It is desirable that these large leaves should be separated
and broken or divided before the blend is made, otherwise this larger and lighter
tea would in use be liable to separate from the rest, and this would not only injure
the appearance of the sample, but would give rise to irregularity of flavour and
uncertainty in the use of the tea.
The means by which I separate the larger leaves, reduce their size, and make a
uniform blend are as follows:-I place the tea containing the larger leaves in a
hopper, from which it escapes by gravitation and passes through a rotating screen,
in at one end and out at the other. The bottom of the screen is set at a small
inclination, so that as the screen revolves, the tea travels gradually forward along
the bottom. The tea, which is already sufficiently small, falls through the per-
forations, whilst the larger leaves are delivered at the end of the screen into the
mill or breaker, where they pass between revolving surfaces which divide the leaves
into smaller pieces, but without reducing them to powder or dust. The whole of
the tea to make the blend then goes into an apparatus which somewhat resembles
an hour glass; it consists of two chambers, each having a cylindrical body and' a
funnel-like bottom or end.
The chambers are connected together and communicate by the opening in their
funnel-like bottoms, but by means of a slide this passage can be closed at pleasure.

page_text: The two chambers are carried in a frame which is mounted upon trunnions, so
that it can be turned over to bring either the one chamber or the other to the upper-
most position. There is an opening in the side of one of the chambers by which the.
tea is introduced and discharged.
The tea having been put in and the opening closed by a cover, the chamber
containing the tea is brought to the top, and the slide between the chambers is
drawn out, so that the tea may flow from one chamber to the other; when it has
done so the chambers are reversed, and it is caused to flow back, and so on for a few
times until the mixture is complete.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a machine
constructed according to my Invention, and intended to be used to reduce tea to an
uniform size.
A is a hopper or receiver into which the tea to be treated is placed; it can be
closed at the bottom by a slide A¹, which is drawn out when it is desired that the
tea should descend into the machine; B is an inclined conductor by which the tea
is then led into the rotary screen C, which I prefer to be of conical form as the
Drawing represents. The screen C is mounted upon an horizontal axis having at
its end a cranked handle D, by means of which the screen is kept turning, whilst
the machine is in operation. The perforations in the screen are of such a size as to
permit any tea which is already sufficiently small to pass through, and all the tea
of larger size is delivered at the end of the screen on to the pair of rollers E, E,
which are geared together by spur pinions, and upon the axis of one of them there
is a belt pulley E¹ which receives a driving band. The same band also passes
around a pulley upon the axis of the screen, and in this way the rollers E are driven.
The rollers have hollows or recesses formed in their peripheries, and the size of these
is such that the tea by being pressed into them is sufficiently reduced without being
broken too small. The two rollers have similar cavities, and they are so set that as
they revolve the cavities meet; and as the rollers are set close together the tea can
only pass by entering the cavities.
The teas from this machine or any other teas with which it is desired to make a
blend are thoroughly mixed by means of the apparatus shewn in Figures 3 and 4;
Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section; and Figure 4 is a vertical section. A
pair of standards A support the trunnions B¹, B', of a frame B, which bears upon
it the two chambers C, C; these chambers have cylindrical bodies and funnel-like
bottoms.
"
I find it desirable to give an inclination of about 37 degrees to the bottom, as
when the bottom is made to this angle the tea is more regularly delivered from all
parts of the chamber than when the incline of the bottom is made either steeper or
flatter.
The two chambers communicate by a passage which is closable at pleasure by the
slide D, and there is also an opening in the side of one of the chambers at E, by
which the tea to be mixed is put in and taken out from the apparatus ; a slide closes
the opening at E when the apparatus is in operation.
The tea to be mixed having been put in at E (when the chamber in which this
opening is uppermost) the slide D is drawn out, and the tea allowed to run down
into the lower chamber. The frame B is then turned over, bringing the other
chamber C to the top, and the tea then runs back into the first chamber, and this
operation is repeated as often as may be considered necessary to effect a complete
admixture. The tea is then withdrawn by taking out the slide at E, and bringing
this opening to the bottom.
A similar series of successive mixings may be obtained (but except where the
operation is carried on upon a large scale less conveniently) by means of a series of
:

page_text: chambers similar to the chambers C, fixed one below the other in the manner
represented at Figure 5, there being slides D controlling the passage of the tea from
chamber to chamber; or indeed a single chamber may be employed, the tea being
returned to it again and again.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim my improvements in
apparatus for treating tea, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Geeves, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM GEEVES. (L.S.)