IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TEA LEAF
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jackson, temporarily residing at Gainsborough,
in the County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TEA LEAF."
Sealed the 28th October 1879, and dated the 3rd May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jackson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1879.
WILLIAM JACKSON, temporarily residing at Gainsborough, in the County of
Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TEA LEAF."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus to be employed in imparting the
necessary curl to tea leaf in substitution for the flat or hollowed corrugated surfaces
ordinarily used for the purpose.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a long barrel composed of staves or
sections (by preference of teak wood) forming a polygonal or corrugated internal
surface, and arranged to receive within it a fluted or corrugated roller, and I impart
rotatory motion to both the barrel and the roller, but in opposite directions, a greater
speed being by preference given to the roller.
The barrel and the roller are so constructed as to be readily set at a varying
angle to suit the kind of leaf to be operated upon. The upper end of the barrel is
fitted with an end plate abutting on but not revolving with either the barrel or
the roller, and through an opening in this plate the leaf is passed into the machine.
The opposite or delivery end of the machine is fitted with an end plate similar to
that fitted to the upper end, and on the lower side of this plate an opening is
formed, to which a door is fitted, and this can be readily adjusted to give a more
or less rapid discharge from the machine. Or I may apply a segmental plate, that
is to say, a plate forming a cover only for a section of the annular space at the
delivery end, and so arranged that one edge of this plate forms a bar, over which
the rolled leaf is ejected. This plate is adjustable so as to regulate the delivery as
required.
It will be understood that the leaf is curled by its passage through the machine
between the exterior of the roller and the interior of the barrel, revolving in
opposite directions, as hereinbefore described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
October 1879.
"
WILLIAM JACKSON, temporarily residing at Gainsborough, in the County of
Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TEA LEAF."
My said Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for imparting the necessary
curl to tea leaf, and it consists in the employment of a revolving elongated barrel
or cylinder, having a polygonal grooved, fluted, or otherwise uneven internal
surface, and of a revolving roller, which is provided with a grooved, fluted, or
otherwise uneven external surface, and is mounted within the said barrel so as to
leave an annular space between the exterior of the roller and the interior of the
barrel, the roller and barrel being driven in opposite directions to each other, and
the roller having by preference imparted to it a greater speed than the barrel.
The barrel and the rollers are so constructed as to be readily set at a varying
angle to suit the kind of leaf to be operated upon. The upper end of the barrel is
fitted with an end plate abutting on but not revolving with either the barrel or the
roller, and through an opening in this plate the leaf is passed into the machine.
The opposite or delivery end of the machine is fitted with an end plate similar to
that fitted to the other end, and on the lower side of this plate an opening is
formed, to which a door is fitted, and this can be readily adjusted to give a more
or less rapid discharge froin the machine. Or a segmental plate capable of being
raised and lowered may be employed, the upper edge of the said plate forming
a bar, over which the rolled leaf is ejected when the plate is sufficiently depressed.
In the employment of my improved apparatus the leaf is curled by its passage
through the machine, between the exterior of the roller and the interior of the
barrel revolving in opposite directions, as herein before described.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of referenco
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a
machine for rolling tea leaf constructed according to my said Invention; Figure 2
is a plan of the same with the feeding trough (hereinafter referred to) removed;
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section of the machine, and Figure 4 is a sectional
elevation of the delivery end.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, illustrating a modification in the arrange-
ment for delivery shewn in that Figure.
A is a barrel or cylinder, which may be either composed of staves or sections,
as shewn (by preference of teak wood), or bo constructed in any other suitable
manner so as to form a polygonal grooved, or fluted, or otherwise uneven internal
surface. This barrel or cylinder may be mounted in any convenient manner so as
to be capable of rotation. In the example illustrated in my Drawings it is shewn
supported at one end upon rollers B, B, on the muin frame C of the machine, and
mounted at the opposite end fast upon a sleeve D, which is supported in a bearing E
on the main frame C. Through the sleeve D passes a central shaft F, which
has its bearings at one end in the said sleeve, and at its opposite end at E' in the
main frame C. This shaft has rigidly secured to it a roller G, having a grooved,
fluted, or otherwise uneven external surface, and made of such dimensions that an
annular space His left between the exterior of the roller G and the interior of the
barrel or cylinder A. To both the barrel or cylinder A and the roller G rotary
motion is imparted, but in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows in

page_text: Figure 3, and a greater speed is by preference communicated to the roller. In the
present example the desired rotary motion is obtained from a driving shaft I
mounted in bearings K, K, in the main frame C, the said shaft carrying driving
pulleys L or a handle for receiving motion, and also bevel pinions M and M', for
transmitting such motion to the barrel or cylinder and roller through the inter-
vention of the bevel wheels N and N', keyed respectively upon the sleeve D and the
shaft F.
In operating with this apparatus a supply of tea leaf to be treated is introduced
into an overhead feeding trough O, whence it passes down a shoot or hopper P,
and through an opening Q in the non rotating head R of the barrel or cylinder A,
into the interior of such barrel or cylinder.
The apparatus being also set in motion the barrel or cylinder A and the roller G
are caused to rotate in opposite directions, as before mentioned, whereby the supply
of leaf is gradually fed along in the space H between the internal surface of the
barrel or cylinder A and the roller G, the passage of the leaf being promoted and
accelerated by means of angular projections S, with which the internal surface of
the barrel or cylinder is provided. As the barrel or cylinder and roller continue to
rotate the apparatus is gradually completely charged, and the leaf under operation
is convolved into a roll T near the bottom of the barrel or cylinder, and fills a
portion of the annular space H, the revolving roll T extending from the feeding
end to the discharging end of the machine. The attendant having ascertained by
inspection through the opening U in the non-rotating delivery head V that the
leaf has become sufficiently rolled the discharging door W is opened by the act of
operating the screw X, and the delivery of the rolled or curled leaf commences, the
feeding of the machine being at the same time steadily maintained. If desired
however a given quantity of leaf may be fed into the machine and rolled or curled,
and the whole be then discharged before feeding again, or a portion of the discharge
may be delivered intermittently.
Projections Y may be provided on the internal surface of the barrel or cylinder
for the purpose of stirring up or intermittently changing the form of the convolute
roll of leaf as it passes through the machine.
The arrangement of the discharging end of the machine may be modified in the
manner shewn in Figure 5, in which the segmental head V' is arranged so as to be
capable of being lowered by the act of operating the screw X, in order that the
convolute roll of leaf may be discharged over the upper edge a, a, of the head.
The head is shewn in Figure 5 by full lines in its normal position, and by dotted
lines in one of its positions for discharging the rolled leaf.
Means are provided for varying the speed at which the leaf under operation is
conducted through the machine, according to the requirements of the kind of leaf
operated upon. For this purpose the main frame C carrying the whole of the
machine is mounted at one end upon an axis Z in standards b, b, and at its opposite
end is supported by a screw jack c, and guided by pins and slotted guides at d.
When therefore it is necessary to pass the leaf through the machine quickly
the discharging end of the machine is lowered by means of the screw jack c, whilst
on the other hand when the leaf requires to be passed through slowly the dis-
charging end of the machine is raised in a like manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, 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,-
The combination in machinery or apparutus for rolling tea leaf of a barrel or
cylinder having a polygonal grooved, fluted, or otherwise uneven internal surface,
and of a roller having a grooved, fluted, or otherwise uneven external surface, the
barrel or cylinder and the roller revolving in opposite directions to each other, and
being so arranged as to operate upon the tea leaf introduced between the internal

page_text: surface of the barrel or cylinder and the external surface of the roller, all sub-
stantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jackson, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM JACKSON. (LS.)