IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND ASSORTING TEA."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Whyte, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Tea Merchant, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND ASSORTING TEA."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Whyte at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th February 1881.
DAVID WHYTE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Tea
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND ASSORTING TEA."
This Invention rclates to certain improvements in the construction of machinery
or apparatus for cutting tea for assortment, specially designed to simplify such
machines or apparatus, and render them more efficient in their action than as
heretofore constructed.
The improved machine or apparatus consists under one modification of a large
vertical cylindrical vessel with a wooden or metallic case and fitted with a wire
cloth bottom somewhat like a sieve, into which the tea to be cut or treated is
placed and subjected to a rubbing or grinding process by means of one, two, or
more horizontal wooden or metal arms, also covered with wire cloth (but preferably
of a coarser mesh) on their lower surface, between which and the wire cloth bottom
with which these arms are kept in contact the tea is rubbed and thereby cut to the
desired degree of fineness. These horizontal revolving arms are fitted radially
round a central vertical spindle, and extend out to near the inner periphery of the
containing cylindrical vessel, and this vertical spindle is carried and made to
revolve in bearings formed in supporting cross bars or beams fitted below the wire
cloth bottom and across the upper edge of the cylinder. This spindle and its
horizontal arms are preferably driven by means of a bevil pinion on the vertical
shaft in gear with a bevil pinion on a horizontal spindle carried in bearings over
the cylinder and actuated by a hand crank or it may be by a pulley driven by a
belt from a motive power shaft. The horizontal revolving rubbing or grinding
arms are kept pressed in contact with the wire cloth bottom of the cylindrical
vessel by means of a spiral or bow or other spring or springs, or by weights, or

page_text: simply by the weight of the arms themselves when these are made of metal, and the
sieve or wire cloth bottom of the vessel is also adjusted to keep the rubbing
surfaces just in contact by means of regulating screws. The tea, which is fed in
either by hand or through a hopper, when partially ground or cut between the wire
cloth rubbing surfaces falls through the meshes of the wire cloth bottom into any
ordinary receiver placed underneath, whence it may be removed at convenient
intervals. When a feeding hopper is used a hinged intercepting board is fitted in
the neck of the hopper, and this is adjusted to regulate the quantity of tea that is to
be admitted by means of a hand lever outside. Magnets or magnetised bars are
also provided to take up any iron or metallic dust or filings with which the tea may
be mixed or adulterated, such magnets being inserted in openings in the neck of
the hopper, from which they can be periodically withdrawn to be cleaned.
In a second modification of the improved apparatus the rubbing, cutting, or
grinding surfaces formed by the bottom of the vessel and the revolving arms are made
of perforated or honey-combed iron or steel plates, or the bottom of the vessel only
may be made of a perforated plate and the revolving arms made of wood or metal
covered with wire cloth, or vice versa; in any case the tea to be treated being fed
in and cut between the rubbing surfaces and falling through the perforated bottom
as in the previous modification described, the arrangement of driving mechanism
being also substantially the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Whyte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August
1881.
DAVID WHYTE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Tea
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND ASSORTING TEA."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
machinery or apparatus for cutting tea for assortment specially designed to simplify
such machines or apparatus, and render them more efficient in their action than as
heretofore constructed.
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 representing a modification
of my improved tea-cutting machine. In these Drawings the same reference letters
are used in the several Figures to indicate the same parts where repeated.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, and Figure 2 is a plan of
the same; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken as at right angles to Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section as at the line 1-1 in Figure 3.
Referring to these Drawings, the improved machine or apparatus consists of a
large vertical cylindrical vessel A, A', with a wooden or metallic case, and fitted
with a wire cloth bottom B somewhat like a sieve. This vessel is preferably made
in two parts, an upper one A and a lower A, fixed together by flanges and bolts
a, a, and having the upper part A fitted within the lower and made adjustable by
means of the bolt a', so that by slightly lowering it the wire cloth bottom B, which
is retained by a hoop or ring b on the upper edge of the part A', may be stretched
tightly as may be desired. The upper casing A is covered over at A² to prevent
ingress of dust or of oil from the working gear above, and is fitted with an opening
flap A³ for convenience of inspection. A large conical hopper C is fitted over an
opening A formed in the cover, and through this hopper the tea is fed into the
casing A, where it is subjected to a rubbing or grinding process by means of one,
two, or more horizontal wooden or metal arms or cross bars D, D', also covered
with wire cloth (but preferably of a coarser mesh) on their lower or rubbing
surfaces D¹, between which and the wire cloth bottom B, with which the arms D
are kept in contact, the tea is rubbed and thereby cut to the desired degree of
fineness. These horizontal revolving arms D are fitted radially round a central
vertical spindle E, or as a single cross bar D as shown, and extend out to near the
inner periphery of the containing cylindrical vessel A, A', and this vertical
spindle E is carried and made to revolve in bearings E' formed in supporting cross
bars A below the wire cloth bottom B, and formed on the lower part A' of the
casing A, A, the spindle being also guided in bearings E2 in the cover A³. The
lower bearing bush e', E', of the spindle E is made tubular and supports the spindle
by a shoulder e formed on it, the tubular bush e¹ being in turn carried by a screw
cap e fitted on a screwed boss E¹ on the cross bars A³, so that the spindle Ę may
be vertically adjusted by means of this cap to raise or lower the fixed cross bar or
arms D, a jam nut e² being provided, to retain the cap el when set. This adjusting
device may be fitted when preferred for convenience of access at the upper end of
the spindle E, and made to bear on a shoulder formed on a bracket surrounding
the spindle and carried on the cover A2 of the casing. The spindle E and its
horizontal arms D are preferably driven by means of a bevil pinion F on the upper
end of the vertical shaft E, in gear with a bevil pinion F¹ on a horizontal spindle F
carried in bearings f over the cylinder or case A, and actuated by a band crank
and fly-wheel G, or it might be by a pulley driven by a belt from a motive-power

page_text: shaft. The horizontal revolving rubbing or grinding arms D are kept pressed in
contact with the wire-cloth bottom B of the cylindrical vessel by means of a spiral
spring H, or by bow or other springs, or by weights, or simply by the weight of
the arms D themselves when these are made of metal, and the sieve or wire cloth
bottom B of the vessel is also adjusted to keep it tight with the rubbing surfaces
just in contact by means of regulating screws or bolts a, a', as before mentioned.
The tea is fed in through the hopper C, or it might be by hand, is partially ground
or cut between the wire-cloth rubbing surfaces, and falls through the meshes of the
wire-cloth bottom B into any ordinary receiver placed underneath, as indicated by
dotted lines at I, whence it may be removed at convenient intervals.
feeding hopper is used as shown, a hinged intercepting board J is fitted in the
neck C¹ of the hopper, and this may be adjusted to regulate the quantity of tea
that is to be admitted, either by means of a hand lever or simply by a lever arm J'
attached to it outside, and fitted with a regulating weight J. A magnet, magnets,
or magnetised bars K are also provided, and are fixed to the hopper C on a wooden
seat K to take up any iron or metallic dust or filings with which the tea may be
mixed or adultered. This magnet is inserted in the neck of the hopper, from
which it can if required be periodically withdrawn to be cleaned.
When a
In a slightly modified arrangement of the improved machine, the wire-cloth (B)
is stretched over the bottom part (A') of the casing, which would in this case be
by preference made slightly conical or tapered, and the upper part of the casing
would be fitted over and made to stretch the wire cloth sieve by being pressed
down on it, regulating screws or bolts being provided to adjust the degree of
tension.
In another modification of the improved apparatus, the rubbing, cutting, or
grinding surfaces formed by the bottom of the vessel and the revolving arms are
made of perforated or honey-combed iron or steel plates; or the bottom of the
vessel only may be made of a perforated plate, and the revolving arms made of
wood or metal covered with wire-cloth, or vice versa; in any case the tea to be
treated being fed in, and cut between the rubbing surfaces, and falling through the
perforated bottom, as in the modification described and shown in the Drawings,
the arrangement of driving mechanism being also substantially the same.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
The construction, arrangement, or combination of the parts of a machine for
cutting tea, in which the tea is rubbed or pressed between revolving arms (D), and
the wire cloth or honey-combed metal bottom (B) of a containing casing (A, A¹),
all substantially as herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Whyte, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
DAVID WHYTE. (L.S.)