Improvements in or relating to Tea Sorting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1899 -Accepted, 9th Sept.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Tea Sorting Machines.
We, ALICE AMELIA COOKE, Widow, of 22, Beverley Road, Anerley, in the
County of Kent, and ARTHUR BURGESS SOAR, Engineer, of 8, Phipp Street, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention relates to tea sorting machines and has for its object to improve
upon the type of sorter known as Cooke's.
As previously constructed this type of sorter had several disadvantages, notice-
ably that a sorting machine for a number of grades took up a considerable
amount of vertical space owing to the inclination of the sieves and to the
inclined planes between the sieves necessary for the conveyance of the material
passed through one sieve to the end of the next sieve. Further the operation of
the cleaning brushes was not satisfactory.
According to this invention the machine is arranged so that alternate sieves
oscillate in opposite directions, the operating mechanism being preferably driven
by a two-throw crank. The necessity for the inclination of the sieves and the
inclined conducting planes between the sieves is thus dispensed with, and the
sieves can consequently be arranged much nearer together.
Thus in a machine with five sieves the first, third and fifth are slung and
coupled together so that they oscillate in one direction while the second and
fourth sieves, which are similarly coupled together, are oscillating in the opposite
direction.
The difficulty previously experienced with the cleaning brushes lay in the
fact that the brushes were fixed while the sieves oscillated, swinging in a radial
path about their points of suspension. The result of this was that the brushes
either did not sweep the whole surface of the sieve or else if adjusted, so as to do
so, when the sieve was at the lowest point of its path the brushes had to rub the
under surface of the sieve in such a way that both brushes and sieve were
speedily worn out. According to this invention we get over this difficulty by
mounting the brushes for cleaning each sieve upon the sieve directly beneath
it or upon a frame carried by this sieve; thus as each sieve traverses a radial
path about its points of suspension the brushes are caused to follow the path of
the sieve which they are required to clean.
It will thus be seen that not only is the entire surface of each sieve effectively
swept by the brushes, but it will be appreciated that the number of brushes
necessary for the cleansing of each sieve is just half the number required when
the brushes are stationary. Hence a material saving in expense is effected.
Preferably a portion of the gauze of each sieve at one end is filled up, that
portion which is filled up being the part upon which the greatest quantity of
material is caused to fall.
In order to bring about the necessary travel of the tea upon the sieves, each
sieve is so suspended by flexible metal strips that these strips are vertical only
at or near the beginning of the travel of the sieve. With this arrangement the

page_text: material travels with the sieve as the latter moves from the lowest to the highest
point, but on the return of the sieve the material is left behind, and in this way
is impelled towards the end of the sieve, whence it passes through an inclined
shoot to a suitable receptacle. By adjusting the suspension of the sieves so that
the suspension strips or slings are in a vertical position nearer to or farther from
the point of commencement of travel of the sieve, the rate of motion of the
material sifted can be regulated.
The machine preferably has a breaker mounted upon it at one end for the
delivery of tea on to the end of the uppermost sieve.
The details of construction of the machine may be varied to suit requirements,
also the machinery for producing the oscillation of the sieves may be of any type
found convenient.
Dated this 11th day of October 1908
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Tea Sorting Machines.
We, ALICE AMELIA COOKE, Widow, of 22, Beverley Road, Anerley, in the
County of Kent, and ARTHUR BURGESS SOAR, Engineer, of 8, Phipp Street, in
the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to tea sorting machines and has for its object to improve
upon the type of sorter known as Cooke's.
As previously constructed this type of sorter had several disadvantages, notice-
ably that a sorting machine for a number of grades took up a considerable
amount of vertical space owing to the inclination of the sieves and to the
inclined planes between the sieves necessary for the conveyance of the material
passed through one sieve to the end of the next sieve. Further the operation of
the cleaning or clearing brushes was not satisfactory.
According to this invention the sieves are preferably arranged horizontally
the necessary travel of the tea upon them being brought about by so suspending
the sieves by flexible metal strips that these strips are vertical only at or near the
beginning of the travel of the sieve; thus each sieve will be on a higher level
at the end of its travel than at the beginning.
With this arrange-
ment the material travels with the sieve as the latter moves from
the lowest to the highest point, but on the return of the sieve the
material is left behind and in this way is impelled towards the end of
the sieve, whence it passes through an inclined shoot to a suitable receptacle. By
adjusting the suspension of the sieves so that the suspension strips or slings
are in a vertical position nearer to or farther from the point of commence-
ment of travel of the sieve, the rate of motion of the material sifted can be
regulated.
Moreover the machine is arranged so that adjacent sieves oscillate in opposite
directions, the operating mechanism being preferably driven by a two throw
crank. The necessity for the inclination of the sieves and the inclined conducting
planes between the sieves is thus dispensed with, and the sieves can consequently
be arranged much nearer together.
Thus in a machine with five sieves the first, third and fifth are coupled
together and slung so that they oscillate in one direction while the second and

page_text: fourth sieves which are similarly coupled together are oscillating in the opposite
'direction.
The difficulty previously experienced with the cleaning brushes lay in the fact
that the brushes were fixed, while the sieves oscillated swinging in a radial
path about their points of suspension. The result of this was that the sieves
as usually heretofore arranged alternately approached and receded from the
brushes, which either did not sweep the whole surface of the sieve or else if
adjusted to do so, when the sieve was at the lowest point of its path the brushes
had to rub the under surface of the sieve in such a way that both the brushes and
sieve were speedily worn out. According to this invention this difficulty is over-
come by mounting the brushes for cleaning each sieve upon the sieve directly
beneath it or upon a frame carried by this sieve; thus as each sieve traverses a
radial path about its points of suspension the brushes are caused to follow the
path of the sieve which they are required to clean; and the sieves do not approach
and recede from the brushes.
It will thus be seen that not only is the entire surface of each sieve effectively
swept by the brushes, but as adjacent sieves oscillate in opposite directions so
that the relative movement of sieves and brushes is doubled it will be appreciated
that the number of brushes necessary for the cleansing of a given portion of each
sieve is just half the number required for an equal portion when the brushes are
stationary. Hence a material saving in expense is effected.
Preferably a portion of the gauze of each sieve at one end is filled up for a
purpose hereinafter described.
The machine preferably has a breaker mounted upon it at one end for the
delivery of tea on to the end of the uppermost sieve.
The details of construction of the machine may be varied to suit requirements,
also the machinery for producing the oscillation of the sieves may be of any type
found convenient.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 illustrates diagrammatically the arrangement of parts for imparting
to the sieves the motion hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A number of sieves A¹ A2 A³ A A are arranged, preferably horizontally or
approximately so, one above the other; of these A is usually unprovided with a
mesh. The alternate sieves A¹ A³ A are rigidly connected together by means of
the straps B, while A2 and A are connected by the straps C. Each set of connected
sieves is caused to reciprocate by means of a two throw crank operating through
connecting rods D D which are coupled to slant straps D2 D3 and these are
respectively secured to each set of sieves.
Each set of connected sieves is suspended at both ends by means of flexible
metal strips E E, the upper ends of which are fixed by any convenient means to
the frame A. The lower ends of the strips E El at one end of the machine are
respectively fixed to the slant straps D2 D3 by means of the eyes F, and the lower
ends of the strips E E at the other end are fixed by similar eyes I to the strap B
and to an extension of the strap C. In order to ensure a uniform travel of the
two sets of sieves the strips E E are all of the same length.
When the sieves are in the position shown in Figure 1 with the strips E E¹
vertical, they are at one end of their travel and in their lowest position. On
rotation of the wheel G. (which operates the two throw crank above referred to)
for half a revolution they are moved into the position shown in full lines in
Figure 2, and on completing the revolution of the wheel G the sieves will be
moved into their original position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2; thus it will
be seen that each sieve is on a higher level at one end of its travel than at the
other. Moreover, by arranging the cranks at 180° apart and connecting the
alternate sieves together as described, while one set travels to the right the
other set will move to the left and vice versa,

page_text: The clearing brushes H are carried by frames H¹ which are bolted to the
sieves A3 A3 A4 and A5, and it will be seen that as the strips E E¹ are all of the
same length, and as the direction of motion of adjacent sieves is always opposite
the two sets of sieves will move in parallel arcs and the clearing brushes H upon
the sieves A2 A3 A4 and A5 will respectively act upon and clear the meshes of the
sieves A¹ A3 A3 and A4.
At that end of the machine at which the two throw crank is situated a
hopper J is fixed in order to feed the tea on to the sieve A¹; this hopper is prefer-
ably provided with breaking rollers J in the usual manner, which may be
operated by means of a band passed round pulleys on the shafts of the wheel G and
one of the rollers J. Plates A are fixed at the feed end of the sieve A¹ at the
corresponding end of A3 and at the opposite end of the sieves A2 A. Shoots A7 are
fixed on the ends of the various sieves remote from the plates Aº.
In operation the wheel G is rotated from any convenient source of power thus
imparting a reciprocating motion to the two sets of sieves. The tea to be sorted
is placed in the hopper and delivered on to the plate A of the sieve A. The
tea travels with the sieve as the latter moves into its higher position, but on
the return of the sieve the tea is left behind and in this way is impelled towards
the end of the sieve to the shoot A whence it is delivered to a suitable receptacle.
Portions of the tea falling through the sieve A¹ alight on the sieve A2 and are
impelled in an opposite direction towards the shoot A of this sieve and so on until
the tea reaches the last sieve or plate A, which delivers the finest particles. If
it were not for the plates A6 parts of the smaller portions of tea falling from the
various sieves would alight close to the shoot of the sieve next beneath and thus
receive little or no sifting. The object of the plates A6 is to prevent any tea
falling on the sieve beneath them too near to the shoots of the latter, thus
allowing a predetermined minimum travel of the tea on each sieve, this travel
corresponding to the length of the plate A6 on the sieve above.
With a machine constructed as illustrated in Figure 1 the tea is sorted into
five sizes the coarsest coming from the shoot A of the sieve A¹ and the finest from
the lowest sieve or plate A³.
When the sieves are arranged so that the strips E E' are vertical at one end of
their travel, the maximum speed of travel will be imparted to the tea; by alter-
ing the points of suspension of the strips E E' on the frame A, while the travel
of the sieves themselves remains the same the strips E E¹ will move beyond the
vertical position at each end of the travel and thus the speed at which the tea
moves upon the sieves is lessened. If the points of suspension of the strips E E¹
are so arranged that the strips move an equal distance each side of their vertical
position there will be no travel of the tea upon the sieves, thus the speed with
which it moves along the sieves can be regulated without altering the speed of the
reciprocating motion of the latter. When adjusting the points of suspension
of one set of sieves, care must be taken to correspondingly adjust the other set
in an opposite direction, in order that one set of sieves may not foul the other.
As an alternative construction the strips E E' may be replaced by chains, hinged
rods or the like; if desired the rods may be in compression instead of in tension.
Again, instead of suspending the sieves they may be supported on horizontal
pins with or without rollers carried thereon, the pins moving in curved slots in
the frame A, the slots being designed so as to give to each set of sieves motion
such that the latter are at a higher level at one end of their travel than at
the other.
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 claim is :-
1. In a tea sorting machine a reciprocating sieve so operated that the sieve
is on a higher level at one end of its travel than at the other for the purpose

page_text: 2. In a tea sorting machine rigidly connecting alternate sieves and imparting
to each set of connected sieves reciprocating motion such that at one end of its
travel each set is on a higher level than at the other for the purpose described.
3. In a tea sorting machine brushes moving parallel with the sieves upon which
they operate substantially as described.
4. In a tea sorting machine the combination with a sieve of one or more
brushes attached to it for the purpose of clearing another sieve, substantially as
described.
5. In a tea sorting machine altering the points of suspension of sieves sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
6. In a tea sorting machine the employment of a plate such as A operating
in conjunction with sieves substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. The complete tea sorting machine substantially as described or illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
1000