Improvements in Tea-rolling Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tea-rolling Machines.
I, JOHN BROWN of 5 Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to tea rolling machinery, and consists in the application of
a fixed lid or upper rolling surface, caused, or free to revolve, on its own axis, to
the known arrangement of a box containing the tea leaves, and an under rolling
surface, both caused to make a circular translating movement, one to another, by
the crank throws, at right angles to one another, of a vertical driving shaft.
To carry my invention into effect I employ a fixed bracket passing over the box
containing the tea, and with its two ends or feet permanently fixed to convenient
parts of the framing.
•
In a suitable single or double bearing of considerable length in the centre of the
bracket, I place a spindle so that it freely revolves therein, and attach the upper
rolling surface or lid to the said spindle, so that the upper rolling surface or lid
rests on top of the tea in the box by its own weight. The upper rolling surface
may be further artificially weighted, direct, or by an adjustable weight and lever,
& can be lifted from the box.
The size of the said upper rolling surface or lid, which is preferably round, is so
much less in diameter than that of the interior of the box containing the tea, that
the box may have its desired translating circular motion about the fixed upper
rolling surface or lid without coming into contact with it.
It is found that by the circular translation of the box and under surface the lid
will be caused to revolve on its own axis by the friction of the tea against it, but
I may drive the said lid with a positive rotation in the same direction, but with an
accelerated motion to that of the tea.
To obtain this direct driving of the upper surface or lid, I may carry up the
axis of the driving crank shaft, and by suitable bevel gear at the top of the said
crank shaft, gearing into a horizontal counter shaft, and by a further pair of bevel
wheels gearing into the axis of the revolving lid, thus drive the said lid.
By making one of the bevel gear wheels on the counter shaft above the vertical
crank shaft as a disengaging clutch-wheel, the spindle of the revolving lid may be
driven direct with an accelerated speed; or the clutch wheel may be thrown out
of gear, so as to allow the lid or upper rolling surface to revolve only with the
friction of the tea.
Dated the 22nd day of November 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tea-rolling Machines.
I, JOHN BROWN, of 5 Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Engineer, do
10 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:-
My invention relates to tea rolling machinery and consists in the application of
a fixed lid or upper rolling surface which may be caused or be free to revolve on
15 its own axis to the known arrangement of a box or cylinder containing the tea-

page_text: leaves embraced by a connecting rod, and an under rolling surface which are both
caused to make a circular translating movement one to another by the crank
throws at right angles to one another of a vertical driving shaft.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved tea roller and,
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Upon a suitable and massive frame A, I mount a vertical crank shaft B driven
in any convenient manner and provided with two crank throws, C, C, placed at
right angles to one another which communicate a circular translating movement,
such as to a connecting rod to an under rolling surface or table D, and to a hollow
connecting rod E carrying a box X, containing the tea leaves to be rolled which
latter are fed in through the hopper F.
The under rolling surface D and the box framing E are connected as connecting
rods to a counter crank shaft G and also travel upon H H provided in the said
frame.
These parts of my machine are already known as comprised in a tea-rolling
machine already patented to me.
To carry out my improvement I add a fixed bracket K to the framing
terminating in a double bearing L over the box casing E containing the tea.
A vertical spindle M is fitted so as freely to revolve in these bearings and carries
an upper rolling surface or lid N resting by its own weight upon the surface of the
tea. This lid N may be balanced by the weight P on the lever Q, or the lid may
be artificially weighted if desired and can be raised or lowered at will by the
lever Q.
The size of the said upper rolling surface or lid N which is preferably round is
so much less in diameter than that of the interior of the box casing E that the box
may have its translating circular motion about the fixed upper rolling surface or
lid N without coming in contact with the said lid.
It is found that by the circular translating movement of the box casing E and
under surface or table D, the lid N will be caused to revolve on its own axis by
the friction of the tea against it, but I may drive the said lid N with a positive
rotation in the same direction with, but with an accelerated motion to that of
the tea.
To obtain this direct driving of the upper surface or lid N I carry up the axis
of the driving crank shaft B in a spindle R, and drive the counter shaft S by bevel
gear T T of which one T' is a loose wheel with an engaging clutch U. The
counter shaft S communicates positive rotary motion to the lid N by the bevel
gear V V, one of which V₁ is on an easy fitting feather to permit the vertical
movement of the lid spindle M.
The lid may thus be caused to revolve with a positive accelerated motion in the
same direction as the tea; or by the disengagement of the clutch U, the lid may.
be allowed to revolve only with the friction of the tea.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In a tea rolling machine the combination with a crank driven under rolling
surface or table and tea box and case of a stationary lid or upper rolling surface
with free vertical motion, revolving freely or driven about its own axis and
permitting without contact the translating motion of the box about itself sub-
stantially as described.
2nd. In combination, in a tea rolling machine a stationary upper rolling surface
or lid, a spindle with free vertical motion in the bearings of a fixed bracket, a
counter shaft with bevel gear at either end, one bevel wheel being a clutch wheel,
transmitting motion to the lid spindle from a driving shaft and a lifting or,
weighting lever substantially as described.

page_text: 3rd. The combination and construction of parts forming a tea rolling machine,
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the drawings
annexed hereto.
Dated this 9th day of December 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.