A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR WINNOWING AND SIFTING TEA
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Peter Brougham, residing at Culduthel House, in
the County of Inverness, North Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR
WINNOWING AND SIFTING TEA." Partly a communication from abroad by
John Thompson, of Dooteriah Tea Plantation, Bengal, in the Empire of India,
but now deceased.
Sealed the 18th May 1877, and dated the 6th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Peter Brougham
at the Office of the Commissionors of Patents on the 6th February 1877.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM, residing at Culduthel House, in the County of
Inverness, North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OR GENERAL
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR WINNOWING AND SIFTING TEA." Partly a
communication from abroad by John Thompson, of Dooteriah Tea Plantation,
Bengal, in the Empire of India, but now deceased.
This said Invention has reference to that part of the manufacture of tea on tea
estates termed the "sifting and sorting," usually done by band labour, and to the
general construction of a machine or mechanism for the doing of this and the
winnowing of it, to separate the red or bad leaves and light impurities therefrom
by motive power, all in a much more regular and effectual manner than has here-
tofore been done, with great saving in the cost of this part of the manufacture
of tea.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention, or construction and action of the
machine made in accordance therewith, consist of two main tall side frames, with
transverse tie bars or frames below, and near the top, made of wood or iron, strong
enough to carry the whole of the fixed and movable parts and motive shafts as a
self-contained or portable machine.
The tea or tea leaf prepared ready for being winnowed and sifted is placed in a
deep receiving or feeding hopper-shaped vessel, carried between the upper part of
one end of the frames, fitted with a valve or slide across its, lower contracted dis-
charge end to regulate the feed or stream of tea leaves allowed to flow from it on
to a vibrating, flat, spreading, or service platform or tray hung at an angle below
it by its highest back end on swivelling centres in the frame, with its front lowest
delivery end connected to cords or links, and projecting some distance above and
over the back and highest end of a vibrating set of two or more long flat sieves,
Iris A71

page_text: all bolted together with separate blocks between them some distance above each
other, with a blank or false flat bottomed one below without a sieve, for conducting
the dust or sinall particles of tea, which is sifted down through the whole set of
sieves on to it by a spout at its extreme front and lowest end into a receiver pro-
vided there for it. The front end of this set or frame of separating sieves (of
different sized meshes, having the widest above) is hung longitudinally between
the main frames at a convenient height to inspect and attend to the tea leaves
passing along the sieves by a rocking screw coupling rod and iron bow or stirrup
strap, the former jointed to the upper front end of the frame and the two ends of
the stirrup to the front lower delivery end of the set of sieves which are carried at
the extreme back end on the top of two rocking levers, having their lower ends
jointed to pins in the lower part of the side frame.
The to-and-fro oscillation is given to the set of sieves by a long angled con-
necting rod below the centre, having its upper back free end jointed to the under
back end of the sieve frame, the front lower end being coupled to a crank or
eccentric pin in a crank or disc on the one end of the first motion shaft carried in
bush bearing blocks at the lower front part of the side frames.
The raising or lowering of the front part of the rocking sifters or sieves (to
regulate the rate of motion of the tea leaves along the sieves from the back receiving
end to the front delivery end) is effected by the turning of a hand lever or wheel
on the junction screw of the front rocking rod and stirrup, and the different sizes
of tea which pass along the sieves, either on the top one or second and third, which
have been assorted and sized by passage through the sieves above them, are respec-
tively delivered by spouts projecting at different sides or angles of the front and of
each into separate receptacles placed there to receive them.
The receiving or spreading table is actuated by a tickler or clapper wheel and
spindle working in journal bearings below it, which imparts the shaking motion,
and is turned by means of a driving pulley on it and a band running over a pulley
on the crank shaft or one driven by it.
Above the back end of the sifters an ordinary rotary fan or blower is fitted
between the frames with its discharge mouth and blast directed under the edge of
the delivery end of the shaking table, motion being imparted to the blower by a
driving band passing over a pair of reverse, conical, or sugar-loaf pulleys, connected
and actuated by a belt from the crank shaft so as to give any desired speed to the
blower by turning the regulating screw or lever of the shifting belt fork of the
cone pulleys.
The blast passing through the stream of ten falling off the delivery end of the
shaking table below, the red and light bad leaves and dust fannings into an open
mouthed receptacle for receiving the same below the spreading table and behind the
back end of the sifters, into the top one of which the good tea falls to be sifted and
conveyed and discharged in an assorted manner into the receivers from the spouts
at the front end of their respective sieves and "save all" tray below, all as herein-
before stated. The inlet eye of the fan would be fitted with sliding inlet door to
regulate the inlet air and blast of the fun, and a fly wheel would be fitted on the
crank shaft to give steady motion to the sifters and fan and other working parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by :
the said James Peter Brougham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1877.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM, residing at Culduthel House, in the County of
Inverness, North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OR GENERAL 50
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR WINNOWING AND SIFTING TEA." Partly a
communication from abroad by John Thompson, of Dooteriah Tea Plantation,
Bengal, in the Empire of India, but now deceased.

page_text: My said Invention has reference to that part of the manufacture of tea on tea
estates termed the "sifting and sorting process," usually performed by hand labour,
and to the general construction of a machine or combination of inochanism for this
purpose and for winnowing the tea, to separate the red or bad leaves and light
impurities therefrom, to be driven by manual or motive power, all in a much more
regular and effectual manner than has heretofore been done, with great saving in
the cost of this part of the manufacture of tea.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the two Figures on the
accompanying sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that
purpose-Figures 1 and 2 respectively showing a side and end elevation of a new
or improved tea winnowing and sifting machine constructed in accordance with
and illustrative of one modification or general construction and application of my
said Invention or improvements, the same reference letters indicating the same
parts in both Figures.
Referring to these Figures 1 and 2, the construction of the machine consists of
two main tall side frames A, bound together by transverse tie bars or frames A¹
below and near the top, all shown as mado of wood (but they might be of iron).
strong enough to carry the whole of the fixed and moving parts and motive shafts
as a self-contained or portable machine.
The tea or tea leaf prepared ready for being winnowed and sifted is placed in a
deep receiving or feeding hopper-shaped vessel B, carried between the upper part
of one end of the frames A, fitted with a valve or slide B' across its lower con-
tracted discharge end to regulate the feed or stream of tea leaves allowed to flow
from it on to a vibrating, flat, spreading or service platform or tray C, hung at an
angle below it by its highest back end on swivelling centres at C', at the back end
of the frame A, with its front lowest delivery end resting on its vibrating shaft c,
or it might be hung by cords, straps, or links, and projecting some distance above
and over the back and highest end of a vibrating set of two or more long flat
sieves D, D¹, all bolted together with separating blocks D* between them, some
distance above each other, for facility of inspecting the tea with a blank or plain
flat bottomed tray D" below, without a sieve, for conducting the dust or small
particles of tea (which are sifted down the set of faioves D, D',) along it to
a spout d' at its extreme front and lowest end into a receiver provided there for it,
not shown in the Drawings. The front end of this set or frame of separating
sieves D, D', of different sized meshes, the widest being uppermost, is hung longi-
tudinally between the main frames A (at a convenient height to inspect and attend.
to the tea leaves passing along the sieves) by a rocking screw coupling rod E and
iron bow or stirrup strap E', the former jointed to bearing blocks El secured to one
of the cross bars A¹ at the upper front end of the frame A, and the two ends of the
stirrup E jointed at E to the front lower delivery end of the frame of the set of
sieves D, D¹, D", which are hung at the extreme back end by leather straps F
passed over rocking pulleys centred on the frame A above at Fi and at the back
end F below the set of trays; but they might be hung on iron oscillating rods
from above, or carried on the top of two rocking levers jointed to the under side of
the sieves above them, and having their lower ends jointed to pins in the lower part
of the side frame.
The to-and-fro oscillation is given to the set of back sieves D, D', preferably by
two long oscillating connecting rods G jointed at their free ends to a cross bar
below the centro of the sieves, and their other or front ends by eyes or straps to
two eccentrics H on the main motive shaft I carried in bush-bearing blocks I on
the front vertical end of the side frames A, but it might be to cranks formed on
this shaft I so as to work and oscillate the sieves clear of their sides and hanging
bow E¹.
The raising or lowering of the front part of the rocking sifters or sieves D, D¹, D",
to regulate the rate of motion of the tea leaves along them from the back receiving
end to the front delivery end is effected by the turning of a hand wheel and screw

page_text: nut è (or it might be levers) on the junction screw E of the front rocking rod and
bow stirrup El, the nut turning in the latter so as to raise or lower the sieves,
according as the hand screw wheel is turned. The different sized teas which pass
along the sieves either on the top one D or second D' (or on the third when there
are inore than two) after being assorted and sized by passage through these sieves
are respectively delivered by spouts d and d³, projecting from the opposite sides or
angles of the front end of each sieve D, D', respectively, into separate receptacles
(not shown in the Drawings) placed there to receive them.
The receiving or separating tray or table C is actuated by a small " tickler" or
clapper wheel fixed upon the spindle c driven at a high speed, and working in
journal bearings below it so as to impart a shaking motion to the said tray, either
vertically or laterally, or both, and is turned by means of a driving pulley c¹ on it
and a band c running over a pulley c³ on the shaft J₁ of the fanners J, or it might
be from a pulley on the main shaft I or any other shaft driven by it.
Above the back end of the sifters an ordinary rotary fan or blower J is fitted 1
between the frames A, and carried on a longitudinal bar A" by brackets at the
sides of the frame, and having its discharge mouth j directed backwards so that the
blast will pass under the edge of the delivery end of the shaking tray or table C,
motion being imparted to the shaft and fan of the blower J by a pulley J" on
one end of the shaft J', and a belt J passing over it direct from a pulley J on 2
the eccentric or crank shaft I so as to drive the fan at the required high speed;
but motion might be given to this fan at different speeds by ordinary reverse conical
or stepped belt pulleys either on these shafts or through an intermediate shaft
driven from the main driving shaft I when this was preferred.
The blast from the exit mouth j of the fan passes through the stream of tea 2
falling off or over the delivery end or whole width of the front edge C of the
shaking tray or table C, and blows the red and light bad leaves and dust fannings
into an open mouthed deep receptacle Z for receiving the same, having a cleaning-
out door at the side, and set or fixed below the spreading table and behind the back
end of the sifters D, D', into the top one D, of which the good tea falls to be sifted
and conveyed and discharged in an assorted manner from the spouts d, d¹, d¹, into
the receivers placed below the front end of their respective sieves D, D', and "save
all" tray D". Thus the larger ten passing along the upper sieve D is delivered at
the spout d, and the second sized or smaller tea which passes through the sieve D
is carried along the sieve D' and delivered at its spout d³, while the finest or:
smallest tea which passed down through all the sieves above falls on to the save-all
tray D below, and is carried forward on it and delivered at its spout d¹ at the
extreme front end, all substantially as herein-before stated; the tea being carried
forward in the respective sieves and sifted and sorted at the same time by the
sbaking or reciprocating motion imparted to the sieves. The main driving shaft I
is shown as driven by a belt passed over a fast and loose pulley i, i, mounted on
its centre from a pulley on any adjacent prime moving or motive shaft when con-
venient, or it might be by geared tooth wheels from such shaft, or, as shown in
the Drawings, it might be driven from a shaft, as 2, by manual power and winch
handles and wheels 2, 3. The inlet eyes j¹ of the fan J might be fitted with
sliding inlet doors, or it might be a valve or slide at the discharge exit ; to regulate
the inlet air and blast of the fan, and a fly wheel It is fitted on the crank shaft to
give steady motion to the sifters and fan and other working parts of the machine.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming 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,-
First. The general construction or arrangement and combination of parts of the.
tea sifting, sorting, and winnowing machine, all substantially as herein-before
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The application and use of a fan or blower J for winnowing the light

page_text: or dead leaves from tea in ten sifting and sorting machines, substantially as herein
described.
Third. The arrangement and mode of actuating or vibrating a series of trays
above each other for the sifting and sorting of tea, all substantially as herein-before
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Peter Brougham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JAMES PETER BROUGHAM. (L.S.)