Improvements in Apparatus for Spreading Rolled or Manipulated Tea Leaf, Hops, Malt, Grain, Crushed or Flaked Cereals, Meal, or other like Substances on Sieves, Plates, or Trays, or for Breaking Brittle Material, such as Dry Tea, into Shorter Lengths or Smaller Sizes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1*90
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Spreading Rolled or Manipulated
Tea Leaf, Hops, Malt, Grain, Crushed or Flaked Cereals, Meal,
or other like Substances on Sieves, Plates, or Trays, or for
Breaking Brittle Material, such as Dry Tea, into Shorter Lengths
or Smaller Sizes.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON of Sirocco Works, Belfast, Ireland, Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The primary object of my invention is to construct an apparatus which will
evenly and quickly spread rolled or manipulated tea leaf, hops malt, grain, crushed
or flaked cercals, meal or such like substances on sieves trays, or perforated plates
preparatory to their being exposed on these carriers to a current of heated or
desiccated air for the purpose of being dried or for any other object.
Hitherto it has been customary to spread tea leaf and other substances such as
above mentioned by hand upon the sieves trays or perforated plates on which they
are intended to be dried, but spreading the material in this way is so slow and the
layer formed is usually so uneven in thickness that the necessity for having the
material spread by hand has always been accounted a drawback to the employment
of drying machines in which sieves or perforated trays are used as carriers for the
material to be dried. By means of my invention this objection is entirely
overcome.
My improved apparatus for the purpose consists of a hopper or frame open
at top and bottom, the bottom opening being of the same shape and measure-
mnents internally as the sieve or tray on which it is intended that the material
shall be spread. Across the bottom opening a number of fluted or ribbed rollers
or bars of square, triangular or fluted sections are fitted parallel to one another
and at such distances apart that their nearest edges neither touch nor yet when
at rest allow the material to fall of its own accord through the spaces between
them. The ends of these rollers or bars are mounted in bearings so that they
may revolve and they are fitted with pinions which may be either continuously
geared into one another or operated by racks or by cranks worked by con-
necting rods or provided with other suitable appliances so that every two
adjoining rollers are made to revolve alternately towards one another and from
one another with the forward and backward movement of the racks or connecting
rods or the to and fro motion of the driving pinion. This alternating or
reciprocating revolving motion of each pair of rollers or bars draws a little of
the material between them with the one in-feeding revolution and drops some
of it through, while with the reverse motion the rollers lift and free what would
be getting tightly jammed between them, were they to feed into one another
continuously in the one direction, and at the same time the reverse motion
causes a similar infeeding of the material to take place on the opposite side of the
rollers, that is to say each roller now acts to feed in conjunction with the adjoining
roller on the said opposite side, and a little more of the material is caused to drop
through until this motion is again reversed.
By means of the above described in-feeding motion between the rollers or bars
alternately on the two sides, the material sits or lies lightly on the top of the rollers
and is fed evenly through between them with each to and fro revolution of the
driving pinion or motion of the racks or connecting rods so that by placing the
sieve or tray beneath the said hopper and revolving the rollers or bars in
the manner described the material is dropped lightly and evenly on the sieve
or tray and when a sufficiently thick layer has been deposited thereon the

page_text: movement of the rollers is stopped the sieve may be removed and an empty one
substituted.
This mode of spreading material accomplishes a very even distribution of
it upon the sieves or trays, the layer being of an equal depth at all parts and
the work is effected very rapidly, two or three movements of the driving gear
being generally enough to pass through and spread a layer of sufficient
thickness.
The same apparatus can also be employed to break brittle material such as dry
tea into shorter lengths or smaller sizes. For this application or employment of
my apparatus the section of the revolving rollers or bars which I preferably employ
is that of a cross or star or approximately so.
Dated this 19th day of September 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Spreading Rolled or Manipulated
Tea Leaf, Hops, Malt, Grain, Crushed or Flaked Cereals, Meal,
or other like Substances on Sieves, Plates, or Trays, or for
Breaking Brittle Material, such as Dry Tea, into Shorter Lengths
or Smaller Sizes.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON of Sirocco Works, Belfast, Ireland, Merchant,
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 :―
The primary object of my invention is to construct an apparatus which will
evenly and quickly spread rolled or manipulated tea leaf, hops, malt, grain, crushed
or flaked cereals, meal or such like substances on sieves, trays, or perforated plates
preparatory to their being exposed on these carriers to a current of heated or
desiccated air for the purpose of being dried or for any other object.
Hitherto it has been customary to spread tea leaf and other substances such as
above mentioned by hand upon the sieves, trays or perforated plates on which they
are intended to be dried, but spreading the material in this way is so slow and the
layer formed is usually so uneven in thickness, that the necessity for having the
material spread by hand has always been accounted a drawback to the employment
of drying machines in which sieves or perforated trays are used as carriers for
the material to be dried. By means of my invention this objection is entirely
overcome.
My improved apparatus for the purpose consists of a hopper or frame open
at top and bottom, the bottom opening being of the same shape and measure-
ments internally as the sieve or tray on which it is intended that the material
shall be spread. Across the bottom opening a number of fluted or ribbed rollers
or bars of flat, square, triangular or fluted sections are fitted parallel to one
another and at such distances apart that their nearest edges neither touch (although
in some cases they may be allowed to touch) nor yet when at rest allow the
material to fall of its own accord through the spaces between them. The ends of
these rollers or bars are mounted in bearings so that they may revolve and they are
fitted with pinions which may be either continuously geared into one another or
operated by racks or by cranks worked by connecting rods, or provided with other
suitable appliances so that every two adjoining rollers are made to revolve alter-
nately towards one another and from one another with the forward and backward
movement of the racks or connecting rods or the to and fro motion of the driving
pinion. This alternating or reciprocating revolving motion of each pair of rollers
or bars draws a little of the material between them with the one in-feeding revolu-
tion and drops some of it through, while with the reverse motion the rollers lift

page_text: and free what would be getting tightly jammed between them were they to feed
into one another continuously in the one direction, and at the same time the reverse
motion causes a similar in-feeding of the material to take place on the opposite side
of the rollers, that is to say, each roller now acts to feed in conjunction with the
adjoining roller on the said opposite side, and a little more of the material is caused
to drop through until this motion is again reversed.
By means of the above described in-feeding motion between the rollers or bars
alternately on the two sides, the material sits or lies lightly on the top of the
rollers and is fed evenly through between them with each to and fro revolution of
the driving pinion or motion of the racks or connecting rods so that by placing the
sieve or tray beneath the said hopper and revolving the rollers or bars in the
manner described, the material is dropped lightly and evenly on the sieve or tray,
and when a sufficiently thick layer has been deposited thereon the movement of the
rollers is stopped, the sieve may be removed, and an empty one substituted.
This mode of spreading material accomplishes a very even distribution of it upon
the sieves or trays, the layer being of an equal.depth at all parts, and the work is
effected very rapidly, two or three movements of the driving gear being generally
enough to pass through and spread a layer of sufficient thickness.
The same apparatus can also be employed to break brittle material such as dry
tea into shorter lengths or smaller sizes. For this application or employment of
my apparatus the section of the revolving rollers or bars which I preferably employ
is that of a cross or star or approximately so.
The general arrangement and construction of the apparatus will be more fully
understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 show.sections of some of the forms of revolving bars
or feeders which are preferably employed and their arrangements relative to one
another.
Figures 6 and 7 show the rollers worked by continuous gearing.
Figures 8 and 9 show an arrangement of two racks and pinions, the pinions being
geared alternately to the upper and lower rack, so that by giving both racks a to
and fro motion in the same direction and simultaneously, the required movement
is transmitted to the revolving bars or feeders. In Figure 9 the upper rack is
removed in order to show more clearly the arrangement of the pinions.
Figures 10 and 11 show another alternative arrangement in which one rack is
employed, each alternate revolving bar or feeder being geared into it, the other
rollers receiving their motion from small pinions geared into one another, as
shown.
Figure 12 shows an arrangement in which the motion is imparted to the revolving
bars or feeders by means of cranks and connecting rods.
Figures 13 and 14 show respectively a side elevation and vertical cross section
of the complete apparatus; the system of gearing employed is the same as that.
illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, but any other suitable mechanical appliance
may be employed to communicate the hereinbefore described motion to the
revolving bars or feeders.
The letters which indicate the different parts are the same in each figure and
are as follows:-
A. Revolving bars or feeders.
B. Ends of bars turned as bearings.
C. Pinions geared into one another, pitch lines shown.
D. Pinions gearing into racks, pitch lines shown.
E. Racks, pitch lines shown.
F. Connection of the two racks, Figure 8, by which their motion is made
simultaneous.
G. Cranks, Figure 12.
H. Connecting rods or links Figure 12.
I. Cross piece for giving a simultaneous motion to the connecting rods.
I. Guides for cross piece, Figure 12.

page_text: L. Slides or rests for trays.
M. Tray.
N. Lever for working rack E.
O. Segment or guide for lever N.
02. Movable pin for shortening stroke of lever N.
P. Connecting rod from lever N to rack E.
Q. Bar forming cap for bearings of all the revolving bars, Figures 13 and 14.
Q. Holding down screws of bar Q.
R. Guide for rack E.
S. Part of guide cut away to allow moving space for connecting rods.
T. Sheet iron cover over gearing, part of which is removed.
U. Projecting part on side frames and hopper to ensure the trays being filled
close to their edges.
V. Sheet iron bottom plate to catch any material that may fall through the trays
or drop from the revolving bars or feeders when the tray is removed.
W. Angle iron cross stays.
X. Legs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An apparatus for spreading rolled or manipulated tea leaf, hops, malt, grain,
crushed or flaked cereals, meal or other like substances on sieves, plates, or trays,
or for breaking brittle material such as dry tea into shorter lengths or smaller
sizes, the said apparatus comprising a hopper or frame the bottom of which is
fitted with a number of fluted or ribbed rollers or bars of flat, square, triangular or
fluted sections parallel to one another and sufficiently close together to prevent the
material dropping through between them while at rest, these rollers or bars being
mounted in bearings and so geared together by means of pinions and racks, or
cranks and connecting rods or otherwise that they each receive an alternating or
reciprocating revolving motion towards and from the adjoining rollers or bars on
the two sides alternately, whereby the material in the hopper or frame and lying
on the rollers or bars is gradually passed through between and falls in an even
layer upon a sieve, tray or other receiver placed below, or in the case of brittle
material becomes broken into shorter lengths or smaller sizes, all substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of June 1891.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.