IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BLENDING OR MIXING VARIOUS KINDS OF SUGAR TEA, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Richards of Tavistock in the County of Devon
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
BLENDING OR MIXING VARIOUS KINDS OF SUGAR TEA, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Richards at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1883.
"
JAMES RICHARDS of Tavistock in the County of Devon, IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BLENDING OR MIXING VARIOUS KINDS OF SUGAR,
TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
In its application to blending or mixing various kinds of sugar and analogous.
substances, this invention consists in a cylindrical vessel adjusted at any desired
angle and caused to revolve on suitable bearings. Tho said vessel is perforated or
provided with meshes towards one end, which end is closed. At the end opposito
to the perforations or meshes the cylinder communicates with a hopper conveniently
fixed in place. The sugar to be blended or mixed is fed therefrom into the
cylinder whenco it passes out, at the opposite end, blended or mixed through the
perforations or meshes aforosaid and is conducted by pipes or conduits to sacks or
other receptacles. To assist in mixing, arms or spokes, tied towards their
extremities, are arranged as agitators at intervals upon the central shaft extending
throughout the cylinder.
Two or more loose balls or weights confined in a cage formed in the cylinder
serve to crush unduly largo lumps of sugar.
As adapted for mixing teas and analogous substances, the revolving cylindrical
Vossel is not perforated, but is open at the lower end.
The toa is conducted to the vessel by a hopper or conduit attached to the
underside of a tub or vat placed above the cylinder and containing the tea.
Extending upwards through the vat or tub is a spindle carrying an agitator, by
the rotation of which the tea is partially mixed before passing into the cylinder.
Arms extending inwards from the inside of the shell of the vessel assist further to
mix the tea, which passes out at the end of the vessel opposite to the hopper or
conduit,
The box or chest into which the tea is delivered stands upon a cradle to which
an intermittent action is imparted causing it alternately to be brought into contact
with and raised from the floor or ground. By the impact resulting from the
contact of the bottom of the cradle and the floor or ground, the tea becomes
compactly settled in the box or chest.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Richards in the Patent Office on the 28th April 1884.
JAMES RICHARDS of Tavistock in the County of Devon IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR. APPARATUS FOR BLENDING OR MIXING VARIOUS KINDS OF SUGAR,
TEA OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
In its application to blending or mixing various kinds of sugar or analogous
substances, my said invention consists in a cylindrical vessel adjusted at any
desired angle and caused to revolve on suitable bearings. The said vessel is
perforated or provided with meshes towards one end which end is closed. At the
end opposite to the perforations or meshes the cylindrical vessol communicates
with a hopper conveniently fixed in place. The sugar to be blended or mixed is
fed therefrom into the cylinder whence it passes out at the opposite end, blended
or mixed, through the perforations or meshes aforesaid, and is conducted by pipes
or conduits to sacks or other receptacles.
To assist in the process of mixing, arms or spokes are arranged, at intervals, as
screens or gratings, upon the central shaft extending throughout the vessel. Two
or more loose balls or weights, confined within a frame or cage formed in the
cylinder, serve, as the vessel revolves, to crush lumps or conglomerations of sugar
or other substance or substances being mixed.
As adapted for mixing teas and analogous substances the revolving cylindrical
vessel is not perforated. The tea is conducted to the vessel by a hopper or conduit
attached to a tub or vat to which the tea is supplied by bins or funnels or
otherwise.
Extending upwards through the tub or vat is a spindle carrying an agitator by
the rotation of which the tea is partially mixed before passing into the cylinder.
Arms or vanes, extending inwards from the shell of the cylindrical vessel, further
assist to mix the tea. The tea passes out, in a mixed state, at the end of the
vessel opposite to the hopper or conduit aforesaid. The box or chest into which
the tea is discharged stands upon a cradle or tray which is caused to be brought
alternately into contact with and raised from the floor or ground. By this means
the tea is caused to settle down evenly and become compactly deposited in the box
or chest.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings and the figures and letters marked thereon :—
Fig. 1., on the accompanying sheet of drawings, represents a longitudinal section
of a sugar mixing machine constructed in accordance with my said invention.
Fig. 2., represents an end view of the mixing chamber D, towards the delivery end
thereof.
The various sugars to be mixed are fed, in the desired proportions, from above
the floor or platform A. B, by the hopper C, into the cylindrical mixing chamber D
which, with the netted or meshed chamber d, is free to be rotated about the
inclined and stationary axial shaft E. The rotatory motion is imparted through
the medium of the pulley F. G is a loose pulley. The rate of admission of the
sugar into the mixing chamber D is capable of being regulated by operating the
lever and damper . Rigidly secured to the shaft E are the screens or gratings a
which assist in the mixing of the sugar as the vessel rotates. The balls or weights b,
free to move within the space between the annular' arms c, serve to crush, as tho
vessel rotates, lumps of sugar, or other substance or substances being mixed, with a
minimum destruction of crystals. The mixed material passes out through the

page_text: orifices in the netted or meshed chamber d. The nets or meshes of this chamber d
are held in place by the bars e secured to the vessel by the nuts f, as shown.
By the conduit or throat H the sugar is conducted into sacks or other receptacles,
as required. The machine may, as hereinbefore expressed, be used for mixing
substances other than sugar.
At Fig. 3, is represented a longitudinal section of a tea mixing machinė
constructed in accordance with my said invention. The tea is fed into the mixing
cylindrical vessel D from the hopper C which may be conveniently secured to the
underside of a floor or platform A. B., as shown. The axial shaft E is rotated by
the driving pulley F and carries round the vessel D. G is a loose pulley.
To the inside of the shell of the cylindrical vessel D are secured the arms or
yanes a which assist in the mixing of the tea as the vessel is rotated. Fig 4
represents an end view of a mixing chamber and illustrates one method of disposing
a number of arms or vanes a. The end of the vessel opposite to the feeding
hopper C is open. The tea is thereby delivered, in the mixed state, into the
conduit H whence it passes into the chest or other receptacle I. H' is a damper
for governing the discharge. The chest I is carried upon a cradle or tray K to
which is attached one end of the arm m to the upper end of which is linked the
rocking lever n, as seen more particularly in the end view represented at Fig 5.
The lever is caused to rock on its fulcrum o through the action of the cam P
rotated from the shaft E by the pulleys S and S' and belting T. Motion is thus
imparted the tray K which is brought alternately into contact with and raised
from the floor X. By the impact resulting from the intermittent dropping of the
tray on the floor the tea becomes compactly settled in the chest.
Above the hopper C is placed a tub or vat 9 in which the tea is partially mixed
before being fod into the cylindrical vessel D. In the said tub or vat g is placed
an agitator h composed of a central boss and arms extending outwards therefrom.
Over the agitator h is carried a plate i a plan of which is represented at Fig. 6.
This plate is regularly divided, as shown, and is rotated by the spindle k
driven from the axial shaft E. By the divided plate i the admission of the tea to
the tub or vat g is intermittently obstructed and permitted, and thus the quantities
passing into the tub or vat g are governed, and undue pressure on the agitator h
prevented.
The floor constituting the bottom of the tub or vat g is also divided similarly to
the plate with the object of effecting the mixing of the different teas in more even
proportions as they are swept into the hopper C by the agitator h the number of
arms in which corresponds to the divisions in the plate i. The plate, placed
below the bottom of the agitator h and between it and the floor A. B., is also
divided similarly to the plate i, and may be manually operated to cause the
apertures in the bottom of the tub or vat g to be partially or wholly closed and
thus to regulate the direct admission of the tea to the hopper C.
The tea is fed into the tub or vat g from a series of bins or funnels R. Fig. 7
illustrates, in plan, one method under which a number of such bins or funnels may
be disposed. The bins, which are readily placed in or removed from position, are
suspended from the tray Y and extend into the tub or vat g, as shown. The
relative rate of feeding different teas is regulated by the size and form of the bins
or funnels and of their lower orifices at which the tea is discharged into the tub
or vat g.
One method by which the rate of feeding may be readily altered is to insert
additional and different sized mouthpieces R³ as seen at Fig 3.
Under this method of mixing by the employment of the apparatus described, the
tea is delivered in a mixed state and with a minimum proportion of broken leaves.
Other substances besides tea may be mixed in the said apparatus.
Having now described my said invention and the mode or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I claim as the
invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent.
First The cylindrical machine provided with the mixing chamber D and the

page_text: notted or meshed discharging chamber d and the screens or gratings a for mixing
sugar and other like substances, and the balls or weights b for crushing lumps
thereof, substantially as herein before described and shown at Figs 1 and 2 of
the drawings, whereby a constant delivery of evenly mixed material may be
maintained.
Second. The cylindrical machine arranged and constructed for mixing tea and
like substances, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accom-
panying sheet of drawings, whoreby a constant delivery of evenly mixed material
may be maintained.
Third The tray K operated to rise and fall substantially as described and for 1
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said James Richards have hereunto set my hand and
scal this twenty sixth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four
TISA STAFIDA