GB870763A - Improvements relating to automatic brewing apparatus for tea and like beverages - Google Patents

Abstract

870,763. Apparatus for making tea and like beverages. NAVY, ARMY & AIR FORCE INSTITUTES. Jan. 13, 1960 [Oct. 13, 1958], No. 32612/58. Class 129. Apparatus for making tea or the like comprises a rotor 1 intermittently rotatable in a stationary cylinder 5 and having a plurality of equal compartments 3 which in one position are fed with tea leaves and hot water and held there for a predetermined infusion period and in another position deposit the infusion in a receptacle 34. As shown, rotor 1 is divided by walls 2, held by packing strips 7 which, with end walls 4 form the compartments 3. The cylinder 5 is closed by covers 6 at least one of which is removable and the rotor 1 is carried on and rotated intermittently by shaft 8 by means of a rubber sleeve 9. Shaft 8 is driven intermittently through 90 degrees at a time by Geneva mechanism 11 from a motor 10. A rotatable dispensing device 12 also driven intermittently deposits dry tea leaves and boiling water in compartment 3. The device 12 comprises four openended cylindrical tea measuring chambers 13 carried between plates 14, connected by cylinder 17, and rotatably mounted between fixed plates 15 from which they are separated by seals 16. Circular holes 19 in plates 14 communicate with the chambers 13. Lower plate 15 has a hole 15a communicating with a hole 5a in the top of cylinder 5 and the upper plate 15 has holes 15b, 15c respectively supporting a hopper 22 containing tea leaves and being connected through a pipe 24 controlled by an electromagnetic valve 25 to a boiler 23 e.g. of the instantaneous type. Boiler 23 receives water from storage tank 26 where it is preheated through a pipe 27 controlled by an electromagnetic valve 28. Motor 10 and valves 25, 28 are operated automatically under the control of a timing device when a cycle of operations has been initiated. Opposite the compartment 3 facing right, Fig. 3, is an opening 31 covered by a strainer 32 and communicating through a funnel 33 with a receptacle 34 to receive the brewed tea which is drawn off as required through tap 35. Opposite the lefthand side of the downwardly facing compartment 3 is a series of openings 36 leading through funnel 37 to receptacle 38. The compartment is washed out by spray nozzles 39.