GB863945A - Tea rolling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

863,945. Tea rolling machines. CROMBIE, P. June 10, 1958 [June 21, 1957], No. 18550/58. Class 129. A tea rolling machine with two rolling members 1, 2 having co-operating surfaces 4, 5, one of which is reciprocable relative to the other so that the leaf is rolled and progressed intermittently from the feed to a discharge point. The surface 5 is biased by means 6, 6 towards the surface 4 of the member 1 which also has side walls 3 to form a trough. The surfaces 4, 5 have serrations 8, 9 to progress the leaf left to right as shown. Member 2 is pivoted on a pivot 7 adjustable vertically at the discharge end 10 so that its feed end 11 may be withdrawn away from the bottom 4 of the trough. Tea leaf is fed in by a conveyer belt 12. Yieldable biasing means 6, 6 comprise springs 15, 15 adjustable by hand wheels 16, 16 and non-rotatable spindles 17, 17, pivots 40, 41 being provided at the top and bottom. Each spring 15 is mounted on a floating spindle 18 connected to the upper side of member 2 and floating within one of the spindles 17. Feed conveyer belt 12 is operated from the crankshaft and cams 19, 20 actuated from this crankshaft control the movements of the feed and discharge ends of member 2. Feed end 11 is pivoted on a structure comprising vertical side members 21, 21 and lower and upper crossmembers 22, 23 and acted on by a bell-crank lever 24 on push rod 25 and cam 19 which moves the end 11 alternately away from and towards the trough bottom 4, the lowest position being the rolling position. Member 2 is usually set at an angle since the rolling reduces the volume of the leaf.