GB2158338A

GB2158338A - A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact

Info

Publication number: GB2158338A
Application number: GB08411669A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Torun Chandra Bohuah
Original assignee: TEA RESEARCH ASS
Current assignee: TEA RESEARCH ASS
Priority date: 1984-05-08
Filing date: 1984-05-08
Publication date: 1985-11-13
Also published as: GB2158338B; GB8411669D0

Abstract

A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact comprising a casing fitted with a hopper (9) for feeding of made tea and with a discharge chute (10) for broken tea and being provided with one or more rotors (1), said hopper being slightly away from the central vertical plane of said rotors and towards a plurality of plates (7), said plates being disposed on one side of said casing in the direction of rotation of and away from said rotors having a plurality of rods arranged in a circular manner along the periphery of said rotors and means for driving said rotors. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact The present invention relates to a device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact.

For reducing the size of made tea various types of breakers and cutters are in vogue. In one type, the made tea is broken by crushing between two matching corrugated metallic rol lers placed close to each other. In another type, made tea is cut by a sharp knife placed tangentially on a roller with grooves in a cellular formation on the surface. In both these types while tea is broken or cut, the stalks, which are present in tea, are also broken and crushed or cut along with the tea and hence subsequent grading the pieces of stalks also come into the grades. Further, due to the rubbing action of the corrugated rollers or the cellular roller the "bloom" (the glazed appearance or the shine of made tea as known in the tea industry and tea trade) of the tea, which is of vital importance, gets spoilt and hence the tea becomes grey and unacttractive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for discriminately breaking made tea only leaving out the stalks intact.

A further object of the invention is to keep the "bloom" of the tea from becoming spoilt by turning grey and unattractive.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact comprising a casing fitted with a hopper for feeding of made tea and with a discharge chute for broken tea and being provided with one or more rotors, said hopper being slightly away from the central vertical plane of said rotors and towards a plurality of plates, said plates being disposed on one side of said casing in the direction of rotation of and away from said rotors, said rotors having a plurality of rods arranged in a circular manner along the periphery of said rotors and means for driving said rotors.

If there is more than one rotor, each of the rotors is disposed below the preceding rotor.

It is preferable that the rods arranged along the periphery of the rotors are of uniform circular cross-section.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows the elevation of the device, front cover removed; and Figure 2 shows the end view of the device, front end cover removed.

The rotor/rotors (1) is/are provided with a number of metallic rods (2) of uniform circular cross-section arranged in a circle and fixed at two ends to two discs mounted on a shaft (3) supported at both ends on bearings (4) so that the rotor/rotors is/are free to rotate. The rotor/rotors is/are driven by a motor (5) and driving arrangement (6). The plates (7) are fitted around one side of the rotor/rotors clear from it/them. If more than one rotor is used they are disposed one above the other. The rotor/rotors and the plates are enclosed in a casing (8) provided with a feed hopper (9) and a discharge chute (10).

Made tea (containing stalks) is fed through the hopper (9) which delivers the tea at the top of the rotor, or the top rotor when there is more than one rotor, slightly away from the central vertical plane of the rotor/rotors towards the plates. The rotor/rotors rotates/rotate in the direction of the arrow. The rods (2) on the rotors hit the tea particles as they come in the way of the rods during the rotation of the rotor and give impacts on the tea particles. The speed of the rotor/rotors is adjusted in such a way that the impacts are sufficiently large to break the tea particles to a desired extent but not the stalks which are stronger. After an impact a tea particle moves tangentially to the rotor and hits one of the plates (7) from where the particle rebounds and comes in the way of the rods (2) again at another position and thus gets another impact.This goes on for several times until the tea particles get discharged from the rotor when they may be delivered to a second rotor below where the same process is repeated.

Similarly the process can be repeated through more number of rotors and then finally the tea particles are discharged through a chute.

During the process while the tea particles break up to a desired extent the stalks, being stronger, are left out intact and hence are easily removed during the subsequent grading operation to give clean grades. Further, as there is no rubbing action on the tea particles during the process there is no loss of "bloom" or no greying of the teas to make them unattractive.

It is to be understood that various modifications of the device are possible within the scope of what has been described hereinbefore.

1. A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact comprising a casing fitted with a hopper for feeding of made tea and with a discharge chute for broken tea and being provided with one or more rotors, said hopper being slightly away from the central vertical plane of said rotors and towards a plurality of plates, said plates being disposed on one side of said casing in the direction of rotation of and away from said rotors, said rotors having a plurality of rods arranged in a circular manner along the periphery of said rotors and means for driving said rotors.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact The present invention relates to a device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact. For reducing the size of made tea various types of breakers and cutters are in vogue. In one type, the made tea is broken by crushing between two matching corrugated metallic rol lers placed close to each other. In another type, made tea is cut by a sharp knife placed tangentially on a roller with grooves in a cellular formation on the surface. In both these types while tea is broken or cut, the stalks, which are present in tea, are also broken and crushed or cut along with the tea and hence subsequent grading the pieces of stalks also come into the grades. Further, due to the rubbing action of the corrugated rollers or the cellular roller the "bloom" (the glazed appearance or the shine of made tea as known in the tea industry and tea trade) of the tea, which is of vital importance, gets spoilt and hence the tea becomes grey and unacttractive. An object of the present invention is to provide a device for discriminately breaking made tea only leaving out the stalks intact. A further object of the invention is to keep the "bloom" of the tea from becoming spoilt by turning grey and unattractive. According to the present invention there is provided a device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact comprising a casing fitted with a hopper for feeding of made tea and with a discharge chute for broken tea and being provided with one or more rotors, said hopper being slightly away from the central vertical plane of said rotors and towards a plurality of plates, said plates being disposed on one side of said casing in the direction of rotation of and away from said rotors, said rotors having a plurality of rods arranged in a circular manner along the periphery of said rotors and means for driving said rotors. If there is more than one rotor, each of the rotors is disposed below the preceding rotor. It is preferable that the rods arranged along the periphery of the rotors are of uniform circular cross-section. For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows the elevation of the device, front cover removed; and Figure 2 shows the end view of the device, front end cover removed. The rotor/rotors (1) is/are provided with a number of metallic rods (2) of uniform circular cross-section arranged in a circle and fixed at two ends to two discs mounted on a shaft (3) supported at both ends on bearings (4) so that the rotor/rotors is/are free to rotate. The rotor/rotors is/are driven by a motor (5) and driving arrangement (6). The plates (7) are fitted around one side of the rotor/rotors clear from it/them. If more than one rotor is used they are disposed one above the other. The rotor/rotors and the plates are enclosed in a casing (8) provided with a feed hopper (9) and a discharge chute (10). Made tea (containing stalks) is fed through the hopper (9) which delivers the tea at the top of the rotor, or the top rotor when there is more than one rotor, slightly away from the central vertical plane of the rotor/rotors towards the plates. The rotor/rotors rotates/rotate in the direction of the arrow. The rods (2) on the rotors hit the tea particles as they come in the way of the rods during the rotation of the rotor and give impacts on the tea particles. The speed of the rotor/rotors is adjusted in such a way that the impacts are sufficiently large to break the tea particles to a desired extent but not the stalks which are stronger. After an impact a tea particle moves tangentially to the rotor and hits one of the plates (7) from where the particle rebounds and comes in the way of the rods (2) again at another position and thus gets another impact.This goes on for several times until the tea particles get discharged from the rotor when they may be delivered to a second rotor below where the same process is repeated. Similarly the process can be repeated through more number of rotors and then finally the tea particles are discharged through a chute. During the process while the tea particles break up to a desired extent the stalks, being stronger, are left out intact and hence are easily removed during the subsequent grading operation to give clean grades. Further, as there is no rubbing action on the tea particles during the process there is no loss of "bloom" or no greying of the teas to make them unattractive. It is to be understood that various modifications of the device are possible within the scope of what has been described hereinbefore. CLAIMS

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rods are of a uniform circular crosssection.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein each of said rotors is disposed below the preceding rotor.

4. A device for discriminative breaking of made tea leaving out stalks intact substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.