FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to an advanced two phase drum granulator for tea
manufacturing process. In particular it relates to a dispenser unit designed for
development of tea granules.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
In CTC tea manufacturing process, worldwide, drum granulator ("Googhi") is
used for attaining desired shape and size of grains of macerated tea obtained
from three cut CTC machine. Thereafter, the granulated tea grains passes
through steel wire net ("Santoor type") for achieving desired tea grades from
macerated tea. These devices require large space for installation. Moreover, this
machine does not have option to disintegrate the oversize grains produced
during the processing. These oversize grains, also called ball mall, are generally
recirculated to the CTC machine for further size reduction. This increases the
retention time of macerated grains to reach to fermentation bed resulting over
fermentation especially in continuous fermentation bed.
The "googhi" machine is nothing but a drum like structure placed horizontally
and rotates at its own axis. When the macerated tea grains, after three cut in
CTC machine, is allowed to pass through "googhi", the particles undergo a
friction with inside wall of "googhi" and grains try to spin to form a spherical
shape. In this granulation process, the smaller grains may become larger in size

by joining each other.
In case of "santoor", the bigger size grains get separated on principle of sieving
action.
While working on maceration of CTC tea grain, the appropriate size and shape
was not up to the mark. After gaining knowledge on size reduction of the other
food and chemical product from review/book, attempts were made to develop
the dispenser system to disinterate the macerated lump of tea to get desired
shape and size. During the development process, besides disintegration of the
macerated lump, the individual particle size and shape can be controlled by
controlling design and operational parameters. After size reduction, granulation is
an important key parameter to control the size and shape of grain in many
industries like food, pharmaceutical, cement, detergent, plastic etc. The objective
of the granulation process is to improve the material characteristics parameters
and behaviour, handling, strength, appearance, structure and composition.
Agglomeration is the formation of aggregates through the sticking together of
feed and/or recycle material. These processes can be loosely broken down into
agitation and compression methods. Although terminology is industry specific,
agglomeration by agitation will be referred to as granulation. Here, a particulate
feed is introduced to a process vessel and is agglomerated, either batch wise and
continuously, to form a granulated product. Agitative processes include fluid-bed,
pan (or disc), drum, and mixer granulators.

Perry (1997) summarized the size-enlargement methods and application which
are tumbling granulator (drum/Discs), Mixer granulators (continuous high shear,
batch high shear), Fluidized granulators, centrifugal granulators, spray methods,
pressure compaction (extraction, roll press, tablet press, molding press and pellet
mill), Thermal processes, Liquid systems and pellet flocculation: These methods
of size enlargement process produce varying size particle, granule density with
different throughput capacity. Out of these mixer granulators have a wide range
of applications including pharmaceutical, agrochemical and detergent. They can
process sticky materials and less sensitive to operating conditions than tumbling
granulators (drum granulator/"googhi"). High density granules less than 2 mm
size can be produced through these mixer granulator.
Bulk macerated tea is sticky in nature with 72-65 percent moisture content on
wet basis during the processing. And the bulk density of macerated tea bulk is
between 300-400 kg/m3. Size of macerated leaves is less than 0.1 mm. These
characteristics given an idea that high speed mixer granulator can be useful to
get agglomerated grains in the range of 3mm to 1mm or less. Therefore,
mixergranulator can also be used in tea industry for shape and size control of the
grains after maceration with efficient and economic design of granulator.
Some related prior patent documents are US3022142, US3419223, US4230477,
US4772193, US5460765, US5468279, US5560122, US6000242, US6158681 &
US6749138.

Thus the present invention is developed step by step in order to meet the above
requirements and overcome the difficulties of existing technology of CTC tea
production.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Fig. 1 shows the (a) elevated and (b) isometric view of the assembly unit in
accordance to the present invention
Fig. 2 shows the motor and mounting frame
Fig. 3 shows the different views of cylinder body and inlet
Figs. 4 & 5 show different views of cylinder cone and support led
Fig. 6 show different views of cylinder impeller of the present invention
Figs. 7 & 8 show the geometry and orientation of blades
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention directs to a two phase tea machine for development of tea
granules where the first phase teaches of machine developed for macerating tea
leaves, wherein the size reduction withered tea leaves are carried out through
various cutting and shearing action of series of rotor blades. The first phase
machine has been already claimed for protection vide patent application no.
470/KOL/2013. Now, the present invention proposes a machine where the
macerated tea particles of phase 1 machine may be transformed into grains of
various sizes and grades.

The new dispenser unit of the present invention is designed and developed for
development of tea granules which does the job of the existing "googhi" machine
or "santoor". The concept and working principle of the developed machine is
absolutely new than the existing drum granulator "Googhi" machine.
The dispenser unit is a cylindrical shape placed vertically as shown in Fig. 1. The
major components of the dispenser are base frame for placement of motor and
impeller shaft (Fig. 2), cylinder body (Fig. 3), feed inlet (Fig. 1), cone (Fig. 4)
and impeller (Fig. 6). After maceration of the tea leaf, the material is allowed to
pass through the dispenser. The impeller of the machine is designed with
arrangement of different geometrical shape of blades (Fig. 7 and Fig. 8) which
on rotation make an impact on tea grains that energise and gain movement in a
spiral path. In this process the particle become roundish in shape. However, the
size of the granulated tea particles depends on peripheral velocity of the impeller
blade, number of blade and blade geometry as mentioned in Table 1. Besides,
other operation factors like degree of maceration of tea leaf, moisture content of
macerated leaf and federate also responsible for deciding the grain size.
The machine is developed with a compact system that does the job of "Googhi"
and the "santoor" in one single operation. Further, this machine also perform the
operation of separating the fibres of tea.
The novelty of the developed dispenser is to make the tea grains as per
requirement with change of size and shape of the grains in a single operation as

compared to existing drum granulator ("Googhi") and steel wire net grader
("Santoor"). The operation is performed in a shorter time in a compact unit
involve with different working principle for development of shape and size of tea
grains. The impeller has impact on integration and disintegration of the particle
to develop differential shape and size of the particle. The device is cost effective
and occupy less space.
Details of components
1. Electric motor
2. Motor mounting frame
3. Cylinder body
4. Inlet
5. Cone
6. Support leg
7. Outlet

WE CLAIM
1. A dispenser unit where macerated tea particles may be transformed into
grains of desired sizes and grades which comprises of a base frame for
accommodating a motor unit and a impeller shaft, wherein the impeller is
designed with various blade geometry which with its rotational spiral path
movement transforms the particles in roundish shape and the peripheral
velocity, number of blade and blade geometry assures the desires size and
grade.
2. The dispenser unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actions of transforming
the tea particles into grains of desired size and grade occurs in one single
operation.
3. The dispenser unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impeller has impact on
integration and disintegration of the particles.