04i 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[March i, 1886, 



regarding this so-called improvement on my 

 Patent Challenge Boiler and more or less directly 

 calls for an expression of opinion from me, I 

 may liere explain that anyone purchasing one of 

 my I'atent -Challenge Hollers direct from me or 

 my agent, Mr. E. B. Creasy, can alter the machine 

 so bought, as Mr. Barber has done, or in any 

 other way they may please, so far as I am con- 

 cerned. But if any machines are sold or used 

 other than those bought from me or my agent, 

 of the design which, I understand, is in con- 

 templation, it will be deemed an infringement of 

 my patent in every sense. The only difterence I 

 hear of is that the projecting portions of my discs 

 are detached from their discs and employed o^ 

 passive in place of active rolling agents. If Mr. 

 Barber will favor me with tracings of his own 

 designing, through my agent Mr. E. B. Creasy, I 

 shall be in a better position to- judge how far, if 

 at all, I will allow him to use the principle and 

 lietail of my patent. I may interest some to 

 kriow that a Spherical Tea Leaf Boiler was used 

 by lue some live years ago, and my patent for 

 this with other Blue Books can I understand be 

 seen at the Colonial Secretary's Office. Trusting 

 Mr. Barber will be satisfied with the opinion 

 given above, yours faithfully, 



A. THOMPSON. 



TEA ROLLERS : THOMPSON OP THE 



"CHALLENGE" VEnsVS BARBER'S 



OF THE "SPHEROID." 



Blackstone, 1.5th Feb. 1886. 

 Sir, — I liave been very much instructed by Mr. 

 A. Thompson's letter published in your paper 

 headed " Messrs. Thompson's and Barber's 'Tea 

 Rollers," and his remarks on my roller are entitled 

 to special weight from the circumstance that he 

 has not yet seen my roller. The only difference 

 between mine and his, as he gathers, is that the 

 "projecting portion of his ri('.«'.<(l) are detached from 

 Ihi'ir (//si'n and employed as passive in place of 

 active agents." Mr. Thompson also adds: "A 

 spherical tea-leaf roller was used by me f jrae five 

 years ago, and my patent^ for this with other Blue 

 Books can, I understand, be seen at the Colonial 

 Secretary's OtHce." How Mr. Andrew Thompson 

 secured a patent " for this with other Blue Books " 

 I cannot really understand, any more than I can see 

 how he converted his patented coiies into ilisrs for 

 the purposes of this letter. It is the surface of a 

 i-niif or a flat disc or a concave disr, or a flat or 

 grooved tubic, or a human hand, that can operate 

 on a quantity of leaf, and bring about the desired 

 result of a twist more or less perfect, according 

 to the degree of efliciency respectively of these 

 surfaces as agents employed for the purpose, and 

 no one will care to cncpiire whether the table has 

 four legs or live, or has drawers below this surface, 

 or whether the other side of the qpncs be flat or x'ound 

 ors'mo.ith or rough. Ii Mr. Andrew Thompson means 

 to maintain that every cone contains ,". disc at its 

 base which is disclosed, on the conical projection 

 being removed, then it is to be regretted that he did 

 not remove this projection before he asked t lie Govern- 

 ment to pi"''" I what he claimed then as a novelty 

 in tea macmnery, viz., the roHCi,-. But he wa-^ eon- 

 tent to leave the flat disc and the cube and all the 

 other geometrical rigures into which hi^ coivs were 

 capable of being cut, shaped and moulded behnid 

 or within his cones, and made the surface of (he 

 cones, tor all practical purposes, the active part to 

 operate upon the leaves so as to secure the end 

 lUsircd. The result is known to the Jew Ceylon 



planters who purchased these "cones." For as fat 

 as the cylinder goes it is a casing— an envelope. 

 It has been in use before in a number of 

 machines, and notably in a tea machine of 

 Kinmond's ! So that it was not a novelty, could 

 not be patented, and was not claimed as such for 

 a patent. The head, body and tail of the machine 

 therefore consisted merely ot two cones suspended 

 on shafts and revolved by coolies by means of 

 handles like any "grindstone," or "hurdy-gurdy." 

 The working or effective part ot this roller, as w"itli 

 every other roller, is the surface presented to the leaf 

 within the casing. 



I am deeply indebted to Mr. Thompson for otlfer- 

 ing to look at my tracings and drawings with a 

 view to ascertain " how far," as he says, "I willallo-n- 

 him to use the principleand details of my patent." 

 But insamuch as cones -when they became " a 

 passive ^ agent" with me were relegated for the 

 time being into the Sirocco room to become once 

 more an active agent, — tliis time in the tiring 

 machine, — I cannot, I regret to say, avail myself 

 of the condescending offer to inspect and scrutinize 

 my humble efforts to make a " roller while therp 

 was a challenge '' in the world. 



But I will refer Mr. Thompson to the distinguished 

 machinist to whose inventive genius all tea plant- 

 ers will continue to remain debtors, for the best 

 horizontal action roller and the first vertical action 

 roller ever introduced, and that is Mr. Kinmond, 

 who is now in Ceylon ! He has taken the trouble 

 to come all the way to Blackstone to see my 

 bantling ; and his opinion may perhaps startle Mr. 

 Thompson. I shall send you if necessary a list 

 of visitors to Blackstone who have seen the 

 machine, and Messrs. W. H. Davies A Co. will 

 give you a list of those who ordered the machine 

 and confirmed their orders without a guarantee 

 when they were told that on principle I declined 

 to hold out a guarantee as an inducement to in- 

 tending purchasei-s to take my machine in prefer- 

 ence to others in the market. Mr. Thompson 

 and all interested in the Blackstone roller may 

 communicate with these gentlemen for their views 

 as regards the surface features of "the active or 

 rolling parts" of the respective machines ; I use 

 Mr. A. Thompson's own language with my en- 

 dorsement that it is the only correct way of look- 

 ing to ascertain the identity or non-identity ot 

 the two. I will now conclude by adding that 1 

 shall be glad to meet Mr. Tliompson of the 

 " Challenge" either in a friendly suit or in the 

 ordinary way in the District Court of Colombo 

 to have his claims tried, if he will only adopt the 

 right and legitimate course, instead of endeavouring 

 lirst to intimidate intending purchasers from taking 

 my machines, and in the same letter magnanim- 

 ously offering the use of his for the purpose of 

 being converted into mine. This, we are told, is 

 to be effected by employing his cones (oiscs!) as 

 : "passive agents" — outside the "rollers"! — 1 remain, 

 ' yours faithfully, .lAS. H. BARBER. 



P. S'. — I have Mr. Thompson's speeificntions tor 



, the "Challenge" though not the "iiatent" Blue- 



I books; and this is what he has p.atcutcd — he begins 



j with: "My invention consists in llic cmplotinient uf 



I fo«f»'":-not flat discs concealed behind cones to 



be disclosed and brought to light : and on the llith 



day of Feb. l.S8fi or any date thereafter, for the 



first time. Verily he has hid his light under a 



bushel all Ibis while. lie finishes with: "1 claim 



the itpiiVicutii'ii of tlie cunes."' I think the endeavour 



to scjuare the circle and round the square should 



1 not be tried on an intelligent body such an the 



I Ceylon planters are. I do not know how it may 



' dd in India. 



