Improved Apparatus for Separating Foreign Bodies from Coffee Berries and Feeding the Berries to a Pulper.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Separating Foreign Bodies from Coffee
Berries and Feeding the Berries to a Pulper.
P
I, WILLIAM ANTHONY DIESELDORFF, of Hollywood, 141 Sunderland Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion to be as follows:-
A usual way of separating foreign bodies such as nails stones and other things from
fresh coffee berries has been to use apparatus comprising one hopper with interinediate
division; into this first division these berries have been placed and water has been
caused to flow into it so as to carry the berries over into the second hopper leaving
the foreign bodies deposited in the first division. In practice it is found with this
arrangement that a heavy flush is needful and that by it foreign bodies are liable to
be caused to pass with the overflowing water and berries into the second hopper and
pulper thereby causing injury to the latter. Moreover the arrangement has been
such as to render it troublesome to remove the foreign bodies deposited in the first
hopper.
Now my invention has reference to a construction and arrangement of apparatus
designed to obviate the foregoing disadvantages, and to enable the foreign bodies to be
separated from the fresh berries with less water than heretofore has been usually
required to be used in apparatus such as above referred to and the berries to be fed
at a practically uniform rate to a coffee pulper, the arrangement being such moreover
that the separated foreign bodies can be readily removed from the apparatus when
desired.
My apparatus comprises a trough formed in its interior with an inclined bottom on
to which the fresh coffee berries from which foreign bodies are to be separated
are fed; in the lower part of this trough is a pocket or recess to receive the separated
foreign bodies. There is provision for supplying water to the vessel: within the
vessel is a conveyor such as a bucket wheel, arranged at such a distance from the
inclined surface and operated in such a manner as to agitate the coffee berries on
the inclined surface and to carry them in suitable quantity to the coffee pulper.
Foreign bodies that may bave been fed with the berries into the hopper or vessel will
be by the means described separated and will descend into the pocket or recess from
which they can be removed from time to time, as may be necessary, through a suitablo
opening provided for the purpose. A convenient arrangement is to secure the
trough in which the berries are cleaned to the hopper of the coffee pulper; water
being supplied to the cleaning trough through a suitable conduit and allowed to
overflow into the hopper of the coffee pulper. The arrangement of the apparatus is
such however that the coffee berries are prevented from passing direct to the coffee
pulper instead of being fed thereto by the conveyor. The feeding of the coffee berries.
on to the inclined surface may be effected by means of a suitable receptacle having
in its bottom or lower part an opening provided with a door or gate for regulating
the supply.
Dated this 27th day of July 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Separating Foreign Bodies from Coffee
Berries and Feeding the Berries to a Pulper.
I, WILLIAM ANTHONY DIESELDORFF, of Hollywood, 141 Sunderland Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
A usual way of separating foreign bodies such as nails, stones, and other things
from fresh coffee-borries, has been to use apparatus comprising a hopper divided into
two compartments by an intermediate division; in one of these compartments berries
have been placed and water has been caused to flow into it so as to carry the berries
over into the second compartment leaving the foreign bodies deposited in the first
compartment. In practice it is found with this arrangement that a heavy flush is
needful and that by it foreign bodies are liable to be caused to pass with the over-
flowing water and berries into the second compartment and pulper thereby causing
injury to the latter. Moreover the arrangement has been such as to render it
troublesome to remove the foreign bodies deposited in the first compartment.
Now my invention has reference to a construction and arrangement of apparatus
designed to obviate the foregoing disadvantages, and to enable the foreign bodies to
be separated from the fresh berries with less water than heretofore has been usually
required to be used in apparatus such as above referred to and the berries to be fed
at a practically uniform rate to a coffee pulper, the arrangement being such
moreover that the separated foreign bodies can be readily removed from the
apparatus when desired.
My apparatus comprises a vessel hereinafter called a trough formed in its interior
with an inclined surface or side on to which the fresh coffee berries from which
foreign bodies are to be separated aro fed; in the lower part of this trough is a
pocket or recess to receive the separated foreign bodies. There is provision for
supplying water to the trough: Within the trough is a conveyor such as a bucket
wheel, arranged at such a distance from the inclined surface or bottom and operated
in such a manner as to agitate the coffee berries on the inclined surface or bottom
and to carry them in suitable quantity to the coffee pulper. Foreign bodies that
may have been fed with the berries into the trough will be by the means described
separated and will descend into the pocket or recess from which they can be
removed from time to time, as may be necessary, through a suitable opening provided
for the purpose.
A convenient arrangement is to secure the trough in which the
berries are cleaned to the hopper of the coffee pulper; water being supplied. to the
cleaning trough through a suitable conduit and allowed to overflow into the hopper of
the coffee pulper. The arrangement of the apparatus is such however that the coffee
berries are prevented from passing direct to the coffee pulper instead of being fed
thereto by the conveyor. The feeding of the coffee berries on to the inclined
surface may be effected by means of a suitable receptacle having in its bottom or.
lower part an opening provided with a door or gate for regulating the supply.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a vertical section; and
--
Fig. 2 a plan or top view of apparatus according to this invention applied to the.
hopper of a coffee pulper, a part only of which is shewn.
1 is a trough having an inclined surface or side 2, a curved side 3 and a lower
pocket or recess 4 to receive the separated foreign bodies. This trough is connected
to the hopper 5 of the pulping machine which may be of any suitable construction and
is further supported by rods not shewn connected to the frame-work of this machine.
6 is a rotary conveyor in the form of a bucket wheel carried by a shaft 7 that is
mounted in bearings 8 fixed to the sides of the trough and is driven from the driving
shaft of the pulping machine at any desired velocity. The periphery of this bucket
wheel is made of perforated sheet metal bent to the form shewn and carried by the

page_text: two circular plates forming the sides of the wheel. To each of the parts 6* of the
wheel is adjustably secured a curved plate 9 that can be caused to overlap the adjacent
part 6 of the periphery of the wheel to any desired extent according to the quantity
of berries it is desired each bucket of the wheel shall convey from the trough 1 to the
hopper 5.
The bucket wheel is so arranged that the plates 6* thereon rotate close to but not in
contact with the curved side 3 of the trough in order that berries may be prevented
from passing direct to the hopper 5 instead of being fed thereto by the bucket wheel.
Water is supplied by a suitably arranged pipe to the trough whence it overflows at 10
into the hopper 5. 11 is a receptacle for the berries to be treated; it is carried by
the trough 1 and has at its lower part an opening 12 controlled by a door or gate 13
and through which berries can pass onto the inclined side 2 of the trough. 14 is a
plate secured to both sides of the trough and extending downward sufficiently far to
ensure that berries and foreign bodies that may be mixed therewith shall not pass
direct to the bucket wheel but shall pass down the inclined side 2 far enough to permit
of the foreign bodies becoming separated from the berries and falling into the pocket
The bottom of the pocket or recess 4 is closed by a removable plate or
closure 4 by removal of which the separated foreign bodies can
be readily
discharged from the apparatus without removing the conveyor or bucket wheel.
or recess 4.
With the arrangement described, foreign bodies will be effectually removed from
the berries which can be uniformly fed to the pulper machine at any desired rate to
suit the requirements of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In an apparatus for separating foreign bodies from coffee berries and feeding the
berries to a pulper, the combination of a water trough having an inclined side or
surface on to which berries to be treated are fed, and a pocket or recess to receive
separated foreign bodies, with a conveyor arranged within or partly within the trough,
the arrangement being such that when berries are fed upon the inclined side or surface
and motion is imparted to the conveyor the contents of the trough will be agitated
in such a manner that foreign bodies mixed with the berries will descend into the
pocket or recess and the berries will be carried from the trough to the pulper
substantially as herein described.
2. The combination of parts constituting my improved apparatus for separating
foreign bodies from coffee berries and feeding the berries to a pulper, constructed,
arranged and operating as herein described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 19th day of April 1890.
W. A. DIESELDORFF.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.