Improvements in Coffee Roasting Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coffee Roasting Machinery.
I, JAMES WILLIAM ASHBY of Holmesdale Red Hill in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the cylinders of
coffee-roasting machines and in the means by which the rotary motion is given to
the cylinders. In carrying out my invention I construct the body of the cylinders
of wire gauze or similar material and in addition I provide a number of wings or
guards placed upon the outside circumference at such an angle that the draft of
hot air through the cylinders is directed as desired either from one or more
burners. In order conveniently to provide for the rotation of a number of
cylinders I use a shaft running at a right angle to the cylinders & by means of
mitre, bevil or skew-bevil wheels or worm gear I obtain the desired motion the
main shaft being driven by hand or by a suitable motor.
Dated this 8th day of May 1893.
JAMES WILLIAM ASHBY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coffee Roasting Machinery.
I, JAMES WILLIAM ASHBY, of Holmesdale, Red Hill, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to coffee-roasting machinery and has for its object to
construct an improved machine by means of which the operation of roasting coffee
can be performed in a much more satisfactory manner than heretofore.
The chief feature of my invention relates to an improved construction of
cylinder for holding the coffee while being roasted.
According to my invention I construct the cylinder of wire gauze or similar
material and attach around the periphery thereof wings or vanes of suitable size
and material said vanes being either radial, or making a suitable angle with the
radius. One or more of said cylinders is or are rotatably supported in a suitable
framework above gas burners or the like, the heated gases from which are directed
on the coffee placed in the cylinders and roast the same. I provide gearing for
driving all the cylinders from one shaft preferably using skew bevel gear for this
purpose as any one of the cylinders can then be very readily lifted out of its
bearings and its contents inspected without interfering with the rotation of the
other cylinders.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a front view of one of my improved coffee roasting machines.
Figure 2 is a side view of one of the cylinders drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 3 is a section on the line a. Figure 2.

page_text: driving pulley C; D is the main gas-pipe by which gas is supplied to jets under
the cylinders through branches and taps D¹.
The constructional details of one of the cylinders are clearly shewn in Figures 2
and 3. B is the cylinder proper made of wire gauze or the like of suitable mesh
for example one-eighth of an inch mesh. The end plates B¹ are thin plates of
metal which are secured on a central shaft B. The end plates have the vanes B³
rivetted thereto said vanes being either radial or making a suitable angle with the
radius as shewn, The wire gauze of a portion of the periphery of the cylinder is
replaced by a plate as shewn at E furnished with an opening El through which the
coffee to be roasted is introduced into the cylinder, a suitable sliding or other
door E' being provided to cover the opening during the roasting of the coffee. I
provide a gear wheel F secured to the shaft B' which gear wheel engages with a
pinion F on the driving shaft C. The gearing is preferably skew bevel gearing
as shewn in the drawings or helical gear may be used in place thereof, the weight
of the wheels is then near the handles of the cylinders. I may use ordinary bevel
gearing or transmit the motion from the shaft C to the cylinder shafts by other
suitable means but in these cases the gear wheels must be at the end of the shaft
and this is sometimes objectionable. The cylinders are rotated in the direction
shewn by the arrow in Figure 3.
The bearings A'A' are open at the top as shewn, so that any one of the
cylinders can be lifted out by its handle G when it is desired to inspect the
contents thereof. This can be done while the machine is running and without
disturbing the remaining cylinders.
By the use of my improved cylinders in roasting I find that the quality of the
coffee is very considerably improved and moreover that the roasting operation
takes less time than heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For a coffee roasting machine, a cylinder constructed of wire gauze and
having vanes on its external periphery, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, for the purposes specified.
2. A coffee roasting machine constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In a coffee roasting machine, driving all the cylinders from one shaft by
means of skew bevel or helical gear, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.