Improvements in Coffee-pots or the like for Making Infusions.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept.. 1894
Complete Specification Left 15th June 1805 Accentell
20th Jul 1005
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coffee-pots or the like for Making Infusions.
I, LOUIS BÉCHAUX Fils, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to produce a coffee-pot such that the water in its
passage through a layer of powdered coffee will extract therefrom in a systematic
manner and in a single operation, by displacement and steeping, the greater portion
of the useful principles and essential aromas. the said extraction moreover being
effected in such a manner that the resulting "grounds" will keep back the other
or objectionable principles of the coffee, such as gallic acid and resins which would
otherwise impart an unpleasant acrid taste to the infusion.
The accompanying drawing illustrates in vertical section, a coffee-pot, constructed
according to this invention.
A is a filter cylinder having a bottom pierced with small holes. Upon this
perforated bottom the ground coffee is placed. B is a lower vessel, of ordinary
construction, which receives the infusion of the coffee. C is a movable receiver,
the interposition of which with suitable circumferential play or spaces d d¹ between
it and the filter cylinder A and the lower vessel B respectively, constitutes the
main feature of my invention. It consists of a cylindrical vessel that projects as
shown, into the lower vessel B, and carries the filter cylinder A the lower
peripheral edge of which is provided with a number of notches to allow of the
passage of the infusion and serves also to keep the perforated bottom D of the
said filter cylinder at a sinall distance from the solid or non-perforated bottom of
the receiver C.
That portion of the receiver C which projects into the vessel B, and the extent
of which is limited by a collar or flange C¹ bearing upon the edge of the vessel B,
is formed at its circumference, at a height corresponding approximately to the
upper level of the layer of ground coffee in the filter cylinder A, with a number of
small holes that are distributed in any suitable manner and through which the
infusion of coffee passes. It is also provided, at a few millimetres distance from
its closed lower end with one or two small holes t through which nearly the whole
of the infusion remaining in the vessels A and C can drain away into the vessel B
after the upper level of the said infusion has fallen below the small holes ff.
That portion of the vessel C which projects externally beyond the vessel B is made
as high as practicable in order to prevent the water that is poured into the movable
cylinder E from overflowing its upper edge.
E is a movable cylinder that fits freely within the filter vessel A and has a finely
perforated bottom E¹ similar to that of the said filter vessel A. It serves both as
a presser for pressing the coffee, and as a reservoir for distributing the water
uniformly upon the said coffee.
Each of the parts A, B, C, E, is provided with a handle L, N, M, K, respectively.
The cylinder E is fitted with a single cover I and does not need the ordinary
dividing space or reservoir. The infusion of coffee collected in the reservoir B is
poured out through the open spout H, or it may be through a tap. J is an air
hole in the said vessel B. An infusion of coffee is prepared in the device shown, in
the following manner :-
The cylinder E is lifted out of the filter cylinder A into which the ground coffee
is then introduced. The cylinder E is then replaced in such a manner as to press

page_text: upon the coffee, and the hot water with which the infusion is to be made is poured
into the cylinder E. An infusion of coffee then flows through the perforated
bottom of the cylinder A, into the intermediate receiver C, and rises in the
small annular space d therein, until it reaches the holes through which it flows into
the vessel B. As the filter cylinder A will retain an infusion of coffee up to the
level of the holes in the receiver C, the consequence will be that the ground
coffee, instead of being merely traversed quickly by the water, will be completely
steeped, and will give up its useful principles in proportion to the time which the
water, which serves to infuse it, takes to flow down.
Since this steeping enables the water to abstract the useful principles of the
ground coffee, there is no necessity to subject the resulting coffee "grounds" to a
renewed steeping, or to a boiling process.
In place of the cylinder E, a presser F pierced with small holes may be placed
upon the layer of coffee, as indicated by dotted lines. With this arrangement a
removable vessel b may be provided in addition in the filter cylinder A, with the
object of distributing the water in the usual manner over the ground coffee. It is
important that the edge of the presser should be made to fit the vessel A as closely
as possible for which purpose it may be provided at its periphery with a thin split
flange so as to constitute a spring, or be so constructed as to enable it to receive a
packing of hemp, asbestos, or other suitable material.
The improved coffee-pot described and illustrated may be employed for treating
substances other than coffee and of which it is desired to obtain an infusion.
I, LOUIS BÉCHAUX Fils of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Manufacturer,
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:-
This invention is designed to produce a coffee-pot such that the water in its
passage through a layer of powdered coffee, will extract therefrom in a systematic
manner and in a single operation, by displacement and steeping, the greater portion
of the useful principles and essential aromas, the said extraction moreover being
effected in such a manner that the resulting "grounds" will keep back the other
or objectionable principles of the coffee, such as gallic acid and resins, which would
otherwise impart an unpleasant acrid taste to the infusion.
The drawing filed with my Provisional Specification, illustrates in vertical
section, a coffee-pot, constructed according to this invention.
A is a filter-cylinder having a bottom D pierced with small holes. Upon this
perforated bottom the ground coffee is placed. B is a lower vessel, of ordinary
construction, which receives the infusion of the coffee. C is an intermediate
receiver, the interposition of which with suitable circumferential play or spaces à d'
between it and the filter-cylinder A and the lower vessel B respectively, constitutes
the main feature of my invention. It consists of a cylindrical vessel that projects
as shown, into the lower vessel B, and supports the filter-cylinder A the lower
peripheral edge of which is provided with a number of notches to allow of the
passage of the infusion, and serves also to keep the perforated bottom D of the said
filter-cylinder at a small distance from the solid or non-perforated bottom of the
receiver C.

page_text: That portion of the receiver C which projects into the vessel B, and the extent
of which projection is limited by a collar or flange C bearing upon the edge of:
the vessel B, is formed at its circumference, at a height corresponding approxi
mately to the upper level of the layer of ground coffee in the filter-cylinder A,
with a number of small holes ff that are distributed in any suitable manner and
through which the infusion of coffee passes. It is also provided, at a few milli-
metres distance from its closed lower end with one or two small holes & through
which nearly the whole of the infusion remaining in the vessels A and C can drain
away into the vessel B after the upper level of the said infusion has fallen below
the small holes ff. That portion of the vessel C which projects externally beyond
the vessel B is made as high as practicable in order to prevent the water that is
poured into the movable cylinder E from overflowing its upper edge.
E is a movable cylinder that fits freely within the filter vessel A and has a
finely perforated bottom E¹ similar to that of the said filter vessel A. It serves
both as a presser for pressing the coffee, and as a reservoir for distributing the
water uniformly upon the said coffee.
Each of the parts A, B, C, E, is provided with a handle L, N, M, K,
respectively. The cylinder E is fitted with a single cover I and does not need the
ordinary dividing basin 6 indicated by dotted lines. The infusion of coffee collected
in the reservoir B is poured out through the open spout H, or it may be through a
tap. J is an air hole in the said vessel B. An infusion of coffee is prepared in
the device shown, in the following manner :-
The cylinder E is lifted out of the filter cylinder A into which the ground coffee
is then introduced. The cylinder E is then replaced in such a manner as to press
upon the coffee, and the water with which the infusion is to be made is poured into
the cylinder E. An infusion of coffee then flows through the perforated bottom D
of the cylinder A, into the intermediate receiver C, and rises in the small annular
space d therein, until it reaches the holes f through which it flows into the vessel B.
As the filter cylinder A will retain an infusion of coffee up to the level of the
holes in the receiver C, the consequence will be that the ground coffee, instead of
being merely traversed quickly by the water, will be completely steeped, and will
give up its useful principles in proportion to the time which the water, which serves
to infuse it, takes to flow down.
Since this steeping enables the water to abstract the useful principles of the
ground coffee, there is no necessity to subject the resulting coffee" grounds" to a
renewed steeping, or to a boiling process.
In place of the cylinder E, a presser F pierced with small holes may be placed
upon the layer of coffee, as indicated by dotted lines. With this arrangement the
ordinary dividing basin b may be provided in addition in the filter cylinder A, with
the object of distributing the water in the usual manner over the ground coffee. It
is important that the edge of the presser should be made to fit the vessel A as
closely as possible for which purpose it may be provided at its periphery with a
thin split flange so as to constitute a spring, or be so constructed as to enable it to
receive a packing of hemp, asbestos, or other suitable material.
The improved coffee-pot described and illustrated may be employed for treating
various other substances, besides coffee, of which it is desired to obtain an infusion.
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. A coffee-pot or like apparatus for making infusions, comprising a lower
vessel B, an intermediate receiver C and within the same a filter-cylinder A having
a perforated bottom D, and means for pressing the material of which it is desired
to make an infusion, suitable circumferential spaces d, d' being left between the
intermediate receiver C and the filter-cylinder A and lower vessel B, and the said
receiver C being formed with openings ff and t for the passage of the infusion
obtained into the said vessel B, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. For making infusions, the improved coffee-pot or apparatus constructed and
arranged as shown in and described with reference to the drawing herein.
referred to.
ited this 15th day of June 1895.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.