An Improved Apparatus for Drying Cacao Beans and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1894-Accepted, 30th June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Drying Cacao Beans and the like.
We, CHRISTOPHER HODSON and WILLIAM DAWSON of 6 Strand Chambers,.
Derby in the County of Derby, Engineers, 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 :-
"
cocoa of
Our invention relates to An Improved Apparatus for Drying Cacao Beans and
the like, the said cacao beans when dried and ground becoming the "
ordinary use. The object of our said invention being to avoid the shrivelling up.
of the beans and to obtain a full extraction of the oil therefrom; this is imperfectly
done when the beans are dried in the sun and they are moreover shrivelled up and.
a deal of the nature of the cacao lost.
In order that our invention may be the more readily understood we have caused
to be annexed to this Specification a sheet of drawings the different figures and
letters of reference marked thereon will be hereinafter referred to.
Figure 1 is a section on line a-a of Figure 2 shewing the working parts of our
improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same looking down.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
On the two latter figures certain parts of our improved apparatus are omitted,.
but will be readily understood upon referring to Figure 1.
In carrying out our said invention we employ a vacuum chamber A of any
suitable construction having one or more oscillating trays such as B, the oscillating
motion being imparted thereto by any suitable means such as by employing an
eccentric or crank C, operated in any suitable manner, the shaft C¹ working in.
any convenient arrangement of stuffing box D and bearing E, the said oscillating
tray is provided with a wire gauze or otherwise suitably perforated bottom F and
has its top open to allow the beans to fall in from the hopper or the like G; below
the said tray or trays we place the steam, hot water or air pipes H, with inlet I
and condensed water outlet J; an opening K is formed in any convenient position
in the side of the tray, having a sliding door upon which is a projection L which
engages a similar projection M on the inside of the casing of the vacuum pan, when
it is desired to empty the tray it is given an extra "rock or dip and the door is
caused to slide open a little and allow the dried beans to pass away down a suitable
orifice or shute N. O, O' are sluice valves, P is a branch with stop valve for
vacuum pipe leading to the air pump or ejector. The working of the apparatus is
as follows:-
"
The bottom sluice valve O is closed and a charge of beans passed from the
hopper or feed tube G into the tray B the top valve O¹ being then closed and a
sufficient quantity of air pumped out of the vacuum pan A and the valve P shut
down, the steam, hot water or air is then admitted to the pipes and the tray caused
to oscillate; when sufficiently dried the beans are passed by the pipe N to proper
receptacles; after which the valve O is again closed and the above operation repeated.
We may however employ two sluice valves instead of one at O, O¹, to avoid
unnecessary pumping out or ejecting of air in the vacuum pan, and so save time and
trouble. A vacuum gauge Q and thermometer R are also attached to the vacuum
pan to indicate the heat and vacuum of said pan. The pan has also a glass top S
provided thereto as illustrated.
It is evident that the various parts of our improved apparatus may be made of
any suitable metal or material for the various purposes as also the details and
shape may be varied without departing from the spirit of our said invention; for
LD
011

page_text: instance we might employ a vacuum pan to contain a number of oscillating trays
if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is —
1. In an apparatus for drying cacao beans and the like the employment of a
vacuum pan A substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In an apparatus for drying cacao beans and the like a vacuum pan A in
combination with an oscillating tray or trays B of any suitable material and
construction and operated by any suitable means, the said tray or trays having a
sliding door or other suitable outlet or outlets in any suitable position and operated
as desired, the said vacuum pan being heated by means of hot water, air or steam
pipes H and having sluice valves 0, 0¹ ejector pipe and valve P, vacuum gauge Q
and thermometer. R in connection therewith substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this ofth day of M. 1901
W. SWINDELL,
Agent for the Applicants.