IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM COFFEE & OTHER BERRIES, GRAIN, SEEDS, AND LEAVES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nelson Hutchinson, General in Your Majesty
Army, Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, of Wellesbourne
Bideford County of Devon for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS PATENT
ENTITLED "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING INFUSIONS AND
DECOCTIONS FROM COFFEE & OTHER BERRIES, GRAIN, SEEDS, AND LEAVES,
dated 20th July 1871 No 1906
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nelson Hutchinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1883.
WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON, General in Her Majesty's Army, Colonel of the
Duke of Wellingtons Regt of Wellesbourne Bideford County of Devon IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MY PATENT ENTITLED "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM COFFEE AND OTHER BERRIES, GRAIN, SEEDS,
AND LEAVES, dated 20th July 1871. No 1906,
This invention relates to improvements in, or additions to the apparatus
described by me in a specification filed in pursuance of letters patent granted to
me on the 20th day of July 1871 N° 1906, and has for its object to ensure the
more effectual extraction of the flavour or aroma of the coffee or other substance
under infusion than has hitherto been possible
In using my aforesaid invention it has been found that although the quantity of
flavour and aroma thereby extracted from the coffee or other substance has been
far greater than has usually been attainable from other pots or apparatus, yet that
the whole of such flavour and aroma was not extracted from the substance during
the process of infusion, owing to the coffee or other substance lying much at the
bottom of the vessel, and consequently being acted on by the water in a complete
manner on the surface only. Now I have discovered that if the coffee or other
substance upon which liquid has been poured in order to obtain an infusion there-
from be agitated or stirred, and as it were beaten while the same is being infused,
that the whole of the grains are caused to circulate, and each grain to be
Price tidl

page_text: surrounded by the liquid, thus ensuring the extraction of aroma from each
grain.
My present invention therefore consists in adding to the apparatus previously
patented by me (hereinbefore referred to) means, without loss of heat, for agitating,
stirring, & beating the coffee grains or other substances whilst an infusion is being
made from same.
The means by which I effect the object of my invention are as follows. Several
(say four) paddles radiate from a common centre within the pot. They stand
vertically while the infusion is being made. When nearly a flat strainer is used
(in the upper part of the vessel in which, the infusion takes place) the paddles
would be nearly rectangular in shape. When the strainer is a perforated cone the
paddles are of a somewhat triangular form, so that the top edges are nearly in
contact with the lid-one edge of each paddle nearly in contact with the side of
the pot, and the opposite edge of each paddle nearly in contact with the conical
strainer. The paddles are secured in pairs, in any suitable manner, to a wire or
other spindle, and lie opposite to each other on opposite, sides of the pot. At the
point of intersection they are secured to the stem of a knob on the top of the pot
which projects inwards through the lid. This knob, instead of being a fixture as
hitherto, is made capable of being revolved when desired so as to carry with it the
paddles, thus causing a circulation of the liquid and grains to take place.
The paddles may be of any form such as triangular, concave like a plough share,
or the blade of a screw propeller, or other suitable form, and may be made of wire-
gauze, perforated metal, or other material as found most suitable.
As it would be inconvenient to lift off the wide top with the paddles attached to
it whenever fresh water was poured in, there is a small lid on the said top. A thin
wire with a button not larger than a pin's head on its upper part, and a cork or
other suitable, buoyant substance at its bottom part, plays freely vertically while
the infusion is concocting, in a hole in the spindle & the stem of the knob. The
rising of the small button above the knob shows when the water in the pot is
getting to the top.
Advantages attend the pot being low-much capacity-short paddles-the whole
stands under the spout of an urn-coffee is made as conveniently as tea-a cosey
covers the upper part as no handle interferes with it.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Nelson Hutchinson in the Patent Office on the
21st February 1884.
WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON General in Her Majestys Army Colonel of the
Duke of Wellington's Regiment, of Wellesborne Bideford County of Devon.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS. PATENT ENTITLED "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM COFFEE AND OTHER BERRIES, GRAINS,
SEEDS AND LEAVES dated 20th July 1871 N° 1906"
This invention is an addition to, and improvement on the apparatus described in
a specification filed in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to me on the 20th day of
July 1871 N° 1906, and has for its object to ensure the more efficient extraction
of the flavour or aroma of the coffee or other substances under infusion, than has
hitherto been possible.
By using my aforesaid invention it has been found that although the quantity
of flavour and aroma thereby extracted from the coffee, or other substance has been
greater than heretofore obtainable from other pots or apparatus, yet that the whole
of such flavour or aroma was not extracted from the substance during the process
of infusion, owing to the coffee or other substance lying much at the bottom of the
vessel, and consequently being acted on in a complete anner by the water on
the surface only.
Now I have discovered that if the coffee, or other substance upon which the hot
liquid has been poured, in order to obtain an infusion therefrom, be agitated or
stirred, or, as it were beaten, without thereby losing heat while the same is
being infused, the whole of the grains are caused to circulate, and each grain is
surrounded by the liquid, thus ensuring the extraction of aroma and flavour from
each grain.
My present invention therefore consists in adding to the apparatus previously
patented by me, and hereinbefore referred to, a method (without sacrificing heat)
for agitating, stirring, and, as it were beating or bruising the coffee, grains, or other
substances while an infusion is being made from same.
The accompanying drawing illustrates the method by which I effect the object
of my present invention. The pot for obtaining the infusion is divided into two
parts. The upper (a) is cylindrical (drawn in mid-section), and fits closely on a
narrow, circular, vertical rim (r) on the lower circular part (b). It (the upper) has
a solid bottom (8) which retains the hot water poured in until the tap (d) is turned,
on the infusion being effected.
Of all strainers for making the infusion run through it free of sediment I prefer
a finely perforated metal cone, such as is illustrated by e, having its bottom covered
with a tightly drawn swansdown calico (f). It's edge is lapped round a cotton
cord (g) which retains it in position. Several, say four paddles, as they may be
termed (h h), radiate from a common centre. They stand vertically while the
infusion is concocting. Consequent on the shape of the coned strainer (e) I prefer
to construct them of a somewhat triangular form, so that the top edges shall be
in line with the surface of the water when the pot is full- the outer end of each
paddle nearly in contact with the side of the pot-the inner edge nearly in
contact with the conical strainer, which is pressed close to the concave bottom s.
They are secured in pairs to a stout wire, or in other suitable manner, and lie
opposite to each other on opposite sides of the pot. At the point of intersection

page_text: .
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of the wires they are attached to the stem of the knob (k) on the side of the pot,
which stem (i) projects inwards. A wire or band runs through them at jj and
keeps them firmly in position. The knob, which is deeply grooved, instead of
being a fixture as hitherto, is made capable of being revolved when desired, so as
to carry the paddles with it, thus causing much circulation of the liquid and the
grains. To increase the disturbance, and separation of the grains, the apertures
on one pair of paddles may be made so as not to correspond in size nor position
with those on the other pair. The embraced collar Q on the stem of knob prevents
its rising or sinking.
The paddles may be of various forms, such as triangular-rectangular-concave
like a plough-share, or the blade of a screw propeller; all forms being much
dependent upon the shape of the strainer. They may be made of wire-gauze,
perforated metal, or other material as found most suitable.
The lid () is of the same diameter as the upper part (a). Nearly half of it
works on a hinge (c) close to the knob (k), thus forming a small second lid (m), to
obviate the inconvenience of having to remove the whole lid, with its attached
paddles whenever water, or coffee, or other substance is poured in. v is an
indentation to receive part of the knob when the small lid is thrown quite open
as drawn.
In pouring out the infusion, however much the pot may be tilted, the upper
part (a) is prevented from quitting the lower (b) by a hook (a) attached to b
which grasps the tap-handle (y) when the upper part (a) is pushed into position on
the lower. Close to the hook the depth of the rim is a little diminished to
admit a portion of the arm of the tap. Some of the arm is buried in an
indentation in the concaved bottom 8.
The fore part of b (the spout end) has a half deck (o) which prevents the
infusion from running out, except through the spout, when the pot is tilted.
8 and o being similarly concaved are in contact.
The pot could be made of the height of ordinary percolators, but I greatly
prefer a more compact form, and the one designed for coffee being so low that it
would stand under the spout of an urn, whereby the infusion could be made as
easily as tea. The usual height would be, exclusive of the lid, from 5 to 5 inches,
its capacity depending upon the diameter given to the upper part. The lower
part should hold more than the upper. The stand of some urns would require a
little heightening. Fig 1 represents such a suburn-coffee pot of a useful size for
a family breakfast table. z is a loop to aid in holding large suburns when the
infusion is being poured out. With a small suburn it evidently would be
unnecessary. A cosey, with a hole for the knob k, might conveniently cover the
upper part as there is no handle on it.
Without raising the small lid the height of the water within the pot is seen by
the rising of the little button n above the knob (k). p is an air tight float of thin
metal, or float of some buoyant substance attached to a slight wire w (sometimes
made of steel protected from rust) which plays freely in a hole in the stem of the
knob. Obviously such a float is far from necessary, but should the suburn have
one the lid m need not be nearly as large as is represented.
The tap-handle y, and arm of the tap are not in true perspective. y lies
about an inch to the left of the handle (t) of the pot. Curved outlines could be
given to silver and plated suburns.. Were the slow process of filling cups direct
from a tap not considered objectionable, a removeable stand could be substituted
for the part b.
Having now described the nature of my said invention and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I make
no claim to applying the paddles, beaters, or stirrers hereinbefore described to
coffee pots in general, but what I do claim and consider novel and desire to secure
is, the application or addition of the paddles, beaters, or stirrers (constructed as

page_text: above described) to the coffee pot for which I obtained Letters Patent N° 1906
AD 1871, for the purpose, and acting as, substantially as above set forth and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, have hereunto -set
my hand and seal, this thirtieth day of January in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.