IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF COFFEE ROASTERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cockerill, of the Town of Kingston-
upon-Hull, in the County of the same Town, Grocer, and
Thomas Barnett, of the same Town, Miller, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF COFFEE
ROASTERS."
Sealed the 30th March 1853, and dated the 1st February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cockerill and
Thomas Barnett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st February 1853.
We, JOHN COCKERILL, of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the
County of the same Town, Grocer, and THOMAS BARNETT, of the
same Town, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF COFFEE ROASTERS'
to be as follows:-
But before describing our Invention, it may be proper to state
that the ordinary process of roasting coffee in close iron cylinders
revolving over coke or charcoal fires, as is now commonly adopted,
is found to deteriorate the quality of the coffee; as the pyroligneous
and other vapours evolved during the process of roasting are not

page_text: the coffee.
able to escape freely, and produce an injurious effect upon
The first part of our Invention has for its object the removal of this
disadvantage, and consists in covering the periphery of the cylinder
in which the coffee is placed during the process of roasting with
wire gauze or perforated metal plates of such mesh as to retain the
coffee during the process of roasting, and allow the free escape of
the acid and watery-vapours generated during the roasting. This
cylinder, constructed as before described, is provided with a square
shaft, which is passed lengthwise through its axis at or near its
centre, and is supported at each end in bearings so as to allow of its
rotating (when hand or steam power is applied to it), and carrying
with it the cylinder, which we place horizontal to and parallel with
the bars of a fire place similar in construction to a common kitchen
range, so that a portion of the heat from the burning coke or other
fuel is radiated upon and through the wire gauze or perforated
metal plates upon the coffee, which is kept in agitation by the ro-
tation of the cylinder. The fumes and smoke from the coke or other
fuel, together with a portion of the heat, are conducted into a flue
above the fire, and from thence into a chimney.
The second part of our Invention consists in constructing the back
and sides of the fire place before named of boiler plates placed at such
distance from each other as to allow a water space between them..
The coke or other fuel employed for the purpose of roasting the coffee
will thus lay in contact with the back and sides of the fire place,
and cause the water contained in the before-named spaces to generate
steam.
The third part of our Invention consists in conducting and applying
the steam generated in the before-named boiler or water spaces to work
a steam engine, and causing such engine to communicate rotary
motion to the cylinder or other vessel in which the coffee is retained
during the process of roasting.
The accompanying Drawings (in which the same letters refer to
the same parts in each Figure) will more fully explain the before-
named description. Figure 1, is a plan, of which Figure 2, is a cross
section taken in the line x, a. a, roasting cylinder; b, fire place; c,

page_text: boiler or water place; d, chimney; e, reflector placed partially round
the cylinder; f, a shaft with which the cylinder revolves. This shaft
is of sufficient length to admit of the cylinder being withdrawn from
the fire. g, steam engine; h, steam pipe; i, crank fixed on the shaft.
jj, are the fire bars. k, k, are the feet on which the whole rests.
Having now described our Invention, we would have it understood
that what we claim is, the application of heat radiated from open
fire places or heated bodies placed in such manner that a portion of
the heat shall be radiated upon and into cylinders or other vessels
composed of wire gauze or perforated metal plates of such gauze as
to retain the coffee and allow the escape of the acid and other
vapours generated during the process of roasting. Secondly, forming
the back and sides of such fire places of boiler plates, so as to allow
a water space between them for the generation of steam, and applying
the steam thus obtained in such boiler or water spaces to a steam
engine and connecting it with the cylinder in which the coffee is
placed so as to cause it to rotate during the process of roasting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Cockerill and Thomas Barnett
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN COCKERILL, of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County
of the same Town, Grocer, and THOMAS BARNETT, of the same Town,
Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Cockerill and Thomas
Barnett, Her special license that we, the said John Cockerill and
Thomas Barnett, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Cockerill and Thomas Barnett, our ex-
ecutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF COFFEE ROASTERS,"
upon the conditions (amongst others) that we, the said John Cockerill
and Thomas Barnett, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Cockerill and Thomas
Barnett, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that
is to say):
The first part of our Invention has for its objects the removal of
the acid and watery vapours generated during the process of coffee
roasting, and the insuring a perfect circulation of the coffee in the
roasting vessel while exposed to the action of the fire.
The second part of our Invention has for its objects the rendering
a portion of the waste or surplus heat available for the purpose of
generating steam, and applying the steam thus generated to suitable
machinery for communicating motive power to the roasting vessels
in which the coffee is contained during the process of roasting.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood, we will now
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto attached. Figure 1, is
a longitudinal section in which are shewn what we call the roasting
vessels (a, a). These, it will be seen, are constructed in the form of a
frustrum of a cone, the base end of which is attached to and termi-
nates in a cylinderical ring. The back and periphery of these
roasting vessels are constructed of sheet or cast iron, or other me-
tallic substances. The extremity of the circular ring at the base or
open end of each of these rousting vessels is covered with wire gauze

page_text: or perforated metal plates of such mesh as to retain the coffee and
allow the free escape of the vapours. a¹, a¹, are shafts which pass
through the roasting vessels at right angles to the fire bars; we
prefer square shafts. These shafts are turned up at the ends so as
to rotate freely in the bearings (a², a², a², a²). The small ends of the
roasting vessels have turned necks a³, a³, with deep collars attached;
these necks rotate in brasses, which are attached to the cross pieces
(b, b); the ends of these cross pieces slide on the side rods (b1, 61, 61,
6). The side of the Drawing marked A1, shews the arrangement for
shifting one of the roasting vessels nearer to or further from the
fire. 2, is a cross shaft attached to two side levers c, c. This cross
shaft is worked by the hand lever c', which acting upon the cross
shaft and its attached levers causes the vessels to slide on the side
rods to or from the fire; (2) door or valve for the admision or
discharge of the coffee. d, d, are standards on which the
ends of the shafts rest. d', d¹, is the fire place; each front of the
fire place is surrounded by a ring of metal d², d², of such size as to
allow the cylinderical part of the roasting vessels to rotate freely
within it, and thus prevent a current of cold air from going to the
upper part of the fire when the roasting vessels are partially with-
drawn from the action of the heat. e, e, e, are fire bars. e¹, e¹, are
water spaces which partially surround the fire place for the genera-
tion of steam. e², is the cylinder of the steam engine which com-
municates motion to the shaft of one of the roasting vessels, on
which shaft the pulley f is staked. The side of the Drawing
marked (A 2) shews the arrangement for communicating motion to
one of the roasting vessels; the red line represents a driving belt,
which workes on a loose pulley. f, is a catch box fitted on the
square part of the shaft. 2, is a lever, which acts upon the catch
box, and causes it to slide into the recesses in the catch box of the
pulley.
Figure 2, is a sectional elevation of Figure 1, showing the
arrangement of the fire bars in the boiler or metal casing. One of
the roasting vessels is represented with a handle (g) attached to the
end of the shaft to use in case of manual power being employed.

page_text: .
(g) is a flue for the escape of the products of combustion. g², is an
ash-pit.
Figure 3, is a cross section of the boiler and fire place, shewing
the water line (h) and the steam pipe (¹).
Figure 4, is a front view of the base of the roasting vessel when
clothed with wire gauze, which is secured to it by means of the
radial arins h2, h², and the ring (i).
Figure 5, is an elevation of the standard on which the end of the
shaft of the roasting vessel works. This standard may be bolted
down to the floor, and secured to the fire place and boiler by means
of the side rods.
The action of the machine is as follows: - The roasting vessels
being charged with coffee through the doors, they are pushed up
nearly close to the fire by means of the levers, and rotary
motion being communicated by means of the steam engine,
manual, or other power, the coffee is carried partly round the
roasting vessel by centrifugal force, and falling on the inclined or
conical part of the roasting vessel seeks the larger diameter, and
runs down to the wire end of the vessel, thus producing a perfect
regularity in roasting. The escape of the steam and heated vapours
from the roasting vessels will be assisted by the draught from the
fire. After the coffee is brought into a state of dryness, the roasting
vessels are gradually withdrawn by means of the levers so as to
moderate the heat towards the latter part of the process.
In the foregoing Drawings we have described and shewn two ves-
sels before one fire, and which we consider to be the best arrangement;
and to effect the greatest economy in fuel; but where one vessel only
is required; the circular space on the opposite side can be built up
with fire bricks or other slow conductor of heat.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which we perform the same, we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown
and described, as tlie same may be varied without departing from the
nature of our said Invention. But what we claim is,
Firstly, any mode of roasting coffee by using radiated heat in

page_text: combination with the use of a roasting vessel composed of sheet
iron or other metalic substance; such roasting vessel having one
end of it exposed to the action of heat radiated from a fire, such
end being covered with wire gauze or perforated metal plates, and
the axis or centre of motion of such roasting vessel being at right
angles, or nearly so, to the fire bars; so that the perforated end of
the vessel shall revolve in a plane parallel or nearly so with the
fire bars.
Secondly, the partially surrounding the fire place of coffee roasters
with boiler plates placed at such distances apart as to leave water
spaces for the generation of steam, and applying the steam thus
generated to a steam engine for the purpose of communicating
rotary motion to the vessels in which the coffee is placed during
the process of roasting.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Cockerill and Thomas
Barnett, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
ninth day of July, in the year of our. Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN COCKERILL. (L.S.)
THOMAS BARNETT. (L.S.)
JOHN COCKERILL. (L.S.)
THOMAS BARNETT. (L.S.)