IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE AND OTHER SHIROMANORS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. Charles Isidore Constant Venant, of Amiens, in the
Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ROASTING COFFEE AND OTHER SHIROMANORS"
Sealed the 30th November 1855, and dated the 1st June 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Isidore Constant
Venant at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st June 1855.
I, CHARLES ISIDORE CONSTANT VENANT, of Amiens, in the Empire of France,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for roasting coffee consist, first, in con-
structing the roasting cylinder with a central passage, through which the heat
used in roasting the coffee passes, thus subjecting the coffee to heat radiating
from the centre of the cylinder as well as by external application. To effect
this, I form the roasting cylinder with a smaller concentric cylinder passing
from end to end. The heat and flame, after playing on the exterior of the.
cylinder as usual during rotatory motion, is conducted through the central
tube and thence to the chimney. The coffee is placed in the outer or large
cylinder, in the periphery of which there is a door for that purpose.
A further improvement consists in the use of a second cylinder, in which

page_text: the roasted coffee is subjected to the action of the vapour or essence of another
parcel of coffee undergoing the roasting process. For this purpose I mount
the second cylinder on the same axis as the first cylinder, the axis being
hollow for the passage of the essence, when required; I form the second
cylinder short, but of large diameter. When the coffee is sufficiently roasted
I remove it from the first cylinder to the second, which is not subject to the
heat of the fire; in-this it-is tossed about. during-rotation by leaves or pro-
jections within the cylinder. The hollow axis communicating between the
two cylinders is furnished with stops-cocks and channels, whereby the vapour
first arising from the coffee is allowed to pass off to the atmosphere. At
the proper time the communication between the cylinders is established
so as to carry the essence into the second cylinder, which is beneficial, and
improves the coffee submitted to its action. I mount the cylinders of this
machine on levers, one at either end, by which it can be lifted from its bear-
ings, and allowed to traverse laterally on its journals to withdraw it from the
furnace or roasting chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
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by the said Charles Isidore Constant Venant in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, CHARLES
ISIDORE CONSTANT VENANT, of Amiens, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most "Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand. eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Isidore Constant Venant, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Isidore Constant Venant, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Isidore Constant Venant, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, 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 APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Isidore Constant Venant, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
22 17
F
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page_text: tion, 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 I, the said Charles Isidore Constant Venant, do
hereby declare the nature
my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed; and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in apparatus for roasting coffee consists, first, in con-
structing the roasting cylinder with a central passage, through-which-the.heat
ised in roasting the coffee passes, thus subjecting the coffee to heat radiating
from the centre of the cylinder as well as by external application. To effect_
this, I form the roasting-cylinder with a smaller concentric cylinder passing
from end to end. The heat and flame, after playing on the exterior of the
cylinder as usual during rotary motion; is conducted through the central tube
and thence to the chimney: The coffee is placed in the larger or outer
cylinder in the periphery of which there is a door for that purpose.
1.
A further improvement consists in the use of a second cylinder; in which
the roasted coffee is subjected to the action of the vapour or essence of another
parcel of coffee undergoing the process of roasting. For this purpose I'mount
the second cylinder on the same axis as the first cylinder, the axis being hollow
for the passage of the essence when required. When the coffee is sufficiently
roasted, I remove it from the first cylinder to the second, which is not subject
to the heat of the fire; in this it is tossed about during rotation by leaves or
projections within the cylinder. The hollow axis communicating between the
two cylinders is furnished with stop-cocks and channels, whereby the vapour
first arising from the coffee is allowed to pass off into the atmosphere. At the
proper time the communication between the cylinders is established so as to
carry the vapour or essence into the second cylinder, which is beneficial to, and
improves the coffee submitted to its action.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings.represents a side elevation of a
coffee-roasting apparatus in which my improvements are embodied; Figure 2,
an end view: Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical section through the line 1, 2,
Figure 2; and Figure 4, a transverse vertical section through the line 3, 4;
Figure 1. A, A, is the coffee-roasting cylinder, mounted on bearings b, b,
carried by the end plates or frames c, c. The shafts d, d; are hollow, and have
communications through the channels f, f; with the interior of the cylinder A,
the whole being enclosed within a suitable metal casing 9, 9. The cylinder
AA, has a central tube a, a, forming a free communication between the

page_text: spaces i, k, at either end of the cylinder, which is sufficiently close to its
casing 9, 9, as to prevent much of the draft passing otherwise than as con-
trolled by the flues; B is the furnace, the heat rising from which is
conducted along under the cylinder A, A, a plate h', ', being interposed
to prevent its passing at once into space k. The heat being thus con-
ducted passes into space i, and there enters the tube a, a; passing through
which it escapes into space k, where it enters into a channel or flue C,
running along the back part of the cylinder casing, and thence to the
chimney D. This flue throughout its length keeps the heat in contact with
the cylinder A. The cylinder A is furnished with a sliding door 1, seen in the
section, Figure 3, at which the coffee to be roasted is introduced and
removed.
In order to effect this more readily, the cylinder bearings b, b, are mounted
on two bars E, E, connected in front by a tube stay F, the bars being free to
slide in the direction of their length, and to draw out, as represented in dotted
lines in Figure 2, carrying the cylinder with them. To permit this, the front
of casing 9, 9, is made moveable, being in segments 5, 6, and 6, 7, the ends of
which slide round in grooves h, h, formed in the end plates c, c. The part
from 7 to 8 at the back is a fixture, behind which the front segments are slid
round when it is desired to withdraw the cylinder A from its casing. G is the
cylinder in which the coffee is to be treated subsequent to roasting, commu-
nication between this cylinder and the roasting cylinder A being established by
the hollow shaft d. From this shaft four pipes m, m, m, radiate, the perfo-
rations in which allow free emission of any vapours. passing off from the
roasting cylinder. n is a disc filling the hollow shaft d, which is acted on by a
rod p, so as to push it beyond the pipes m, m, and thereby cut off the com-
munication with A, or withdraw it to the position shewn, and allow free passage
for the vapours; II is a third cylinder, in which I dry the coffee before
roasting, and also by its use remove some portion of husk or pellicle of the
berry. This cylinder is mounted on traversing bars I, I, as before described
with reference to A, to withdraw it from its drying chamber, as seen dotted in
Figure 2. The whole of these cylinders are made of sheet metal, as well under-
stood in coffee-roasting apparatus. The cylinder H has numerous perforations,
which by the rotary motion imparted to it act upon the berries, and cause
them to act against each other, and so scrub them as to remove some portion of
the pellicle and any extraneous matter, which I find improves the condition
of the coffee, but which thereby loses a little in weight. The removed pellicle
and any other matters removed, by this action of attrition pass through the
perforations. and fall into the chamber below. The cylinders G and H have

page_text: sliding doors q,r, by which the coffee is introduced or removed, from these
cylinders. Motion is communicated to all the cylinders by the winch handle s,
or by other suitable. means. A toothed wheel t is fixed on shaft d, which
drives a stud wheel u, which, again communicates motion to wheel v; fixed on
the shaft of H.
By this method of gearing the cylinders are quite free to be drawn out and
returned, as before explained. The action of the apparatus is this:-I first
place coffee in cylinder H, in which it is dried; the chamber where it is placed
receiving a comparatively low degree of heat, the moisture is slowly evaporated
and otherwise treated, as before explained. From the cylinder H, I.transfer
the coffee to A, which is a plain cylinder; the door of this cylinder being well
fitted to prevent escape of vapour, an escape for vapour is provided; if required,
through shaft d' and stop-cock w, fitted thereto. In this cylinder A the coffee
is not only submitted to the heat of the fire on the lower part, but it is also
subject to the heat of the internal flue a, a, which produces a more uniform
roasting effect on the berries, than. is obtained the ordinary arrangement
of roasting cylinders; and by exposing the lower part of the cylinder to a less
intense heat than usual at any one point, the coffee is not liable to be over-
roasted or burnt.
The same arrangement of the roasting cylinder A is also applicable for
roasting other substances. The coffee removed from A is allowed to cool
before it is introduced into cylinder G, in which it is subjected to the aromatic
vapours arising from another parcel of coffee roasting therein. If the coffee is
at all damp when first placed in cylinder A, the passage through d should be
closed, by pressing the disc n forward between the cylinder A and the passages
m, m, m, and if necessary opening stop-cock w a little, to suffer the escape of any
steam arising therefrom. So soon as the water is disipated, the communication
through d is established and stop-cock w shut. A small stop-cock x may be
opened a little at the same time to allow the air to escape from G, which at the
same time permits a slight circulation, and the aromatic vapours arising from
the coffee to enter. The-cylinder G being cold, the vapours will condense
therein, and permit a free ingress from A. Projections y, y, lift and carry the
coffee berries partially round during rotation, so as to distribute and expose
the coffee to the action of the vapours entering the cylinder G, by which the
coffee will obtain an increase of aroma, and will be otherwise much improved
in its quality.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner it is to
be performed, I wish it understood that what I claim to be secured by the
Letters Patent is,―

page_text: First, the use and construction of rotating cylinders or chambers in which
coffee is roasted, with an internal flue or central passage through which the
heat passes, whereby the coffee is subjected to heat radiating from the centre, as
well as that applied to the exterior of the cylinder, as herein-before, described.
And, secondly, I claim subjecting coffee after it has been roasted to the
action of the aromatic vapours passing off from another parcel of coffee
undergoing a process of roasting in a seperate cylinder or chamber, as herein
before described
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a
.:
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Isidore Constant Venant, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
CHARLES ISIDORE CONSTANT VENANT... (L.S.)
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