IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus FOR ROASTING COFFEE "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Sugg of Vincent Street in the City of
Westininster Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus
FOR ROASTING COFFEE
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Sugg at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG of Vincent Street in the City of Westminster
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE."
It is well known that in order to make coffee in perfection, the berries should be
roasted and ground within a short time of being used.
In roasting coffee it is usual to enclose the berries in a cylindrical or other vessel
which is slowly rotated over a charcoal fire or a gas flaine. As it is absolutely
necessary to keep the cylinder or other vessel rotating to prevent the berries
burning, the roasting of coffee becomes a tedious operation for private consumers.
It is therefore usually performed by the retail dealers with such large quantities
of coffee berries that the advantages due to roasting shortly before use are
entirely lost.
Now the object of this invention is to provide a simple apparatus for roasting
coffee which may be readily used by the consumer and which when once set going
requires little or no attention while the roasting is being effected.
The apparatus consists of a roaster, a small steam generator and engine, for
driving the same, and a condenser to condense the steam from the steam engine.
The roaster and the steam engine are heated by gas.
The roaster consists of a rectangular metal casing in which the gas burner is
enclosed.
The top of this casing is closed by a hinged cover and in the upper part of the
casing is a dish or tray which with the cover when closed forms a chamber in
which the roasting cylinder is placed.
In the bottom of the tray or dish a slot is formed and depending from the tray
through this slot is a chimney to convey the heat of the gas flame to the chamber.
Price B71

page_text: For the gas flame I prefer to use two of what are known as Sugg's Flat Flame
Burners in connection with a suitable regulator. This regulator will allow the
passage of the maximum amount of gas necessary to roast a given quantity of
coffee within a limited time, say a quarter of an hour, any smaller amount of gas
desired being regulated by a suitably placed cock.
The roaster cylinder is mounted on a central spindle which turns in notches in
the top of the casing and is provided internally with longitudinal ribs so that the
coffee may be thoroughly turned over as the cylinder is rotated.
The cylinder on being placed in the chamber is caused to rotate slowly by means
of the steam engine through a worm wheel which is mounted on one end of the
spindle.
The engine consists of a steam generator on the top of which is placed one or
more oscillating cylinders.
These cylinders are suitably mounted horizontally and the steam and exit ports
are placed in the trunnions. The piston rods are connected to a crank shaft which
carries at one end a fly wheel, and at about the centre of its length a worm which
gears with the worm wheel before mentioned.
The exhaust steam is conveyed by a pipe to a condenser which also forms a
reservoir for the feed water, and the generator is fed through a second pipe in
connection with the condenser.. Water is let into the generator from time to time
as required by raising a valve which closes the end of the feed water pipe.
This pipe is, however, so arranged that no more than a certain amount of water
can enter the generator at one time.
During the working of the engine a vacuum is caused in the generator which
assists to draw in the feed water.
The generator is heated by three flat flame burners connected with a regulator so
that only the amount of gas necessary to keep the engine working at a certain
maximum of speed can be used. The speed of the engine may however be reduced
by lowering the gas by means of a suitably placed cock.
The whole of the apparatus may be conveniently placed on a board or base plate
of say 15 inches by 12 inches, and by being nickeled will have an ornamental
appearance which will not discredit any table.
By means of this simple apparatus the consumer may roast the coffee necessary
for each meal a short time before it is to be used, and thus the advantages of freshly
roasted coffee will be obtained.
It will be evident that where gas is not available, oil or spirit lamps may be
used for heating purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Sugg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1883.
WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG of Vincent Street in the City of Westminster
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE”
It is well known that in order to obtain an infusion of Coffee in perfection, the
Coffee berries should be roasted and ground a short time before the infusion is made.
In roasting coffee the berries are usually enclosed in a cylindrical vessel which is
slowly rotated over a fire or gas flame. As it is absolutely necessary that the
enclosing vessel should be kept rotating to prevent the berries burning, the roasting
of coffee by private consumers in suitable quantities for immediate use becomes a
tedious operation, and one that is consequently very seldom carried out.
Coffee roasting is therefore usually performed by the retail dealers who roast at
one time a sufficient quantity for a day's or perhaps a week's consumption and thus
the advantages due to roasting immediately before use are entirely lost.
Now the object of the present Invention is to provide a simple and portable
apparatus by which the coffee berries may be readily roasted by the consumer
immediately before use, and which when once set going requires little or no
attention while the roasting operation is being effected.
The apparatus consists of a roaster, a steam generator and engine for driving the
roaster, and a condenser for condensing the steam from the steam engine.
The heating medium which I prefer to use for roasting the coffee berries and for
heating the steam generator is gas as being most convenient, but I may also use oil
or spirit lamps where gas is not available.,
In the accompanying drawing I have shown my improved apparatus in plan
view at Fig: 1 in side elevation at Fig: 2 and in end elevation at Fig: 3.
A is the coffee roaster, B the steam generator with the engine, and C the
condenser. These parts are mounted together on a board D for convenience of
carriage.
The roaster consists of a rectangular metal casing A in which the gas burner or
other heater is enclosed. The top of this casing is closed by a suitably shaped
hinged cover A¹, and inside the casing is a dish or tray E which will form with
the cover A¹ (when closed) a chamber to contain the roasting cylinder F. From
the bottom of this dish or tray depends through a slot a rectangular chimney E¹
which fits over the burner and serves to convey the heat from the gas flame or
other heating medium to the chamber.
The sides of the casing A are perforated to admit air to support combustion and
also to keep the casing cool.
For the gas flame I prefer to use two of what are known as Sugg's Flat Flame
burners and these burners are in connection with a suitable regulator G, which will
be adjusted to allow for the passage of the maximum amount of gas for a flame of
the size required to roast a given quantity of coffee berries within a limited time,
say a quarter of an hour; any smaller amount of gas required being regulated by a
cock G¹.
The roaster cylinder F is mounted on a central spindle F" which rests in notches
formed in the top edge of the casing A. This cylinder is provided with a sliding
door and has internal ribs, a, placed longitudinally thereof, which serve as the
cylinder rotates to thoroughly turn over the coffee berries and thus ensure their
being properly roasted.
On one end of the spindle F' is a handle F2 by which the cylinder may be
removed from the casing A when required and on the other end of the spindle is a

page_text: worm wheel F³
The driving apparatus consists of a steam generator B on the top
of which is mounted an oscillating cylinder B.-This cylinder is placed horizontally
and steam is admitted to it and exhausts from it through one trunnion which is
suitably arranged for the purpose.
The cylinder is provided with a piston the rod of which is connected to a crank
shaft which carries at one end a fly wheel c and in its length a worm d into
which gears the worm wheel Fs before referred to.
The steam generator is heated by two or more flat flame burners the admission
of gas to which is regulated by the gas regulator G² and cock G³.
To work the apparatus the generator is about half filled with water and the gas
is lighted. In a few minutes steam will be up sufficiently to work the engine.
The coffee berries are then put into the cylinder which is placed in the casing and
will immediately commence to rotate under the influence of the engine. The gas is
lighted under the cylinder and the roasting operation commences.
To avoid any inconvenience that might be caused by the exhaust steam escaping
into the room I connect the exhaust port of the engine by a pipe e with a
condenser C. This condenser is also used as a reservoir for feed water for the
steam generator with which it is connected by a pipe f provided with a cock f¹.
The condenser is filled to the top with water, the cock f¹ is then opened and
water is allowed to run into the steam generator until it runs out at the cock g
when both cocks f¹ and g are shut. In general the amount of water thus allowed
to enter the steam generator will be sufficient to produce steam to work the engine
during the time required to roast the coffee for one meal.
The roaster A may be enamelled and the steam generator may be nickeled or the
apparatus may be otherwise ornamented according to taste.
As before mentioned when gas is not available, oil or spirit lamps may be used.
This will of course necessitate some slight alterations in the arrangement of the
roaster A. The size of the lamps will however be regulated so as to give results
equivalent to those mentioned above with regard to heating by gas flames.
Having now described the nature of my Invention for "Improvements in
apparatus for roasting coffee and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect I claim :-
In an apparatus for roasting coffee the combination of a roaster such as A, a
steam generator and engine B and a condenser C all constructed arranged and
operating substantially as herein shewn and described whereby the consumer is
enabled to roast a limited amount of coffee in a given time and immediately before
use, without the necessity for constant attention, the escape of steam into the
apartment being at the same time avoided.
In 'witness whereof I the said William Thomas Sugg have hereunto set my
hand and seal the Twenty seventh day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
WILLIAM. T. SUGG (L.S.)