IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING OR DRYING COFFEE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR ROASTING OR DRYING COFFEE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES (a com-
munication to me from abroad by William Henry Bruning of Madison in the
County of Jefferson, State of Indiana United States of America, Coffee and Spice
Merchant), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of a roasting cylinder open at one or both ends and
provided with spiral flanges arranged to convey the material to and retain it in
an intermediate part of the cylinder for roasting as long as may be desired while
the cylinder is revolved in one direction and which will quickly and completely
discharge the roasted material when the motion of the cylinder is reversed.
The invention also consists of certain details of construction which will be
hereinafter described.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of one form of the
improved coffee roaster.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on line x, x, of the said Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of another form of the improved coffee
roaster.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same on line 2³, x³, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same on line x², ³, of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is an outside view of the smoke breeching q
Figure 7 is an outside view of the smoke breeching q¹.
Figure 8 is a cross section of the receptacle with wire bottom for receiving the
roasted coffee, and
Figure 9 detail views.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the shell a of the hollow revolving cylinder may be
of the ordinary form and arranged in the usual way in an enclosing case b over a
fire-grate c for heating it and have the ordinary head e, hollow shaft f, driving
pulley g, and the removable testing scoop h at one end.
The part of the cylinder is where the coffee or other substance to be roasted is
to be retained while roasting, and it is provided with a spiral flange j for ejecting
the contents when the motion of the cylinder is reversed after the roasting is com-
pleted. In the other section k, of the cylinder and extending a suitable distance
from the open end, I have arranged the spiral flanges l, attached to the shell a, and
another one m attached to the shaft n, to conduct the coffee from the feeding
spout o, into part i of the cylinder and retain it there until the roasting is com-
pleted; the motion of the cylinder is then reversed when these flanges receiving the
contents from section i, by flanges j, will quickly discharge the same into the
hopper bottom of the smoke breeching q, to be discharged into any receptacle.
The flange j, is adapted to allow the contents of the cylinder to fall back over it
from the closed end of the cylinder and is used only to effectually discharge the
coffee from section i to section k.
The shaft n is connected to this section k, by the two cylinder frames t attached
to the interior of the cylinder. The smoke breeching q has a pipe connection u, for
attaching a pipe to conduct the smoke away.
By the construction of the discharging hopper and the smoke breeching in one
device, the apparatus is simplified and the opening at the bottom facilitates a draft
by which the smoke is effectually carried off.
Referring to Figures from 3 to 9, it will be seen that I also arrange spiral conveyors
within both open ends of a rotating roasting or drying cylinder having a greater
length than is usually made, said conveyors at both ends being arranged to convey
in wardly the coffee or other material, from the feeding spouts into the intermediate
part of the cylinder, and to hold the same therein as long as desired, to complete the
drying or roasting. The part I, of the cylinder, which is the usual form of a coffee
roaster, is where the coffee or other article is to be contained while drying or
roasting, and is provided with spiral flanges j, j, both being arranged to convey
either towards the centre or towards opposite ends of the cylinder, according to the
direction of the rotation of the latter. The spiral conveyors at the ends in sections
or parts k¹, and k³, are adapted to prevent any of the material within the cylinder
from escaping at the open ends or approaching near to the said open ends, until the
cylinder is rotated in a given direction, where-upon the said spiral conveyors
receiving the contents from section I, by the flanges j, j, will quickly discharge the
same out of the said open ends. By this arrangement of the spiral conveyors
within a portion of the open ends, I am enabled to dispense with any closing and
opening device to the said ends.
The spiral conveyors in section ¹, are shown as composed of three sets of spiral
flanges,, and 13, all conveying in the same direction, and filling the entire
diameter of the cylinder, excepting a small central part for the tryer to pass
through. The spiral flanges are fastened to the shell of the cylinder a, and the
spiral flanges, to the spirals and the spiral flanges 13, again in like manner to
the spiral 12.
The spiral conveyors in section ³, are shown as composed of spiral flanges 4,
either filling up the entire diameter of the cylinder, or as shown in the drawings a
central portion of part of the spiral conveyors may be cut out to permit the
inserting of an ordinary hand scoop, to put into the cylinder any material to be
dried like damp flour etc. which cannot be made to run through a feeding spout.
For the purpose of so filling with a hand scoop I do not use a central shaft at this
end but support the end upon the friction rollers d, d, as shown and upon which
no claim is made.
This form of constructing and supporting the open end may also be adopted if
desired to construct a small cylinder with only one open end and which shall be
1

page_text: capable of performing the full range of work as described. In that case the end of
the section I, of the cylinder would be closed by a tight head, at the end farthest
from section, the said head having a central hollow shaft to support the end and
also to receive driving pulley, as shown.
At the end of section k¹, I have shown the cylinder supported by a central shaft f,
keyed in the hub of the spider frame t which is fastened to the shell of the
cylinder a, the said shaft being hollow for inserting a tryer to test the progress of
the roasting or drying, and I also make the shaft to continue beyond the journal
bearings, to receive a driving pulley g, to give the motion to the cylinder.
The ends of the cylinder extending through and beyond the furnace walls or -
plates, are to be enclosed with breechings q³, and q2, having the semicircular doors
w, w, opening on a peripheral hinge as shown in Figure 7, and w³, w³, hinged
together diametrically and adapted to be opened separately or removed entirely by
sliding in the cleats y, in the direction of the dotted lines of Figure 6, the said
doors being so arranged for the purpose of access to the cylinder, for repairs or for
filling with hand scoop as described. The breechings further have the hopper
bottoms p, p, with tube continuations y, y, for spouting the discharged contents of
the cylinder, to the story below into the receptacle z, which is close or air tight at
the sides and top and having a wire or perforated bottom 2. The heat of the
coffee or other article in the receptacle z, will cause an upward current of air
through the wire bottom z', and up the tubes y, y, and, through the breechings q',
and q³, and tubes u, u, into the chimney E. An air blast may also be applied to
the wire bottom 21, if the natural draft should be found insufficient.
The breechings enclosing the ends of the cylinder a, will effectually carry off the
steam and smoke given off by the coffee within the cylinder during the progress of
roasting and will also carry off any smoke given off by the warm coffee which has
been discharged into the receptacle z, thereby preventing any smoke from the
coffee entering the room occupied by the workmen engaged in operating the
machine.
By the above construction of spiral conveyor flanges to retain the coffee within
an open ended cylinder, I dispense with the customary head or cover to one or both
ends of the cylinder and thus have free and ample vent at the open end or ends
for the escape of steam and smoke given off by the coffee within the cylinder, and
I thereby avoid the necessity of perforating the side of the cylinder, and by using
a closely riveted, and tightly caulked cylinder and having the open end or ends
extending outside the furnace, I prevent any smoke or gas from the fire from
entering into the cylinder containing the coffee, and thereby make a brighter and
more glossy roast than could be done, when the perforated cylinder is used, and
I also prevent the smoky taste given to the coffee by the smoke entering the per-
forations of the ordinary roasting cylinder. By the construction of the above
described imperforate and closely riveted and caulked cylinder, I am enabled to roast
or dry the finest powdered materials which cannot be done in a perforated cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A rotating coffee roasting or drying cylinder open at both ends and divided
into three sections k¹, k, and I, the section ¹, provided with spiral conveyor
flanges 1, 2, and 3, and section ³, provided with spiral flange conveyors 14, all
conveying inwardly, and section I, having the spiral flanges j, j, arranged to convey
in opposite directions, whereby the coffee may be conveyed through section k¹ or k³,
or through both simultaneously, held in section I, by the action of the spiral flanges
in sections ', and k³, until sufficiently dried or roasted and discharged at both ends
by the action of flanges j, j, 11, 12, 1, and 1, when the direction of rotation of the
cylinder is reversed as described.
2. An open ended rotating coffee roasting cylinder, having the open ends
extending through and beyond the furnace walls or plates, in combination with the

page_text: breechings q, and q³, enclosing the entire ends of the cylinder, to receive the steam
and smoke given off by the coffee within the cylinder, and convey the same into a
flue or chimney, as described.
3. The combination of a rotating coffee roasting cylinder, the stationary
breechings q¹, q³, having doors w¹, w¹, ws, w³, the hopper bottoms p, p, the spouting
tubes y, y, and the receptacle z, whereby the smoke from the discharged hot coffee
may be prevented from entering the room and be carried into a flue or chimney E,
through the tubes and breechings, as shown and described.
4. An imperforate rotating coffee roasting or drying cylinder in combination
with a close furnace, one or both ends of the cylinder being extended through and
beyond the furnace walls or plates with sufficient opening in said extended end or
ends to allow the free escape of all the steam and smoke given off by the material
within the cylinder as described.
5. An open ended roasting or drying cylinder provided with spiral conveyors
leading from one or both open ends towards the middle, and arranged to retain the
coffee or other material within the cylinder until the direction of rotation has been
reversed, as described.
6. A rotating roasting cylinder, having a self feeding and self discharging
apparatus, substantially as described and shown.
7. An open ended roasting cylinder provided with spiral conveyors at the open
end or ends, said conveyors being constructed of one or more continuous or returning
flanges made in one piece or in sections, for the purpose set forth.
8. A stationary breeching enclosing the entire end or ends of a coffee roasting
cylinder, with pipe connection whereby the steam and smoke from within the
cylinder may be conducted away as described.
9. A rotating coffee roasting or drying cylinder, arranged to automatically dis-
charge the contents when the direction of rotation is reversed as shown and
described.
10. An imperforate rotating coffee roasting or drying cylinder having at one or
both ends unclosable and non-adjustable openings for the automatic discharge of
the material within the cylinder when the direction of rotation is reversed as
described.
.