Improved Appliances for Infusing Coffee, Tea, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliances for Infusing Coffee, Tea, and the like.
I, DAVID ROBERTSON, of 95, Bath Street, in the County of the City of Glasgow,
Wholesale Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, reference being made to the
accompanying sheet of drawings:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improved appliances for infusing
coffee, tea, and the like, more particularly of the class used on board ship for
preparing large quantities of coffee and commonly known as steam coffee boilers,
but which are also capable of use for infusing tea or the like.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
effect or practice may be properly understood I have hereunto appended a sheet
of explanatory drawings in which Figure 1 illustrates one construction of my
improved appliances and Figure 2 a modified construction embodying the same
general features, and action; the same reference letters being employed to indicate
the same or equivalent parts in both figures.
Referring to Figure Ỉ which is a vertical section of a steam coffee boiler for use
on board ship or elsewhere where steam is available for heating purposes and which
may be secured to a bulkhead or partition by brackets or otherwise or be supported
on any suitable foundation, the appliance is constructed all as follows:-
An outer vessel or boiler A, preferably cylindrical, is fitted with an inner vessel
or. chamber B, also preferably cylindrical, shorter than the outer vessel and closed
at the bottom and open at the top thus forming a space a around and below the
inner vessel B to contain the water to be boiled. The boiler A is fitted with a blow
off cock A¹ to allow the air to escape while water is introduced through the
opening which is closed steam tight by the screwed plug A2 or other steam tight
cover. A pipe C is led from the bottom of the inner chamber B through the water
space to the outside of the boiler A where it is fitted with the stop cock C¹. The
boiler is further fitted with the steam coils D for the purpose of boiling the water
within it, the steam entering at 11 from any convenient source of supply circulat-
ing round the upper coil outwards then descending to the lower coil and finally
escaping at D2 to any convenient outlet, also with the drain cock E and the glass
gauge tube F to show the height of the water within. Where steam is not available
any other ordinary mode of heating may be employed. A cylindrical portable
infusing vessel G of a size to pass easily within the inner chamber B is formed with an
open bottom and a groove G¹ around it near its lower end and has a close cover G2
and a turned down rim G³ which fits like a lid over the rim B₁ of the chamber B
which projects above the top of the boiler A. An opening for the introduction of
the ground coffee is formed in the top and closed by the cover G4.
To retain the coffee while allowing the infusion to pass through, a straining
cloth His secured to the bottom of the infusing chamber G by tying around the
groove G¹, and a wire grating I is suspended by hooks I¹ or otherwise in order to
supply the necessary support, otherwise however the infusing chamber may have a
bottom formed of perforated metal or wire gauze.

page_text: The pipe J secured within the boiler A passes from near the bottom through
the top and is continued by means of the joints to near the bottom of the infusing
vessel G through an opening in its top cover.
The action is as follows. The boiler A being filled with water and the blow off
cock A¹ opened steam is allowed to enter the coils D until the water boils and steam
is generated. The blow off cock A¹ is then shut and the steam pressure forces the
water through the jointed pipe J to the infusing chamber within which the ground
coffee has been previously placed. After sufficient water has passed to unseal
the lower end of the pipe J steam passes and agitates the coffee and water within
the infusing chamber G and the infusion is ready to be drawn off.
The pipe J can be withdrawn from the infusing chamber by the
action of the joints as shown by the dotted lines and the infusing vessel may be
removed for cleaning purposes.
Referring to Figure 2 the infusing chamber G is modified in construction and
consists of a chamber preferably conical as shown but which may be of other
equivalent form carried at the lower end of a tube G5 which is guided loosely on
the pipe J, in this case secured to and passing through the bottom of the inner
vessel, by the tube G6 secured to the bottom of the infusing vessel G, the pipe J
being provided with a supporting collar J. The bottom of this conical chamber
may be of perforated metal or wire gauze as shown or it may be left open and be
closed by a straining cloth as in the modification already described. The tube G5 is
capable of being drawn up through an opening in the conical cover B2 of the inner
vessel B so that the conical infusing vessel G can be drawn up within this cover
quite out of the infused coffee. Small air holes are formed in the upper part of
the tube G5 to prevent the setting up of a syphon action by the cooling of the
boiler.
Instead of introducing the ground coffee to the interior of the infusing chamber G
by the opening closed by the cover G this opening is dispensed with and the coffee
introduced through the tube G³.
In this case the ring and cover at top of the tube G5 are made to
unscrew and a special filler K illustrated by Figure 2 is inserted within the tube
for the introduction of the coffee. This filler K is fitted with an inverted cup K¹
to act as a cover to the top of the tube J in order to prevent any ground coffee
passing down it while the infusing chamber is being charged. The action is
similar to that of the first modification the boiling water being forced up the
pipe and overflowing at its top descends within the tube G5 to the infusing
vessel G, thence through the ground coffee and perforated bottom to the inner
vessel from which it may be drawn off by the pipe C and stop cock C¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. Appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like, constructed and arranged
all substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second. The construction or general arrangement and combination of the parts
of appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like, all substantially as herein
described and illustrated by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Third. The construction or general arrangement and combination of the parts of
appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like, all substantially as herein described
and illustrated by Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like the combination with
a steam tight boiler of an inner chamber and a portable infusing vessel within same
all substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like the combination of an
inner chamber and portable infusing vessel with a jointed hot water and steam
circulating pipe all constructed substantially as herein described and illustrated
by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Sixth. In appliances for infusing coffee, tea, and the like the combination of an
inner chamber and a portable infusing chamber with a vertical hot water and steam
circulating pipe all constructed substantially as herein described and illustrated by
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dar en thay or may
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.