AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DIRECTLY ROASTING COFFEE, ITS SURROGATES AND OTHER SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY SPRINGMANN, one of the firm of Carl Pieper, Civil-Engineer and
Patent-Agent resident at 109/110 Gneisenaustrasse, Berlin SW., kingdom of
Prussia do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF DIRECTLY ROASTING COFFEE, ITS SURROGATES AND OTHER SIMILAR
MATERIALS," a communication to me by Alexius van Gülpen, of Emmerich on the
Rhine, Prussia, to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved method of directly roasting coffee,
its surrogates and other similar materials as, for instance, corn and the like, and it.
essentially consists in making the heating gases or roasting agents traverse the
bulk of beams, grains, or other particles to be roasted and at the same time.
imparting to the latter a continuously rolling motion. For this purpose the
inventor arranges a rotating roasting vessel either of spherical or cylindrical form
and having perforations, above a fire-place so that the combustion gases may freely
flow around the same.
One axle of the said vessel is mado hollow and to extend
with an open perforated end into the same, while by the other open end it is
connected to the chimney. An other tube leads from the cover of the furnace to
the chimney and is provided with a draught regulating valve. The fuel being set
on fire, the hot gases will be sucked by the chimney and the hollow axle to pass
into and through the perforated vessel so as to coine in close contact with the
continuously rolling beans, grains, &c. Instead of being sucked the roasting gases
may also be forced through the said vessel.
In case the roasting agents whould carry with them impurities which it is
desired to detaine from the coffee, &c. filters of asbestos or other suitable material
may be interposed between the grains &c. and the wall of the vessel, which for
this purpose, may be provided with double walls cither on the whole surface or on
the perforated parts only.
CA 1004

page_text: I, HENRY SPRINGMANN, one of the firm of Carl Pieper, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, resident at 109/110 Gneisenaustrasse, Berlin S.W., Kingdom of
Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for an "IMPROVED
METHOD OF DIRECTLY ROASTING COFFEE, ITS SURROGATES AND OTHER SIMILAR
MATERIALS," a communication to me by Alexius van Gülpen, of Emmerich on the
Rhine, Prussia, and in what manner the samo is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention has for its object an improved method of directly roasting
coffee, its surrogates and other similar materials," as, for instance, corn 'and the like,
and it essentially consists in causing the heating gases or roasting medium to pass
through the material while being stirred. For this purpose, the inventor fills the
material to be treated into a perforated vessel of spherical or cylindrical form and
so arranged 'over a fire-place or furnace that the combustion-gases evolved by
the fuel, will be drawn through it by the chimney, while the vessel is rotated.
On the annexed sheet of drawings one form of apparatus employed by the
inventor is shown in sectional elevation.
R is the furnace, and H a removable cover for closing the same at the top.
Within the space between the furnace and the cover H, the vessel K adapted to
contain the material to be roasted, is mounted on trunnions so as to permit of
being rotated by means of a crank P. This vessel or roaster, K, shown in the
drawing as being of spherical shape, is provided either on its whole surface or on
parts thereof with perforations for the combustion-gases to pass through. One of
its trunnions, Z, is made hollow so as to form a wide tube communicating at one
end with the inside of the roaster and, at the other end, with the pipe leading to.
the chimney. Preferably the said trunnion extends with a perforated part S into
the roaster. is a pipe leading from the top of the furnace to the pipe, and
fitted with a throttle-valve 8, by the adjustment whereof a greater or less amount
of the combustion-gases can be made to pass through the roaster and the hollow
trunnion into the chimney.
When the fuel is burning, and the valvo a closed, the chimney will cause the
draught to take place through the perforations of the roaster and through the
hollow trunnion Z. Consequently the combustion gases will not only come in
contact with the roaster from the outside, but they will be drawn through the
same and the material into the chimney, the material being thus brought into
direct contact with the hot gases. As, at the same time, the vessel K is rotated by 3
turning the crank P, the coffee-berries, grains or other particles contained therein,
are caused to continuously roll and change their place in respect to each other, so
that the gases will act uniformly on the berries, &c., from all sides. In addition to
their acting as roasting medium, the combustion gases, on account of passing
through tho roaster, also operate to carry off the vapours evolved from the material 4
while being treated, and which are otherwise apt to exercise a prejudicial influence
on the same.
In order to hold the material to be roasted free of ashes and other impurities
which the gases may carry along with them, filters of asbestos or other fire-proof
material may be used, which are interposed between the material and the perforations 4
of the vessel, the latter being, in this case, provided with double walls either on the
whole surface, when wholly perforated, or on the perforated parts only.
By the described method of roasting coffee &c, by direct contact with the
roasting medium all inconveniences connected with the usual roasting, are done.

page_text: away with, as on one hand the coffee-berries are directly and uniformly acted
upon on all sides, and, on the other hand, the gases in their rapid passage through
the roasting-vessel, take away all tarry and other products of condensation. The
gases may with facility be obtained in sufficiently pure state by a proper selection
of the fuel employed, or by applying the above mentioned filters.
It is to be well understood that the present invention is not limited to tho
particular form and construction of apparatus shown and described as these may bo
varied without deviating from the nature of the invention.
Thus, for instance, the combustion gases, instead of being drawn through the
vessel K, may be forced into and through the same, and, in the first case, the
action of the chimney may be assisted by an exhaustor. Also the vessel K may
be rotated by means of any suitable gearing or by a belt and pulleys, and the
draught or the passage of the gases through the roaster may be regulated by other
known means than the pipe and valve 8.
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. The method of roasting coffee, coffee-surrogates and other similar materials,
consisting in exposing the said materials in a perforated vessel to the action of
combustion gases and in causing the gases to pass through the vessel and the
material contained therein, so that the latter will be roasted by direct contact with
the gases, substantially as sot forth.
2. In apparatuses for carrying out the described method of roasting coffee, coffee-
surrogates and similar materials, the arrangement of a hollow trunnion or tube Z
communicating at one end with the rotating roasting-vessel, and at the other with
the chimney, so as to permit the combustion-gases to pass through the said vessel,
essentially as and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 16th of December 1884.