Improvements in Apparatus for Making infusions.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Making infusions.
I, EDWARD CHARLES CORTIS STANFORD, of Glenwood, Dalmuir, in the County of
Dumbarton, North Britain, Chemical Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is for an apparatus for extracting soluble bodies from substances
which contain them, when such bodies are of different degrees of solubility in the liquid
used to dissolve them.
Many substances, particularly vegetable substances, contain constituents some of
which dissolve more rapidly in a liquid than the others, and by reason of this it is
possible, to a considerable extent, to separate such bodies from each other.
This may be, and usually is, effected by macerating the substance in a liquid, when
those bodies which are the most soluble first enter into solution and, by decanting or
pouring off the infusion containing them before the other less soluble bodies have had
time to be dissolved, the bodies dissolved quickly are separated from the bodies
dissolved slowly.
In making an infusion of ordinary tea, for example, for dietetic purposes, it is
desirable to separate the more soluble bodies before the tannin, which all tea leaf
contains in varying proportions, can have time to become dissolved; for not only are
the refreshing and invigorating properties of an infusion of tea chiefly due to the more
soluble bodies it contains but the presence of tannin is very deleterious to the
digestive organs. It is therefore usual in making tea to remove the tea leaves, from
the infusion first produced by the boiling water used, within a few minutes after the
maceration of the tea leaves has commenced, and I find if this be done within a period
of from 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon the kind and quality of the tea leaf, the
resulting infusion contains but a very small proportion of tannin.
In the same way in pharmacy a number of preparations are obtained from vegetable
substances, by taking advantage of the difference in the rate at which the bodies
present dissolve during maceration; and inorganic bodies and mineral substances can
be similarly separated from each other, to a considerable extent.
When this method of separation is used means should be employed for quickly
removing the solution containing the bedies most easily and quickly dissolved from
further contact with the substance operated on, so that the bodies not so easily or
quickly dissolved may be left behind. Also, to effect the separation in the most
advantageous manner, the time of maceration should be controlled or regulated
automatically, so as to avoid any error in such time, and to dispense with the very
careful attention otherwise necessary in order to arrest the maceration at the point
which experience has found to be best.
My invention consists of an infusion vessel or pot which effects the separation of
bodies such as aforesaid in the manner described, so that the maceration can be
automatically arrested at any desired time; and it is also provided with means to
control, and render adjustable, the working of the apparatus, and to adapt it to the
result desired to be obtained. The invention is represented on the annexed sheet of
drawings which I will now proceed to describe,

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of an infusion vessel or pot made according to
my invention, and Figure 3 is a similar section showing an infusion vessel applied to
an ordinary tea pot.
Figure 4 is the plan of the perforated cover C of basket B and central syphon T
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a timing and starting reservoir, with indicating scale
and index finger attached to the adjustable regulating valve shown in Figure 3, and
Figure 6 is a plan view of the interior of the reservoir showing the regulating valve,
while Figure 7 is a plan view of the cruciform cover shown in Figure 3 for retaining
in place the substance treated.
Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the regulating valve of Figure 2 showing its
construction.
Figures 9 and 10 are a vertical section and plan of an open timing and starting
reservoir and regulating valve which I sometimes use.
Corresponding parts in all the above figures are lettered and described, in the
description following, by the same letters of reference.
V is a vessel, of cylindrical or other convenient shape, sometimes divided into
upper and lower parts, of the same or of unequal sizes in cross-section, by a
partition P, and provided with a rim or projecting piece at the lower extremity, so
that it may rest on the top of any conveniently shaped vessel as shown in Figure 3,
where it is supported by an ordinary tea pot. The partition P may be flat and
perforated, as shown in Figure 3, or the centre may be provided with a perforated
cup or basket B loose or fixed thereto, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in either case
provided with a cover C perforated, or otherwise made as shown in the said figures,
so as to retain the substance operated on in place.
T is a tube fixed to the centre of the perforated partition P or cup or basket B
closed at its upper end, which projects some distance beyond the partition P, into the
upper part of V, and open at its lower end, which is brought near to the bottom of
the vessel V, which bottom is dished, or otherwise shaped, so as to converge towards
the open end of the tube T. Passing through the centre of the converging bottom
of V, and projecting a short distance outside thereof, the tube S is fixed concentrically
with the tube T, having both ends open, and with its upper end near to the closed
end of tube T, so that both tubes form, as will readily be seen, a vertical syphon
capable of discharging the liquid contents of vessel V.
At the upper end of vessel V, either wholly exterior to the removeable cover
thereof or formed within such cover, I provide a timing and starting reservoir R the
bottom of which is fitted with a regulating cock or valve W, to adjust and control
the rate of flow of the liquid contained therein from such reservoir into the vessel V.
The regulating valve W may be constructed in the manner shown in any of the
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 9, or a cock or valve of ordinary construction may be employed,
so long as it is made capable of regulating the flow gradually, and slowly or quickly,
according to the time required for the maceration of the substance operated upon;
and it is desirable that such valve should be provided with a regulating scale and
index finger as shown in the drawings.
The parts of the apparatus above described may be made of any suitable metal, or
of earthenware, glass or other material, according to the nature of the substance and
liquid to be used in it; and the respective proportion of the sizes of such parts must
be adjusted according to the working capacity of the apparatus. The syphon
described must, however, be of ample size, so as to empty the vessel V quickly; and
when such syphon is of the kind shown in the drawings I find that a good proportion
between the sizes of the respective tubes is to make the outer tube T about twice
the diameter of the inner tube S. The timing and starting reservoir R should be
capable of holding an excess of liquid beyond that which will be contained in the
upper part of the vessel V between the working level of the liquid therein and the
top of the syphon tube T, so as to ensure an even flow during the operation, and
so that the syphon will be fully charged and so come into action with certainty and
rapidity.

page_text: The method of working the apparatus is as follows. A vessel, to receive the liquid
discharged from the apparatus, is placed underneath it; the perforated cage or
basket B is filled with the substance to be macerated, or it is evenly spread over the
perforated partition P and the cover C is placed in position. The liquid used to
effect the solution is poured into the vessel at a suitable temperature e.g. boiling
water in the case of tea, until it covers the substance to be macerated, and rises
above the lower edge of the cover C. The timing and starting reservoir R is then
filled with liquid at the same temperature, and the regulating valve is adjusted, so
that the rate of flow is such that the level of the liquid in V rises nearly to the top
of the tube T by the time that the soluble bodies to be separated from the substance
have become dissolved. The liquid continuing to flow from reservoir R into vessel V
thus charges the syphon which, coming into operation, in a short space of time
syphons over the whole of the infusion so made, and delivers it into the vessel placed
to receive it. The regulating valve can easily be adjusted to bring the syphon
automatically into operation, at any desired time, by means of the regulating scale
and index finger thereon before described.
I do not confine my invention to the particular arrangement or disposition of parts
shown on the drawings annexed, because it is manifest that these may be varied
without departing from the essence of the invention. For instance, the infusion
vessel may be of any other shape or form; the partition P may be omitted and the
cage or basket B simply fixed to the tube T which may be secured in place on the
tube S; the timing and starting reservoir may be wholly outside the vessel V and
separate therefrom and any form of regulating valve may be used; the syphon need
not be placed into the centre of the vessel but may be formed in the side thereof, or
partly external thereto, and may be any form of syphon, e.g. the ordinary shape;
but notwithstanding any such variations in the form and disposition of such parts, so
long as the whole of them co-operate together substantially in the manner described,
and so as to secure the same result, such variations may be made without departing
from the essential features of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1). A vessel divided into an upper and lower part by a perforated partition, or
provided with a perforated cup or basket; a syphon for emptying the said vessel; a
timing and starting reservoir provided with an adjustable valve to regulate the flow
of liquid therefrom; the whole combined and co-operating together forming a timing
self discharging infusion apparatus substantially as described and shown.
(2). The infusion apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2, & 3 of the drawings annexed
hereto, and herein before described.
Dated this 16th day of Santambar 1900