Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Substances such as Coffee Berries and Grain.
Year: 1889

page_text: • Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Substances such as Coffee
Berries and Grain.
I, WILLIAM ANTHONY DIESELDORFF, of Hollywood, 141 Sunderland Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to apparatus for drying substances such as coffee
berries and grain.
Apparatus has been constructed for this purpose with a rotary cylinder containing
a central hot air tube, winged radial partitions, and perforated radial tubes projecting
from the hot air tube between the partitions. ´ In such apparatus the cylinder which
has been driven by toothed gearing has been constructed with a series of charging
and discharging openings with doors for the introduction and removal of the
coffee or other substance and with a series of gauze covered openings for the escape
of vapour and heated air. Hot air has been forced by a blower through a heater and
suitable pipes and valves into the central hot air pipe and perforated tubes whence it
has passed into the cylinder finally escaping together with vapour from the substance
treated through the gauze covered openings into the surrounding atmosphere. A
branch pipe with valve has also been provided for the admission when necessary of
cold air.
Such apparatus has several disadvantages of which the following may
be mentioned.
Considerable time is required for charging the cylinder with the substance say for
example coffee berries (hereinafter referred to as berries) to be dried and for
discharging it when dried; the drying is irregular, some of the berries being more
heated than others; the temperature of the air cannot be efficiently regulated; and
the heated air and vapour, laden with dust, is discharged into the room containing
the apparatus, thereby causing great inconvenience and discomfort to persons in the
room.
Now my invention has reference to a different and novel construction of apparatus
designed to obviate the disadvantages connected with the use of known apparatus of
the kind above described. For this purpose I provide a rotary vessel (hereinafter
called the vessel) with a transverse partition near each end or double walls at each
end whereby two air chambers are formed. The partitions which constitute the inner
end walls of the vessel are perforated. One of the end chambers is connected with
an apparatus of any convenient construction for heating air, and the other end
chamber is connected to an air exhauster such as a fan, whereby a partial vacuum
can be created in the vessel and air can be drawn through the air heating apparatus
from it and through the several compartments of the vessel and be discharged,
together with vapour and dust from the coffee or other substance treated, into the
atmosphere external to the building in which the apparatus is placed, or into any
other suitable place where it will not cause inconvenience. The interior of the
vessel between the two perforated inner walls is divided by a longitudinal partition
into two compartments. Also the perforated inner end walls are connected by a
number of longitudinally arranged channels of suitable section such as V shaped ;
they may be composed of lengths of angle iron. These channels may advantageously
be arranged spirally with reference to the axis of the vessel so that when the vessel
is charged with berries to be dried and rotated, the berries will tend to accumulate
towards that end of the vessel at which hot air enters and thereby ensure that
no air shall pass through the vessel without passing through the mass of berries in
such a manner that the heat shall be utilized in drying the berries. Or the vessel
may be arranged with its axis inclined with a like object. In some cases the vessel

page_text: may be provided with deflecting plates so arranged as to cause an end wise motion to
the berries when the vessel is rotated so that the berries shall be uniformly dried.
The pipe connecting the vessel with the air heating apparatus is provided with means
for admitting cold air and for regulating the amount of air admitted. A suitable
construction for this purpose is to form the pipe with a series of holes around
which is an adjustable perforated ring or tube the arrangement being such that
whilst air is being drawn through the vessel by the exhauster, air can enter the pipe
through the holes therein by induction the amount of air so admitted being regulated
according to requirement by adjusting the perforated ring or tube so that its holes
shall register more or less with those in the pipe.
The vessel is mounted upon rollers' two of which, mounted on a driving shaft,
serve to rotate the vessel, which may be lagged in any suitable manner to prevent
radiation of heat:..
A suitable appartus for heating air to be supplied to the vessel comprises a chamber
through which extend a number of tubes each communicating at one end with a pipe
common to all and at the other end with the atmosphere, the chamber communicating
by a passage or flue with a combustion chamber and with a chimney.
Dated this 1st day of November 1889.
;
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
'COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Substances such as Coffee
Berries and Grain.
1, WILLIAM ANTHONY DIESELDORFF, of Hollywood, 141 Sunderland Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to apparatus for drying substances such as 'coffee
berries and grain.
Apparatus has been constructed for this purpose with a rotary cylinder containing
a central hot air tube, winged radial partitions, and perforated radial tubes, projecting
from the hot-air tube between the partitions.
In such apparatus the cylinder which has been driven by toothed gearing has
been constructed with a series of charging and discharging openings with doors for
the introduction and removal of the coffee or other substance and with a series of
gauze covered openings for the escape of vapor and heated air. Hot air has been
forced by a blower through a heater and suitable pipes and valves into the central
hot air pipe and perforated tubes whence it has passed into the cylinder, finally
escaping together with vapor from the substance treated, through the gauze covered
openings into the surrounding atmosphere.
Such apparatus has several disadvantages of which the following may be mentioned.
Very considerable time is required for charging the cylinder with the substance say
for example coffee berries (hereinafter referred to as berries) to be dried, and for
discharging it when dried; the drying is irregular, some of the berries being more
heated than others; the temperature of the air can only be regulated with difficulty;
and the heated air and vapor, laden with dust, is discharged into the room containing
the apparatus, thereby causing great inconvenience and discomfort to persons in
the room.
Now my invention has referenco to a different and novel construction of apparatus
designed to obviate the disadvantages connected with the use of known apparatus of
the kind above described. For this purpose I provide a rotary vessel (hereinafter
called the vessel) with a transverse partition near each end or double walls at each
end whereby two air chambers are formed. The partitions which constitute the inner
end-walls of the vessel-are perforated. One of the end chambers is connected with

page_text: an apparatus of any convenient construction for heating air, and the other end
chamber is connected to an air exhauster such as a fan, whereby a partial vacuum
can be created.in the vessel and air can be drawn through the air heating apparatus,
from it and through the several compartments of the vessel and be discharged,
together with vapor and dust from the berries treated, into the atmosphere external
to the building in which the apparatus is placed, or into any other suitable place.
where it will not cause inconvenience. The interior of the vessel between the two
perforated inner walls is divided by a longitudinal partition into two compartments
provided with doors for charging and discharging berries. Also the perforated inner
end walls are connected by a number of longitudinally arranged channels of suitable
section such as V shaped; they may be composed of lengths of anglo iron. The
vessel is further provided with deffecting plates so arranged as to impart an endwise.
motion to the berries when the vessel is rotated in order that the berries shall be
uniformly dried and accumulated towards. that end of the. vessel at which hot air
enters and thereby ensure that the air shall pass through the mass of berries in such
a manner that the heat shall be utilized in drying the berries. Or the vessel may be
arranged with its axis inclined with a like object. The pipe connecting the vessel
with the air heating apparatus is provided with means for admitting cold air and for
regulating the amount of air admitted. The vessel is mounted upon rollers two of
which, mounted on a driving shaft, serve to rotate the vessel, which may be lagged in
any suitable manner to prevent radiation of heat.
A suitable apparatus for heating air to be supplied to the vessel comprises a .
chamber through which extend a number of tubes each communicating at one end
with a pipe common to all and at the other end with the atmosphere, the chamber
communicating by a passage or flue with a combustion chamber and with a chimney.
Such heating apparatus however forms no part of the present invention and can be
replaced by any other suitable construction of air heater.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shews partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, an apparatus
Caccording to this invention for drying coffee berries.
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; and
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line ab Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view.
1 is a rotary cylindrical vessel provided with double walls 2 and 3 at each ond so
as to form two air chambers 4 and 5, one.at each. end of the vessel. Each of the inner
end walls or partitions 3 is formed with. numerous perforations 3ª the size of which
should be less than that of the berries or grain to be dried. In Fig. 3 these holes
are, for the sake of clearness,. shewn comparatively larger than they would be in
practice.
6 is an inlet connected by a stuffing box or by other suitable joint that will allow 6
tô rotate, to a fixed pipe 7 that is in communication with an apparatus of any known
or suitable construction for supplying hot air which passes through the pipe 7 and
inlet 6 to the chainber 4. To the opposite end of the vessel is attached an outlet 8
that is connected by a joint, such as will allow 8 to rotate, to the fixed suction pipe 9
of a fan or exhausting apparatus 10 that may be of any suitable construction. 11 is
a longitudinal partition that divides the interior of the vessel 1 into two longitudinal
compartiments as shewn in Fig. 3. 12, 12 are longitudinally arranged V shaped
channels secured at their ends to the perforated plates 3.
To each of the plates 3 are attached two concentric hollow truncated cones 13; they
serve to sub-divide the respective air chambers and ensure a more uniform distribu-
tion of air through the longitudinal compartments of the vessel than would otherwise
be the case..
14, 14 are spirally arranged screw blades or plates projecting from and
secured to the inner side of the vessel. These blades cause the berries to be moved..
endways along the vessel when it is rotated, and thus ensure uniform drying of the
berries. 15 is an adjustable ring or tube formed with holes 15 and mounted to turn;
upon the pipe 7 which is formed with corresponding holes, the arrangement being
such that whilst air is being drawn through the vessel by the exhauster, air can be

page_text: allowed to enter the pipe 7 through the said holes, the amount of air so admitted being
regulated according to requirement by adjusting the perforated ring.
.
16, 16 are charging and discharging holes in the wall of the vessel. These holes
are opposite the edge of the partition 11 and each is provided with a curved door 17
arranged to slide in fixed curved guides 18 (Fig. 2) fixed to the exterior of the
vessel.
T
To each door is connected a curved bar 19 with segmental curved rack 20 with.
which engages a worm 21 fixed on a shaft 22 mounted in standards 23 and provided
with a crank handle 24. By turning the crank handle, the door 17 connected
thereto can be readily opened or closed according to the direction in which the handle
is turned, the curved bar with rack working through holes in the standards 23 which
thus serve as guides for this bar..
24, 24 are sample holders each being a tube with a handle for enabling samples to be
taken from the vessel in which there are holes at 25 each closed by a plate 26 formed
with a corresponding hole and working in guides 27. Normally each plate 26 is kept
over the corresponding hole 25, so as to close it, by a spring 28 but by a finger
piece 29 the plate can be pulled back by hand to allow a sample holder to be
inserted.
A stop 30 on the plate coming into contact with one of the guides 27 arrests the
plate when its hole coincides with that of the vessel. 31 is a bent plate guard fixed
to the vessel to prevent escape of berries therefrom whilst the sample holder is being
removed. A fixed bell-mouth guide 24* is provided for each sample holder.
The ends of the vessel are provided with V shaped rings 33, resting in the grooves
of rollers 34, 34 two of which, secured on a driving shaft 35, serve to rotate the
vessel.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Berries to be dried are charged through the opening 16 that is uppermost for the
time being and pass to both compartments of the vessel, so that both compartments
are charged simultaneously. The opening is then closed and the vessel rotated.. The
exhauster is then set in action and heated air is drawn through the pipe 7 and
chamber 4 thence through the two longitudinal compartments of the vessel and the
mass of berries therein, to the chamber 5 and is finally discharged together with dust
and moisture from the berries through the outlet pipe 36 of the fan to the external
atmosphere or to any other desired place. During the rotation of the vessel, and the
drying operation, the berries are thoroughly agitated by the action of the apparatus
so as to be uniformly dried. When the berries are sufficiently dried they are dis-
charged from the two compartments 1 through the openings 16 by moving back the
corresponding doors 17.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the saune is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ―
1. In an apparatus for drying substances such as coffee berries and grain by means.
of heated air and simultaneous agitation, the combination of two air chambers and an
intermediate drying chamber or chambers furnished with means such as channels 12
for causing the berries to be agitated when the apparatus is at work such drying
chamber or chambers being in communication through suitable openings with the said
air chambers the whole being mounted so as to be capable of rotary motion and the
arrangement being such that heated air can be caused to enter the drying chamber or
chambers through one air chamber and to pass out with vapor and dust or foreign
matters from the berries treated through the other air chamber as set forth.
2. In an apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, providing the
rotary drying chamber or chambers with spirally arranged blades or plates secured to
the wall thereof and projecting inward substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.
1.
3. In an apparatus of the kind referred to in claim 1, providing the pipe connecting
one of the air chambers with an apparatus. for heating air,, with means, such as a
1

page_text: perforated ring 15 for admitting cold air to such pipe through holes therein and for
regulating the quantity of air so admitted substantially as herein described for the
purpose specified.
4. My improved apparatus for drying substances such as coffee berries and grain
constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
in the drawings annexed.
ted bus on day of March
W. A. DIESELDORFF.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.U., Agent for the Applicant.