Improved Method of Treating Coffee Berries for the Extraction and Production of their Food and Health (Dietetic) Giving Constituents.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Treating Coffee Berries for the Extraction
and Production of their Food and Health (Dietetic) Giving
Constituents.
HERBERT WILLIAM HART of 13 Walbrook, in the City of London, Professor
of Dietetics 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 has for its object a special treatment of coffee berries by a
succession of operations of roasting, grinding and saturation (by steam or hot
water) the saturation being continued until all the beneficial and health giving
properties are extracted from the berries and contained in the liquid formed by
condensation and by outside heat for concentration.
For the purpose of carrying my invention into practice and as illustrated in the
annexed drawing I arrange a roaster A a grinder Band a saturator C in proximity
so that the volatile properties that evaporate from the berries as roasted will be
condensed in vessel D and the roasted berries can be transferred to the mill B for
grinding and from thence to the saturator which being also heated during
rotation of the contents prevents the escape of any vapour or beneficial property
as all are equally acted upon.
The several vessels are so arranged or connected that the combined or continued
process can substantially progress in close vessels or in vacuo in order to prevent
escape of aroma and of the usual gases which emanate from and are lost in the
process of roasting, by and during the ordinary system. The coffee berries treated
by my method produce a stronger liquor than can possibly be obtained by the
ordinary method.
The coffee I prefer to use in my method is what is technically called "coffee in
parchment".e with the outer cuticle, hitherto removed. Coffee so treated
contains all the natural fat (dispensing with the addition of artificial fat) albumen
and sugar natural to the raw berry are retained within the woody fibre or parchment
and goes through the same process, the result being a delicious decoction superior
to anything of the kind hitherto produced.
The cuticle or parchment has a tonic property and gives a flavour to the other
properties in the berry which not only greatly enhances the flavour of the coffee
but renders it more delicious than otherwise would be the case.
The coffee berries are contained in a hopper E from which fixed quantities may
be emptied into the roaster A by operating the cut off lever F. The roaster A is
then pushed along the shaft G into the close chamber H as indicated by the dotted
lines A through an opening I closable by sliding doors J, J. The volatile
vapours that escape from the berries during the application of heat from the
burners K ascend into the dome D into which a jet of steam may be injected by
the pipe M. As condensation takes place the liquid is retained in a hollow or
ditch N for drawing off at will by the pipe P into a receptacle Q.
When the berries are sufficiently roasted the cylinder A is drawn along the
shaft G out of the close chamber H by the opening I to the position shown by
dotted lines A so that it may be emptied into the grinder B, the ground material
falls therefrom by gravity into the closed cauldron C the contents of which are
rotated by the stirrer R. The cauldron is preferably water jacketted and mounted
upon wheels for easy removal after sufficient saturation of the contents has taken
place.

page_text: S, S¹ are fast and loose pullies driven at will from any source of power by means
of the strap T, the roaster A being stopped and started at will by an attendant
operating the striking gear U.
I am aware that coffee with the cuticle or parchment on the berries have been
roasted in what are known as open cylinders I therefore make no claim to the broad
principle of roasting such coffee berries, neither do I desire to claim any particular
kind of grinding apparatus nor the saturation to obtain a decoction but
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 :-
:-
Treating coffee berries with the cuticle or parchment on them by continuous
operations of roasting, grinding, and saturation in close chambers of vessels
arranged in proximity as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 27th day of June 1893.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said H. W. Hart.