IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREPARING INFUSIONS of coffee, TEA AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I DAVID HARRY SHUTTLEWORTH-BROWN of 5 Huggin Lane, Queen Victoria
Street in the City of London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREPARING INFUSIONS of coffee, TEA
AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a ready means for obtaining in largo
quantities, infusions of tea and coffee of a quality far superior to those at present
attainable at Railway Stations, Coffee houses, and other places of public resort.
To this end I provide a cylindrical vessel which I insert vertically within a
water jacket or boiler, and this boiler I connect by means of a hot water pipe with
the cylinder, either above or below the cover which closes the top of the cylinder.
The centre of this cover is pierced to receive a guide rod which carries, at its lower
end, a floating disc, piston, ball, or equivalent device, which fits the cylinder loosely.
The cover may carry at its centre a funnel for receiving the hot water from the
pipe and delivering it into the cylinder on to the top of the floating piston.-
When, however, the water is admitted below the cover, this funnel will not be
required.
Fitted to the underside of the floating piston is a cage made of fine wire gauze
or eqivalent material, and in it is placed the tea or coffee from which the infusion
is to be made. This cage is made readily detachable from the piston to allow of
its being emptied and recharged as circumstances may require. The cover forms
a guide for the piston rod, which rises as the floating piston is lifted by the
incoming water, and thus indicates the height of the liquid within the cylindrical
vessel. The angle at the bottom of the vessel is rounded off to facilitate cleaning,
and to remove an obstruction which an angle would otherwise cause to the circulation
of the water in the boiler or outer casing. A tap passing through the outer casing
to the inner cylinder near the bottom of the latter serves to draw off the liquid
therefrom. A safety valve is provided in the casing to prevent the undue
accumulation of steam, which may be generated by applying gas or spirit flame
to the casing, or steam may be delivered into the casing from an adjacent boiler.―
The piston rod may be graduated to indicate the depth of the liquid, or instead
of the rod, a weighted metallic band may be connected with the piston, and

page_text: graduations on the side of the case may indicate, by the rise or fall of the weight,
the amount of liquid in the cylinder.
The cylinder will be fitted near its outlet pipe with a strainer for keeping back
any floating particles that may have escaped from the cage.
In some cases I may make the piston rod tubular, and supply the coffee or tea to
the apparatus through this tube.
Instead of discharging hot water onto the piston, I may make the infusion by the
use of cold water, boiling up that water by the heat of the surrounding jacket.
To watch the progress of this heating, a thermometer may be used, the same
being attached to the guide rod, and its bulb passed through an opening in the
piston.
The outer casing or boiler may be formed with pockets to receive vessels for
heating milk and maintaining the temperature thereof.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I DAVID HARRY SHUTTLEWORTH-BROWN of Belle Vue Villa South Wimbledon
in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREPARING INFUSIONS and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a ready means for obtaining in largé
quantities Infusions of Tea and Coffee of a quality far superior to those at present
attainable at Rallway Stations Coffee Houses and other places of Public Resort.
To this end I provide a Cylindrical Vessel which I insert vertically to a short
depth within a Water Jacket or Boiler and this I connect by means of a Hot Water
Pipo with a Cylinder either above or below the cover which closes the top of the
Cylinder-The foot of this pipe is within a little distance of the Bottom of the
Boiler and is sbielded by a baffle plate or cushion-such as a hollow disc-or by a
turn in the pipo itself from the direct admission of bubbles of steam as generated
on the bottom or heating surface of the Boiler-Owing to the tendency to a relief
of pressure when a current of water is rising in the pipe, steam being generated
more freely on that part of the beating surface which is immediately under the
inlet of the pipe than elsewhere, and rising in large volumes into the pipe is some-
times projected from the pipe instead of water, or condensation may take place in
the pipe and the water which is rising within it is alternately projected and sucked
back with noisome irregularity and violence.
The upper part of this pipe is when it is outside the Cylinder cover fitted with a
stop cock and a swivel joint with a swan-neck which will enable it to project water
into the centre of the Cylinder so as to fall upon a floating Disc, piston Ball or
equivalent device within it or if there be two Cylinders e.g. one for Tea and one for
Coffee into the centre of either of them.
When the hot water pipe itself rises in the centre of a Cylinder the top end of
it is stopped under the Cylinder Cover and is perforated so as to project the bot
water from the Boiler radially and downwards onto the floating disc or its
equivalent for which in this case the hot water pipe acts as a guide rod passing
through the centre of it.
The centre of the Cylinder cover is pierced in this case in order that a rod or its
equivalent attached to the floating disc may pass through it.
When the Hot water pipe is outside the Cylinder cover the cover may carry at
its centre a funnel for receiving the hot water from the pipe and delivering it into
the Cylinder onto the top of the floating disc or piston-and a guide rod or flexible
band attached to or carrying the floating disc or piston may pass through the hole
in the centre of the funnel.
Fitted to the underside of the Floating disc is a cage made of fine wire gauze or
equivalent material as perforated metal and in it is placed the Tea or Coffee of
which the Infuriam in

page_text: This cage is made readily detachable from the Piston to allow of its being emptied
and recharged as circumstances may require.
For large quantities of Coffee this cage is divided into compartments one above
another each of them larger than the quantity of Coffee it is intended to contain-
When the lid or rather door is shut every compartment is closed and the Coffee
separated by the perforated partitions dividing the compartments is split up into
small quantities and the water getting freely into the compartments the whole of
the Coffee is as immediately and directly acted upon by the water as if there were
only one small quantity of Coffee in the Cage.
The divisions can be taken in and out separately and cleaned or whisked through
water.
The, above referred to, hole in the Cylinder cover or in the funnel surmounting
the same and forming a guide for a rod or for a flexible band attached to the
floating piston also enables the floating piston and the cage which depends from it
to be twisted by this rod or band-in order to promote and accelerate the process
of infusion as well as to be conveniently inserted in and withdrawn from the
Cylinder moreover the rod is measured off into lengths the number of which
exposed above the Cylinder cover indicates the amount of liquid within the
Cylinder if a flexible band be used-it passes over a pulley and a weight at the
other end of the band not only indicates on the face of a scale outside the Cylinder
the quantity of the liquid within it but also counter balances the weight of the
coffee and cage depending from the floating disc these being all set in motion as
the liquid rises or falls within the Cylinder.
The angle at the bottom of the Cylinder is rounded off to facilitate cleaning and
to remove an obstruction which an angle would otherwise cause to the circulation of
the water in the boiler or outer casing.
A tap passing through the outer casing to the Inner Cylinder near the bottom of
the latter vessel serves to draw off the liquid therefrom in such a manner that there
is a perfectly clear way for it from the cylinder right through the plug of the tap
without a crevice to form a lodgment in which the liquid could become stale more-
over the tap itself externally is ovoid or nearly spherical and the lever and other
parts are so turned as to present no angles either external or internal that could
either damage and tear rubbing rags or form receptacles for irremovable filth.
The same are the stop cock on the Hot Water Pipe the gauge-glass-cocks and the
Hot Water Tap.
A safety valve is provided in the casing and so designed as to prevent the undue
accumulation of steam which may be generated by applying Gas or Spirit flame to
the casing the bottom of which when outwardly concave and when it serves to
provide water for and heat two Cylinders is surmounted at the highest part of the
dome of the bottom with a ventilating Tube which passes up through the water
between the Cylinders and carries away above the breath the fumes of combustion
-When there is one Cylinder and the bottom is domed the highest part of the
concavity is so placed that such a ventilating tube can pass through the water in
the case but outside the contained cylinder-When the bottom of the Boiler is
outwardly convex a skirt hangs round it-attached to the Boiler above the
convexity-the effect of this skirt which is also surmounted by a ventilating tube
is manifold it prevents the immediate escape of the fumes of combustion and
converting a radiating surface into a heating surface forms an annular flue and
prevents the accession of draughts to the flame.
The Boiler may be beated by steam from an adjacent Boiler. The Cylinder &
(contained within the Boiler) is fitted near its outlet pipe (the tap above referred
to) with a removeable strainer to keep back any particles of sediment that may
have escaped from the cage-thus when the Cylinder is cleaned out. as it should
be and the Strainer cleaned after every infusing of Coffee a cloth may, if desirable
be passed from the Cylinder right thro' the tap should some time have elapsed
since a previous infusing.
£
'

page_text: In some cases, I may make the Piston-Rod tubular and supply the substance to
be infused through this tube.
Instead of discharging Hot Water on to the Piston I may make the Infusion by
the use of cold water boiling up that Water by the heat of the surrounding jacket
if in such a case the piston is a close fit and has a tube passing through it the rise
of the liquid in this tube will enable the process of Infusion to be watched so as to
avoid ebullition or to watch the progress of this heating a Thermometer may be
used the same being attached to the guide rod or its bulb passed thro' an opening
in the piston.
The outer casing or boiler may be formed with pockets sunk in an air chamber
round the Cylinder and above the steam space but the bottoms of these pockets may
be in the steam space of the Boiler to receive vessels for heating milk and main-
taining the temperature thereof whilst the air chamber prevents radiation from
the surface of the Cylinder.
It will be obvious that the cage when it contains Tea leaves can be easily removed
after three to five minutes infusing or as soon as may be desirable at the small
expense of aroma occasioned by exposing the surface of the liquid only momentarily
-likewise Coffee which need not be left to be stewing for hours.
It will also be obvious that as the cage is rising with the floating Piston its
contents are acted upon by every stratum of the water that falls over the edge of
the Floating Piston into the Cylinder.
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
1 A Cylindrical Vessel with the Angle at the bottom rounded off vertically
inserted to a short depth within a boiler with the steam space of the Boiler
surmounted by an air chamber surrounding the upper portion of the Cylinder such
Chamber containing pockets which may descend into or rest upon the steam space
of the Boiler.
2 The connection of the Boiler with the Cylinder by means of a hot water pipe
rising outside the Cylindrical Vessel from within a little distance of the bottom of
the boiler the pipe shielded at its lower end by a baffle plate or cushion or bent in
such a manner as to prevent steam bubbles as generated from ascending vertically
into the pipe surmounted by a stop cock and a swan neck with a swivel joint
enabling it to project boiling water on to a floating disc in the Cylinder or on to
discs in adjacent Cylinders.
3 A Hot Water Pipe similarly fitted at its lower and rising as a guide rod
through the centre of a disc floating in a Cylinder for the purpose of projecting
boiling water over the surface of the floating disc.
4 A floating disc Piston ball or any equivalent device covering the surface of an
infusion within a vessel of similar conformation to the periphery of such device.
5 A floating disc piston ball or any equivalent device within a Cylinder with a
hot water pipe or a guide rod or a tube containing material to be infused passing
through its centre.
6 Å similar device attached to a rod or to a flexible band guided by passing
through a hole, or through a funnel, in the centre of a cover of such a Cylinder-
Buch rod having measurements of the capacity of the Cylinder marked upon it or
such band passing over a pulley having a counterpoise indicating on a scale of such
measurements the volume of the infusion contained within the Cylinder.
7 A cage of perforated metal or its equivalent in any material divided by such
perforated metal or its equivalent in any material into compartments one above
another such that each is larger than the quantity it is intended to contain of the
material to be infused and such that when the Door is closed the Coffee or other
material to be infused is split up into small quantities with vacant space for water
intervening.

page_text: 8 The same so hitched to the floating disc as to be dependent from it and
capable of being twisted with it and of being readily detached from it for the sake
of being withdrawn from the infusion.
9 A Cylinder containing a Piston with cup packing, guided either by a rod or
by its own depth, with a hot water pipe passing outside from a Boiler where it has t
a stop cock upon it thence into the Cylinder whether through a cup packed hole in
the Piston or through a hole at the bottom of the Cylinder.
10 A closed Vessel such that its capacity varies with the volume of its liquid
contents or of the liquid it contains.