Improvements in Machines for Hulling, Scouring, and Cleaning Coffee.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Hulling, Scouring, and Cleaning
Coffee.
1, DAVID BUNTING FRASER, of 234 Central Park West (Street), in the City of
New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in machines for hulling, scouring and
cleaning coffee, and consists in a machine comprising three connected and
co-operating parts or sets of mechanism, the first thereof embracing a feed hopper
and hulling plates between which the coffee is subjected to a rubbing action which
in part loosens and removes the hull and parchment from the coffee beans pre-
paratory to its further treatment; the second of said parts or sets consisting of a
perforated scouring cylinder which receives the coffee from said plates and contains
revoluble blades adapted to move against the coffee and effect its scouring within
said cylinder, and the third of said parts or sets comprising a trunk which receives
the coffee from said cylinder, a suction fan in communication with said trunk and a
bin also in connection with said trunk, the purpose of the fan being to clean the
coffee by elevating to the bin all hulls and other foreign matter lighter than the
coffee, while the latter is passing downward through the trunk to any suitable
receiver therefor.
The object of my invention is to produce a machine in which by a continuous
process without intermediate handling, the coffee may successfully, rapidly and
economically be hulled, scoured, and cleaned without injury to the beans; and this
object has been accomplished in the machine made the subject of this application
and whose construction and operation will be fully understood from the detailed
description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with and
embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of same;
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of same on the dotted line 3-3 of
Figure 1;
Figure 4 is an enlarged central vertical section of the feed hopper and hulling
plates; and
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of same on the dotted line 5-5 of
Figure 4.
In the drawings A designates the main supporting frame of the machine; B the
feed hopper; C, D, the hulling plates; E the scouring cylinder; F the discharge
and cleaning trunk; G the fan, and H the bin which receives the hulls and other
foreign matter drawn upward from the coffee.
Upon the forward end of the frame A is secured the frame I, which supports the
feed hopper B, and contains the hulling plates C, D, the plate C being mounted
upon the shaft K and adapted to revolve therewith, and the plate D being rigidly
secured to the partition L by bolts M. The hulling plates C, D, have on their
facing sides a concave central portion a surrounded by an annular flat portion bas
clearly shown in Figure 4, and these facing surfaces of the plates C, D, will have
a rough surface formed by the application thereto of perforated metal or wire
cloth d or by directly cutting or casting thereon elevations and depressions to
constitute a rasping or grating surface.
have found that when the surfaces of

page_text: the plates C, D, are formed by applying thereto the rough perforated metal used
for graters of various kinds, a very satisfactory result ensues. The plate C may be
adjusted on the shaft K toward or from the plate D either by means of the
screws e or the longitudinal adjustment of the shaft K, which on one end carries
the sprocket wheel N and at the other is threaded and slotted, as shown in
Figure 4, to receive the adjusting nut ƒ and locking pin g, the latter being
removable and closely fitting an aperture in the nut and entering the slot h in the
shaft K. When the ping is withdrawn from the nut f, the latter may be revolved
freely and made to draw the shaft K and plate C toward the plate D or permit the
drawing of the shaft K and plate C from the plate D by the spring ; and when
the shaft K and plate C have been adjusted to the desired position the nut f will
be locked by the pin g.
The purpose of the adjustment of the plates C, D, toward
or from each other, is to adapt them for the different sizes and varieties of coffee,
the object of the plates being to hull the coffee without crushing or injuring the
beans. The center of the plate D is removed, as shown in Figure 4, forming an
inlet aperture i, which directly communicates with the neck J of the feed hopper B
and through which all of the coffee must pass prior to passing to the scouring
cylinder E. Upon the shaft K within the neck J is secured the sleeve a¹ having
the spiral blades 6¹, which during the revolution of the shaft K feed the coffee in a
positive regular manner through the inlet i into the space between the plates C, D.
The lower interior portion of the frame I, below the hulling plates C, D, is
provided with the inclines m leading downward to the flue P, which constitutes the
means for directing the coffee from the frame I into the scouring cylinder E.
The cylinder E is mounted in the frame A, as more clearly shown in Figure 2,
and is preferably made of perforated metal. Extending longitudinally through
the scouring cylinder E is the main driving shaft Q, upon which within the
cylinder are the spiders carrying the blades R of usual construction. Upon the
forward end of the shaft Q is the power wheel S and sprocket wheel T, and upon
the rear end of the said shaft Q is the belt wheel V, which is connected with the
belt wheel on the shaft of the fan G by a belt W, as shown in Figure 1, so that
the motion of the shaft Q and fan G is simultaneous.
The forward end of the cylinder E has an inlet opening n for the coffee, and
the rear end of said cylinder has an exit opening 9 for the coffee, said exit
opening a leading to a chuter which directs the coffee into the side of the vertical
trunk F, which is open at its lower end and at its upper end communicates with
the bin H having an outlet door at its lower end and a damper Y at its upper end
which communicates with the fan G through the flue Z. The exit q from the
cylinder E to the chuter is provided with a weighted valve t, the weight w being
on an arm connected with the pivot rod on which the valve is hung. By
adjusting the weight w vertically on its arm, the resistance of the valve t against
opening may be regulated at will. The purpose of the weighted valve t is to
prevent the coffee from escaping too freely from the cylinder E, it being intended
that the coffee shall only escape from the cylinder when its pressure therein is
sufficient to automatically open the valve t against the resistance of the weight
thereon, thus retaining the coffee in the cylinder sufficiently to render the scouring
operation effectual.
The sprocket wheel N on the shaft K is connected by a chain s with the
sprocket T on the driving shaft Q, and receives its motion from said driving
shaft.
In the employment of the machine, power is applied to the driving shaft Q and,
through said shaft, to the shaft K and fan G, whereupon the coffee to be treated
will be placed in the hopper B and allowed to descend through the neck J and
opening i into the space between the plates C, D, where it will be subjected to the
hulling operation by the action of the revolving plate C and the rough facing
sides of said plate and the plate D. The coffee feeding downward
plates C, D, of necessity passes between said plates and when hulled escapes
therefrom and falls upon the inclines m, down which the coffee, with the hulls and
to the

page_text: parchment and any other foreign matter, moves to the flue P whereby it is directed
into the cylinder E, in which the coffee is scoured, and finally escapes through
the exit q and down the chuter into the trunk F, where it is subjected to the
action of the fan G, the blast drawing upward into the bin H, the hulls, parchment
and other light foreign matter, and allowing the cleaned coffee to descend through
the bottom of said trunk. The operation of the machine is continuo is, the coffee
being fed to hopper B as rapidly as the capacity will admit, and the cleaned coffee
in the meantime escaping from the trunk F. During the operation of the machine,
smaller pieces of hulls, coffee, parchment and dust will escape through the perfora-
tions in the cylinder E and fall down the inclined opposite sides of the lower part
of the frame A to any suitable receptacle or trough.
The strength of the blast from the fan G upward through the trunk F may be
regulated by the damper valve Y, which is of usual construction and will be
opened to a greater or less extent according to the degree of blast desired.
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. In a machine for hulling and scouring coffee, the feed hopper and the
hulling plates, one plate being revoluble, combined with the scouring cylinder
receiving the coffee from said plates and containing scouring blades; substantially
as set forth.
2. In a machine for hulling, scouring and cleaning coffee, the feed hopper and
the hulling plates, one of the plates being revoluble, combined with the scouring
cylinder receiving the coffee from said plates, the trunk receiving the coffee from
said cylinder, the bin in communication with said trunk, and the fan adapted to
create an upward blast through said trunk; substantially as set forth.
3. The feed hopper, and the hulling plates which are fed by said hopper,
combined with the scouring cylinder containing the revolving blades and receiving
the coffee from said plates, the weighted valve at the exit from said cylinder, the
blast trunk, the chute from said exit to said trunk, and the fan and bin for said
trunk substantially as set forth.
4. The frame supporting the feed hopper, and the enclosed hulling plates C, D,
having a concave central portion and a flat surrounding portion, one of said plates
being open at its center to admit the coffee and the other mounted on a driving
shaft, combined with the scouring cylinder which receives the coffee from said
plates; substantially as set forth.
5. The frame supporting the feed hopper, and the enclosed hulling plates C, D,
having a concave central portion, one of said plates being open at its center i to
admit the coffee and the other mounted on the driving shaft extending through
said frame and plates, combined with the spiral feed blade on said shaft, and the
scouring cylinder which receives the coffee from said plates; substantially as set
forth.
100
DAVID BUNTING FRASER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.