Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Coffee Berries and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
DIEVITICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Coffee Berries and the like.
I, MILLARD FILLMORE HAMSLEY, a Citizen of the United States, and residing
at 173, Sterling Place, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, U S.A., Gentleman,
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 relates to improvements in apparatus for treating coffee and
like berries to roast or dry the same and it relates particularly to that class of
apparatus wherein the berries are carried within a foraminous cylinder, during
their treatment, and subjected to a tumbling action so as to expose the whole
mass within the cylinder uniformly to the action of the heat and air currents
passing through the cylinder
The invention has for its object to provide a simple and easily operated apparatus
which will not only give more uniform results in the product, but will effectually
remove from the berries and convey away the hulls and dirt ordinarily mixed with
the erude material. With the above objects in view, the invention consists m
certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of
parts, all as will be now described and pointed out particularly in the appended
claims
Referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying my present improve-
ments, with portions bioken away to show the exhaust openings and dampers
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same apparatus.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken centrally of the apparatus
with portions shown in elevation.
Figure 4 is a section taken at right angles to Figure 3 looking toward the
front end of the machine
Figure 5 is a detail diagrammatac view illustrating the arfangement of the
flights in the evlinder if extended in a plane.
Figure 618 a detail perspective view of one of the flights.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the cylinder alone, showing the cog wheels
for operating the discharging doo18.
Figure 7 is a detail section taken transversely through the bottom of the
cylinder to show the discharging doors
Figure 81s a detail sectional view of one of the anti-fiction rollers for sup-
porting the cylinder
Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of the preferred form of sampling device
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the tray in which the samples may be
caught
Figure 10 is a detail section illustrating the position of the tray when the
sample is to be returned to the cylinder
Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
The letter A indicates the casing of the machine which may be formed of
sheet metal and provided with an opening or pit B beneath the same

page_text: into which a car or like receptacle C may be run to receive the product of the
apparatus and convey it away for future treatment. At each end of the casing A
it is provided with relatively large central openings through which flanges
enlarged open trunnions d of the cylinder heads D project The cylinder heads D
are connected by a cylindrical foraminous sheet 1, which parts constitute
the evlinder proper within which the bees are treated. The flanges o
trunnions d of the cylinder projecting through the walls of the
casing rest upon anti-friction rollers E, preferably supported on roller or anti-
fiction beatings e carried by a stud axle el projecting from the casing A Thus
the cylinder itself is free to iotate and so tumble its contents about in the manner
to be presently described At the rear end of the cylinder the head D is provided
with a relatively large gear wheel or cncular nach D² with which a pinion Da
on the dive shaft D' meshes The shaft 1 in turn is driven by a belt Dunning
on a fast and loose pulley arrangement D in the ordinary way, and in addition
the shaft D canes at the front end a hand wheel D', by means of which the
cylinder may be turned or locked by hand when the belt is on the loose pulley,
thereby permitting of a hand manipulation to insure the discharge of the whole
body of material from the cylinder when the discharging doors d', Figure 7, are
opened. These doors are mounted on shafts d carrying at one end meshing
gear wheels d³, to one of which a key de, Figure 3, may be applied through an
opening in the casing
Passing through the forammous diaphragm F in the large central opening u
the rear end of the cylinder are three gas burners G, which are supplied with
gas from a pipe G, having branches G² entering the air pipes G³, leading t
the buineis These air pipes are supplied with the requisite amount of au to
ensure complete combustion, and a blue flame by means of a blower G, driven
from a counter shaft H, which shaft II 18 in tuin driven by a belt h from the dive
shaft D+ The supply of gas is regulated by a series of cocks g, controlled by
1ods extending out to the front end of the machine and having handles q
thereon as shown clearly in Figure 3 For the purpose of igniting the gas
1ssuing from the burners a pivoted igniter I is mounted in such position as to
pass through the diaphragm F to a point in front of the buineis, and this pivoted
igniter, which burns a very small Hame ordinarily, may be left lighted all the
while and its movement controlled by a rod also passing out to the front of
the apparatus If desued, this igniter may control in its movement a cock which
will admit mole gas when it is projected within the cylinder than at other
times, as 18 well known in the art of igniting and hence I have not deemed it
necessary to illustrate in detail more than a diagramatic view of the cock
as at I.
2
The berries or clude material is fed to the cylinder through the forammons
diaphragm F by means of a chute K, from any suitable source of supply, and
this connection it will be noted that the said diaphragm F 18 supported in the
opening or hollow trunnion in fixed position by armis f, extending around the
flange or trunnion d and secured to the casing A
At the opposite or front end of the apparatus I mount and connect the exhaust
mechanism for drawing off the fumes generated by the 1oasting on diving material
and also the hulls and dirt separated therefrom in the drying and tumbling
processes In the preferred form the front end of the casing is provided with a
senes of exhaust openings M, airanged preferably four on each side around the
periphery or the peripheral line of the cylinder, and adapted to be opened or
closed in series of two by segmental sliding dampers m, operated by racks and
pinions m and a key m which may be applied to the end of the pinion shaft
projecting through the casing or more properly through the curved conduit N,
which surrounds the end of the casing and into which the exhaust openings open
The curved conduits N at their lower ends are provided with doors for removing
any accumulations of hulls or dit therein and at their upper ends they meige in
a central flue or stack N' leading off to any suitable point but preferably having

page_text: a ieveise curve N³, Figure 3, in the elbow of which an exhaust fan 0, mounted
ou a shaft 0¹, is adapted to work The fan is driven by a pulley and belt O'
from the counter shatt H, and is preferably rotated at a relatively high speed so
as to create a strong diaft The cential opening or hollow trunnion at this fiont
end of the cylinder 18 closed by a fixed head ', supported in place by arms p
similar to the aims f supporting the diaphragm F. The head P 18 centrally
apertured and a duct N³, communicating with this aperture, leads up into the
base of the stack N¹ and is provided with a damper N+ for admitting a greater
or less amount of air into the stack and thereby controlling the draft or passage
of an through the cylinder proper
An air space is left around the foi aminous cylinder within the casing A and
in order to insure a proper draft of air through all portions of the cylinder and
out through the openings into the flues N, 1 preferably provide the cylinder itself
with a series of wings or vanes Q, Figure 3, 4 and 7, which are of a width
approximately corresponding to the width of the air space and hence form a series
of movable partitions dividing the an space into Hues which open on the one
side and end into and around the cylinder and at the opposite end into the
flues or duets N, the result being that the suction through the stack N¹ diaws
the an through the foi aminous sheet forming the evlinder and with it all of the
fumes, hulls and dut from the material being operated upon. The flues or
ducts N, being somewhat large in cross-sectional area, the heavier particles caued
by the draft of an will drop down to the bottom or lower ends of the said flues
of ducts and prevent accumulations in the stack which might be a source of
danger by catching fine.
The heat for roasting or drying the belies on material in the cylinder is
generated by the gas flame issuing from the burners G and one of the important
features of my present invention, consists in a mechanism for properly shifting
the load of mateaial canied by the cylinder back and forth from one end to the
other and passing it through the gas flame by elevating it and discharging t
at a point above the flame whereby exceedingly uniform and quick results are
attained. In carrying this feature of my invention into practice I provide the
intero of the cylindhi with a series of for aminous flights which are inclined or
aanged spirally at such angles as to insure a uniform and quick transfer of
the body of material or beiries from one end to the other of the cylinder and at
the same time a complete and thorough commingling or mixing of the same
The flights are arranged preferably in two series, one series extending diagonally
trom end to end of the cylinder and the other series meeting the first series at
an intermediate point and being each of one half the length of each of the flights
of the first series. The arrangement will be best understood by reference to
Figure 5, which is a diagramatic view on a plane surface, showing the arrange-
ment of the flights and in this view the top and bottom lines indicates the ends
of the cylinder, the 'long diagonal lines R and S indicate the flights of the first
scues which extend from end to end of the cylinder at alternately opposite
inclinations, that is to say, the flight R at one end of the cylinder meets the end
of the flight S and the latter at its opposite end meets the next flight, which 16
inclined in the same duection as the flight R From an intermediate point on
the head of the cylinder between the separated ends of the flights R and S one
of the second series of flights, lettered T, projects and intersects the flight Rat
approximately its center point and in the next space between the separated ends
of the next pan of flights R and S another short flight T is similaily arranged
and intersects on meets the flight S at an intermediate point Each of the flights
is formed of foraminous material as shown clearly in Figure 6, and each has its
edge toward the center of the cylinder curved over as at U. to form a tough
on the rising side of the cylinder which will retain a greater quantity of material
than would be possible with a substantially flat flight, and carrying the same to
a higher point, where it will be distributed as the tight assumes a more vertical

page_text: 1osition and allowed to drop through the gas flame in a continuous stream lather
than in a solid body
To more effectually secure a quick transfer of the body of material from one
end of the cylinder to the other the flights are preferably made wide at one end,
and natiow at the opposite end, thus, again referring to Figure 5, the end of the
fust flight R maiked R 18 wide, while the end marked R2 is narrow and the end
of the flight S marked So Joining the end R2 of the flight R is made
wide and the end 82 nanow, while each of the flights T is made wide at the end
nearest the head of the cylinder, and of a height at the opposite end corespond-
ing to the height of the flight R or S at the point where it joins the same
By making the flights of foraminous material danger of scorching the benes
18 to a large extent obviated, and in order to prevent the bees from falling
too close to the hollow tunnions of the cylinder I preferably mount on the
heads F and P, curved guards V, which will deflect the belies at this point
toward the center of the cylinder
It is highly desirable during the progress of a 1oast to secure a sample o
samples of the material from the interior of the cylinder in order to determine
when the process has been called far enough, and with this object in view I
mount a sampling device in the head P of the cylinder which sampling device in,
its piefened form is shown particularly in Figures 3, 9, 9 and 10, and it consis
essentially of a tube W pivoted in the head P at an intermediate point in its
length and so as to project within the cylinder at one end and outside of the
hollow trunnion at the opposite end By tuining this tube W up to the position
indicated full lines in Figure 9, a small quantity of the material within the
cylinder will be caught in its open end and, passing down through the tube,
may be received in any suitable receptacle held by the attendant, such, for
instance, as the tiay 1, 01, if desued, when the tube W 18 in this position, its
lower end may join a return tube W₁, which will lead the material back into the
cylinder at a lower point and the condition of the material may be observed as
it passes the opening between the two tubes W and W A shell 2018 preferably
formed in thus return tube W to hold the tray u and catch a sample and when
the sample has been examined, the tray may be slipped back into the tube Wi
at an inclination as shown in Figure 10, and the sample returned to the cylinder
Should it be desired to throw the sampling device out of action entuely, the
tube W may be turned up to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 9,
and the quantity of material which is allowed to pass into the open end of the tube
when it is in the position shown in full lines in this figure, may be controlled.
by a pivoted damper W³, having a handle projecting out to the front of
the machine.
To properly dampen or treat the material or berries within the cylinder I
preferably project the steam pipe X through the rear end of the same and if
desued a supply of polishing or casing material may be aanged in any suitable
receptacle, for instance as at X', Figures 2 and 3, and a pipe X leading therefrom
may open into the steam pipe for discharging the, polishing material and steam
Bimultaneously Both the supply of polishing material and steam may be con-
trolled by suitable stop cocks such as Y, Y', if desired
In operation a suitable quantity of material or coffee 16 discharged into the
cylinder through the spout K, when the supply is cut off. the gas flames ignited,
and the cylinder rotated in a proper direction to elevate the material and diop
the same through the gas flame and at the same time transfer the matenal back
and forth from one end to the other of the cylinder The pipe N³ opening out
at the center of the cylinder insures a steady and uniform draft and an elongated
flame through the center of the cylinder through which flame the material 18
dropped and the condition of the material may be seen at any time by means of
the sampling device before referred to. When the treatment is completed the
gas is cut off, the rotation of the cylinder stopped with the discharging doors at
the bottom Said doors are then opened by means of the key do and the material

page_text: dumped into the car C, which has previously been run in beneath the machine.
The car C is preferably made with a foi aminous bottom beneath which is an
air space C7 for drawing off the hot an and cooling the mass of material contained
within the cal This may be readily accomplished by any suction apparatus
deaned
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim 18:
1. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary foraminous
cylinder, with means for heating the same and entrance and discharge openings
for the material, of a casing enclosing said cylinder with a space between the
periphery of the cylinder and casing, a flue or duct at one end of said casing
and discharge passages aanged in the end of the casing around the periphery
of the cylinder and opening into a discharge flue o duct, substantially as
described
2 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary cylinder
having a solid head with open trunnions and foraminous periphery, of a casing
enclosing said cylinder and having exit apertures arranged in one end around the
periphery of the cylinder, an exhaust duct or flue with which said opening
communicate and partitions dividing the space between the periphery of the
cylinders and casing into chambers communicating with said exit apertures;
substantially as described
3. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary cylinder
having the hollow trunnions and for aminous periphery, of the casing enclosing
said cylinder with an an space between the periphery of the cylinder and casing
exit apertures communicating with said air space and vanes or partitions mounted
on the cylinder and dividing said space into chambers, substantially as described
4 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary cylinder
having a foraminous periphery and means for rotating said cylinder, of a casing
enclosing said cylinder, un au space between the periphery of the cylinder and
casing, a series of exit apertures formed in said casing, in substantial alignment
with the periphery of the cylinder, a stack or exhaust Hue communicating with
said apertures and vanes or partitions mounted on the cylinder and dividing the
space between the cylinder and casing into chambers, substantially as described
5. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a foi aminous
cylinder, the casing surrounding said cylinder and having a series of exit
openings around the periphery of said cylinder and means for rotating the
cylinder, of a stack or duct communicating with said exit openings and an
exhaust fan located in said stack on duct, substantially as described
6 In an apparatus such as descubed, the combination with the foraminous
cylinder having outwardly projecting annular flanges at each end formung
trunnions, a casing enclosing said cylinder and having apertures through which
the said trunnions project, anti-friction 1ollers journaled on the outside of the
casing and supporting said trunnions and cylinder and a stack or duct communi-
cating with the interior of the cylinder and with the casing outside of said
cylinder; substantially as described.
In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary foraminous
cylinder, having heads provided with annular outwardly projecting flanges form-
ing trunnions a casing enclosing said cylinder and anti-friction tolleis mounted
on the casing and forming the bearings upon which said tunnions iest, of burners
projecting in one of said tunnious, an exhaust flue opening through the opposite
trunnions and exhaust openings in said casing outside of the cylinder and also
communicating with said flue, substantially as described
8 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a rotary foraminous
cylinder having solid heads and central openings with means for iotating said
cylinder, of a foraminous diaphragm located in one of said cential openings,

page_text: an exhaust flue passing through the other of said openings and burners passing
though the foraminous diaphragm, substantially as described
9 in an apparatus such as described, the combination with the foraminous
cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, an exhaust flue communicating with
the said cylinder and a suction apparatus in said flue, of a gas burner projecting
auto one end of said cylinder, a gas supply pipe communicating with
said bune and an a blast apparatus also communicating with said
burner, said burner and exhaust flue being located centially of the cylinder at
substantially diametrically opposite points whereby the flame from the buinet
18 caused to project across the cylinder, substantially as described.
"
10 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary cylinder,
the casing enclosing said cylinder and a relatively large annulai rach or gear
wheel carried by the cylinder, a pin on meshing with said rack and shaft for
said pinion projecting at both front and rear of the apparatus, the hand wheel
mounted on the front end of said shaft and fast and loose driving wheels on the
rear end of said shaft, substantially as described
11 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the foraminous
cvlinder having a discharge opening at one de, doors for closing said discharge
opening, shafts upon which said doors are mounted and intermeshing gear wheels
on said shafts for securing simultaneous movement of the doors, and a handle
for turning said shaft, of a casing enclosing said cylinder having a discharge
opening at the bottom and means for rotating the cylinder; substantially as
described
12 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the cylinder having
a foraminous penphery, with means for rotating said cylinder and means for
heating the same, and withdrawing the fumes therefiom, of flights extending
from end to end of said cylinder diagonally in opposite directions and intermediate
flights extending from the ends of the cylinder diagonally and terminating,
against the first mentioned fights at intermediate points, substantially as
described.
13 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the cylinder,
means for rotating the cylinder and means for heating the same and withdrawing
the fumes therefrom, of dragonal flights extending from end to end of the cylinder,
proximate flights being inclined in opposite direction, and each of said frhts
being of greater width at one end than at the other; substantially as described
14 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the iotary cylinder,
with means for heating the same and withdrawing the fumes therefrom, of a
casing enclosing the cylinder with means for withdrawing the fumes from said
casing, said casing having an opening at the bottom and paitations or vanes for
dividing the space between the cylinder or casing into chambers, whereby an
entering the bottom opening will be caused to pass through the cylinder; sub-
stantially as described
15 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the casing, the
1otary cylinder mounted therein having a foraminous periphery, means for heating
said cylinder and means for withdrawing the fumes from the cylinder and casing,
of flights aanged within the casing in oppositely inclined directions, said flights
being wide at one end than at the other and anlanged alternately with the narrow
end of one flight adjacent the wider end of the proximate flight, substantially
as described
16 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the casing, a
series of exit openings aanged around one end of said casing, a cylinder having
a foraminous periphery located within said casing and means for heating said
evlinder, of an exhaust stack or flue communicating with aid casing outside of
the cylinder and also with the interior of the cylinder and a door or damper for
opening communication between the external air and that portion of the fine
communicating with the interior of the cylinder; substantially as described.

page_text: 17. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a rotary cylinder
and casing enclosing the same with means for heating the cylinder and with
drawing the fumes therefrom, of a sampling tube pivotally mounted at one end
of said cylinder and projecting within the same whereby by varying the inclina-
tion of said tube samples can be withdrawn from the interior of the tube or not,
as desired, substantially as described
18 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the casing, a
rotary cylinder having a central opening, of a sampling tube having one end
projected into the cylinder through said central opening and a damper for regulat-
ing the quantity of material which may enter said sampling tube, substantially
as described
19 In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the rotary cylinder,
having the cential opening in one end and a casing enclosing said cylinder of
a pivoted sampling tube mounted in said opening and having one end projected
within the cylinder and a return tube with which the outer end of said sampling
tube registers having its lower end projected within the cylinder for returning
the material caught by the sampling tube; substantially as described
Dated this 27th day of December 1898
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.