AN IMPROVED COFFEE PULPING MACHINE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
COFFEE PULPING MACHINE." A communication from abroad by José Antonio
Mosquera, of Caracas, in Venezuela, South America.
Sealed the 23rd September 1876, and dated the 4th July 18'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th July 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in 'the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED COFFEE PULPING MACHINE."
This Invention has reference to an improved machine for pulping coffee berries
in a rapid and perfect manner, so that the beans are freed froin the pulps or shells
without being crushed or broken; and the Invention consists of a grooved and
notched revolving cylinder that removes the pulp from the beans in connection with
suitable knives.
According to this Invention the pulping cylinder is made of iron or other suitable
material, and is revolved at suitable speed by steam or other power. The cylinder
is provided with longitudinal concaved grooves that are of about the width of a
coffee berry, forming teeth into which notches are cut transversely to the grooves.
The berries are fed to the cylinder by a hopper of suitable shape, and carried by the
grooves and notches of the cylinder against a pulping or breaking knife. A second
knife is placed below the breaking knife and nearer to the circumference of the
cylinder to separate the beans from the pulp by the action of the cylinder thereon.
The mashed or broken pulps are carried by the grooves and notches of the cylinder
past the separating knife, while the soft and elastic beans escape through a channel
between the upper and lower knives.
The machine produces the rapid and effective pulping of the coffee berries without
injuring or crushing the beans, so as to form a superior machine as compared to the
crudely constructed pulping machines that have hitherto been employed for this
purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
January 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED COFFEE PULPING MACHINE." A communi-
cation from abroad by José Antonio Mosquera, of Caracas, in Venezuela, South
America.
This Invention has reference to an improved machine for pulping coffee berries
in a rapid and perfect manner, so that the beans are freed from the pulps or shells
without being crushed or broken; and the Invention consists of a grooved and
notched revolving cylinder that removes the pulp from the beans in connection with
suitable knives.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of
the improved coffee pulping machine; and Figure 2 is a detail top view of the
pulping cylinder.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two Figures.
A represents a pulping cylinder made of iron or other suitable material, and
revolved at suitable speed by steam or other power. The cylinder A is provided
with longitudinal concaved grooves a that are of about the width of a coffee berry,
forming teeth into which notches b are cut transversely to the grooves. The berries
are fed to the cylinder by a hopper B of suitable shape, and carried by the grooves
and notches of the cylinder against the pulping or breaking knife C. A second
knife D is placed below the breaking knife and nearer to the circumference of the
cylinder to separate the beans from the pulps by the action of the cylinder thereon.
The mashed or broken pulps are carried by the grooves and notches of the cylinder
past the separating knife D, while the soft and elastic beans escape through a
channel d between the upper and lower knives.
The machine produces the rapid and effective pulping of the coffee berries without
injuring or crushing the beans, so as to form a superior machine as compared to the
crudely constructed pulping machines that have hitherto been employed for this
purpose.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A coffee pulping machine composed of a grooved and notched revolving
cylinder, in combination with breaking and separating knives, of which the lower
separating knife is placed nearer to the cylinder than the upper breaking knife,
substantially as specified.
2nd. In a coffee pulping machine a revolving cylinder provided with longitudinal
concaved grooves forming teeth with notches transversely to the grooves to take up
the berries and remove the pulp, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination of a grooved and notched revolving cylinder with breaking
and separating knives that form an exit channel for the beans between the same,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)