IMPROVED PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR COLOURING, REFINING, AND MATUring Coffee
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th May 1873.-A communication from abroad by John Ashcroft,
of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR
COLOURING, REFINING, AND MATUring Coffee,” a communication, to be as
follows:-
The process of sweating, colouring, and maturing coffee, which
increases its commercial value, is well known to importers. When a
cargo is damp it heats and sweats, thus imparting to the coffee a rich
yellow colour. The manner in which I treat unmatured or pale green
coffee produces this much desired result and greatly enhances the value.
In Arabia coffee ripens fully on the trees; it is shaken off, dried in the
shade, and is of a superior quality, the small berries attaining their
seasoning in some three years. East and West India coffee is cured by
exposing layers of the fruit several inches thick to the heat of the sun so
that fermentation takes place.

page_text: My process in a measure disperses the fragrant volatile oil called
caffeine from near the outer shell through the solid substance, thus
enabling the raw bean to be exposed to the atmosphere with less
detriment. Raw coffee is liable to be damaged by absorbing the odours
of other substances, such as sugar and spices, and when it is so damaged
my process remedies the injury and restores the coffee to its natural
condition, in addition to producing the desirable colouring and
First. In maturing and browning coffee to increase its commercial
and other value, by subjecting it to the direct action of steam.
Secondly. In maturing and browning coffee to increase its commercial
and other value, by subjecting it to the sweating and expanding action
of steam and the drying action of heat.
Thirdly. In imparting to the coffee a yellow, brown, or golden colour
to increase its commercial and other value by subjecting, .it. both to
the action of steam and heat while in sacks, and thus greatly dimi-
nishing the labour and expense of the process, and increasing the rich
aroma of the coffee.
Fourthly. In maturing and colouring raw coffee to increase its
commercial and other value, by subjecting it to the action of sweating
steam and drying heat in a series of sacks in tiers, one above another, and
having free communication one with another, so that the sweating steam
will pass into the said tiers of sacks, so arranged by means of coils of
pipe or otherwise.
Fifthly. In apparatus for colouring and refining raw coffee, and which
is constructed as follows:-The said apparatus has an outer shell or
frame, which may be made of metal or any other suitable material; it
has compartments or ovens around which steam circulates. Sweating
boxes are provided, having perforations for the admission of steam into
the compartments through suitable pipes, which may have valves or
stop-cocks to regulate the quantity of steam used. A door incloses the
ovens and sweating boxes to economize heat, and prevent as far as
possible the radiation as well as the evaporation of the aroma of the
coffee berries. Valves are provided to draw off from the ovens or com-
partments the water resulting from the condensation of steam; and there

page_text: is a safety valve which opens when the pressure of the steam becomes
too high.
The said Invention consists, sixthly, in an apparatus for colouring,
maturing, and refining green or raw coffee. This apparatus has
preferably six sides, making a chamber in which to put coffee in bags or
bulk; it may be held by a frame or receptacle having open sides, and a
perforated bottom for bags or coffee in bulk. I prefer having a
removable framework to take out and put in; it may have a gate in
front, and casters or wheels on it by which to diminish the labour.
This apparatus may be modifled without departing from the nature of
my Invention. Its object is to facilitate the maturing and refining of
coffee by the direct action of steam. The door of the receptacle is
preferably at the side or end. It has an opening or openings at or near
the top, by which the cold air is expelled when the steam is admitted
into the chamber, and such opening or openings should be at the proper
time closed to prevent the escape of the aroma after the cold air is
expelled, and the coffee becomes heated by the action of the steam.
These openings permit the escape of the cold air, which would be forced
to the top of the chamber on the introduction of steam, and which, if
not allowed to escape, would lead to the condensation of steam and prevent
radiation.