A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING VEGETABLE AND OTHER INPUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Ford Sturges, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING VEGETABLE AND OTHER
INPUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS."
Sealed the 6th October 1853, and dated the 18th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Ford
Sturges at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th April 1853.
I, RICHARD FORD STURGES, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MAKING VEGETABLE
AND OTHER INFUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a skeleton hollow cylinder or drum, turn-
ing upon a horizontal axis, the said cylinder or drum being covered by
a fabric permeable to water, or made of finely perforated metal. The

page_text: lower half of this cylinder or drum is supported by and revolves in a
semi-cylindrical trough; and a semi-cylindrical cover, turning upon
hinges, shuts down over the upper half of the said cylinder or drum;
the said two semi-cylinders forming, when connected, a cylindrical case
or enclosure, within which the skeleton cylinder or drum revolves. The
axis of the said cylinder or drum passes through the case, and carries
on its end a pulley; a band from a wheel on the frame of the machine
passes over the said pulley; and by turning the said wheel by a winch
or handle, a rapid rotatory motion may be given to the skeleton drum
or cylinder. In-making an infusion (I will-suppose-of coffee) the
ground coffee is put into the skeleton drum or cylinder at any con-
venient opening; the trough is filled with boiling water, and the lid
shut down; a rapid rotatory motion is communicated to the cylinder or
drum, and in a few minutes the infusion attains its maximum strength.
The infusion may be drawn off from-the-trough by a tap in the bottom
thereof. The axis of the apparatus may be situated vertically instead
of horizontally as described.
-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Ford Sturges, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 18th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD FORD STURGES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Ford
Sturges, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Ford Sturges,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Ford Sturges, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
-

page_text: and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and, lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
MAKING VEGETABLE AND OTHER INFUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manne:
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
'tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
Figure 1, represents a vertical longitudinal section of my Invention
and Figure 2, a vertical transverse section of the same. a, is a skeleton
or hollow.cylinder or drum, turning upon a horizontal axis b. The said
cylinder or drum is covered by a fabric or material permeable to water,
or the said drum may be made of, finely perforated metal or fine wire
gauze. The axis b, of the said drum rests on and works in bear-
ingsic, c, on the semi-cylindrical trough d'; and the said semi-cylindrical
trough d, is supported at a convenient height from the ground, by the
frame or stand e. f, is a semi-cylindrical cover connected with the
semi-cylindrical trough d, by hinges g; and the said semi-cylindrical
-cover f, may be shut down upon the semi-cylindrical trough d, as
shewn in the drawing, or raised into the position indicated by the dotted
lines h, in Figure 2. When the cover f, is shut down as represented,
it forms with the trough d, a cylindrical case or enclosure, within which
the skeleton cylinder or drum a, may be made to rotate. The axis of
the cylinder or druni a, passes through the case d, f, formed by the
trough d, and cover f; and the said axis carries ou one end a pulley i;
a band, connects the said pulley i, with the driving wheel 1. m, is a
winch or handle on the wheel l, by turning which winch or handle a

page_text: rapid rotatory motion may be given to the skeleton drum or cylinder a.
In making an infusion (I will suppose of coffee), the ground coffee is
placed in the drum or cylinder a, at an opening o, and the said opening
is then closed; the trough d, is filled or nearly filled with boiling
water; and the lid or cover f, is shut down and fastened by any con-
venient fastening p; a rapid rotatory motion is communicated to the
cylinder or drum a, by turning the winch m, by which said motion the
particles of coffee and the heated water are kept in such a state of
agitation, that the soluble matter is extracted from the coffee in the
shortest practicable time. When the infusion has attained its maximum
strength (which will be in a time depending upon the nature of the
solid of which an infusion is to be obtained, and the nature and tem-
perature of the solvent employed), the motion of the winch m, is
discontinued, and the infusion is drawn of by the tap r. Where it is
deemed necessary, the temperature of the water or other liquid used
may be maintained at any desired height, by the application of heat
under the trough d. Although I have described, and prefer making
the drum or cylinder containing the matter to be infused rotate on a
horizontal axis, yet the said drum or cylinder may be made to rotate on
a vertical axis when thought desirable. Besides being applicable to
the making of infusions or solutions of organic matters in general,
whether of animal or vegetable origin, my Invention is also applicable
to the making of solutions of saline and other soluble inorganic
matters.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, 'I wish it to be under-
stood, that I do not limit myself to the precise manner of carrying my
said Invention into effect herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim
as my Invention, constructing an apparatus to be used for making
vegetable and other infusions and solutions, in which the solid or
matter to be infused or dissolved is contained in a receptacle or vessel
permeable to liquids, the said receptacle or vessel being immersed or
partly immersed, and made to revolve in an outer vessel or case con-

page_text: taining the water or other solvent with which the said solid matter is
to be treated or dissolved.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
RICHARD FORD STURGES. (L.S.)
Witness, GEORGE SHAW.