IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING ACORNS AND BEECH NUTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julius Liebert, of the City of London, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING
ACORNS AND BEECH NUTS."
Sealed the 24th March, 1874, and dated the 26th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julius Liebert at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th September 1873.
I, JULIUS LIEBERT, of the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR TREATING ACORNS AND BEECH NUTS," to be as follows:-
:-
The substances in their green state are placed in a vessel having
several compartments separated the one from the other by perforated
partition plates.
Centrally arranged within the vessel is a revolving shaft having beaters
or arms fixed thereon, which beaters or arms when the shaft is made to
revolve by driving pulley and band or other suitable means agitate the
substances contained in the several compartments.

page_text: While the substances are being thus agitated heat is applied to the
exterior of the vessel for roasting or torrefying the said substances. An
adjustable cap or cover is provided for the vessel.
When sufficiently treated the said substances are conveyed by a shoot
to a wire gauze cylinder supported upon a central axis, and having longi.
tudinal ribs or projections thereon for raising the substances to a certain
height, from which they fall, thus separating and cooling them in a ready
and effectual manner.
After the substances are sufficiently cooled they are conveyed to a
hopper of any suitable form and material, which said hopper leads to a
grinding apparatus consisting of a central shaft carrying a corrugated or
toothed cone working in an internally corrugated cylinder or hollow
cone. A thumbscrew is provided for adjusting the grinding parts of the
mill.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Julius Liebert in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIUS
LIEBERT, of the City of London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth. day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Julius Liebert, Her special licence that
I, the said Julius Liebert, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Julius Liebert, my executors, admin-
istrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS

page_text: FOR TREATING ACUENS AND DEECH NUTS, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Julius. Liebert, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Julius Liebert, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in an improved mode of and apparatus for
treating and preparing acorns and beech nuts to render them suitable
for commercial purposes, either for consumption by themselves or with
the admixture of coffee or other edible substances, whereby a healthy
and invigorating infusion is obtained.
When used as an admixture with coffee the substances previously
freed from their husks and in their green state are placed with the coffee
or coffee essence in a vessel, and caromel or other saccharine substance
is added thereto, and the whole may be further treated together. If
however it is desired to keep the coffee or other substance separate from
the acorns or beech nuts while under treatment the vessel is divided into
several compartments separated the one from the other by perforated
partition plates, the essence being placed in one compartment of the
vessel and the acorns or beech nuts in another compartment, and the
caromel or other saccharine substance is added thereto in about equal
proportions.
Centrally arranged within the vessel is a vertical shaft capable of
revolving, and having beaters or arms thereon, which beaters or arms,
when power is applied to revolve the shaft, agitate the substances.
While the substances are being thus agitated heat is applied to the
vessel, thereby roasting or torrifying them, and thereby impregnating
the acorns or beech nuts with the essence and the caromel or other
saccharine substance when in a heated condition, which has the effect of
destroying the tannic acid, and imparting to the acorns or beech nuts

page_text: the caffeine character or other character of the essence employed. An
adjustable cap or cover is provided for the vessel.
When sufficiently treated and in order to cool the substances quickly
the said substances are conveyed from the roaster by a shoot to a
cooler.
The cooler which I prefer to use consists of a gauze wire cylinder
supported upon a central axis, arranged horizontally, and having longi-
tudinal ribs or projections therein, which ribs when the cylinder is made
to revolve raise the substances to a certain height, from which they fall,
thus separating and cooling them in a ready and effectual manner.
After the substances are sufficiently cooled they are ground in the
usual manner, and are then ready for use.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said Invention
I would have it expressly understood that I do not claim the machinery
or apparatus herein described alone or apart from the application in the
manner and for the purpose set forth, but what I claim is, the improved
mode of treating and preparing acorns and beech nuts with the partial
or complete extraction of tannic acid to render them suitable for com-
mercial purposes, either for consumption by themselves, or with the
admixture of coffee or other substances, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julius Liebert, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.