IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFUSIONS OR EXTRACTS FROM SUBSTANCES BY STEAM PRESSURE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ulrich Etzensberger, of the Midland Hotel,
"
St. Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFUSIONS OR EXTRACTS FROM SUBSTANCES
BY STEAM PRESSURE."
Sealed the 2nd July 1878, and dated the 21st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ulrich Etzensberger
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st January 1878.
ROBERT ULRICH ETZENSBERGER, of the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFUSIONS
OR EXTRACTS FROM SUBSTANCES BY STEAM PRESSURE."
This Invention relates to certain improvements on a former Patent granted to
me, the said Robert Ulrich Etzensberger, bearing date the 16th of July 1873,
numbered 2448, for "Improvements in Apparatus for Making Infusions or Extracts
from Substances:"-
The improvements which form the subject matter of this Patent are as follows:-
The water in the lower vessel is brought to boiling point by means of steam made
to enter by the upper part of a coiled pipe placed inside the said vessel, circulating
therethrough, and the water of condensation escaping at the lower end of the said
coiled pipe. The pressure of the steam produced by the boiling of the water
causes the said water to rise in a central pipe fitting into a socket or boss in the
upper vessel, which is also furnished with a central pipe, forming a continuation of
the lower vessel pipe. The upper vessel is made double, so as to allow part of the
steam arising from the water in the lower vessel to enter therein by means of
apertures provided for that purpose around the socket or boss aforesaid, thus
forming a steam jacket surrounding the inner vessel. At the top of the central
pipe of the upper vessel is placed a circular or other shaped box or reservoir, which
contains the tea, coffee, or such like substances. This box or reservoir is furnished
with two perforated diaphragms with a central pipe extending beyond the upper
гр
1

page_text: diaphragm, and closed by the fixed cover or lid of the said box. Between, the
upper diaphragm and the lid of the pipe is furnished with openings. A door on
the side of the aforesaid box allows the tea or coffee to be placed therein, and on
being opened serves as a guide for the quantity to be introduced to allow for the
expansion when dainp.
The operation of the apparatus constructed as above is as follows:-The water
in the lower vessel, being brought to boiling point by the steam in the coiled pipe,
rises in the central pipes of the upper and lower vessel, entering that of the box or
reservoir and escaping by the openings into the space between the upper diaphragm
and lid. It then passes by the perforations of the said upper diaphragm through
the tea or coffee contained in the box in an even manner and pressure and falls as
an infusion or decoction through the perforations of the lower diaphragm into the
upper vessel, where it is always kept warm by the steam jacket.
The advantages of the above arrangements are that the water which is not used
to make the infusion will remain clean in the lower vessel or boiler, and that
greater heat is obtained by the use of the non-perforated coiled pipe, which prevents
contamination of the water by the steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Ulrich Etzensberger in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th July 1878.
ROBERT ULRICH ETZENSBERGER, of the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFUSIONS
OR EXTRACTS FROM SUBSTANCES BY STEAM PRESSURE."
733
•
In the Specification of a former British Patent granted to me, dated 16th July
1873, No. 2448, I have described an arrangement of apparatus for making infusions
or extracts from substances by the aid of a heated liquid, such as water, which is
made to pass through the substance to be infused, the part of the apparatus con-
taining such substance not being exposed to the direct heat of the heating medium
or fuel employed in heating the aforesaid heated liquid.
The object of this present Invention is to improve the construction and mode of
application of such apparatus.
And in order that this my Invention may be fully and clearly understood, I will
now proceed to describe the same, with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus, according to one
arrangement; Figure 2, an outside elevation view; and Figure 3, a horizontal
section through the upper portion of same at line A, A, Figure 1; Figures 4 and 5
are details belonging thereto; and Figures 6 and 7 are details of another arrange-
ment of apparatus; Figures 8, 9, and 10 are respectively vertical, section, plan,
and front elevation of a smaller or simplified apparatus especially suitable for
household purposes.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the apparatus consists mainly of a lower closed
vessel A containing the water or other liquid to be heated, and an upper closed
vessel B. These two vessels are placed in communication by pipes D and D¹,
which form a ground-cone joint against each other, and are held together by a
bayonet joint at that point, or in any other suitable manner. The lower vessel A.
is, by preference, fitted with a closed steam coil Q, having its inlet at an upper
level at S, and its outlet at a lower level at T, so that the condensed water may
drain down.
The coil may rest on staple frames R, as shown.
By means of cocks or valves at the inlet and outlet the heat imparted to the
liquid in the vessel A may be suitably regulated as required.
Apparatus in other respects constructed according to this Invention may, how-
ever, be treated by other means. The upper vessel B is surrounded with a mantle
or jacket B¹, which by openings at E communicates with the upper part of the
lower vessel A. The pipe D communicates with the lower part of the vessel A by
one or more openings, as shown at D.
As seen clearly in Figure 3, the upper vessel B is, by a partition wall b, divided
in two compartments, one, say, for tea, and the other, say, for coffee, and each
fitted with its own gauge glass J and J¹ for indicating the respective levels of the
liquid contents of each compartment. j and j¹ are graduated indexes for affording
greater convenience in working the apparatus. N and N are the cocks for
drawing off the infusions. There is a separate cover over each compartment, as
shown.
The vessel B may be made with more than two compartments.
The pipe D' terminates at its upper part in the cone seat for the hollow cone
plug of a cock U, with spindle passing up through a screwed gland V, which serves
to hold the plug in place. The cock spindle is fitted with a handle W. By turning
the handle W one way or the other communication is established between the
pipe D' and one or other of the branch pipe bends c or c', which are formed with
coned or other bayonet joint at their upper ends for connecting with the receptacles
C and C¹, containing, say one, tea leaves, and the other ground coffee. One of
these receptacles, in this case made semicircular, is shown separately at Figure 4
in plan, and at Figure 5 in elevation. Each receptacle is formed with a handle e
or knob at the top for taking hold of it, and with a perforated partition f near the
top. There is an empty space between the top and this perforated partition f. It
has also a perforated bottom g. The tea or coffee or other substance to be infused
or extracted is put in through a hinged side door, shown open in Figure 4.
It will be presently explained that by this construction the return valve necessary
in my former arrangement is not needed, and that the action of the percolating
liquid is in the opposite direction.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a part of the upper pipe D¹ for another arrange-
ment of apparatus, vist, such a one where the vessel B is made in one compartment,
and without the partition b, shown in Figure 3. The receptacle or box C, Figure 6,
fits centrally over the correspondingly formed cone on the upper end of the
pipe D¹, but is otherwise of the same construction as the boxes C, C¹, Figures 1, 4,
and 5.
The rest of the apparatus may be as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2,
except as regards the partition b.
The action and mode of application of the apparatus herein-before described is
as follows, say, for making coffee or tea infusions:-Water having by any con-
venient means been put into the lower vessel A to a suitable level, viz., to, say,
within an inch from the top, steam is let into the coil Q by the pipe S, the passage
through the same being regulated by cocks at the inlet S and the outlet T, and the
water heated to boiling point. Tea is also placed in one of the receptacles C, C¹,
and coffee in the other (or as applied to the apparatus described with reference to
Figure 6, the receptacle C is filled with tea or coffee as required), and the receptacles

page_text: are closed and placed on the top of the branch pipes c, c¹, (or the top of the pipe D',
as regards Figure 6). The lids are then placed on the top of the compartments of
B, and when the water in the lower vessel A is boiling hot the air cock and the
filling cock being closed, as explained in the Specification of my former aforesaid
Patent, the cock U is turned so as to open communication, say, with C', as shown.
As the water in the vessel A becomes boiling hot, and a certain amount of steam
under pressure is generated, the boiling water is forced up by the openings & in
the pipe D, D', and by the branch pipes c' into the upper part of the box C¹. The
steam also passes through the openings at E into the jacket between B and B¹.
The boiling hot water is, by the steam pressure, forced into the space between the
top and the perforated partition f, and down through the latter in the receptacle C¹
through the tea or coffee contained in the compartment below, and issues as
infusion or extract through the perforated bottom g, dropping into the vessel B.
When a sufficient amount of extract has been thus made, corresponding to the
quality of tea or coffee contained in the box (which is indicated by the gauge
glass J¹ and index 1), the cock U may be turned, so as to shut off communication
between the pipe D¹ and the receptacle C¹. The infusion or extract made as
described may now be drawn off as required, and the process for making an extract
or infusion of the substance contained in the receptacle C may then be carried on
in a similar manner by simply turning the cock U to the other side.
It will now be clear that no return valve is required in the pipe D, D¹, as I make
use of an overflow action of the boiling water, none of which can return* after
having passed into one of the receptacles C or C¹, Figures 1 or 6. As soon as the
pressure ceases, the clean boiling water in the pipe D, D¹, will return into the
boiler A, which thus is kept perfectly clean. The condensed water in the jacket
below and around the vessel runs back into the vessel A.
The receptacles C, C¹, may be made of different sizes or capacities to suit require-
ments, as to quantity and strength of infusion desired.
The apparatus thus far described are suitable for making tea, coffee, and other
infusions on a large scale, say, for hotels, steamships, and other places.
In Figures 9, and 10 is shown a small cheap apparatus suitable for domestic
use. The water guage for the lower compartment A is in this case dispensed with,
as it may be filled by measure.
The filling cock, air cock, safety valve, and overflow pipe are combined in one,
as shewn at L. O is the draw-off cock. The upper vessel B is made without a
jacket or mantle. The hot water pipe D is in one piece, and rests in a flange below.
It is screwed through the ring E, which connects the upper vessel B with the
lower vessel A. In other respects this apparatus is similar to those above
described.
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I
declare that I claim,―
First. In an apparatus operating substantially as set forth, the use of receptacles C
fixed to a pipe D, and constructed with upper and lower perforated diaphragms f
and g, the substance to be extracted being placed between them and the current of
hot liquid passing down through the same.
Second. In an apparatus operating substantially as set forth, the use of one or
more partitions 6 for the infusion of two or more substances in the same apparatus.
Third. In an apparatus operating substantially as set forth, the use of a closed
steam coil Q for heating the liquid to be used for the infusion.
Fourth. In an apparatus operating substantially as set forth, the lower vessel A
in combination with pipe D and closed steam coil Q.
Fifth. In an infusion apparatus, one or more adjustable receptacles C in com-
bination with the upper flow pipe D', lower flow pipe D, and steam coil Q, as and
for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. In an infusion apparatus, the cock U in combination with a pipe D¹, with
two or more branches and receptacles C, and with a partitioned vessel B, as and
for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: Seventh. In an apparatus operating substantially as set forth, the application to
the infusion chamber B of a steam jacket in combination with the steam space A.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ulrich Etzensberger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
R. U. ETZENSBERGER. (L.S.)