IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COCOA- BEANS AND SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COCOA-
BEANS AND SIMILAR MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be performed;
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to steam roasting apparatus and has for its object to
provide apparatus of novel construction inore especially designed for roasting
cocoa-beans but which may also be used for other purposes. The said invention
consists essentially in constructing the roasting drum or cylinder with a system of
steam-pipes so arranged and connected as to be free to rotate with the said druin or
cylinder.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of roasting apparatus, constructed
according to this invention and
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
A indicates the main shaft suitably journalled at a a in the frame B and carrying
the roasting-drum R of cylindrical form but which may be spherical, rectangular,
or any other convenient form, rigidly applied thereto.
Cindicates a spur-wheel fixed upon one end of the shaft A and gearing with
a spur-pinion D upon the driving shaft E which is also properly journalled in the
frame Bat bb. The driving shaft E may either bo provided with a pulley Fas
shown in the drawing so as to have rotary motion imparted to it by means of a
belt and some suitable motor, or it may carry a crank and handle and be turned
by hand or by means of a pitman and treadle. Within the drum R the shaft A is
provided with the radial arms, or spokes Ɑ the said arms or spokes being rigidly
applied to the shaft A either by means of sleeves, as shewn in the drawing, or in
any other convenient and well known manner. The radial arms G, near their
outer ends, carry the bars c c adapted to slide on the said outer ends of the arms &
in the lengthwise direction of the latter, and, by means of the screw-nuts d to be
tightened upon the serpentine-pipe, or system of pipes H, arranged between them
and being conformed to the respective inner shape of the drum R. One end of
the serpentine-pipe H connects with the inlet-pipe H' while its other end is

page_text: connected with the outlet-pipe H³ both the inlet pipe H and the outlet pipe H³
being inserted in the shaft A near the opposite ends of the latter, either within the
drum R or on the outside thereof, the latter instance being illustrated in the
drawing. The ends of the shaft A are made hollow at e e', and the hollow space e
near the one end connects with the inlet pipe H¹ while the hollow space e¹ at
the opposite end connects with the outlet pipe H³. The said hollow space e in
connection with the inlet-pipe H', is entered by the steam-inlet pipe h¹ abutting
against a shoulder provided within the shaft A, and the hollow space e¹ at the
opposite end of the said shaft is entored in a similar manner by the steam-outlet
pipe h, both the pipe h' and the pipe h' being suitably packed by means of stuffing-
boxes and free to rotate within the hollow ends e e¹ of the shaft A. The steam-
inlet pipe h¹ connects with some suitable steam generator or other source of steam,
while the pipe h³ leads to some proper trap for the eduction of the water of
condensation.
The operation of the improved cocoa-roaster is as follows, that is to say, the
roasting drum R having been filled to the proper extent with raw cocoa beans,
steam is introduced through the steam inlet pipe h¹, and passing through the
hollow space e the said steam will onter the inlet pipe H and pass through the
serpentine-pipe H arranged within the drum R and thence through the outlet
pipe H to the hollow space e¹ and the outlet pipe h³ leading to the trap. Rotatory
motion is then imparted to the shaft E, which, by means of the gear whools Ď
and C, will cause the shaft A to rotate likewise, but with a comparatively slower
speod as will be seen from the drawing, the drum R. and the system of pipes H H
and H2 being bound to partake in the rotary motion of the shaft A as will be
readily understood. Steam is constantly supplied until the roasting process is
'finished.
With this improved cocoa-roaster-as-herein-described the least_possible_supply
of steam is required as compared to roasting apparatus of a similar nature and
the roasting takes place in an uniform manner without causing any breakage of
-the-beaus,-while-at-the same time all danger of fire-and-of-burning the beans is.
avoided without. there being any attendance required while the roasting is
going on.
I do not confino-myself to the application of the improved roasting apparatus
solely for the purposes of roasting cocoa-beans, since it will be readily seen that
the said apparatus may be used with the same advantage for the roasting of
similar articles and then combinod with a suitable steam ovor-heater, with
particular advantage for the roasting of coffee-beans.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a steam-roasting apparatus for roasting cocoa-beans and similar articles, the
combination with the roasting drum R, of a system of steam pipes arranged
within the said drum and so connected with steam-conduits on the outside of tho
latter that the said system of pipes will partake of the rotatory motion of the
said drum when the latter is revolved, substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Dated this 10th day of Ten 100M