AN IMPROVEMENT IN The PreparatiION OR TREATMENT PROVISIONAL
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Frederick Henley, of the Date Coffee Company,
Limited, of Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street,, in the City of London,
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN The PreparatiION OR TREATMENT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Frederick Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1881.
THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY, of the Date Coffee Company, Limited, of
Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street, in the City of London. "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE PREPARATION OR TREATMENT OF THE DATE FRUIT,' AND IN
APPARATUS FOR SAID PREPARATION."
The object of this Invention is a special treatment of the date fruit, and in
apparatus for the purpose, whereby the flesh and the stones or kernels are brought
into a condition to fit them for after treatment and employment for food beverages
without destroying or interfering with the nutritious properties they possess, and
without the removal of the saccharine and saccharic acid from them.
The present Invention is based upon that described in the Specification of a
previous Patent granted to me on the 13th day of November in the year 1880,
No. 4677, and consists in arranging whole dates upon removable trays or shelves
within a close oven or retort, the interior of which is provided with pipes partly
charged with water and hermetically closed at each end; a portion of the pipes
project through the end wall of the oven into a flue or chamber, within which the
pipes are heated by a fire or furnace arranged under them. The pipes are in
layers at the lower and at the upper part of the oven in order to give off heat at
the upper part as well as at the lower, whereby the dates are thoroughly dried and
the flesh roasted. The pipes are filled with water with exception of a small space
left for the expansion of the water and for steam, and a regular temperature is
maintained, this being essential for the treatment of the dates.
By this operation the flesh of the date is browned by the dry heat, and retains
all or nearly all of the nutritive properties.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Frederick Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th November 1881.
THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY, of the Date Coffee Company, Limited, of
Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street, in the City of London. "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE PREPARATION OR TREATMENT OF THE 'DATE FRUIT,' AND IN
APPARATUS FOR SAID PREPARATION."
The object of this Invention is a special construction and arrangement of oven
or retort with vertically arranged and removable trays, within which the flesh of
the date fruit may be dried and roasted.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2, a transverse
vertical section on the line x, y, of Figure 1; Figure 3. is an elevation at the door
end. A is the brick setting of the oven or close retort B provided with a
tight fitting door C, this having chains D, D, and counterweights E, E, to hold
the door open when thrown up on its hinges F, F, F, to facilitate the entry and
the removal of trays G, which are supported by shoes a, a, and can be slid in and
out on a perforated or grating shaped floor plate H, supported by a skeleton frame I
forming part of the oven. Below this perforated or grating shaped floor I, I
arrange a series of tubes J, J, one end K of which rest upon and partly within a
box seating L adjoining the door C, the other ends M of the tubes being passed
through the partition wall N into the fireplace or furnace P, in which they serve
as bars for the fuel to rest upon. Q is the ash pit and R the ash pit door, the
opening or closing of which regulates the draught. S is the furnace door, and T is
a flue valve or damper to regulate the escape of the smoke and gaseous vapours
from the fire.
Above the top of the trays and just under the roof of the oven or retort I fit
another series of tubes U, U, arranged in a similar manner to the lower tubes J, J,
the ends V, V, of which project through the partition wall N into the flame and
gas chamber W. Each tube J, J, U,U, is shown distinct from its neighbouring
one and with its two ends closed, so that the water which is converted into steam
is retained within itself, and can be reconverted into water on cooling, and so used
over and over again without loss in consequence of there being no escape. The
tubes are each capable of withstanding a pressure much higher than is required for
the purposes of my Invention, there is therefore no risk of explosion. The several
tubes of cach series may however be connected and form a communication among
themselves, and the end ones of one series may be connected with those of the
other series for maintaining a circulation if so desired. The tubes J, J, or the
tubes U, U, may be straight as in Figures 1 and 2, or the tubes of one or of both
series may be curved as in the plan view Figure 4, the ends K being screwed into
caps X of square shape in order to regulate their distance apart, and to maintain
their parallelism.
The trays into which I arrange the "dates" are shallow, and have perforated or
open meshed sides and ends, in order that the vapour given off during the drying
process may pass freely to the upper part of the retort and be collected in the
funnel shaped opening Y, and pass therefrom by the passage Z into a condensing
worm or otherwise.
The tubes J, J, and U, U, are set at an incline in the oven or retort, so that
the water and half converted steam particles are kept at the lower parts of the
tubes which alone are in direct contact with the fire.
and
The trays G, G, are arrranged at such a distance from the tubes J, J, U, U,
at a distance apart from each other as to permit of a free and full expansion and

page_text: diffusion of the heat from the tubes by which the dates are heated and dried,
and the flesh and stones rendered available as an article of food when treated in a
manner similar to that of coffee and cocoa, as hereinbefore set forth.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The oven or retort, with vertically arranged and removable trays as shown on
the annexed Drawings for drying and roasting the flesh of the date fruit as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY. (L.S.)