An Improved Coffee Making Machine.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coffee Making Machine.
I, JOHN LIST, of 3 St. John's Park, Blackheath, in the County of Kent,
Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to and comprises a new or improved construction, or
arrangement and combination of the parts of a steam coffee boiler, acting on the
principle of the "Napier" coffee machine or boiler, and having one or more
filtering or straining and infusing vessels connected therewith by an improved
arrangement of double action cocks and other fittings all self contained on a
portable stand, capable of being made in various sizes, and specially applicable
for use on board steam ships, or in other situations where steam is available for
heating purposes, thus avoiding the use of spirit or other lamps as heretofore. The
heating steam used is applied in a close jacket and does not intermix with the
infused coffee. This machine will be more efficient, and more easily managed and
cleaned than steam coffee boilers have been as in use heretofore.
The nature and novelty of the invention and improvements consist all as
follows: In erecting the whole in a self contained or portable manner on a teak,
hardwood, or other sole-plate, the boiler having one or more of the infusing or
filtering vessels symmetrically arranged alongside of it. The boiler would be made
in two parts preferably cylindrical in the vertical direction and with domed upper
and lower ends, the lower end being cast in gun metal or other equivalent in a
jacketted or close cased form into which the heating steam would be admitted, and
fitted with steam and drain branches and also a branch for the admission of cooling
water. This jacketted case would be erected on the soleplate upon three or more
short flanged or other supports, so arranged as to admit of the attachment of pipes
to the steam and draining off branches. A branch would also be fitted and screwed
right up through the jacketted case in the centre for drawing off the coffee from
the boiler, all the branches of this lower part being fitted with suitable closing taps
or valves. The upper part of this jacketted bottom and the lower part of the
cylindrical boiler would be formed with joint flanges having an annular groove and
tongue hydraulic joint; and would be fitted with four, six or other sufficient
number of bolts, preferably jointed to lugs in the lower flange to fold in and out of
slots in the upper flange to admit of the easy removal of the upper part of the
boiler for cleaning purposes. This whole upper part would preferably be formed
of sheet copper, brass, or other metal, and have its lower flange brazed on or
otherwise suitably attached. A small screw socket would be fitted or brazed to
the inlet hole in the centre of the domed top, into which would be screwed the
lower branch of an improved arrangement of double action cocks with safety valve,
and inlet and outlet coupling branches, all constructed as hereinafter described with
the parts portable and removable for cleaning purposes. The removable filtering
and infusing or boiling vessels are made cylindrical with a close domed bottom and
open curved-in lip so designed as to prevent the contents being thrown out with
the motion of a ship. These vessels are made of thin sheet copper, brass or other
suitable metal, with flanged bottoms, and having a bayonet clutch or other suitable
fastening arrangement to attach them to the soleplate. The ground coffee to be
infused or boiled is placed in the bottom of these vessels and they are each fitted
with a circular elliptical hollow thin metal strainer or filter full of perforations,
mounted liquid tight on the hollow close ended stem of a syphon tube secured to it
by a screw nut below, and having lateral slits or openings through the sides of the
tube, all for easy removal, and cleaning, and for the passage of the infused coffee

page_text: through the strainer and up the tube when being drawn over into the boiler. The
upper end of each syphon tube is fitted with a screw coupling for securing it to the
branch of the double action cock before mentioned. These double action cocks are
fitted with plugs having necks passing up through, screw stuffing boxes in their
covers, and having also handles and pointers above working over an indicating
plate engraved with directions for the position of the plug for the several
operations. The plug of each cock is made hollow with an opening in its lower
end and also with a side port, both opening down into a cross port in the body of
the cock, leading into its central branch and thus to the boiler. The body or chest
of the cocks has a screw coupling lateral branch near the top on one side, with
ports leading into the side cocks, to which branch the water supply pipe, would be
coupled. Each plug would also be formed with a lateral curved port through it, so
that in one position it would lead the water supply down into the syphon tube of
the filtering vessel to mix water with the ground coffee. In another position of the
plug and hand lever, the before mentioned side port would pass water into the
central boiling vessel for raising steam to boil the coffee in the filtering vessel, or
for cleaning out purposes; while another position of the plug and hand lever would
bring this side port in line with the branch leading to the syphon pipe and strainer
and thus pass steam up
from the central boiling vessel to the infusing and filtering
vessels to boil the coffee therein and when this is done, the infused coffee is driven
back again through the same port into the central boiling vessel by atmospheric
pressure, a vacuum being formed therein by boiling water in it, then shutting off
the heating steam from the jacket and allowing the steam within to condense. Or
the steam might be shut off from the jacketted bottom, and a sudden cooling of the
apparatus effected by a jet of cold water being passed into the jacket. A small
safety valve would also be fitted as before mentioned, to prevent the pressure of
steam within the boiler being raised to more than a few pounds per square inch
above the atmosphere. As before stated the infusion of coffee would be drawn off
by a tap on the branch led through the lower central part of the jacketted bottom
after it had been decanted from the filtering vessels into the central boiler, where
it could be further boiled or kept warm by the steam admitted to the jacket, from
which the condensed steam might be drained off by a small branch and cock from
time to time as required. A gauge glass to show the water level within would also
be fitted on one side of the boiler to lateral branches at top and bottom, and it
might have a small cock above the upper branch for admitting air to the boiler to
destroy the vacuum in it when that was desired. This improved arrangement of
steam coffee boiler admits of boiling and preparing coffee in one of the filter vessels,
while drawing off coffee previously decanted into the boiler; the infusing and
filtering vessels being so fitted with their double action cocks as to be operated and
in use separately or jointly at the same time. The interior of the boiling and of
the filtering and infusing vessels would be electro-plated in silver, nickel, or other
suitable metal, as also the straining filters, tubes, and cocks, and these are all made
removable, and so as to take to pieces, in order that the parts may be easily cleaned
after use. Although this coffee boiler is constructed for being heated and operated
by steam, it will be understood that it might also be heated by hot air or other
heating fluid supplied to the bottom jacket.
Dated the 7th Iul 1900

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coffee Making Machine.
I, JOHN LIST, of 3 St. John's Park, Blackheath in the County of Kent
M. Inst. C.E. do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
Bay:
+
This invention relates to and comprises a new or improved construction, or
arrangement and combination of the parts of a steam coffee boiler, acting on the
principle of the "Napier" coffee machine or boiler and having one filtering or
straining mixing and infusing vessel, or it might be more, connected therewith by
an improved arrangement of double action cocks and other fittings all self contained
on a portable stand, capable of being made in various sizes, and specially applicable
for use on board steam ships, or in other situations where steam is available for
heating purposes, thus avoiding the use of spirit or other lamps as heretofore. The
heating steam used is applied in a close jacket and does not intermix with the
infused coffee. This machine will be more efficient and more easily managed and
cleaned than steam coffee boilers have been as in use heretofore.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation showing one arrangement of my new or
improved steam coffee machine complete.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the machine corresponding to Figure 1, and
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views of the three way cock D' Ď* and other
details hereinafter referred to.
Referring to these drawings:-The improvements consist all as follows:-
In erecting the whole in a self-contained or portable manner on a teak, hardwood
or other soleplate A, the boiler B B', having preferably one, but it might be more
of the infusing or filtering vessels C symmetrically and portably arranged along-
side of it on the same stand A. The boiler is made in two parts B B₁ preferably
cylindrical in the vertical direction and with domed upper and lower ends concave
or hollow on the inner surface, the lower end B' being cast in gun metal or other
equivalent in a jacketted or close cased form at B₁ into which the heated steam
would be admitted as hereinafter described and fitted with steam branch at band a
condensed water drain branch at b. This jacketted case B' B is erected on the
soleplate A, upon three or more short flanged screw studs or other supports B¹¹¹,
so arranged above the soleplate A as to admit of the attachment of said pipes
at to the steam and draining off branches. A branch B' is also fitted and
screwed right up through the jacketted case B" in the centre for drawing off the
coffee from the boiler B, all the branches b, 61, and B of this lower part B₁ being
fitted with suitable closing taps or valves, as shown particularly in Figure 1. The
upper part of this jacketted bottom B B and the lower part of the cylinder
boiler B is formed with joint flanges having an annular groove and tongue
hydraulic joint at 6 and is fitted with four, six or other sufficient number of screw
bolts preferably jointed to lugs in the lower part B₁ B₁ to fold in and out of
slots in both flanges, as shown in Figure 1, to admit of the easy removal of the
upper part B of the boiler from the lower part B' for cleaning purposes. This
whole upper part B is preferably formed of sheet copper, brass, or other metal, and
has its lower flange brazed on or otherwise suitably attached, and has a water
cooling trough or vessel B' over its upper dome for the admission of cold water for
cooling this and producing a vacuum within. A small screw socket D is fitted or

page_text: brazed to the inlet hole in the centre of the domed top, into which is screwed the
lower branch d of the case D' of an improved arrangement of double action
cock D', D', with safety spring valve v on a branch d' of the case D', and with two
coupling branches d. d, all constructed as hereinafter described with the parts
portable and removable for cleaning purposes. The removable filtering and
infusing or boiling vessel C is made cylindrical, preferably of copper, with a close
domed bottom C', and open curved-in strengthening lips C1 at top so designed and
secured by a rim C2 at bottom to a fixed metal ring C³ on the sole plate A by
segmental projections C₁ passing through corresponding segmental slots in the
ring C, as to form a bayonet joint on opposite sides easily inserted for securing the
vessel and removing it. The ground coffee to be infused or boiled is placed in
the bottom of the vessel C which is fitted with the circular elliptical hollow thin
metal strainer or filter c full of perforations, mounted liquid tight on the hollow
close ended stem of a syphon tube secured to it by a hand screw nut c¹¹
below, and having lateral slits or openings at 11 through the sides of the tube c¹ c*
within the strainer call for easy removal, and cleaning, and for the passage of the
infused coffee through the strainer c, and up the tube c', c², when being drawn over
into the boiler B. The upper end at ex of the syphon tubes c¹² is fitted with a
hand screw coupling for securing it to the branch of the double action
cock D¹ D' before mentioned. This double action cock D¹ is fitted with a plug D'
having a spindle D11 passing up through a screw stuffing box in the cover D³ of
the cock case D' and having also a handle H screwed to the spindle D₁ with
pointers or darts on its three sides, and having directions cut on the three faces of
the handle H over the pointers h, and with a fixed style or main pointer h¹ pro-
jecting up from the top D³ of the cock, so as to be able in turning the cock to set
any of the darts in line with the fixed pointer to give either water to the
boiler B or to the mixing vessel C, or to draw off coffee from mixer C to boiler B,
and which latter is the same position as permits steam to pass from boiler B to
mixer C the positions of handle of cock being shown in Figure 4. The plug D² of
this cock D D is made hollow with an opening in its lower end direct down to the
branch d, and also with a side port d'opening down into this. The body or chest
of the cock has a screw coupling lateral branch at d¹¹ near the top on one side, to
which branch the water supply pipe w is coupled. The plug D' is also formed with a
lateral curved port through it, so that in one position it would lead the water
supply into the branch and down into the syphon tube c¹e of the filtering
vessel C, as seen in the horizontal section of the cock Figure 3 to mix water with
the ground coffee. In another position of the plug D³, and hand lever H, the
before mentioned side port d'11 would pass water from the branch d¹¹ down into
the central boiling vessel B for raising steam in it to boil the coffee in the filtering
vessel C, or for cleaning out purposes; while another position of the plug D² and
hand lever H would bring this side port d'11 in line with the branch d² leading to
the syphon pipe c¹² and strainer c, as indicated in the vertical sectional elevation
of the cock D1 D2 in Figure 2, and thus pass steam up from the central boiling
vessel B, to the infusing and filtering vessel C to boil the coffee therein, and when
this is done, the infused coffee is driven back again through the pipe c¹, c², filtered
through the strainer c, and through the branch and port d, d¹11, d, into the central
boiling vessel B, by atmospheric pressure, a vacuum being formed therein by
shutting off the heating steam from the jacket B₁ and allowing the steam within
to condense, and by filling cold water into the receiver B' above the dome of the
vessel B, and which is fitted with a drain cock at * for drawing off the cold water.
A small safety valve is also fitted over the branch of the cock D' as before
mentioned, to prevent the pressure of steam within the boiler B being raised to
more than a few pounds per square inch above the atmosphere. As before stated
the infusion of coffee would be drawn off by a tap on the branch B' led through
the lower central part B of the jacketted bottom B₁₁ after it had been decanted
from the filtering vessel C into the central boiler B where it could be further
boiled or kept warm by the steam admitted to the jacket B₁. A gauge glass g

page_text: to show the water level within would also be fitted on one side of the boiler B to
lateral branches g', g², at top and bottom, and would preferably have a small cock,
as shown at gabove the upper branch g' for admitting air to the boiler B to
destroy the vacuum in it when that was desired. This improved arrangement of
steam coffee boiler admits of boiling and infusing coffee in the filter vessel C, while
drawing off coffee previously decanted into the boiler B, by the heat of the steam
rising off the coffee passing over into the infusing vessel C; the infusing and
filtering vessel C being so fitted with the double action cock D¹ D' as to be
operated and in use separately or jointly at the same time. The interior of the
boiling and of the filtering and infusing vessels B, C, would be electro-plated in
silver, nickel, or other suitable metal, as also the straining filter c, tube c', c³, and
cocks D D and these are all made removable, and so as to be able to be taken to
pieces, in order that the parts may be easily cleaned after use. Although this
coffee machine is constructed for being heated and operated by steam, it will be
understood that it might also be heated by hot air or other heating fluid supplied
to the bottom jacket B¹¹.
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 :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of a duplex
vessel coffee infusing machine of the "Napier" class with jacketted steam or fluid
heating chamber on boiler and three way cock above, and other safety and portable
fittings, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In a coffee machine or boiler of the "Napier" class, the construction
and use of a jacketed steam or other fluid heating chamber on boiler, substantially
as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Third. In a coffee machine or boiler of the "Napier" class the construction of
the boiler in two parts with an hydraulic or fluid tight joint at lower end, for the
removal and cleaning of the vessel, substantially as herein described in reference to
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a coffee machine or boiler of the "Napier" class, the combination
and use of a three way cock placed in the upper part of the boiler, substantially as
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In a coffee machine or boiler of the "Napier" class the use of a strainer
or filter fitted on lower end of syphon pipe of infusing vessel, and constructed with
ports, and removable for cleaning purposes, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 6th April 1891
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.