Method for roasting coffee beans and similar particulate solids

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ROASTING COFFEE BEANS AND SIMILAR PARTICULATE SOLIDS IN A VESSEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PROCESSING COMPARTMENTS THEREIN, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) INTRODUCING THE SOLIDS TO BE ROASTED INTO THE UPPER COMPARTMENT UNTIL A BED OF SAID SOLIDS IS FORMED THEREIN; (B) ROASTING THE SOLIDS IN SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT BY EFFECTING A FLOW OF A HEATED FLUID MEDIUM INTO SAID BED, A FIRST PART OF THE FLUID MEDUM BEING DIRECTED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, SAID UPWARDLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE VERTICAL COMPONENT TO TRANSPORT THE PARTICLES UPWARDLY IN THE OUTER REGINS OF THE BED, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED INTO THE LOWER INNER PART OF THE BED AND TOWARD THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID PERIPHERALLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LATERAL FLOW COMPONENT TO CAUSE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PARTICLES IN THE LOWER PART OF THE BED; (C) TRANSFERRING SAID ROASTED SOLIDS B GRAVITY FROM SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT TO SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT; (D) COOLING THE ROASTED SOLIDS IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT BY EFFECTING A FLOW OF A FLUID MEDIUM INTO THE BED OF SOLIDS IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT, A FIRST PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, SAID UPWARDLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE VERTICAL COMPONENT TO TRANSPORT THE PARTICLES UPWARDLY IN THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED INTO THE LOWER INNER PART OF THE BED AND TOWARD THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID PERIPHERALLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LATEAL FLOW COMPONENT TO CAUSE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PARTICLES IN THE LOWER PART OF THE BED; AND (E) DISCHARGING THE ROASTED AND COOLED SOLIDS FROM SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ROASTING COFFEE BEANS AND SIMILAR PARTICULATE SOLIDS IN A VESSEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PROCESSING COMPARTMENTS THEREIN, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) INTRODUCING THE SOLIDS TO BE ROASTED INTO THE UPPER COMPARTMENT UNTIL A BED OF SAID SOLIDS IS FORMED THEREIN; (B) ROASTING THE SOLIDS IN SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT BY EFFECTING A FLOW OF A HEATED FLUID MEDIUM INTO SAID BED, A FIRST PART OF THE FLUID MEDUM BEING DIRECTED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, SAID UPWARDLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE VERTICAL COMPONENT TO TRANSPORT THE PARTICLES UPWARDLY IN THE OUTER REGINS OF THE BED, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED INTO THE LOWER INNER PART OF THE BED AND TOWARD THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID PERIPHERALLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LATERAL FLOW COMPONENT TO CAUSE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PARTICLES IN THE LOWER PART OF THE BED; (C) TRANSFERRING SAID ROASTED SOLIDS B GRAVITY FROM SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT TO SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT; (D) COOLING THE ROASTED SOLIDS IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT BY EFFECTING A FLOW OF A FLUID MEDIUM INTO THE BED OF SOLIDS IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT, A FIRST PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, SAID UPWARDLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE VERTICAL COMPONENT TO TRANSPORT THE PARTICLES UPWARDLY IN THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE BED, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLUID MEDIUM BEING DIRECTED INTO THE LOWER INNER PART OF THE BED AND TOWARD THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID PERIPHERALLY DIRECTED PART OF THE FLUID MEDIUM HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LATEAL FLOW COMPONENT TO CAUSE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PARTICLES IN THE LOWER PART OF THE BED; AND (E) DISCHARGING THE ROASTED AND COOLED SOLIDS FROM SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT.