16,630. Boyes, E. Sept. 18. Roasting coffee, cocoa, grain, etc.; sampling grain &c.-Relates to an apparatus for roasting coffee also applicable for roasting or drying cocoa, grain, seeds, and the like. The apparatus consists of a rotary drum e heated by gas burners and mounted in a casing d fitted with a chimney d<3> and terminating at its lower end in a discharge shoot d<2>. The rotary drum e is fitted with a central cylinder e', connected with the exterior of the drum by a series of flattened tubes e<4>, which serve for the circulation of the products of combustion within the drum without coming in contact with the coffee. The tubes e' are arranged in rows alternating with each other so that they serve to mix and agitate the coffee. A series of deflecting- plates e<7> aie arranged in the place of one of the rows of tubes e<4>, to tend to keep the coffee in the centre of the drum. The drum is fitted with a door e<8> for charging and discharging. The casing d is provided with a door d<4> for charging the drum, and also with a door d<5> for attending to the gas burners. The main burners i are arranged in two rows on a pipe i<1> with a branch. The pipe i<1> is formed at the end as one part of a cock, the other part of which is formed on the service pipe, so that, when the pipe i<1> is turned by the lever i<3> into the position shown in dotted lines, the gas is turned off. A plate i<8> is hinged to the pipe i<1>, and, when the latter is turned, the plate i<8> falls upon a rest i<9>, also attached to the pipe i<1>, and shields the burners from the coffee being discharged from the drum e above. There are also provided a series of lateral burners j, each of which is controlled by a cock. A sampling-hole is formed in the drum, and is covered by an eccentrically-mounted disc operated by pins to uncover and cover the hole and so allow a few berries to fall at each rotation of the drum into a drawer placed beneath to catch the samples. The pin which serves to uncover the sampling-hole is attached to a hand-lever, so as to control the taking of the samples at the will of the operator. The drum is driven by a spurwheel on one of its trunnions. The wheel gears with two pinions, one of which can be clutched to a driving-shaft for continuously rotating the drum, and the other of which is fixed on a shaft with a hand-wheel and is used for turning the drum into position for charging or discharging the coffee. The coffee falls from the shoot d' into a pivoted sieve or tray oscillated by a link from a crank. The coffee is rapidly cooled by operating the tray. The tray is provided at one end with a sliding door through which the cooled coffee is discharged into sacks.