IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN MAKING WORTS FOR DISTILLING PURPOSES FROM CERTAIN KINDS OF GRAIN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wilson, Assistant Manager to Messieurs
M. Macfarlane and Company, Distillers, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN MAKING WORTS FOR DISTILLING PURPOSES FROM
CERTAIN KINDS OF GRAIN."
Sealed the 29th February 1876, and dated the 5th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1875.
I, JAMES WILSON, Assistant Manager to Messieurs M. Macfarlane
and Company, Distillers, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN MAKING WORTS FOR DISTILLING
PURPOSES FROM CERTAIN KINDS OF GRAIN," to be as follows, that is to
say :-
This Invention relates to the making of worts for distilling purposes

page_text: from certain kinds of grain, such as maize and rice, and comprises
improved apparatus for effectually and economically mixing and
boiling the grain and water or liquor, and for afterwards cooling the
same.
The improved apparatus is fitted within a cylindrical mash tank or
similar vessel, and consists, according to one modification, of a central
vertical tubular shaft supported in a foot step bearing and having its
upper end entered through a stuffing box into a casing with which one
or more inlet pipes communicate. Near the lower end of the vertical
tubular shaft a pair of diametrically opposite pipes branch out, and are
curved so that their open outer ends are directed tangentially in opposite
ways, as in what is known as a "Barker's mill." Steam is admitted to
the central shaft, and issuing from the lower pipes causes them and the
shaft to revolve, at the same time mixing the contents of the tank, and
heating them up to the boiling point. When the boiling operation is com-
pleted the steam is shut off and cold water or liquor is introduced through
the tubular shaft, and the movement and mixing action thereby con-
tinued at the same time that the mixture is cooled. Or instead of or in
addition to the admission of cold water or liquor air forced by a pump is
introduced through the tubular shaft, and issuing, like the steam from
the lower pipes, keeps up the rotation and mixing action, and cools the
materials by permeating upwards through them, and carrying off the
vapor. For further mixing the contents, and keeping them in motion,
one or more chains may be carried round by an arm or arms attached to
the vertical shaft, or to one or both of the lower pipes. Gearing is by
preference provided in connection with the top of the central tubular
shaft for turning it, in order to mix or stir the contents when it may
not be wished to admit steam, water, or air.
The details of the apparatus may be modified in various ways. Thus
there may be two or more revolving distributors (as the tubular shafts
with branch pipes may be termed) in the same tank, especially when the
tank is large, and one or more revolving distributors may be employed
in combination with one or more separate mechanical stirrers of any
suitable known kind. The revolving distributor may be constructed with
tangential outlets at various distances from the centre, and may have
several branch pipes at the same or different levels.
In some modifications each revolving distributor is constructed with
two or more oblique branch pipes, each of which may have tangential

page_text: outlets at various points in its length; and in such modifications one or
more horizontal bars are fixed to the lower part of the central shaft to
support the lower and outer ends of the oblique pipes, also to carry
stirring chains, and also to cut through the grain should it become.
massed together, the bar or bars being made with a sharp edge for such
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WILSON, Assistant Manager to Messieurs M. Macfarlane and Company,
Distillers, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Wilson, Her special
licence that I, the said James Wilson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Wilson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN MAKING WORTS FOR DISTILLING PURPOSES FROM
CERTAIN KINDS OF GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Sea! Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to the making of worts for distilling pur-
poses from certain kinds of grain, such as maize and rice, and comprises
improved apparatus for effectually and economically mixing and
boiling the grain and water or liquor, and for afterwards cooling the
same.
My apparatus is fitted within a cylindrical mash tank or similar vessel
and consists of an improved arrangement of revolving steam distributor,
acting like what is known as a "Barker's mill," but specially modified,
and having various accessories in connection with it to adapt it for the
particular operation for which it is designed, and also arranged for distri-
buting air, water, or other fluid with a revolving stirring motion, and
for being driven by ordinary toothed gearing when it is desired to use it
as a mechanical stirrer without passing steam, air, water, or other fluid
through it.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
practically successful modification of my improved apparatus. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used for marking the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the apparatus within a cylin-
drical mash tank 1, and Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the apparatus
by itself, which apparatus consists, in the example delineated, of a
central vertical tubular or partly tubular shaft 2, 3, with its lower end
in a footstep bearing fixed at the centre of the tank bottom. The
upper tubular end 2 of the central vertical shaft passes completely
through a stationary box or casing 4, its connection with which is made
steam-tight by stuffing boxes 5, 6, above and below; and the casing 4 is
made with an inlet branch 7, by which steam, air, water, or other fluid
has access to its interior, and thence by apertures into the tubular
shaft 2. On the lower end of the vertical shaft 2, 3, there is fixed a
boss 8, on which are fixed two malleable iron bars 9 extending out

page_text: horizontally in opposite directions, and having stirring chains 10 con-
nected to them. The upper tubular part 2 of the vertical shaft is formed
with two branches 11, to which are attached two copper pipes 12, and
these pipes 12 extend in inclined directions from the branches 11 down
to points of attachment on the horizontal bars 9. Near the point of
attachment on the horizontal bar cach pipe 12 is bended, so that its end
terminates tangentially, or, in other words, at right angles to the bar, a
conical nozzle 13 being formed or fixed on the extreme end, and with
the nozzles of the two pipes facing in reverse directions, so that fluid
issuing from them may cause the apparatus to revolve in the well-known
manner of a "Barker's mill." Each pipe 12 is fixed to its bar 9 by a
copper strap 14 with screwed ends formed on it to pass through the bar,
and be secured beneath by screw nuts, a concave bearing piece being
inserted between the pipe and the bar.
Each nozzle 13 is by pre-
ference fitted with a weighted flap valve 15, as shown enlarged in
Figure 3, and which closes the nozzle when steam or other fluid is not
issuing from it, and thereby prevents grain from getting inside, and
possibly choking the nozzle. In some cases the inclined pipes 12 may
be fitted with additional tangential nozzles, as indicated by dotted lines
at 16, if it is considered desirable to subdivide the streams of steam or
other fluid more than is done by the two extreme nozzles 13.
My improved apparatus has the advantage, not only of utilising the
force of the steam employed for heating the mixed grain and liquor so
as to make the apparatus rotate, and thus act as an efficient stirrer or
mixer and equaliser, but also that of causing the steam, even when of
considerable pressure to be introduced in a quiet and gentle manner, and
without the jar and concussion which accompanies the introduction of
steam in the ordinary way, and which causes rapid derangement and
wear of the apparatus.
The pipe 17 connected to the inlet branch 7 of the casing 4 at the
upper part of the central vertical shaft 2, 3, is formed with two branches
besides that connected to the steam pipe, one branch 18 being shown in
Figure 1, and the other being on the other side of the pipe 17, or in any
other convenient position. One of the branch pipes 18 is for admitting
air from a pump or other forcing apparatus, and the other for admitting
water or liquor. When the boiling operation is completed the steam is
shut off, and cold water or liquor is introduced by one of the branch
pipes 18, and issuing from the nozzles 13 causes the rotation and mixing

page_text: action to continue whilst the mixture is cooling. Or instead of, or in
addition to, the admission of cold water or liquor air may be similarly
introduced, and permeating upwards through the mixture will carry off
vapor, and thereby expedite the cooling action. The top of the central
vertical shaft 2, 3, is carried through the top stuffing box 5 of the
casing 4, in order that gearing may be conveniently applied to it to
allow of its being used as a simple mechanical stirrer at times when it
may not be convenient or desirable to employ steam or other fluid to
move it.
A worm wheel 19 is fixed on the shaft 2, 3, and a worm 20 to
gear therewith is fast on a horizontal shaft 21, but this last has one end
carried in a swivelling bearing 22, whilst the other end is carried in a
bearing 23, which is adjustable in a slot in a bracket 24, so that the
worm 20 can be taken out of gear from the worm wheel 19 by shifting
the shaft 21 when the apparatus is being worked with steam or other
fluid. The worm shaft 21 has on it a spur wheel 25, which is in gear
with a spur wheel 26 on a first-motion driving shaft 27 above the con-
nection between the two wheels 25, 26, not being affected by the slight
adjustment movement of the shaft 21.
The details of the apparatus may be modified in various ways. Thus
there may be two or more revolving distributors (as the tubular shafts
with branch pipes may be termed) in the same tank; especially when
the tank is large; and one or more revolving distributors may be
employed in combination with one or more separate mechanical stirrers
of any suitable known kind. The revolving distributor may be con-
structed with tangential outlets at various distances from the centre,
and may have several branch pipes at the same or different levels. The
combination of the strong borizontal bars 9 with the pipes 12 is of con-
siderable importance when dealing with a mixture like what is formed
when using maize or rice for making worts for distilling purposes, as
such bars are required for cutting through the masses of grain, and they
may be made with sharpened edges for that purpose.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described and delineated, and that I am aware
that revolving tubular apparatus, acting like a "Barker's mill,” has
been before used for distributing steam into and mixing liquids, and I
do not claim such apparatus; but that what I believe to be novel and

page_text: original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1. The adapting and modifying of the revolving distributing apparatus
combined with the stirring bars (9) for use in mixture of liquid and
grain for making worts for distilling purposes, substantially in the
improved manner herein-before described.
2. The fitting of branch pipes in connection with the revolving distri-
butor for admitting air, water, or other fluid, in addition to the pipe
for admitting steam, and the working of the apparatus with air or
water, or both, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
3. The fitting of gearing, which can be engaged when required for
driving the apparatus as a simple mechanical stirrer, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this First day of May, in the year of our
described.
3. The fitting of gearing, which can be engaged when required for
driving the apparatus as a simple mechanical stirrer, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
0
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES WILSON. (L.S.)