THE CONSTRUCTION OF FERMENTING. VATS, SETTLING VATS, STORE VATS, AND ATTEMPERATORS USED BY BREWERS, RECTIFIERS, BRITISH WINE MAKERS, AND OTHERS.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hartley, of Ormskirk, in the County of
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
Lancaster, Brewer, for the Invention of "
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FERMENTING. VATS, SETTLING VATS, STORE VATS,
AND ATTEMPERATORS USED BY BREWERS, RECTIFIERS, BRITISH WINE MAKERS,
AND OTHERS.
"
Scaled the 30th October 1874, and dated the 19th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hartley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
19th May 1874.
I, JOSEPH HARTLEY, of Ormskirk, in the County of Lancaster,
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FERMENTING VATS, SETTLING VATS, STORE
VATS, AND ATTEMPERATORS, USED BY BREWERS, RECTIFIERS, BRITISH WINE MAKERS,
AND OTHERS," to be as follows :—
My improvements consist in constructing the above-named vessels
entirely or in part of glass, and in fitting the fermenting vats with a
portable attemperator so constructed as to act as a rouser or mixer, the

page_text: objects attained being that the vessels in which large bodies of liquor arc
deposited for infusion, preparation, fermentation, settling, maturing, or
storing will be entirely freed from liability to the action of decay, corro-
sion, electricity, galvanism, chemical combinations, or change; they will
morcover be non-porous, non-absorbent, innocuous, and easily washed
or cleaned, and by the attemperator simple and effectual control and
admixture of the liquor in process of fermentation will be attained.
The form of the construction of the vats will generally be parallelo-
gramic, but the Invention is applicable to other forms; the bottoms,
ends, sides, and covers, may be in one or more sheets of rough, cast, or
ground plate glass, either plain or bent as required, the edges of such
plates and such parts thereof as may be necessary to be ground and
grooved for jointing with cement, the grooving being intended to form
a cavity in the joints for the reception of the jointing cement in order
to its having body, and thereby rendering it less liable to crack or
become defective.
One method of construction will be the planking or boarding of these
vessels outside in order to support them against the pressure from the
liquor placed therein, and to effect the exclusion and prevent the action
of light a lining of dark fabric or suitable material may be placed
between the glass and timber, which will also form a slightly clastic
bed for the glass and allow of its expansion and contraction in varying
temperatures.
Another method will be the building up the outsides of the glass
vessels with wooden bricks or blocks of timber so arranged as to afford
the necessary support against the pressure from the liquor within.
In other cases, where not objectionable, and where, from the situation
of the vessels, the temperature of the atmosphere and the liquor to be
stored will be normal, or nearly so, I purpose preparing the outside
surfaces of the glass vessels by furrowing, or applying thereto a
preparation of glue and fine sand or grit, so as to give an adhesivo
power for holding to cement, then building up the vessels with bricks or
stones, filling in next the glass with plaster of Paris, Roman, Portland,
or other suitable cement, or where the situation and surroundings are
such as to allow of it I first form a cement-lined water-tight tank of the
form of my glass vessel and of such size as to leave space for another
layer of cement, against which the plates of glass may be laid or bedded..

page_text: This mode of construction will give security against loss of liquor from
fracture of the glass or defective joints.
My improved attemperator for fermenting vats consists of a flat coil
of piping made of block tin or copper, shaped as may be required for the
vat and the body of liquor to be acted upon, and having flexible hose of
a suitable nature attached for the feed and waste water, the hose having
fittings for connecting with the water supply pipe and the waste water.
outlet, these being fitted in the cover or the sides of the vat as most con-
venient. The attemperator so fixed is capable of being moved vertically
through the liquor, and is effected by connecting a rod to the centre
of the coil, to which the requisite motion can be given from attachments
outside; this attemperator will effect all the purposes of the expensive
spiral and other attemperators, which are generally permanently fixed
in fermenting vats, and will only need to be placed in the liquor at times
when the same requires controlling. In breweries where the vats are
of uniform construction one, attemperator will thus serve for several
vats; by its movement through the liquor a rousing action is obtained,
and a thorough blending or admixture of the wort in fermentation is
effected, thus dispensing with the use of rousing apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Joseph Hartley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HARTLEY, of Ormskirk, in the County of Lancaster, Brewer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Hartley, Her special
licence, that I, the said Joseph Hartley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Hartley, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FERMENTING VATS, SETTLING VATS, STORE VATS,
AND ATTEMPERATORS, USED BY BREWERS, RECTIFIERS, BRITISH WINE MAKERS,
AND OTHERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Hartley, executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Hartley, 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:-
My improvements consist in constructing the before named vessels
entirely or in part of glass, and in fitting the fermenting vats with a
portable attemperator so constructed as to act as a rouser or mixer, the
objects attained being that the vessels in which large bodics of liquor
are deposited for infusion, preparation, fermentation, settling, maturing,
or storing, will be entirely freed from liability to the action of decay,
corrosion, electricity, galvanism, chemical combinations, or change;
they will moreover be non-porous, non-absorbent, innocuous, and easily
washed or cleaned, and by the attemperator simple and effectual control
and admixture of the liquor in process of fermentation will be
attained.
The form of the construction of the vats will generally be parellelo-
gramic, but the Invention is applicable to other forms; the bottoms,
ends, sides, and covers may be in one or more sheets of rough, cast, or
ground plate or any other kind of glass, either plain or bent, as required,
the edges of such plates, and such parts thereof as may be necessary,
to be ground and grooved for jointing with cement, the grooving being
intended to form a cavity in the joints for the reception of the jointing

page_text: One method of construction will be the planking of these vessels
outside in order to support them against the pressure from the liquor
placed therein, and to fully effect the exclusion and prevent the action
of light a lining of dark fabric or suitable material may be placed
between the glass and timber, which will also form a slightly elastic bed
for the glass and allow of its expansion and contraction in varying
temperatures.
Another method will be the building up of the outsides of the glass
vessels with wooden bricks or blocks of timber so arranged as to afford
the necessary support against the pressure from the liquor within.
In other cases, where not objectionable, and where from the situation
of the vessels the temperature of the atmosphere and the liquor to be
stored will be normal, or nearly so, I purpose preparing the outside
surfaces of the glass vessels by furrowing or applying thereto a
preparation of glue and fine sand or grit, so as to give an adhesive
power for holding to cement, then building up the vessals with bricks or
stones, filling in next the glass with plaster of Paris, Roman, Portland,
or other suitable cement, or where the situation and surroundings are
such as to allow of it, I first form a cement lined water-tight tank of the
form of my glass vessel and of such size as to leave space for another
layer of cement, against or in which the plates of glass may be laid or
bedded, this mode of construction will give security against loss of
liquor from fracture of the glass or defective joints.
These methods of construction are of definite application in practice,
as follows-Prepare the sheets of glass on the outside by applying a
thick coat of common tar, the tar being well evaporated by boiling, so
that it will remain unyielding and set at the highest temperature which
the vessel will be subject to in the purpose for which it is intended
to use the same, the tar to be applied to the glass when liquefied by
heat, the sheets of glass being also heated when the tar is put on in
order to avoid fracture from unequal expansion. The interior of the
wooden casing is also coated with tar for its preservation and better
adhesion to the filling in plaster or cement. Then pour a thin layer of
plaster of Paris or other cement in a thin paste state on the wooden
bottom, and lay the sheet of glass intended to form the bottom of the
vessel on that, working it so as to dislodge the air and to fix it in proper
position for the sides to fit to it; when it is beginning to set run a knife

page_text: round the edges of the glass and clear away all the spare cement; then
set up the sides, making the joints with the cements herein-after set
forth, and fill in between the glass and wooden casing with the plaster
of Paris or cement. The whole will set together and form a homogenous
structure of great strength, the fracturable character of the glass being
virtually removed by the system of support. By this plan the old
vessels in use may be made available for the casing without being pulled
down. Rough, cast, or hammered plate glass will be found the most
suitable description for the purpose of these structures, and % or 12 incli
plate will be thick enough for any sized vessel. (It will be desirable to
have the glass of as tough a character as can be obtained.)
Should the Invention become generally adopted the following, or some
similar plan, may be followed in construction, namely:-The wooden
casing or support for the vessel to be made in independent sections of
the sizes required for the respective plates of glass, such sections to be then
prepared with a thick coat of stiff tar made liquid by heat, and to which
may be added fine sand or any material of a gritty nature finely
powdered; then the plates of glass may be drawn from the annealing
oven or heating chamber at the required temperature and laid on the
various sections, to which they will set, forming virtually one body and
possessing, their combined strength. The sections thus prepared will
simply require bolting together and securing with "the jointing cement.
Iron casings may be used for supporting the glass against the pressure
of the liquor deposited, and such a construction is capable of accomplish-
ment by preparing the iron segments with tar, and so forth, as previously
fully described, and adopting the plan therein set forth, as being of avail
in erecting wooden cased vessels in segments.
The plan also set forth for lining existing wooden vessels may be
adopted for iron ones.
Suitable cements for making the joints of the glass vessels secure may
be made as follows:-
1st. Tar cement, which may be made from tar prepared by evaporation,
as before described, and litharge, to prepare which heat a quantity of
prepared tar until as thin as milk, then quickly, but meanwhile mixing
thoroughly, add about the same weight of finely pounded litharge. Pour
into stinks 1:10
mi.

page_text: instrument.
2nd. Glycerine cement made from finely pounded litharge and
glycerine carefully mixed and applied between the joints as common
putty. This may be used when the plates of glass are being put
together.
And note.-Cement must be used as soon as mixed, as it sets quickly.
The cements may be used separately or in conjunction, the tar cement
for facing up the glycerine cement when the latter is used, as named
above. Wash the joints before using the vessels with a strong solution
of common salt in water.
In cases where cements are objectionable joints may be made by
fusing the edges of the sheets of glass forming the vessel, thus obtaining
a glass-lined vessel without any joints.
My improved attemperator for fermenting vats consists of a flat coil
of piping made of block tin or copper, tinned or untinned, and shaped
either circular or with angles, as may be required, and having sufficient
water capacity for the vat and the body of liquor to be acted upon.
To this coil from the centre I attach a hollow connecting rod, which
becomes part of the attemperator and forms the water supply pipe to it;
this pipe, having a working socket fitted in the cover of the vat, acts
as a conducting or guiding rod when the attemperator is in motion.
To the top of this pipe or rod I attach flexible hose for supplying water,
as also to the waste water outlet from the coil, so as to allow of the
attemperator being moved up and down through the wort or liquor in
the vat. The outlet may be through the cover, or sides, or bottom of the
vessel, as most convenient, but through the cover is preferable, as it will
then allow of the whole thing being removed from the vat when not
in use.
The motion may be given by hand or machinery, the flexible hose of
the water supply being made to act as a suspender by being passed over
grooved pulleys fixed for the purpose and having a weight attached on
the other side, so as to balance the attemperator. By moving this
attemperator vertically through the liquor a rousing action is obtained,
a thorough blending or admixture of the wort in fermentation is effected,
and uniformity of temperature ensured. This simple and inexpensive
attemperator will effect all the purposes of the expensive and objection-

page_text: able spiral and other forms of attemperators which are generally
permanently fixed in fermenting vats, as it will be found by making the
coil stationary at the point where only just covered by the surface of the
wort that a supply of cold water passing through in that position will
effect more in controlling the heat than it can in any other, and do so
with greater uniformity; indeed, so fixed, it will only be in very
exceptional gyles that the rousing motion will need to be applied. This
result arises simply from the fact that the particles of liquor on the
surface become more dense by the cooling action and by natural law
sink, while by the same law the warmer particles are ascending. On
this account it will be necessary to fix the attemperator at the bottom
of the vat if it ever be required to give warmth to the gyle by passing
warm water through it.
- Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or put
in practice, I hereby declare that I claim for and in respect thereof,—
1st. The obtainment of glass lined vats or vessels of any description
in which the plan or plans of uniform support and attachment of glass
to other materials, as herein-before described, may be in whole or in
part adopted in constructing such vats or vessels, and the use in the.com-
struction of the aforesaid vats or vessels of the cements for jointing
thereof, as herein-before described.
2ndly. The improved attemperator, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hartley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred, and seventy-
four.
Witness,
FRANK OLDFIELD Hartley,
Victoria Brewery,
Ormskirk.
JOSEPH HARTLEY. (L.S.)