IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES OR APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING WORT FROM SPENT HOPS, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR EXPRESSING FLUIDS FROM OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETIERS PATENT to Charles Pontifex, of Northampton Grove, Balls
Pond, in the County of Middlesex, Back and Vat Maker, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES OR APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING
WORT FROM SPENT HOPS, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR EXPRESSING
FLUIDS FROM OTHER MATTERS."
Sealed the 30th June 1868, and dated the 8th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Pontifex at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1868.
I, CHARLES PONTIFEX, of Northampton Grove, Balls Pond, in the
County of Middlesex, Back and Vat Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES OR APPARATUS FOR
EXPRESSING WORT FROM SPENT HOPS, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR EXPRESSING
FLUIDS FROM OTHER MATTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in arranging and applying a
screw (or screws) for obtaining pressure for the purpose of expressing
wort or liquor from spent hops, or for expressing fluids from other
matters.
For this purpose according to one method of carrying out my
Invention I mount a screw (such as is ordinarily used for presses)

page_text: centrally within a perforated cylindrical or other suitably shaped vessel
or chamber open at the bottom, and supported upon a perforated surface
or tray for the liquid to flow from into a vessel or receiver below. The
lower end of the screw is secured in position by a key or otherwise to
prevent it from rising. When the vessel or chamber of the press is
filled with the spent hops or other matters a cover, disc, or follower is
placed over the screw, so as to pass freely into the vessel; a screw nut
or collar is then screwed down over the cover by means of a lever or
winch handle, so as to force the cover or follower down within the vessel
or chamber, and thus compress the hops or other matters contained
therein. Thus it will be seen that the pressure is exerted between the
screw nut or collar and the opposite or lower end of the screw, where it is
retained in position by a key or otherwise, the pressure being obtained
by tension on the screw, and not by compression at the end as has
heretofore been the practice. By this arrangement the construction of
presses of this description is greatly simplified and reduced in cost, as a
much smaller screw may be employed, and framework entirely dispensed
with. In place of employing a central screw as previously described
within the pressure chamber, two or more screws may be employed, or
the screws may be arranged according to my Invention externally of the
vessel or chamber, so as to act upon a suitable crosshead and follower
projecting above the upper surface of the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Pontifex in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
PONTIFEX, of Northampton Grove, Balls Pond, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Back and Vat Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Pontifex, Her special licence that I..
the said Charles Pontifex, my executors, administrators, and assigus, or
such others as T, the said Charles Pontifex, my executors, administrators,

page_text: 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 PRESSES OR AFPARATUS FOR
EXPRESSING WORT FROM SPENT HOPS, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR EXPRESSING
FLUIDS FROM OTHER MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Pontifex, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or their 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 Charles Pontifex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements in arranging and applying a
screw (or screws) for obtaining pressure for the purpose of expressing
wort or liquor from spent hops, or for expressing fluids from other
matters.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Drawing.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, and Figure 2 a perspective view of a
press for expressing the wort or liquor from spent hops and other matters
constructed and arranged according to one method of carrying out my
Invention.
a is a screw, the thread of which is such as is ordinarily used for
presses, and the screw a is placed centrally within a perforated cylin=
drical or other suitably shaped vessel or chamber b, open at the bottom
and supported upon a perforated surface or tray c for the liquid to flow
from into a vessel or receiver d below or otherwise. The lower end of
the screw a is passed through an opening in the surface c, and rests
upon the bridge or support a', and the screw a is afterwards secured in
position by a key a² or otherwise to prevent it from rising when the
pressure is being exerted. When the vessel or chamber b of the press

page_text: is filled with the spent hops or other matters a cover, disc, or follower
(which I prefer to be perforated) is placed over the screw a, so as to
pass freely into the vessel; a separate screw nut or collar may then be
screwed down over cover by means of a lever or winch handle f, so as
to force the cover or follower e down within the vessel or chamber b,
and thus compress the hops or other matters contained therein, but I
prefer to connect the nut g to the follower e by means of a flange or
plate e between collars formed on the nut g, so that the nut y is free
to turn in either direction, and acts to raise as well as depress the
follower c. Thus it will be seen that the pressure is exerted between
the screw nut or collar g and the opposite or lower end of the screw a,
where it is retained in position by the key a³, or by other suitable means,
the pressure being obtained by tension on the screw a, and not by
compression at the end, as has heretofore been the practice. After the
wort or liquid has been expressed' from the hops or other substances in
the vessel or chamber b, the follower e is raised and the key a² removed,
the screw a can be withdrawn and the spent hops or other substances
which have been pressed can be readily removed from the vessel or
chamber by turning it over or otherwise.
By the arrangement of press above described the construction of
presses for expressing the wort or liquor from spent hops or the liquid
from other substances is greatly simplified, and the press reduced in
cost, as a much smaller screw may be employed and framework entirely
dispensed with.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the best means
with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practice, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the particular form
and arrangement of parts herein shewn and described, and in place of
employing a central screw as previously described within the pressure
chamber two or more screws may be employed; or the screws may be
arranged according to my Invention, externally of the vessel or chamber,
so as to act upon a suitable crosshead and follower projecting above
the upper surface of the vessel; and the form and arrangement of parts
employed in carrying out my Invention may be otherwise greatly varied
without, departing from the nature of the same, so long as pressure is
exerted between the two ends of a screw or screw bar in presses for
expressing the fluid from spent hops and other substances as herein
shown and described; and what I claim is,--

page_text: Firstly. The arrangement, construction, and combination of the
screw a, vessel b, surface c, and follower e, for the purpose of expressing
the wort or liquor from spent hops or the liquid from other substances,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly. I claim so arranging and constructing presses for expressing
fluid from spent hops or other substances that the pressure is exerted
by means of tension between the two ends of a screw or screws, or a
screw bar or bars, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Pontifex, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
CHARLES PONTIFEX. (L.S.)
' 34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.