IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR REDUCING BREWERS' FININGS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SIPTING POWDERS AND STRAINING LIQUIDS."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elias George Wright, of Portsmouth, in the
County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING OR REDUCING BREWERS' FININGS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SIPTING
POWDERS AND STRAINING LIQUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elias George Wright
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th July 1873.
I, ELIAS GEORGE WRIGHT, of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR REDUCING BREWERS' FININGS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
SIFTING POWDERS and Straining LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
-
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for cutting or reducing
brewers' finings, also applicable for other purposes, such as for sifting
powders and straining liquids.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a cylindrical vessel composed of two sieves
fitted the one upon the other, in each of which a brush or brushes are
made to revolve. In the upper and coarser sieve there are two sets of
brushes revolving in contrary directions, the said brushes being attached
to arms radiating from a central spindle which passes through both
sieves. The one set of brushes revolve with the said spindle whilst the
other is attached to a hollow spindle thereon, both being driven by a
winch handle through suitable gearing. The one set revolves in a
smaller circle than that described by the other set of brushes, which are
preferably so shaped as to counteract the centrifugal action, and throw
the matters inwards towards the centre.
The action of the brushes is to reduce the finings, and keep clear the
meshes of the sieves, upon the surface of which they revolve. A pair or
set of brushes are also provided in the lower sieve. They are attached
to arms fixed on the spindle, which, as before mentioned, passes
through both sieves, and the brushes revolve upon the reticulated
surface of the sieve.
For sifting powdered substances of a poisonous or deleterious character,
such as red lead, the top sieve has a close cover, and the powdered
substance is supplied thereto through a tube, and having passed through
the sieves falls into a close receptacle, so that none of the matters
are allowed to escape into the atmosphere.
In straining liquids the apparatus is employed in precisely the same
manner as above described, the brushes serving to prevent the meshes
of the sieves becoming choked.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Elias George Wright in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIAS
GEORGE WRIGHT, of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, send 3
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year

page_text: .
•
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Elias George Wright,.
Her special licence that I, the said Elias George Wright, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Elias George Wright, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR
REDUCING BREWERS' FININGS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SIFTING POWDERS AND
STRAINING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Elias George Wright, my 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 Elias George Wright, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invetion, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing's
› hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for cutting, reducing, or
preparing brewers' finings, also applicable for other purposes, such as
for sifting powders and for straining liquids.
L
The apparatus consists of a cylindrical vessel composed of two sieves
fitted the one upon the other, in each of which a brush or brushes are
made to revolve. In the upper and coarser sieve there are two sets of
brushes revolving in contrary directions, the said brushes being attached
to arms radiating from a central spindle, which passes through both
sieves. The one set of brushes revolves with the said spindle, whilst the
other is attached to a hollow spindle thereon, both being driven by the
same shaft through suitable gearing. The one set revolves in a smaller
circle than that described by the other set of brushes, which are pre-

page_text: Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the apparatus, and Figure
is a horizontal section of the same taken on the line 1-1, Figure 1.
A, A, are the hoops of the upper sieve, which is fitted tightly on to those
of the lower sieve B. a is the wire gauze or other reticulated bottom
of the upper sieve; and 6, that of the lower sieve, the latter having a
finer mesh than the former, and both being strengthened and supported
against the friction of the brushes by open wirework c stretched beneath
them; C is the cover of the top sieve fitting closely thereon, and
secured by bayonet slots in lugs d taking on to studs e fixed near the edge
of the hoop A, or any other convenient mode of fastening may be
adopted. This cover is of metal (preferably copper to avoid its being
acted on by the acid used to reduce the finings), and is cast with three
or more radial ribs C¹ to strengthen it, and a segmental portion of the
cover is made separate from the rest, and hinged thereto so as to form a
lid, which may be opened, and the interior inspected more readily than
if the whole cover had to be removed. D is a funnel-shaped opening in
the cover at which the matters are introduced; E, E, are a pair of
brushes in the top sieve A; and F, F, a similar pair in the bottom
sieve B, both pairs being carried on arms e, e, and f, f, respectively
secured by collars and set screws to the same vertical spindle G, which
passes through a collar g fixed to the centre of the reticulated surface a,
and is supported in a footstep bearing hat the bottom of sieve B, as

page_text: shown; I, I, are a second pair of brushes in the upper sieve carried on
arms i fixed to a tubular spindle K working in a bearing in the
cover C, and through which the spindle G passes freely. The brushes I
in the upper sieve are rotated in the opposite direction, as indicated by
the arrows, both sets of brushes being driven from the shaft / by
bevel wheels m and n keyed on spindles I and G respectively, and
gearing with bevel wheel o on shaft k. This shaft is carried in bearings
on cover C, and receives motion by a winch handle or band wheel from
any suitable motor.
I would here observe that it may be found sufficient in some cases to
dispense with the lower sieve and its brushes, and use only the upper
sieve and the two sets of brushes revolving in opposite directions, as
before described.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved apparatus herein shown and described, consisting
of two sieves, fitted the one on the other, in combination with a brush or
brushes revolving over the reticulated surface of each, said brushes being
carried on spindles, and operated substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2ndly. I claim the aforesaid apparatus when consisting of one sieve
only with two sets of revolving brushes working in opposite directions
therein, and operated as herein described.
3rdly. I claim the same (whether a single or double sieve be em-
ployed) when provided with a closed cover or lid, as and for the various
purposes mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elias George Wright, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in