AN IMPROVED SURFACE REFRIGERATOR
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Johnston, of Pinstone Street, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Plumber and Glazier, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED SURFACE REFRIGERATOR."
Sealed the 19th June 1863, and dated the 30th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Johnston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 80th
December 1862.
I, JOHN JOHNSTON, of Pinstone Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Plumber and Glazier, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SURFACE REFRIGERATOR," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an apparatus for cooling brewers' and distillers'
worts and other liquids effectually and speedily without pipes or other appliances
which prevent thorough cleanliness. It comprises a series of shallow troughs of
cast iron or other material placed side by side with a communication formed at
each alternate end to admit of water flowing continuously through the whole
series. These troughs are formed with circular or triangular studs or
projections cast on the bottom, and on these are placed thin sheets of tinned
copper with indentations or sinkings on the upper surface thereof formed at
an angle of about 45° with the sides in the direction of the flow of the liquor
or wort which passes over them. The sides, ends, and divisions may be of

page_text: cast iron, wood, or other material fastened to the water troughs and securing
the copper sheeting thereto. The liquor or wort exposed to the action of the
atmophere flows over the copper plates and the water flows beneath them in a
contrary direction.
This Invention may be applied in conjunction with an ordinary atmospheric
surface cooler, or may be arranged in steps, or in any manner circumstances
or structural peculiarities may render necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Johnston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JOHNSTON, of Pinstone Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, Plumber
and Glazier, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Johnston, Her special license that I, the said John Johnston, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Johnston, 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 "AN IMPROVED SURFACE
REFRIGERATOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Johnston, 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 John Johnston, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the. same is and may be
carried into effect, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists of an apparatus for cooling brewers' and distillers'
worts and other liquids effectually and speedily without pipes or other
appliances which prevent thorough cleanliness. It comprises a series of
shallow troughs of cast iron or other material placed side by side, with a
communication formed at each alternate end to admit of the water flowing
continuously through the whole series. These troughs are formed with
circular or rectangular studs or projections cast on the bottom, and on these
are placed thin sheets of tinned copper with indentations or sinkings on the
upper surface thereof formed at an angle of about 45° with the sides in the
direction of the flow of the liquor or wort which passes over them. The sider
ends, and divisions may be of cast iron, wood, or other material fastened to
the water troughs, and securing the copper sheeting thereto. The liquor
exposed to the action of the atmosphere flows over the copper plates, and the
water flows beneath them in a contrary direction. The indentations in the
surface of the copper plates agitate the wort or heated liquid in its flow, thereby
causing ripples, breaking up the stream at each indentation, and materially
accelerating the cooling process by continually exposing a fresh combination
of liquid to the action of the atmosphere and cooling plates. The studs or
projections in the bottom of the water troughs also break up' the volume of
water and support the cooling plates, against the under surface of which at
close intervals different particles of water are brought into contact in conse-
quence of the obstruction presented by the studs. The wort or liquor to be
cooled is admitted at one end of the refrigerator and flows over the various
channels to the outlet at the other extremity. The water flows in an opposite
direction under a certain "head" or pressure to ensure positive contact with
the cooling plates. The flow of water can be so regulated that at the outlet
it may be of about the same temperature as the liquor which enters' at the
same end.
This Invention may be applied in conjunction with an ordinary atmospheric
surface cooler or may be arranged in steps or in any manner circumstances or
structural peculiarities may render necessary.
In one arrangement I fix the refrigerator around the space designed for it,
with one or more troughs placed one above the other, with a sufficient space_
between them to allow ready access for cleaning, and with a proper fall for the
liquor.
Another arrangement consists in placing it around a common surface
cooler, in which the liquor would be partially cooled before entering the
refrigerator.
Ordinarily I prefer fixing the refrigerator on a floor with the troughs of

page_text: equal lengths placed side by side continuously with a proper fall for the wort,
but if necessary, other lengths may be arranged in connection with or above
these in steps, with a space between them for cleaning, and a communication
established by pipes. The width of the troughs may vary, but I prefer from
fifteen to eighteen inches as a standard.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a vertical section (on line A, B,) of a
refrigerator which may be placed around the walls of any given space;
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a section (on line C, D,) of the apparatus
fixed around and in connection with an ordinary surface cooler; Figure 5 is a
plan, Figure 6 a side elevation, and Figure 7 a section (on line E, F,) of my
refrigerator fitted up in the manner in which I propose ordinarily to use it;
Figure 8 is a plan, Figure 9 a side elevation, and Figure 10 a vertical section
(on line G, H,) showing the apparatus fixed against a wall in the form of
steps, the different tiers being connected by water and liquor pipes.
b
The plates a¹ forming the bottom of the refrigerator are cast in lengths with
studs or projections 6 upon the upper surface as shown, from a¹ to a' on plan
(Figure 5). The tops of these are on a level with the side flanges. Over the
whole width is laid a thin sheet of tinned copper c, and the sides d are secured
on by bolts and nuts, fastening all together. The copper sheets are formed
with indentations e on the upper surface to ripple the liquor while flowing over
them. The apparatus has a slight inclination from where the liquor enters to
the other end, so as to allow it to flow slowly from one end to the other. It
enters and is regulated by the cock f, flows along the refrigerator in the
direction shown by the black arrows and out at g. The cold water enters the
continuous receptacle h by the pipe i, is regulated by the cock k, and flows
in the direction indicated by the red arrows, and escapes by the pipe 7 at about
the same temperature as the liquor on entering. The pipe is carried above
the surface of the refrigerator in the form of a syphon (shown in elevation in
Figures 6, 7, and 9), so as to secure sufficient pressure of water beneath the
cooling plates c. The water used in cleaning the refrigerator passes off by the
outlet m; the outlet n is provided for draining all water out of the receptacle h
when not in use; the outlet m is provided with a plug, and the outlet n with
a common cock.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim as new and original and desire to be secured to
me by the above in part recited Letters Patent is, the apparatus shown by
the Drawings, and substantially the mode of cooling or refrigerating liquors
by running them open to the atmosphere over a surface of thin metal,

page_text: underneath which flows water in a contrary direction as berein-before set forth
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Johnston, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
T. F. CASHIN.
JOHN JOHNSTON. (L.S.)