Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling and Aërating. Wort in the Manufacture of Malt Liquors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
[Communicated from abroad by THE HANFORD-STANFORD COMPANY, of Portland,
Maine, United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling and Aërating. Wort in the
Manufacture of Malt Liquors.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for cooling and aerating malt liquors, of that
kind in which the hot wort is carried under pressure from the boiling kettle by a
pump or otherwise, to a delivery pipe provided with a number of spraying devices
or atomizers opening into the atmosphere above a collecting receptacle upon which
the liquid delivered from the spraying devices in the form of a fine spray is collected.
The present invention consists mainly in novel features of construction of the
spraying devices and the appliances for manipulating the same to properly regulate
their action when operating to spray the wort and to facilitate flushing or cleaning
them out after the spraying operation is finished.
The spraying devices embodying this invention have a tubular body open at its lower
end, and a tapering deflector supported in the mouth of the delivery tube but
normally held slightly separated therefrom around the entire periphery of the mouth,
or a portion thereof, so as to form with the mouth or edge of the delivery tube a narrow
orifice, and said deflector is provided with a shoulder or flange at a short distance
beyond said annular orifice projecting across the path of the sheet of the liquid
escaping from said orifice, and thus acting to break the said sheet of liquid into a fine
spray and to throw the same upward and outward from the path in which it naturally
flows through the orifice.
In applying apparatus of this kind in existing breweries it frequently happens that
the existing cooling room and surface cooler is not of proper shape or dimension for
the proper operation of the improved apparatus.
It sometimes happens for example that the surface cooler is long and narrow,
perhaps not over eight or ten feet wide while the spraying devices for efficient operation
will throw the spray over an area below each, which is ten or twelve feet in diameter
so that a portion of the spray will fall outside of the surface cooler or collecting
receptacle.
Another object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty and to produce
atomizers or spraying devices that can be used efficiently in connection with
collecting receptacles, the dimensions of which do not admit of the efficient use of
atomizers that throw the spray on all sides of the axis of the atomizers.
This result is accomplished by so forming the mouth of the delivery tube that the
deflector seats closely upon it around any desired portion of the delivery tube, usually
about one half around for some of the atomizers, and three-fourths of the way around
for others, while for the rest of the way around the mouth of the delivery tube, the seat
portion is cut away so as to afford a narrow orifice between the edge of this portion
of the mouth of the delivery tube, and the adjacent side of the plug, which thus acts
as a deflector only for the portion of the liquid passing through said orifice, the said
plug closing the deflector passage and preventing escape of the liquid around that
portion of the mouth of the delivery tube against which it seats.
Thus by setting the atomizers so formed nearly over the edge of the collecting vat
with the closed part of the delivery tube towards the outside of the collecting vat,
and the orifice towards the middle of the collecting vat, the spray will be thrown in
the proper direction to be received upon the collecting vat even if the width of the

page_text: latter be not much more than half the diameter of the circle that would be covered
by the falling spray if permitted to issue on all sides of the spraying device as has
been heretofore generally practiced.
The plug or deflector above referred to is supported on a lever provided with a
counter-weight or equivalent which retains the deflector in position near the open end
of the tube with an action somewhat like that of the safety valve and in the deflectors
which have a full opening all round the movement of said lever in the direction to
bring the deflector towards the tube is limited by an adjusting device so as to control
the size of the orifice, while the lever is free to move in the other direction when
required in order to open said orifice wide for the purpose of flushing out the
passage.
The present invention also relates to the means for adjusting and operating the
levers of the spraying devices such as just described.
It is found in practice to be desirable that each lever should be capable of adjust-
ment independent of the others and is also extremely desirable that each should be
capable of opening widely independently of the others, and furthermore that means
should be provided for retaining all of them open for any required period of time
without disturbing the independent adjustment of each, for the purpose of thoroughly
washing out or cleaning the entire apparatus after its operation upon the wort has
been finished, and the present invention consists in means which will be hereinafter
described and claimed for effecting these operations of the spraying devices.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sufficient portion of an apparatus for cooling and
aerating wort for malt liquors, to illustrate this invention,
Fig. a plan view thereof,
Fig. 3 a side elevation of one of the spraying devices properly constructed to
deliver liquid on all sides as when used over the middle of the collecting receptacle,
Fig. 4 a side elevation showing a portion of one of the deflectors properly con-
structed to be used over the edge of a narrow collecting receptacle,
Fig. 5 a section detail of the mouth of the delivery tube and the plug co-operating
therewith, of the construction shown in Fig. 4,
Figs. 6 and 7 plan views of the mouth of the delivery tube showing different
shapes of the same according to the location of the devices relative to the collecting
receptacle,
Fig. 8 a perspective view of the apparatus for adjusting deflectors and opening the
same for flushing out,
Fig. 9 a longitudinal vertical section of said apparatus, and
Fig. 10 a transverse vertical section thereof.
The apparatus comprises the delivery pipe A for the hot wort which is introduced
to said pipe under pressure from the boiling kettle by means of a pump or other
liquid forcing apparatus, the said pipe being provided with a number of spraying
devices B which with said pipe are located in the upper part of the usual cooling
room C provided with a collecting vat or receptacle Darranged below the said spraying
devices B so as to receive the spray delivered therefrom after it has fallen through
the atmosphere in the cooling chamber C.
The said spraying devices B each consist of a tube or nozzle a see Fig. 3, having a
uniform unobstructed bore through it, terminating at its lower end in an open
mouth a², in which is supported a tapering deflector b which is normally held with
its tapering side walls a slight distance from the mouth a² so as to afford a narrow
flaring passage or orifice through which the hot wort escapes.
The said deflector b is supported at c on a lever c² fulcrumed at d, upon a projection
from the body a of the nozzle and provided with a counter balance shown as a
weight e see Fig. 1, sufficient to hold the deflector b against the normal pressure of
the issuing liquid, and said lever is controlled by a flexible support or chain, passing.
over pullies g see Fig. 1, and connected with adjusting and operating mechanism E see
Fig. 1, which will be hereinafter described.
If the deflector 6 were as a cone of uniform taper and perfectly smooth from apex
to base the liquid escaping through the annular orifice formed between the said cone

page_text: and the mouth of the tapering plug would project in a downward direction and
although owing to the thinness of the sheet and its divergence the said sheet is
quickly broken into spray so that its momentum is overcome by the atmosphere,
it nevertheless descends quite rapidly on to the surface of the collector D (see Fig. 1)
below.
In order to increase the exposure of the liquid to the air in the interval of time
which elapses between the moment when it is delivered from the orifice and that at
which it arrives on the collector, so as to increase the cooling and aerating effect of
the air upon the liquid without materially diminishing the quantity rate of its
delivery from the nozzles, the deflector 6 is provided with an annular shoulder or
flange 6 best shown in Fig. 3, substantially at right angles to the slant of the main
portion of the cone against which the sheet of film of liquid travelling along the
surface of the cone strikes, and by which it is broken into fine spray the moment
when it leaves the delivery nozzle, and is thrown upward and outward as indicated by
the dotted lines Fig. 1, being by this means caused to occupy a greater time in
passing from the nozzles to the collector, and to receive a far more thorough exposure
to the atmosphere in such passage than if delivered directly downward in line with
the slant height of the conical deflector.
The depth of the shoulder 62 need be only very slight as the film of liquid striking
upon it is extremely thin and the depth of the shoulder need be scarcely if any
greater than the thickness of the film of liquid, but by this slight obstruction in the
path of the film of liquid the cooling and aerating effect upon the same is greatly
enhanced, it being found in actual practice that with the same rate of delivery from
the orifice and with the same height of the nozzle above the collector the liquid is
10° or 12° F. cooler upon arriving at the collector than when the unobstructed
tapering deflectors are used.
It frequently happens that the cooling chamber Ċ and collecting receptacle D are
of such shape and dimensions as best shown in Fig. 2, that atomizers located over
the middle line of said collectors would throw the spray outside of said receptacle
if said atomizers were properly constructed to give an efficient cooling and aerating
effect upon the spray while throwing all around as results from the construction shown
in Fig. 3.
In order to obviate this objection in accordance with this invention the spraying
devices in such cases are constructed with the orifice extending only part way around
the axis so that by locating the spraying devices as shown in Fig. 2, and properly
shaping the orifices the spray from each will be thrown over practically the area
indicated by the dotted lines and will thus all fall within the receptacle although the
lateral throw of the spraying devices is sufficient to throw a large percentage outside
of the collecting receptacles if said atomizers were constructed to throw on all sides.
In order to properly control the direction in which the spray is delivered the
atomizers are constructed as best shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive.
A portion of the mouth of the delivery tube is properly constructed to form a seat k
against which the corresponding portion of the plug 6 fits tightly so as to wholly
prevent the escape of liquid over the said seat which usually extends about one-half
or three-fourths around the delivery tube according as the atomizer is to be located
over one edge or over a corner of the collecting receptacle as will be readily under-
stood from Figs. 1 and 2.
Around the remaining portion of the mouth of the delivery tube the edge is cut
away as shown at m Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, to a point slightly above the seat k, so
that the edge of the wall of the delivery tube at this part terminates a slight distance
from the surface of the plug 6 forming a narrow orifice between the two as best
shown at m², Fig. 5, through which orifice the liquid is delivered being, thrown
outward from the axis of the delivery tube only on the side that the orifice m² is
formed.
The deflecting lip 63 need be continued only around the portion of the plug that
cooperates with the cut away or recessed portion of the mouth of the delivery: tube
to form the orifice for the spray.

page_text: '
b
As it may sometimes happen that in the spraying operation the plug 6 may not
seat tightly on the seat k, the liquid might escape over the seat k in which case it
would be thrown outside of the collecting receptacle c unless means were taken to
prevent.
In order to prevent such action from taking place, the spraying device is provided
with a depending hood or shield n (see Figs. 4 & 5) which extends around and
below the edge of the adjacent portion of the plug so that any liquid that may escape
between the said seat k and surface of the plug will be directed by the hood n straight
downward parallel with the axis of the delivery tube, and will thus fall within the
collecting receptacle.
.
The hood n extends only around the portion of the delivery tube that is provided
with the seat k leaving the space clear around the portion of the plug 6 that
constitutes one side of the orifice m².
The plug 6 when properly fitted with relation to its seat in the mouth of the
delivery tube is preferably fixed upon the lever c² but it is movable towards and from
the mouth of the delivery tube by turning the said lever on its fulcrum, and may be
moved far enough to wholly clear the path of the liquid issuing from the delivery
tube so that a solid stream of hot water may be delivered therethrough for the
purpose of flushing out the entire apparatus. It is desirable that the spraying devices
should be capable of independent operation in order that any one which may become
clogged while operating on the wort may be opened and flushed out without inter-
fering with the operation of the others, but it is also desirable that they should be
capable of flushing simultaneously for the purpose of washing them out with hot
water after the spraying operation has been finished.
The movement of the lever under the influence of its counter-balancing force e,
that is the approach of the deflector towards the mouth of the tube when the full
annular orifice is used, as in Fig. 3, is limited by means of the operating cords or
chains, extending over suitable pullies or guides to a point E easily accessible to
the operator, who can thus by pulling on any one of the chains open widely the
corresponding nozzle and permit it to be flushed or cleaned out by the liquid which
is then flowing through it without in any way interfering with the operation of the
remaining nozzles of the set, for spraying the liquid delivered through them.'
In order to limit the movement of the deflector towards the end of the spraying
tubes and to vary such limit for the purpose of adjusting the size of the annular
orifice said chains f are each connected with an adjusting device shown as a reel or
screw r (Figs. 9 & 10) capable of turning upon a shaft t as a bearing, and provided
with a worm gear 2 meshing with a worm 3 best shown in Fig. 10, on the shaft. *
provided with a handle accessible to the operator.
Thus by turning any one of the handles r, the corresponding chain f may be taken
up or let out as required in order to adjust the approach of the corresponding plug b
with relation to the mouth of its delivery tube, so as to vary the size of the annular
orifice, and as each one of the reels may be turned on the shaft t independently of
the others, any orifice may be adjusted independently of the others.
With the construction of the spraying devices illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive,
the chains will be left sufficiently slack to enable the plugs to seat on the ends of
the delivery tube, leaving the arc shaped orifice m³ determined by the space afforded
when the plugs are thus seated.
By pulling on any one of the chains while the spraying operation is going on,
the corresponding orifice may be opened widely, permitting the liquid to issue in a
solid stream for an instant and thus carry away any particles that may have collected
in the orifice.
In order to provide for the operation of cleaning or flushing out of the spraying
device after all the wort has been passed through them, they should all be opened
widely while hot water is pumped into the delivery pipe A and permitted to flow
freely from the nozzles.
In order to provide for this latter operation without precluding the independent
operation of the individual spraying devices, the shaft t has rigidly connected with

page_text: it arms provided at their ends with a cross bar t³, which extends across the series
of chains above their point of connection with the reels r as shown in Figs. 9
and 10, and said shaft t is provided with a handle t* accessible to the operator who
by operating said handle to turn the shaft t may cause the cross bar t³ to bear against
the chains p and draw them down as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 10, thus
opening all the spraying devices widely so that hot water can flow readily through
them for the cleaning operation.
A locking device to is employed cooperating with a notched bar t (see Fig. 8)
so that the handle may be retained in any desired position while the cleaning operation
is going on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A spraying device consisting of a delivery tube open at its lower end, combined
with a conical deflector and support therefor, by which the said deflector is sustained
in the mouth of the delivery tube, forming therewith an annular flaring orifice, said
deflector being provided with an outwardly projecting shoulder or flange below said
orifice whereby the diverging film of liquid flowing along the said deflector is broken
and thrown upward, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A spraying device consisting of a delivery tube open at one end and provided
with a seat extending part way around the said open end, combined with a plug
held against the said seat and constituting with the unseated portion of the mouth
of the delivery tube a narrow orifice for the delivery of the liquid, substantially as
described.
3. A spraying device consisting of a delivery tube open at one end and provided
with a seat extending part way around the said open end, combined with a plug held
against the said seat and constituting with the unseated portion of the mouth of the
delivery tube a narrow orifice for the delivery of the liquid, and a hood or shield
depending from said delivery tube around the seat portion thereof, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of a series of spraying devices or delivery tubes each having
a deflector controlling the orifice thereof, and a support for said deflector, with
actuating mechanism connected with all of said deflector supports as described,
whereby all may be moved simultaneously or each independently of the others,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. The combination of a series of spraying devices or delivery tubes each having
a deflector controlling the orifice thereof, and a lever connected with said deflector,
with cords or chains connected one with each of said levers, and independently
operated adjusting devices connected with said chains, and actuating mechanism
whereby a series of said chains may be operated simultaneously, substantially as
described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.