IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HOPS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Redfern, of the General Patent Office,
No 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HOPS AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR" communicated to him from abroad by Messieurs Friedrich Slama,
Engineer, of Tachau, and Franz Felix, Brewer, of Kauth, near Taus, both in
the Empire of Austria
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said George Frederick Redfern
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1883.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office No 4 South Street,
Finsbury in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF HOPS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR [communicated to him from
abroad by Messieurs Friedrich Slama, Engineer, of Tachau, and Franz Felix,
Brewer, of Kauth, near Taus, both in the Empire of Austria]
"
The invention communicated to me relates to subjecting hops, before boiling the
same with the wort, to a tearing process whereby when boiled with the wort a
more thorough extraction of the useful principles of the hops is effected, the sticking
together of the hop flowers prevented and the per centage of extractive matters or
principles of the hops contained in the boiled wort is considerably increased. By
this process the hop cones in their natural state are not as has hitherto been the
case boiled with the wort.
The improvements also relate to a machine or apparatus as hereinafter described
for effecting the tearing of the hop cones.
In carrying out the invention, the hops to be treated are introduced into
hopper on the frame of the machine and pass thence through a regulating slide
valve and a rocking or shaking mechanism into the tearing mechanism.
The regulating slide valve fitted upon the front part of the hopper can be made
to slide up and down either by means of a rack and pinion or by a suitable lever
arrangement or by a screw, or by a simple handle; when raised this slide valve opens
an outlet formed in the front part of the hopper.
The shaking contrivance consists of a box forming the bottom of the hopper and
pivotted at one side on the hopper and carrying at its bottom an arm acted upon
.
"

page_text: by a cam wheel keyed upon the main shaft. The rotation of the cam wheel
alternately raises and lowers the said arm, thereby causing a regular oscillating up
and down movement of the box. Instead of imparting an up and down movement
to the said box, a horizontal to and fro movement can be imparted to it; for which
purpose the box is fastened upon a set of vertical springs supported by the machine
frame and oscillated by a lever arm similar to the arm herein before described and
combined with a cam wheel having contrite teeth.
The casing of the tearing cylinder is also fitted upon the frame of the machine
and beneath the hopper; it extends up to the front side of the said hopper against
which it fits tightly. The frame of the said casing is fitted upon the sides of the
machine frame and serves at the same time to carry the main shaft and the shaft of
the tearing cylinder by means of suitable bearings.
The front side of the casing is made adjustable for the purpose of allowing of
placing an adjustable counter knife nearer to or farther from the tearing cylinder.
The casing of the tearing cylinder is provided with a simple cover inserted
between the upper edge of the moveable front side and the fixed lateral sides of the
casing, thus providing means of easy access to the tearing cylinder.
The tearing cylinder is made of any desired material and is provided upon its
surface with toothed spiral knives; the spaces between these knives are furnished
with single teeth or pins serving merely to carry along the hop flowers.. These
toothed knives arranged upon the cylinder correspond with the above named
counter knife so that when the former are passing through the latter a very narrow
space is left, by passing through which the hop flowers become torn into small
particles. In the side of the casing facing the said counter knife, a similar counter
knife is provided which arrangement has for object to clear the toothed knives and
pins from any adhering hop particles after they have passed the counter knife and
to prevent them from being carried back again by the revolving motion of the
cylinder. The rotation of the tearing cylinder is effected by means of a spur wheel
keyed upon a shaft, this spur wheel gears with a second spur wheel keyed upon
the main shaft together with the cain wheel herein before mentioned. The main
shaft upon which a fly wheel is keyed can either be driven by hand, or be provided
with a belt pulley and be driven by power. The form of the teeth and incisions
of the said knives as well as the form of the counter knives can be varied and
combined in different manners.
Instead of employing a tearing cylinder, consisting, as hereinbefore described of
an entire cylinder provided on its periphery with sets of toothed spiral knives and
pins, the tearing cylinder is sometimes constructed of a series of toothed discs keyed
upon the shaft, each two consecutive discs being separated by intermediate discs
without teeth.
Instead of applying a tearing cylinder of any construction with counter knives,
the tearing mechanism may be constructed of two or of three cylinders working
together in such a manner, that the teeth, pins or toothed knives of one of the
cylinders correspond with the spaces left between the teeth or pins of the other
cylinders, the whole arrangement of cylinders forming an efficient tearing
apparatus.
The hop cones after having been torn and separated into small particles may
be discharged from the machine in various ways; one of the best and most
advantageous ways being to place beneath the outlet of the casing a receiver
fitting to the bottom opening of the said casing in order to prevent a loss of pollen.
In order to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted feeding of the hops through
the feeding hopper and to prevent the choking of the narrow part of the same
which might result from the low specific gravity of the hops, two pressure flaps
are fitted by means of hinge joints to the inside hopper; these flaps bear upon
the mass of hops and by their weight continually press the hops downwards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Frederick Redfern in the Patent Office on the 81st January,
1884.
"
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office 4 South Street
Finsbury in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF HOPS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR (A communication to me from
abroad by Messieurs Friedrich Slama, Engineer of Tachau, and Franz Felix Brewer
of Kauth near Taus both in the empire of Austria)
The invention communicated to me relates to subjecting hops, before boiling the
same with the wort, to a tearing process whereby when boiled with the wort a
more thorough extraction of the useful principles of the hops is effected the sticking.
together of the hop flowers prevented and the percentage of extractive matters or.
principles of the hops contained in the boiled wort is considerably increased By
this process the hop cones are boiled with the wort not as has hitherto been the case
in their natural state but after having been torn into particles
The invention also relates to a machine or apparatus as hereinafter described for.
effecting the tearing of the hop cones
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe,
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a
vertical section of the machine for tearing the hop cones and figure 2, a horizontal
section of the same; figure 3, is a view shewing a modification of the tearing
mechanism; figure 4 represents a side elevation and end view of a tearing cylinder.
composed of a set of separate toothed discs; figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, are detached views
on a larger scale shewing several forms of teeth suitable for the knives of the
tearing cylinder and corresponding counter knives. Similar letters in all the
figures represent similar or corresponding parts.
In carrying out the invention the hops to be treated are introduced into a
hopper A fastened on the frame of the machine and pass thence through a regulating
slide valve B, and a rocking or shaking mechanism C, into the tearing mechanism.
The regulating slide valve B, fitted upon the front part of the hopper A, can be
made to slide up and down either by means of a rack b, and pinion b¹, or by a
suitable lever arrangement or by a screw, or by a simple handle; when raised this
slide valve B, opens an outlet a, formed in the front part of the hopper.
The shaking contrivance consists of a box O, forming the bottom of the hopper A
and pivotted at one side, on the hopper, and carrying at its bottom an arm c¹, acted
upon by a cain wheel c, keyed' upon the main shaft D; the rotation of the cam
wheel c, alternately raises and lowers the arm c³, thereby causing a regular
oscillating up and down movement of the box C. Instead of imparting an up.
and down movement to the box C, a horizontal to and fro movement can be
imparted to it for which purpose the box C may be fastened upon a set of vertical
springs supported by the machine frame E, and oscillated by a lever arm similar to
the arm c¹, and combined with a cam wheel having contrite teeth.
The casing F, of the tearing cylinder is also fitted upon the frame E, of the
machine and beneath the hopper A; it extends up to the front side of the said
hopper against which it fits tightly. The frame F¹, of the said casing F, is fitted
upon the sides of the frame of the machine and serves at the same time to carry
the main shaft D, by means of the bearings D¹, and D, and the shaft G of the
tearing cylinder by means of the bearings G¹, and G³.
The front side F, of the casing F, is made adjustable for the purpose, of allowing
of placing an adjustable counter knife H, arranged on the inner surface of the
side F; nearer to or farther from the tearing cylinder J.
In the drawing the front side F³, guided by flanges on the two lateral sides of

page_text: the casing F, is provided with two lateral feet f, which rest upon the frame F¹, and
can be fastened by means of set screws f¹ sliding in slots in the sides of the frame
It will be obvious that both the form of the said front side F, and the manner of
arranging and fastening the same admit of various modifications; thus the latter
may be effected by a screw in a manner similar to that employed for moving sliding"
carriages or by a lever mechanism or by a wedge arrangement or otherwise
The casing of the tearing cylinder is provided with a simple cover F³, inserted
between the upper edge of the moveable front side F, and the fixed lateral sides of
the casing thus providing means of easy access to the tearing cylinder.
The tearing cylinder J, is made of any desired material and is provided upon its
surface with toothed spiral knives K; the spaces between these knives are furnished
with single teeth or pins L, serving merely to carry along the hop flowers These
toothed knives arranged upon the cylinder correspond with the above named
counter knifé H so that when the former are passing through the latter a very
narrow space is left by passing through which the hop flowers become torn into
small particles In the side of the casing F opposite to the said Counter knife H
a similar counter knife H', is provided which arrangement has for object to clear
the toothed knives L, and the pins from any adhering hop particles after they have
passed the counter knife H and to prevent them from being carried back again by
the revolving motion of the cylinder The rotation of the tearing cylinder J, is
effected by means of a spur wheel g, keyed upon the shaft G; this spur wheel g,
gears with a second spur wheel d, keyed upon the main shaft D, together with the
cam wheel c, herein before mentioned The main shaft D, upon which a fly wheel D³,
is keyed can either be driven by hand or be provided with a belt pulley and be
driven by power. The form of the teeth and incisions of the said knives K, as
well as the form of the counter knives H and H', can be varied and combined in
different manners; figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent several forms of the same.
Instead of employing a tearing cylinder, consisting as herein before described of
an entire cylinder provided on its periphery with sets of toothed spiral knives and'
pins, the tearing cylinder is sometimes constructed as shewn in figure 4, of a series
of toothed discs N, keyed upon the shaft each two consecutive discs being separated
by intermediate discs N¹, without teeth and of a smaller diameter.
Instead of employing a single tearing cylinder with counter knives the tearing
mechanism may be constructed of two or (as represented in figure 3) of three
cylinders working together in such a manner, that the teeth, pins or toothed knives
of one of the cylinders correspond with the spaces left between the teeth or pins
of the other cylinders the whole arrangement of cylinders forming an efficient
tearing apparatus.
The hop cones after having been torn and separated into small particles may
be discharged from the machine in various ways. One of the best and most
advantageous ways being to place beneath the outlet of the casing F, a
receiver O, fitting to the bottom opening of the said casing, in order to prevent
a loss of pollen.
In order to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted feeding of the hops through
the feeding hopper A. and to prevent choking of the narrow part of the same
which might result from the low specific gravity of the hops, two pressure
flaps a, a, are fitted by means of hinge joints to the inside hopper; these
flaps bear upon the mass of hops and by their weight continually press the hops
downwards
Having thus described the invention communicated to me and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that what is claimed and intended
to be protected by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is :-
Firstly. The herein described process of tearing or separating into small particles,
hop flowers previous to their being boiled with the wort, the object of the said
process being to utilize to the greatest possible extent the useful products and
extractive matters or principles contained in the hop flowers substantially as
herein-before described.

page_text: Secondly. The General construction and employment of the machine or apparatus
for tearing the hop flowers consisting of a tearing cylinder and counter knives or
of an arrangement of several tearing cylinders suitably placed and operating
together substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying
drawing.
Thirdly. In a machine for tearing hop flowers the arrangement of feeding
hopper A, provided with regulating slide B, shaking device C, and pressure flaps a¹,
substantially as herein before described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
Fourthly. In a Machine for tearing hop flowers the arrangement of tearing
cylinder J, provided with toothed spiral knives K, and with carrying teeth or
pins L, the said tearing cylinder being enclosed within a casing F, having an
adjustable front side F, and an internal counter knife H the said counter knife
operating in conjunction with the toothed spiral knives K, and tearing the hop
flowers when a rotary movement is imparted to the cylinder J, substantially as
herein before described.
Fifthly. In a Machine such as that described and shewn for tearing hop flowers
the arrangement of tearing cylinder consisting of single toothed discs separated
and held at a certain distance from each other by means of intermediate discs
without teeth arranged between each two consecutive toothed discs so that in the
spaces between each two consecutive toothed discs the correspondingly shaped
teeth of the counter knives enter, there being at the same time sufficient
space left for the passage of the torn hop flowers substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Sixthly. The employment of two, three or more tearing cylinders as herein before
described and represented in figure 3. the arrangement and direction of rotation of
each cylinder as well as the arrangement of the toothed knives and transporting
pins being suitable to the others and producing during the operation of the same a
thorough tearing of the hop flowers substantially as hereinbefore described
Seventhly. The employment in the toothed spiral knives of the tearing cylinders
as well as in the counter knives H and H¹, herein described of various forms
of teeth such as those represented in figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying
drawing
Eighthly. The feeding hopper A, having a regulating contrivance B, operated in
any desired manner and a shaking contrivance C, in combination with a tearing
cylinder J, provided with toothed spiral knives K and transporting pins L, and
arranged in a casing F having an adjustable front side F to which a Counter
knife H is fastened, the said toothed spiral knives K operating in conjunction with
the counter knife H and with the counter knife H¹, arranged at the opposite side
of the casing F, and causing the tearing of the hop flowers; the spur wheels g,
and d, serving to transmit the motion of the mainshaft D to the different operating
parts of the machine and the receiver 0 arranged underneath the machine, to
receive the torn hop flowers discharged from the machine, and for the purpose
of avoiding loss of pollen substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described
In witness whereof I the said George Frederick Redfern have hereto set
my hand and seal this thirtieth day of January in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eight four
G F REDFERN (L.S.)