AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN FERMENTING OF LIQUORS
Year: 1807

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JonN
FALCONER ATLEE, of Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, Distiller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
in and by His Letters Patent under Ilis Great Seal of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventh day
of March, in the forty-seventh year of His reign, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto me, the said John Falconer Atlee, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that I, the said John Falconer Atlee, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or
by my and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I,
the said John Falconer Atlee, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His said Majesty's
United Kingdom called England, His Dominion of Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN FERMENTING OF LIQUORS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said John Falconer Atlee, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery within one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the

page_text: said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Falconer Atlee, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the Plan or
Drawing in the margin of these Presents, and as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of an apparatus through which water is made to flow
for regulating the temperature of liquors. It is applicable to vessels and
backs of every description and form. After having fixed to the inside of the
vessel or back sundry ribs of wood or metal, either placed or fixed horizontally,
perpendicularly, or spirally, I cover the whole with a metallic lining, making
it the interior of the back; the lining or covering is kept distant-from-the
exterior of the back by the thickness of the ribs, betwixt which is introduced
and made to circulate water of different temperature at different times,
according to the state of the fermenting matter contained in the interior of the
back. As an example I have given a drawing of a wash back standing on its
largest base, and accompanied with explanations of the construction of the
ribs, and the places which I propose to introduce water betwixt the interior
and exterior of the back, and also the place where the water after circulating
round the back will make its escape.
Figure 1 represents a back or vessel of circular form. A, an upright picco
of wood or metal of about three inches broad, and from one to two inches in
thickness, the height of which must depend upon the size of the vessel and the
quantity of matter proposed to be fermented therein; B, a circular ribof
wood of about three inches broad, and from one to two inches in thickness,
going completely round the inside of the back, and the lower edge of the same
resting on the bottom of the back; C, another rib of wood placed from 6 to
12 inches distance from the top of the lower rib, and runs parallel thereto;
this rib goes round the inside of the back and terminates at D, when it comes
to within four to six inches of the upright A. Above this rib, at the distanco
of from six to twelve inches, is placed another rib E, fixed close to the upright
A, which is carried round the back contrary ways to that marked C; this rib
E terminates when it has approached to within four to six inches of the
upright A, as described at the point F. Above F, in a similar manner to the
ribs C and F, are other ribs terminating alternately on the left and right
hand side of the upright A. The number and dimensions of the ribs must
depend upon the size of the vessel and the purpose for which they are applied;
and their distances from each other may be varied at the discretion of the
proprietor. Above these ribs, and resting upon the top of the upright A, is a

page_text: rib going completely round the inside of the vessel, similar to the one described
B3, this rib with the other being secured to the vessel; the whole of them and
the space betwixt cach rib is covered with metallic plates, forming a complete
and compact lining to the back, being distant from the inside of the external
back by the thickness of the ribs. Having constructed this apparatus, I cause
to be introduced a pipe and cock at G; a hole being cut through the external
back, water will be delivered through this cock and pipe into the space betwixt
the interior and exterior of the back, and betwixt the lower rib and that
marked C; this is made to flow round the back till it comes to D, where,
meeting resistance from the upright piece A and upper rib E, it changes its
direction and goes the contrary way till it comes to the point F, when again
meeting with similar resistance as before described, it turns round the point of
the rib F, and again alters its direction and proceeds and turns round the end
of the rib H; turning round H, it runs to end of the rib L and fills the space
betwixt the rib L and the upper rib. At M is an aperture where the water is
discharged. This refrigeratory or vessel, once filled with water, will be con-
stantly changing it in proportion to the quantity of water introduced through
the pipe and cock at G, which will be discharged at the aperture M after
having circulated round the back and betwixt the various ribs. By this
method the temperaturo of liquor under the action of fermentation can be
regulated with great precision, either advancing the heat of the same by intro-
ducing warm water, and decreasing and abating the heat by and introducing
water colder than the wort or wash fermenting.
Fig. 2 shews the ribs as fixed to the side of the back, also the space
betwixt the same through which the water flows, likewise when the water is
introduced and when it escapes, each part having letters attached corresponding
to those on Fig. 1. The letter M refers to a cock for the purpose to discharge
the water from betwixt the internal and external vessel, whenever the case
requires it. It will be recollected that there is no communication from the
internal to the external space between the metallic lining and the outside of
the vessel. The effect upon the fermenting liquor would be somewhat quicker if
the ribs and method adapted to the side of the back were extended also to cover
the bottom of it, and the water made to circulate therein in a similar manner
as round the sides; but I have found by experiment that the back mado
as is described in Fig. 1 will answer very well. The metal forming the
covering of the ribs and making the internal of the back, is secured to the ribs
and back by such methods as workmen used to such business shall think
proper, provided it be made water-tight. It will be observed, by the Drawing
accompanying this Specification, that the water is introduced at the bottom of

page_text: the refrigerator, though it may be introduced at the top or otherwise,
according to circumstances, in which cases it must be so contrived that the
water may be kept at its proper height.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Falconer Atlee, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, One thousand eight
handred and seven.