Improvements in Brewers' and other Thermometers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brewers' and other Thermometers.
I, JAMES JOSEPH HICKS of 8 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Scientific and Meteorological Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore brewers' and such like thermometers have been mounted in metallic
cases provided with cups or receptacles surrounding the bulbs, so that when a
thermometer is dipped into the mash or liquor, it shall retain a certain quantity
in the cup or receptacle, so as to maintain the heat around the bulb until the
temperature has been read, such cup or receptacle has however been so formed as
to project a considerable distance from the body of the case, and it was therefore
liable to catch against anything it might pass, in addition to which it was not easy to
clean out such cup or receptacle.
According to my invention I overcome these difficulties by making the case of the
thermometer of such form (preferably round or oval) as to prevent the cup or recep-
tacle from projecting beyond the upper part of the case, in such manner as to form an
obstacle to the passage of the thermometer past anything it may touch as it is being
raised from the tun or other vessel, and I form the cup or receptacle with a sliding
front or bottom, or with capability of removal from, or hinged to, the body of the case,
so as to enable the same and the bulb to be readily cleaned.
When used in connection with a fermenting tun or for other like use, the thermo-
meter, on being withdrawn, is sometimes covered with froth, which obscures the bore,
as also the divisions and figures on the scale; in order to remove this difficulty, I form
a box or receptacle at the upper part of the case, which has small openings in its
bottom against the tube and scale, by which means, when the thermometer is drawn
out of the tun, the said receptacle is filled with liquor, which by oozing out from the
bottom and running down over the scale and tube, clear the same from the froth and
thereby facilitates the reading of the thermometer. This box or receptacle may be
formed in any convenient way, but I prefer to form it of a hinged front connected to
bottom and sides or ends fitting against the tube and scale but provided with spaces
on the inner edge of the bottom so as to leave slight openings for the liquor to ooze
out therefrom as above described; such form of box or receptacle I provide with a
suitable catch to enable the same to be readily locked and unlocked.
By this construction the said box or receptacle and the scale and tube are enabled
to be readily cleansed.
I also according to my invention mount the scale centrally of the case and from
an opening in both the back and front thereof and I so arrange the divisions and
figures that they can be easily read on either face of the scale.
In carrying this part of my invention into effect in connection with a metallic or
other opaque scale I form an opening in the centre of the scale to receive the therino-
meter tube and thereby enable the same to be seen from both the back and front and
in such case I provide both faces of the scale with divisions and figures.
When employing glass scales I make the divisions on one face and the figures.on
one side of each face and I leave a space of .clear glass in the centre of the
divisions to enable the tube to be easily seen from either face of the scale.
The thermometer tube may be of any known description but according to my
invention I form it with a lens front on opposite sides thereof and 1 also
form it with intermediate strips of white enamel to enable the boro to be readily
seen
..

page_text: The strips of white enamel on opposite sides of the bore and with spaces of
clear glass between them are also applicable to ordinary thermometer tubing with
flat bore.
J. J: HICKS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brewers' and other Thermometers:
I, JAMES JOSEPH HICKS of S Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,.
Scientific and Meteorological Instrument Manufacturer, 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:
Heretofore brewers' and such like thermometers have been mounted in metallic
cases provided with cups or receptacles surrounding the bulbs, so that when a
thermometer is dipped into the mash or liquor, it shall retain a certain quantity in
the cup or receptacle, so as to maintain the heat around the bulb until the temperature
has been read; such cup or receptacle has however been so formed as to project a
considerable distance from the body of the case, and it was therefore liable to catch
against anything it might pass, in addition to which, it was not easy to clean out such
cup or receptacle.
According to my invention, I overcome these difficulties by making the case of the
thermometer of such form (preferably round or oval) as to prevent the cup or
receptacle from projecting beyond the upper part of the case in such manner as to
form an obstacle to the passage of the thermometer past anything it may touch as it
is being raised from the tun or other vessel, and I form the cup or receptacle
with a sliding front or bottom, or with capability of removal from, or hinged to,
the body of the case, so as to enable the same and the bulb to be readily
cleaned.
-
When used in connection with a fermenting tun or for other like use, the thermo-
meter on being withdrawn, is sometimes covered with froth, which obscures the bore,
as also the divisions and figures on the scale; in order to remove this difficulty I form
a box or receptacle at the upper part of the case, which has small openings in its
bottom against the tube and scale, by which means, when the thermometer is drawn
out of the tun, the said receptacle is filled with liquor, which, by oozing out from the
bottom and running down over the scale and tube, clear the same from the froth,
and thereby facilitates the reading of the thermometer. This box or receptacle
may be formed in any convenient way, but I prefer to form it of a hinged
front connected to bottom and sides or ends fitting against the tube and scale, bút
provided with spaces on the inner edge of the bottom, so as to leave slight openings
for the liquor to ooze out therofrom as above described; such form of box or receptacle
I provide with a suitable catch to enable the same to be readily locked and unlocked.
By this construction, the said box or receptacle and the scale and tube are enabled to
be readily cleansed.
I also, according to my invention, mount the scale centrally of the case and-
form an opening in both the back and front thereof; and I so arrange the
divisions and figures that they can be easily read on either face of the scale..
In carrying this part of my invention into effect, in connection with a metallic
or other opaque scale, I form an opening in the centre of the scale to receive the
thermometer tube, and thereby enable the same to be seen from both the back and
front, and in such case I provide both faces of the scale with divisions and figures.
When employing glass scales, I make the divisions on one face and the figures on

page_text: 1
one side of each face, and I leave a space of clear glass in the centre of the divisions
to enable the tube to be easily seen from either face of the scale.
The thermometer tube may be of any known description, but according to my
invention, I form it with a lens front on opposite sides thereof, and I. also form it
with intermediate strips of white enamel to enable the bore to be readily seen. The
strips of white enamel on opposite sides of the bore and with spaces of clear
glass between them are also applicable to ordinary thermometer tubing with flat
Bore..
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a front view and Figure 2 is a vertical section of a Brewers' or such
like thermometer provided with a curved metallic case and having some other of my
improvements applied thereto. Figure 3 is a plan or top view. Figure 4 is a hori-
zontal section drawn on the line 1-1 of. Figure 1 and Figure 5 is a vertical section
of the upper parts thereof showing the liquor box or receptacle at the upper part
closed for use such being shown in Figure 2. open for cleansing.
Figure 6 is a front view, Figure 7-is a side view and Figures 8 and 9 are two plan
or top views of a brewers' or such like thermometer provided with a rectangular
-metallic case and having some of my improvements applied thereto. In Figures 6, 7
and 8 the liquor boxes or receptacles at the upper part are shown open for cleansing
and in Figure 9 they are shown closed for use whilst at Figures 6 and 7 the sliding
fronts of the lower liquor cups or receptacles are shown in raised positions for
cleansing.
Figure 10 is a front view, Figure 11 is an edge view and Figure 12 is a horizontal
section of a thermometer tube and metallic or other opaque scale constructed according
to parts of my invention and Figure 13 is a section of the tube separately drawn on
an enlarged scale. In all the Figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference.
a is the thermometer tube, b is the scale, e is the case, d.is the cup or receptacle at
the lower end and e is the box or receptacle at the upper end.
The thermometer represented at Figures 1 to 5 has a lens front or magnifying
tube a and scale 6 of ordinary construction but the case c is of a curved form, oval
5 at the upper part and gradually merging into a circle at the lower part, it has a fixed
cup or receptacle d but either the bottom or front of such cup or receptacle d may be
made to slide, or to move on hinges or otherwise be made moveable to facilitate
cleansing.
.
The case c has at the upper part a box or receptacle e, the back of which is formed
by the scale whilst the front thereof, carrying the two ends e and bottom e², is
hinged at the upper edge e³ to enable the same to be raised as shown at Figure 2
when required for cleansing purposes. The bottom e² of said box or receptacle is so
formed as to leave a small space between its inner edge and the face of the scale b,
and the tube a so that when the thermometer is withdrawn from a vat or tun of
5 liquor said box or receptacle e will be filled with liquor which by oozing out from the
bottom thereof and running down over the scale b, and tube a will clear the same from
froth and thereby facilitate the reading of the thermometer.
The thermometer represented at Figures 6 to 9 has the case c of rectangular form
and it has a cup or receptacle d at each side of the scale b, the fronts d' of which are
capable of sliding up and down the sides of the case c, to enable said cups or
receptacles to be enclosed for retaining a quantity of liquor when the thermometer
is removed from the vat or tun and to be opened when required to be cleansed. In
-this instance the case is also provided with a box or receptacle e at each side of the
↓

page_text: upper end, the fronts of which, carrying the two ends and bottom e are hinged at
the sides e. The two thermometers represented at Figures 1 to 9 have the cases and
the cups or receptacles de so formed as to offer no obstruction to the free raising of
said thermometers from a vat or tun.
The scale represented at Figures 1 to 5 is of the ordinary kind that is to say it
has only one face and the tube a is of the kind known as "lens front."
The scale represented at Figures 6 to 9 is of glass, it is mounted centrally of the
case which latter is formed with an opening in both the back and front thereof, the
said scale lias the divisions on one face and the figures on one side of each face and a
clear longitudinal space is left in the centre of the divisions to enable the tube and its
column to be easily seen from either face of the scale and the tube a is of the ordinary
non-magnifying description.
The scale & represented at Figures 10, 11, 12 is of metal or other opaque material,
it is formed with a longitudinal central opening to receive the tube a and thereby
enable the latter to be seen from both faces thereof which faces are each provided
with divisions and figures. The tube a represented at Figures 10 to 13 is formed
with a magnifying or "lens front" on opposite sides thereof, and it is also formed as
more clearly shown at Figure 13. with intermediate strips a' of white enamel
embedded in the body thereof to enable the bore to be readily seen.
The strips a of white enamel on opposite sides of the bore and with spaces of clear
glass between them are also applicable to ordinary non magnifying thermometer tubing
with flat bore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In brewers' and other like thermometers a case so formed as to offer no impedi-
ment to the raising of the thermometer from a vat or tun substantially as herein shown
and described.
2. In brewers' and other like thermometers constructing the case with a moveable
or partly moveable cup or receptacle at the lower end and a moveable box or receptacle
at the upper end which latter has the edge of its bottom a short distance from the face
of the scale and tube all substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purposes stated.
3. In brewers' and other like thermometers a scale mounted centrally of the case
and capable of being read on either face in combination with means for enabling the
tube to be seen on either face substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In brewers' and other like thermometers a glass scale having the divisions on
one face with a longitudinal clear space in the centre thereof to enable the tube to be
seen from either face and having figures on one side of each face to enable the same
to be read from either side substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In brewers and other like thermometers a metallic or opaque scale formed with
a central longitudinal opening to receive the thermometer tube and having the divisions
and figures on both faces to enable the same to be read from either side substantially
as herein shown and described.
6. In brewers or other like thermometers the combination of a case so con-
structed as to offer no impediment to the raising thereof from a tun or vat, a
moveable or partly moveable cup or receptacle at the lower end, a moveable box
or receptacle at the upper end, and a scale so constructed as to enable the scale
and tube to be easily read from either face substantially as herein shown and
described.
7. The construction of thermometer tubes with a strip of white enamel embedded
therein on opposite sides of the bore and a space of clear glass between them sub-
stantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
8. The construction of thermometer tubes with a "lens front" on each face thereof

page_text: in combination or not with a strip of white enamel, embedded within the tube on
opposite sides of the bore and a space of clear glass between them substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated February 17th 1890
JAMES JOSEPH HICKS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
JAMES JOSEPH HICKS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.