AN IMPROVED MASHING MACHINE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Osmond Henry McMullen, of Bridge Brewery,
Hertford, in the County of Hertford, Brewer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MASHING MACHINE."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Osmond Henry McMullen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th January 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OSMOND
HENRY MCMULLEN, of Bridge Brewery, Hertford, in the County of
Hertford, Brewer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MASHING MACHINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn declaration that I am the true
and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Osmond Henry M Mullen, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and
by the following statement :--

page_text: The machine which constitutes this Invention is intended to act
or operate upon the principle of the mash rule, whereby the grist and
liquor are beaten, riddled, and mixed as hereinafter explained, and is
formed as follows:-In the axis of a cylindrical, conical, or other vessel
of a like or suitable shape (to be placed or fixed with its axis in a
vertical position at the side of the mash tun) I fit a rotary circular
or annular inclined plane, plate or plates of thin metal, having radial
or other openings, or slots, or perforations therein, and a central hollow
shaft or axis. This shaft passes through the bottom of the vessel and is
geared externally so as to be turned or driven by hand or other power.
The vessel in which the masher and its shaft rotate is flanged, closed at
the bottom by a plate with or upon which it can be turned and fixed
as required. This plate has an opening in the centre where it is formed
with an external cup or liquor chamber and stuffing box, through
both of which the continuation of the hollow shaft before mentioned
passes, that portion of the shaft which traverses the liquor chamber
being slotted to allow the liquor to enter. The vessel is closed at the
top by a moveable cover formed with a shallow circular dipping flange
underneath which fits into the mash vessel with a hollow cylindrical
neck at the top. This neck is screwed internally and fitted with a
hollow screw for adjusting its height above the plate; near the top
of this vessel a circular channel is formed with perforations inside;
or a circular pipe similarly perforated or slotted is fitted therein, through
which mashing liquor is admitted. The hollow axis or shaft of the
masher is closed at the top by a hollow conical head, the base of
which is somewhat larger in diameter than the hollow shaft. The
top of the plate which forms the circular inclined plane is rolled or
beaten over upon a mandril until its edge nearly but not quite touches
the flat of the plate, so as to form a long thin slot which can be opened
more or less as required, and if necessary be soldered down and per-
forated or similarly slotted on the opposite side. The outer end of
the tube thus formed is closed, and the inner end connected by a nipple
with the hollow central shaft, and two or more of such tubes may be
thus fitted thereto. The inclination or pitch of the inclined plate or
plates diminishes from the top towards the bottom of the masher, the
object being to cause the upper portion to act as a beater and sifter,
and the lower portion to operate more powerfully as a sifter. The
malt is admitted to the mashing vessel at the top through the hollow
neck and screw of the moveable cover from a hopper (fitted with .a

page_text: regulating slide) immediately under which the machine is placed.
The adjusting screw being turned so as to raise its top to the under
side of the hopper, and cause the former to bind and partially fix
itself against the latter. The mashing liquor is admitted under pressure
to the cup or chamber, and thence through the hollow shaft is dis-
charged and disseminated in intersecting fine streams or jets at the
top of the masher where it thoroughly mixes with the malt as the
latter falls from the hopper above upon the rotating inclined surfaces
of the masher, and through the slots or openings in the plate or plates
from the top to the bottom of the machine, and is finally driven out
through a lateral opening at the side and close to the bottom where
a spout is fitted and conducts the mash into the mash tun. As the
grist falls upon the masher it is caused to rotate either by hand or
otherwise in a direction opposite to that in which it is pitched or
inclined, so that its inclined surfaces meet the grain, and thus acting.
as an elevator causes the lower portion or slow pitch to riddle or s ft
the mash, and the upper portion to beat and sift it as it falls through
the slots or openings formed as before described, from one turn of the
incline to the other. The mashing liquor is conducted to the liquor
chamber by means of a pipe or pipes from the copper, ascends through
the hollow axis or shaft of the masher, and is discharged at the top as
before described in small jets or streams by means of perforations or
slots which are formed in the head of the shaft, and in the sides of
the radial and curved or circular tubes connected thereto, the rotating
jets or streams from which are intersected by similar jets or streams
issuing from the perforated or slotted circular pipe or channel formed
in the side of the mashing vessel before mentioned.
The details of construction are illustrated upon the accompanying
Drawing to which the following explanation applies:-
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevator of the machine complete as fixed for use;
Figure 2 is a section taken through the centre of the axis, but shewing
the masher entire; Figure 3 is a plan view at the top of the mash vessel
with the cover removed.
a is a cast iron or other frame supporting the machine and intended
to be fixed upon the mash stage b; c, the continuation of the hollow

page_text: shaft or axis of the masher, upon the bottom of which a bevel toothed
wheel dis keyed in gear with the wheel d', keyed upon the shaft e which
also carries the drum or pully driven by the bond f¹; g is the mash
vessel; k, the liquor chamber; i, the shaft pipe by which the mashing
liquor is supplied thereto; j, apertures through which the liquor enters
the shaft; k, branch pipes perforated or slotted for discharging the liquor
where it mixes with the malt; k', a circular pipe which may also be
used for the latter purpose; k², a channel in the side of the vessel also
intended for discharging the liquor, and fitted with a branch supply
pipe, for cleansing purposes; L, the rotating inclined and slotted plate
masher over and through which the grist and mash pass from the top
to the bottom of the machine as the said incline is turned in the
direction shewn by the arrow; L' is the hollow perforated and slotted
cone top which is screwed into the top of the hollow axis c and closes it;
this cone carries a smaller cone which is screwed into . By slacking
these screws the liquor will issue in thin streams through the circular
slot immediately underneath them; m is the discharging spout, through
which the mash is driven out of the machine into the mash tun m by
the rotation of the bottom part of the incline 13 which fits close to the
bottom of the mash vessel; n is the moveable cover having a dippling
flangen fitting into the top of the vessel at n and closing it; o, the
hollow neck of the cover fitted with the adjusting screw p, when the
cover is put on this screw is run up till it binds against the under side of
the hopper q which is fitted with a slide for regulating the quantity
of malt falling therefrom. The diameter of the hollow p' of the screw p
regulates the quantity of malt entering the machine, the size of this
hollow can be varied for that purpose as required, and if it should be
necessary the hollow screw may be fitted with changing lining rings
or cylinders therefor; p is a light centre guide for keeping the upper
end of the masher in its proper place. The machine may be worked
in a vertical or inclined position. The masher may be cast entire, or
the inclined plate or plates may be made separate from the axis and
fixed thereto. In practise I prefer to make the plates of brass or copper,
and the vessel and cover of the latter metal; the circular inclined plates
may be made of one pitch from top to bottom and a double a right and
left hand incline may be fitted to the axis for increasing the power of the
masher. To cleanse the machine it is only necessary to close the hopper
and let the liquor run through the tap. By turning the screw in the
hollow neck of the cover until it frees itself sufficiently from the under

page_text: side of the hopper to allow the dipping flange to clear the top of the
vessel the cover can be removed when required.
Having thus described and illustrated the form and mode of
constructing my said improved masher, and explained the principle
upon which it is intended to act or operate, I hereby further declare
that I claim,
First. The machine thus described in its complete form.
Secondly. The rotating masher with a circular incline plate or plates
having radial or other openings therein.
Thirdly. Such modifications thereof and of the said machine as may
be made in practice, in which modifications the beating, sifting, and
mixing operations are performed by causing the grist and liquor or mash
to pass over and through a circular, curved, or straight, perforated or
slotted plate or plates, or other equivalent, inclined and turned or moved
by hand or otherwise, so that the inclined or slotted surface upon and
through which the mash descends advances to or meets and passes
through the descending grist and liquor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Osmond Henry McMullen, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
OSMOND HENRY MCMULLEN. (L.S.)