IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR 'ROUSING' FERMENTING LIQUORS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Boddington, junior, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR 'ROUSING' FERMENTING LIQUORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Boddington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th September 1876.
HENRY BODDINGTON, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR 'ROUSING' FERMENTING
LIQUORS."
"
"
The object of this Invention is to rouse or agitate fermenting liquors, such as
ale, beer, or porter, whilst fermenting in the vat, so as to thoroughly mix the yeast
with the liquor.
•
Hitherto this has been accomplished by manual labor, and was effected by a
"dasher" or plunger, which was worked up and down in the liquor by the work-
man for some time whenever required, and which was a very tedious, uncertain,
and unsatisfactory process.
My Invention consists in the employment and use of a shaft having vanes or
blades fixed at or near one end (somewhat on the principle of a sciew propeller).
This shaft is placed in an upright position in the centre of the vat, the lower end
being supported in a footstep, and has keyed at its other (or upper) end a driving
pulley.
When it is required to "rouse" or mix the liquor a driving strap is put on to the
pulley which keeps the shaft revolving in the liquor as long as required, and which
has the effect of thoroughly "rousing" or mixing the yeast and liquor.
The action of this apparatus is much more regular. and certain than the ordinary
method of "rousing" by hand, and the result is much more satisfactory and the
quality of the beer is much more even.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Henry Boddington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1877.
HENRY BODDINGTON, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR 'ROUSING' FERMENTING
LIQUORS."
The object of this Invention is to "rouse" or agitato fermenting liquors, such as
ale, beer, or porter, whilst fermenting in the vat, so as to assist and accelerate the
fermentation.
Hitherto this has been accomplished by manual labor, and was effected by a
"dasher" or plunger, which was worked up and down in the liquor by the work-
man for some time whenever required, and which was a very tedious, uncertain,
and unsatisfactory process
My Invention consists in the employment and use of a shaft having vanes or
blades fixed therein (somewhat on the principle of a screw propeller). This shaft
is placed in an upright position in the centre of the vat, the lower end being sup-
ported in a footstep, and has keyed at its upper end a driving pulley or toothed
wheel.
When it is required to "
"
rouse or agitate the liquor so as to increase or accelerate
the fermentation a driving strap is put on to the pulley, or the toothed wheel is
thrown into gear with a driving wheel which keeps the shaft revolving in the liquor
as long as required, and which has the effect of thoroughly "rousing" or agitating
the yeast and liquor.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the follow-
ing explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a front elevation, and Fig. 2, an end view of a
my improved apparatus; Fig 3 is a plan view of the vanes or blades.
a, a, is the vertical shaft, the lower end of which is supported in a footstep b, b,
fixed to the bottom of the vat or vessel and furnished at or near its lower end with
vanes or blades c, c. The length of the vertical shaft a, a, is rather more than the
height of the sides of the vat or vessel, and its upper end is supported by a bracket
or bearing d, d, fixed to a beam e, c, extending across the top of the vat or vessel.
These beams (one across each vat or vessel) also support in suitable bearings a
longitudinal driving shaft f, f. On the top of the shaft a, a, in each vat or vessel is
keyed a mitre wheel g, g, and a corresponding mitre wheel h, h, is mounted on
a long key or feather on the driving shaft f, f, in such a manner that it can be
made to slide on the shaft f,f, into or out of gear with the corresponding mitre
wheel g, g, but (whether in or out of gear) will always revolve with the shaft.
It will be evident that so long as the mitre wheels are allowed to remain out of
gear the shaft a, a, and vanes or blades c, c, will remain in a quiescent state,
but as soon as the mitre wheel h, h, is put into gear with its corresponding
wheel g, g, they will revolve and rouse up beer or liquor until they are again
thrown out of gear. It will be evident that instead of mitre wheels spur wheels
or pulleys and straps may be omployed for driving the vertical shaft.
The action of this apparatus is much more regular and certain than the ordinary
method of "rousing" by hand, and the result is much more satisfactory and the
quality of the beer is much more even.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the method of and
apparatus for “rousing" beer or other fermenting liquors as herein-before particularly

page_text: described and illustrated by the annexed Drawing, and more especially I claim the
vertical shaft supported in a footstep on the bottom of the vat or vessel, being pro-
vided with vanes or blades, and capable of being thrown into or out of gear with a
continuously revolving shaft when required
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Boddington, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HENRY BODDINGTON, Jr. (LS.)