IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE IN FERMENTING VESSELS."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Siddeley, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Coppersmith, and Frederick Noel Mackay, of the same Place, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING
AND REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE IN FERMENTING VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Siddeley and Frederick
Noel Mackay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March
1878.
JOHN SIDDELEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Coppersmith, and
FREDERICK NOEL MACKAY, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE IN
FERMENTING VESSELS."
Heretofore it has been the custom to control and regulate the temperature of
liquids undergoing fermentation by abstracting heat directly from the body of such
liquids, either by means of a cold fluid circulating through tubes placed in such
liquids, or by like means.
The above described method of regulating and controlling the temperature of
fermenting liquids is objectionable, in so much as there is great difficulty in ensuring
that too much or too little heat shall not be abstracted, and thereby check and
prevent or unduly increase the fermentation of the liquid.
Now our Invention consists essentially in controlling and regulating the tem-
perature of fermenting liquid or liquids by maintaining a layer of cold air above
the said fermenting liquid or liquids.
The cold air abstracts heat only from the surface of such liquid or liquids, and
thereby affects that portion of the liquid or liquids only which possesses the greatest
amount of heat generated by fermentation, and which consequently rises to the
surface; those portions of the liquid which have not yet undergone fermentation

page_text: are cooler and remain beneath the surface; there is therefore no danger of improperly
checking the process of fermentation.
To carry our Invention into practice" we suspend or support by any suitable
means, such as brackets attached to the sides of the vessels, a series or row of pipes
or tubes above and near to the surface of the liquid in the fermenting vessel, and
some distance below the top of the said fermenting vessel. Through the said pipes
or tubes refrigerating fluid, cooled below 32° F. by any of the means or processes
now employed for such purposes, is caused to circulate by means of pumps or like
appliances, or by the action of gravity through the said pipes or tubes, so as to cool
the air on the top of the fermenting liquid to any requisito degree. The air in the
vessel above the pipes or tubes is very little cooled and acts as a non-conductor so
as to prevent loss of cold.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Siddeley and Frederick Noel Mackay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1878.
JOHN SIDDELEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Coppersmith, and
FREDERICK NOEL MACKAY, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE
IN FERMENTING VESSELS.".
☑
Heretofore it has been the custom to control and regulate the temperature of
liquids undergoing fermentation by abstracting heat directly from the body of such
liquids, either by means of a cold fluid circulating through tubes placed in "such
..liquids, or by like 'means.
The above described method of regulating and controlling the temperature of
fermenting liquids is objectionable, inasmuch as there is great difficulty in ensuring
that too much or too little heat shall not be abstracted, and thereby check-and
prevent or unduly increase the fermentation of the liquid.
Now our Invention consists essentially in controlling and regulating the tem-
perature of fermenting liquid or liquids by maintaining a layer of cold air above
the said fermenting liquid or liquids.
"
The cold air abstracts heat only from the surface of such liquid or liquids, and
thereby affects that portion of the liquid or liquids only which possesses the greatest
amount of heat generated by fermentation, and which consequently rises to the
..surface; those portions of the liquid which have not yet undergone fermentation
are cooler remain beneath the surface, and there is therefore no danger of improperly
checking the process of fermentation.
To carry our Invention into practice we suspend or support by any suitable
means, such as brackets attached to the sides of the vessel, a series or row of pipes
or tubes above and near to the surface of the liquid in the fermenting vessel, and
some distance below the top of the said fermenting vessel or its cover. Through

page_text: the said pipes or tubes refrigerating fluid cooled below 32° F. by any of the means
or processes now employed for such purposes is caused to circulate by means of
pumps or like appliances or by the action of gravity through the pipes or tubes so
as to cool the air on the top of the fermenting liquid to any requisite degree. The
air in the vessel above the pipes or tubes is very little cooled, and acts as a non-
conductor so as to prevent loss of cold.
air in the vessel above the pipes or tubes is very little cooled, and acts as a non-
conductor so as to prevent loss of cold.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; and Fig. 3, a transverse
section of apparatus or appliances under our Invention.
1 is the fermenting vessel; 2, level of liquid therein undergoing fermentation;
3, bearing bars or bearers resting on the top of the fermenting vessel, and carrying
the pipes or tubes 4, through which refrigerating fluid cooled below 32° F. is caused
to circulate.
The said refrigerating fluid is cooled in any convenient manner, say by an ether
freezing machine, and the circulation is maintained in any convenient manner.
It is desirable that the pipes or tubes should be so placed that the yeast will not
come in contact with the said pipes or tubes.
The refrigerating liquid passing through the pipes or tubes 4 cools the air
around the said pipes; such air so cooled descends below the said pipes or tubes on
the top of the liquid to be fermented, whilst any air of higher temperature rises by
its own levity above the tubes.
Instead of placing the bearing bars and pipes or tubes on the top of the fermenting
vessel, they may be placed some distance below the top of the said fermenting
vessel, may be fixed on brackets or otherwise secured in position.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry our improvements into effect, we claim,―
First. The improvements in controlling and regulating the temperature of
fermenting vessels, substantially as set forth.
Second. The apparatus or appliances for controlling and regulating the temperature
of fermenting vessels, arranged substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Siddeley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
J. T. KING,
Witness.
JOHN SIDDELEY. (L.S.)