IMPROVEMENTS IN MASH MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MASH MACHINES." A communication from abroad by William Craig, of the
City of New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MASH MACHINES." A communication from abroad
by William Craig, of the City of New York, in the County and State of New York,
United States of America.
i
In mash machines as usually constructed revolving stirrers or agitators are
employed for stirring or agitating the mash, and independent and separate devices,
such, for instance, as pipes or coils through which a heating or cooling agent is
circulated, are arranged within the tub for the purpose of heating or cooling the
mash.
The object of this Invention is to provide for more evenly heating or cooling the
mash, and also to provide for injecting water or steam evenly throughout the mass
for the purpose of tempering the mash to any consistency desired without drawing
off the liquor or saccharine matter and heating it by independent means, as is now
done; and to this end the Invention consists in a mash tub having the stirrers or
agitators and their supporting shaft or shafts all made hollow, and constructed and
arranged. so as to provide for a free circulation of the heating or cooling agent
through the shaft or shafts and the stirrers or agitators, whereby the contents of the
mash tub is subjected to the action of heat or cold in a much more thorough and
expeditious manner than heretofore. It also consists in various details of construc-
tion and combinations of parts to be hereinafter explained.
In carrying out this Invention the general arrangement of the mechanism within
the mash tub is similar to that ordinarily employed, although the construction and
mode of connection of the parts is different. The mechanism for stirring or
agitating the mash is supported by a central vertical shaft, the lower end of which

page_text: rests in a step bearing at the bottom of the tub. Rotary motion may be imparted
to the said shaft by means of bevel gearing, or in any other desirable manner.
From the central shaft extend horizontal shafts (two or any other convenient
number) supported at their inner ends in the central vertical shaft, and supported
at or near their outer ends by means of arms depending from a cross bar securely
attached to and rotating with the vertical shaft. In order to impart motion to the
horizontal shafts they are each provided at their inner ends with bevel wheels,
which engage with a stationary bevel-geared ring supported on a frame or bed near
the bottom of the tub, and receive rotary motion therefrom as the vertical shaft is
rotated. A series of stirrers or agitators are secured to the horizontal shafts, and
rotated therewith for acting upon the mash. The arrangement of all those parts is
similar to mash tubs as usually constructed, but the construction and manner of
connecting the said parts is novel, and will now be described. The vertical shaft is
made hollow, and is provided at the top with an inlet pipe for water, steam, or
other heating or cooling agent, which passes down through a passage in the said
shaft. In the vertical shaft is a hub, which receives the inner ends of the hori-
zontal shafts. These last mentioned shafts are hollow, constituting pipes, and are
provided at their inner ends with flanges secured in recesses in the hub, and kept
in place by stuffing boxes. The horizontal pipes are closed at the outer ends by
means of caps, and have arranged within them other pipes, the inner ends of which
are fixed in the vertical shaft, and communicate with the passage in the said
shaft. The horizontal pipes communicate with space around the centre of the
vertical shaft, from which extends an outlet passage or orifice. The stirrers or
agitators, which are fitted upon the horizontal shafts or pipes, are composed of
hollow distributing chambers, from which pipes extend in opposite directions and
on both sides of the said shafts. The horizontal shafts are perforated at the points
where the chambers are situate, so as to permit of the passage of a heating or
cooling agent. The stirrers or agitators may be of any desired shape or construc-
tion. The pipes of the stirrers or agitators may be arranged on one or both sides
of the chambers, and any number of the said stirrers may be arranged on each side
of the vertical shaft. In the operation of the machine the water, steam, or other
heating or cooling agent entering through the inlet pipe while the stirrers or
agitators are in operation passes down the vertical shaft, thence through branch
pipes to the outer ends thereof, and back around the horizontal pipes or shafts ;
from thence it passes through each stirrer or agitator as it reaches them, and after-
wards returns through the horizontal pipes or shafts to the centre shaft, and out at
the outlet pipe or passage. When it is desired to introduce any foreign substance
into the mash the stirrers or agitators may be provided with holes or openings at
any desired point, which may be opened or closed at will. When the machine is
first put in operation it may be desirable to exhaust the air therefrom for the
purpose of improving the circulation of the heating or cooling agent through the
machine. As all portions of the mash are brought into contact with the stirrers or
agitators, the heating, cooling, or tempering of the mash may be uniformly and
thoroughly effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
December 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MASH MACHINES." A communication from abroad
by William Craig, of the City of New York, in the County and State of New York,
United States of America.
In mash machines as usually constructed revolving stirrers or agitators are
employed for stirring or agitating the mash, and independent and separate devices,
such, for example, as pipes or coils through which a heating or cooling agent is
circulated, are arranged within the tub for the purpose of heating or cooling the
mash.
The object of the present Invention is to provide for more evenly heating or
cooling the mash, and also to provide for injecting water or steam evenly throughout
the mass for the purpose of tempering the mash to any consistency desired without
drawing off the liquor or saccharine matter and heating it by independent means,
as is now done; and to this end the Invention consists of a mash tub having the
stirrers or agitators and their supporting shaft or shafts all made hollow, and con-
structed and arranged so as to provide for a free circulation of the heating or
cooling agent through the shaft or shafts and the stirrers or agitators, whereby the
contents of the mash tub are subjected to the action of heat or cold in a much more
thorough and expeditious manner than heretofore. It also consists in various
details of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter explained.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a central vertical section
through a mash tub, embodying the said Invention; Figure 2 represents a hori-
zontal section (drawn to a larger scale) through the upright driving shaft and
appurtenances; and Figure 3 represents a transverse section taken along the dotted
line 1-2, Figure 1, and corresponding to that Figure.
The general arrangement of the mechanism within the mash tub A is similar to
that ordinarily employed, although the construction and mode of connection of the
parts is different.
B is a central vertical shaft which supports the mechanism for stirring or agitating
the mash, and the lower end of which rests in a step-bearing B' at the bottom of the
tub. Rotary motion may be imparted to the said shaft by means of bevel-gearing C,
or in any other desirable manner.
D are horizontal shafts, here represented as two in number, supported at their
inner ends in the shaft B, and supported at or near their outer ends by means of
arms E depending from a cross bar F securely attached to and rotating with the
upright shaft B.
In order to impart motion to the shafts. D they are each provided at their inner
ends with bevel wheels D', which engage with a stationary bevel-geared ring G,
supported on a frame or bed near the bottom of the tub, and receive rotary motion
therefrom as the shaft B is rotated.
H represents a series of stirrers or agitators secured to the shafts D, and rotated
therewith for acting upon the mash. The arrangement of all these parts is similar
to mash tubs as usually constructed, but the construction and manner of con-
necting the said parts is novel, and will now be described. The shaft B is made
hollow, and is provided at the top with an inlet pipe a for water, steam, or other
heating or cooling agent, which passes down through a passage b in the said shaft.
In the shaft B is a hub B2, which receives the inner ends of the shafts D; these
last mentioned shafts are hollow, constituting pipes, and are provided at their inner

page_text: ends with flanges c secured in receeses in the hub B2, and kept in place by stuffing
boxes d. This method of securing the shafts D in the shaft B is very clearly illus-
trated in Figure 2. The pipes D are closed at the outer ends by means of caps D¹,
and have arranged within them other pipes I, the inner ends of which are fixed in
the shaft B, and communicate with the passage b in the said shaft. The pipes D
communicate with spaces e around the centre of the shaft B, from which extends an
outlet passage or orifice f. The stirrers or agitators H, which are fitted upon the
shafts or pipes D, are composed of hollow distributing chambers g, from which
pipes h extend in opposite directions and on both sides of the said shafts. The
shafts D are perforated at the points where the chambers g are situated, so as to
permit of the passage of a heating or cooling agent. The stirrers or agitators H
may be of any desired shape or construction. The pipes h may be arranged on one
or both sides of the chambers g, and any number of the said stirrers may be
arranged on each side of the upright shaft B. In the operation of the machine the
water, steam, or other heating or cooling agent entering through the pipe a while
the stirrers or agitators are in operation passes down the shaft B, thence through
the pipe I to the outer ends thereof and back around the pipes or shafts D, thence
it passes through each stirrer or agitator as it reaches them, and afterwards returns
through the pipes or shafts D to the central shaft B, and out at the outlet pipe or
passage f. When it is desired to introduce any foreign substance into the mash the
stirrers or agitators may be provided with holes or openings at any desired point,
which may be opened or closed at will. When the machine is first put into opera-
tion it may be desirable to exhaust the air therefrom for the purpose of improving
the circulation of the heating or cooling agent through the machine. As all portions
of the mash are brought into contact with the stirrers or agitators the heating, cooling,
or tempering of the mash may be uniformly and thoroughly effected.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination with a mash tub of two or more hollow horizontal rotary
shafts and attached stirrers, a hollow upright rotary shaft supporting the said
horizontal shafts and pipes for conveying a heating or cooling agent into the said
upright and horizontal shafts, substantially as herein before described.
Second. The combination of the hollow upright shaft B and hollow horizontal
shafts D, the pipes I arranged within the said shafts D, and the hollow stirrers or
agitators H arranged upon the said shafts D, substantially as herein before
described.
Third. The combination with the tub A of the hollow upright shaft B, the hollow
shafts D provided with gear wheels D', the stationary bevel geared ring G, with
which the said gear wheels D² engage, the pipes I, and the hollow rotary stirrers or
agitators H, substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The combination of the hollow shaft B, having a hub B2 and receiving
an inlet pipe a, the pipes I, I, secured firmly into the said hub, the hollow rotary
shafts D surrounding the said pipes I, I, and fitted with the stuffing boxes d on the
said bub, and carrying the stirrers or agitators, and the outlet pipe f communicating
with the said hub, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TATTOONT
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
(1.S.)