Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887.
We, GEORGE THORNLEY and THOMAS BUXTON, Engineers both of The Waterloo
Engineering Works, Burton-on-Trent do hereby declare the nature of our Invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for expelling
liquid from spent hops more effectually than is the case with apparatus hitherto
employed.
In hop presses as hitherto constructed the liquid is expelled from the hops only at
the outer sides or periphery of the mass operated on and consequently a considerable
amount of liquid remains in the centre of the mass.
According to our Invention we construct a press whereby the liquid is pressed from
the mass of hops not only at the outer sides or circumference of the mass as heretofore
but also from the centre thereof. In carrying out our Invention in order to effect
this object we provide a stationary part of the press which we term the ram and which
is preferably arranged in a vertical position and rigidly secured to the base plate of the
press. Over this ram is fitted to slide a cylinder having a closed upper end and
provided at the lower end with a flange or plate constituting the moveable part of the
press, between which flange or plate and a stationary top plate or frame the hops are
pressed. The ram is provided on its exterior surface with longitudinal grooves or
recesses over which is placed a perforated cylinder, another perforated cylinder of
greater diameter being arranged concentric with the ram so as to leave an annular
space between the two perforated cylinders in which space the hops to be pressed are
placed. The top plate or frame of the press is capable of being readily placed in
position to receive the pressure exerted on the hops and of being removed from
the press for the purpose of discharging the hops after being pressed, for which
purpose the said plate or frame is provided with lugs having slots or openings therein
which when the plate or frame is placed in position for the pressing operation are
caused to engage with projections provided for the purpose on rods secured to the
base of the press the top plate or frame thus being held firmly in position during the
pressing operation. In order to remove the said top plate or frame for the purpose
of discharging the hops after being pressed it is only necessary to rotate the plate or

page_text: frame slightly on the ram (which passes through a central opening therein) so as to
disengage the lugs from the projections on the rods after which it may be easily lifted
off the ram and the contents of the press discharged. The ram is provided through
its centre with a port or passage into and through which water or other suitable fluid
under pressure is forced into the cylinder so as to cause the said cylinder to slide
along or over the ram and compress between the flange on the cylinder and the top
plate or frame the hops placed in the annular space between the two perforated
cylinders the liquid being thus expelled from the hops, which liquid will pass through
the perforations in the two concentric cylinders into an annular trough or receptacle
arranged in the lower part of the press to receive it. The liquid pressed from the
central part of the mass of hops flows through the inner perforated cylinder and down
through the longitudinal grooves or recesses in the outer surface of the cylinder or
moveable part of the press which slides over the ram, the liquid being thus more
effectually expelled from the hops than is the case with apparatus hitherto employed.
Dated this 18th day of October 1886.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agent for G. Thornley & T. Buxton.

page_text: UUMIDELE
Improvements in Apparatus for Expelling Liquid from Spent Hops.
We GEORGE THORNLEY and THOMAS BUXTON Engineers both of The Waterloo
Engineering Works Burton on Trent 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
:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an apparatus for expelling liquid from
spent hops more effectually than is the case with apparatus hitherto employed.
In hop presses as hitherto constructed the liquid is expelled from the hops only
through passages at the outer sides of the mass operated on and consequently a
considerable amount of liquid remains in the mid portion of the mass.
According to our Invention we construct a press whereby the liquid is pressed
from the mass of hops not only at the outer sides of the mass as heretofore but also
from the mid portion thereof passages being provided at the central part of the press
for the escape of the liquid from the said portion of the mass.
We will describe our Invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as
applied to a press operated by a screw but it is to be understood that we may use
hydraulic or other power applied in any suitable way. Figure 1 is a vertical section
of a hop press constructed according to our invention and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same and Figure 3 is a cross section of the central part on the line ab Figure 1.
On the base A of the press we secure a vertical screw A2 fitted with a bevel wheel
by means of which it receives rotation from any suitable motor. Over this screw is
fitted a cylinder B having a closed upper end and provided at the lower end with an
internal screw thread in which the screw A² works and also with a flange or plate C
constituting the movable part or platten of the press. Between the flange or plate C
and a stationary perforated top plate or cover D the hops are pressed. The cylinder B
is provided on its exterior surface with longitudinal grooves or recesses 6 over which
is placed a perforated cylinder c another perforated cylinder d of greater diameter
being arranged concentric with the cylinder c so as to leave an annular space between
the two perforated cylinders c and d in which space the hops to be pressed are
placed. The top plate is capable of being readily placed in position to receive the
pressure exerted on the hops and of being removed from the press for the purpose of
discharging the hops after being pressed for which purpose the said plate or frame is
provided with lugs E having slots or openings e therein which when the plate or frame
is placed in position for the pressing operation are caused to engage with nuts F or
projections provided for the purpose on rods G secured to the base A. of the press the
top plate D thus being held firmly in position during the pressing operation. An
opening H is provided in the top plate D through which the cylinder B passes. In
order to remove the top plate D for the purpose of charging the press with hops or
for discharging the hops after they have been pressed it is only necessary to partially

page_text: rotate the plate D so as to disengage the lugs from the nuts or projections F on the
rods G after which the plate D may be easily lifted off the cylinder B for the removal
of the contents of the press.
The liquid expelled from the hops passes through the perforations in the cylinders c
and d and may enter an annular trough or receptacle I arranged in the lower part of
the press the portion of the liquid pressed from the central part of the mass of hops
flowing down through the longitudinal grooves or recesses b and over the plate Cinto
the trough I. The liquid is thus more effectually expelled from the whole mass of
spent hops than is the case with apparatus hitherto employed.
When hydraulic power is used the water may be admitted by a fixed ram taking
the place of the screw A2 and having a passage for the water through it to the upper
end the outlet to the cylinder B being above a piston with a hydraulic packing fixed
to the top of the fixed ram A² and fitting the interior of the cylinder B.
Although we have described the press as being a vertical one and the space in which
the hops are pressed as being of a cylindrical form we do not restrict ourselves to that
position or to that form as it is evident that the position may be other than vertical
and that the form may be rectangular or of other figure without departing from the
nature of our Invention but what we claim is.
First. In apparatus for expelling liquid from spent hops the provision in the central
part, of passages for the escape of the liquid from the mid portion of the mass of hops
from the centre thereof substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. In apparatus for expelling liquid from spent hops a pressing chamber with
double perforated walls and passages for the escape of liquid both from the outer sides
and from the mid portions of the mass of hops substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.
Third. The general construction combination and arrangement of parts constituting
a press for expelling liquid from spent hops as hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying drawings whether screw or other pressure be used.
Dated this 18th day of July 1887