Patent GB-399352-A (GB)
Title: New or improved method of aerating beverages, and apparatus therefor
IPC: B01F3/04
Filed: 1932-12-24
Abstract: 399,352. Aerating liquids. MEURER, N., 21, Kaiser Friedrich-Ufer, Cologne, Germany. Dec. 24, 1932, No. 36574. [Class 14 (i).] In a process for aerating-liquids, the liquid is forced from a bottle or' other holder i to a mixing vessel a by the pressure of carbon dioxide supplied d through a tube f and a perforated nozzle g, the liquid and gas passing to the mixing vessel through a connecting passage p of such crosssectional area, its greatest diameter being onethird to one-eighth of the diameter of the holder i, that the mixture undergoes consider. able expansion with foaming in the mixing vessel, and then falls back freely to the holder when the pressure between the holder and the mixing vessel is equalized. The neck of the bottle i is pressed against a rubber mouthpiece c at the base of the mixing vessel a by means of a clamping plate h worked by a hand-wheel h<2> and screw h<1>. The bottle i is guarded by a protective shell k, and the whole apparatus is mounted on an upright column b standing an a base-plate m which may be fixed to a hotel counter. The mixing vessel a is provided with a pressure release cock d. When different sizes of bottles are to be dealt with, the length of the tube f can be made adjustable by passing the upper end thereof through a stuffing box into an upwardly directed wider tube, closed at the top, to which the carbon dioxide is supplied. In another form of apparatus, the mixing vessel as well as the holder is a glass bottle of the kind used for aerated wine, and is also provided with a protective shell, and an upper clamping device for holding it in an inverted position. The protective shells are connected with the member intermediate between the two bottles by means of bayonet joints. The annular space between the shell and the bottle may be utilized to hold a refrigerating agent, and inspection slots for observing the action taking place in either vessel, together with a small electric light bulb arranged adjacent, may be provided. In this form of apparatus, instead of the pressure release cock d, a ventilating pipe leading from the top of the mixing vessel to the outer air, and provided with a closing valve, is employed, the same pipe being also utilized for the supply of a scavenging fluid to the inking vessel when necessary. In addition, means are provided for rinsing both the mixing vessel and the holder with water supplied through the same pipe, for use when different liquids are to be aerated in succession. The same means may be used for supplying fresh water for aeration, any required additions being placed in the holder bottle beforehand. The type of.aerating nozzle, shown in Fig. 10, may be employed, the pipe 16a through which the gas enters passing through a stuffing- box 44 into a wider tube 42, so that,the device can be used with bottles of different sizes. The gas enters the liquid through a tubular passage formed between a body 46 and a tube 17, and leading to an annular gap 47 of adjustable width. The apparatus may also be used for supplying aerated liquid into glasses, the mixing vessel being in this case partly filled with water as well as the holder, and the aerated liquid drawn off therefrom by opening a cock on a leading-off pipe arranged in the intermediate member. To increase the productive capacity of the apparatus, several holder bottles provided with protective shells may be arranged on individual supports rotatable about a supporting column on which a single holder and mixing vessel are mounted. Alternatively, several mixing vessels and a single holder bottle on an arm rotatable to come underneath each successively may be provided. In a further modification, several mixing vessels may be provided to co-operate with several holder bottles, the intermediate member in this case being borne centrally and rotatably on the central supporting standard, which is tubular and serves for the supply of carbon dioxide. The intermediate member bears a number of radial branches corresponding to the number of holder bottles, each branch being provided with valves for the supply of gas. In the form shown in Fig. 8, the carbon dioxide supply pipe 16a is surrounded by a tube 29 of larger diameter, which communicates with a bore 30 in the intermediate member 2. The bore 30 leads into a wider bore 33a to which liquid to be aerated is supplied from a large reservoir 37 through a pipe 35, provided with a cock 36. The reservoir 37 is enclosed in a casing 38 with a cover 40, serving for the cooling of the liquid by means of a reciprocating medium. For introducing the aerating gas the injector device, shown in Fig. 11, can also be employed. When the cock 36 and the carbon dioxide admission valve 6 have been opened, the gas escaping through the nozzle 16b draws liquid from the reservoir 37 through the tube 29 into the bottle 3 and effects therein a preliminary aeration. Further quantities of carbon dioxide for completing the aeration enters the bottle through side bores 17a. The arrangement by which the scavenging fluid and rinsing water are supplied is shown in Fig. 7. The scavenging fluid is supplied through a valve 5, threeway cock 21, and passage 2d of the intermediate member 2 to the ventilating pipe 18 which extends upwards into the upper bottle. By altering the threeway cock 21, the supply of scavenging fluid can be shut off and rinsing water admitted from a pipe 20. The water flows from the upper bottle into the lower through the central passage 2c of the intermediate member 2, and fills the lower bottle until the excess begins to escape through a passage 2b and a cock 23a.