Improvements in Maturing Spirits and other Liquors and Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Maturing Spirits and other Liquors and Apparatus
connected therewith.
I JAMES MCKINLESS Shrewsbury Villa Brooks's Bar Manchester out of business
but late Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My apparatus consists of an enclosed chamber or vessel of cylindrical or other
form, with a floor or plate at a convenient distance from the top, perforated with very
small holes about 1 inches apart (but may be more or less) and also with one or more
floors of gauze, made of copper wire or other suitable material, and an arrangement
for pumping (by rotary or other kind of pump) the spirits or liquor from the bottom
of the said chamber or vessel, to the top or upper part thereof, so as to keep the liquor
constantly circulating.
These chambers or vessels may be charged with liquor direct from barrels or casks,
or receivers may be used, such as are shewn in the drawings hereto annexed marked (A)
and of which any number may be connected at a given level, by a tube as at (B) so as
to measure a given number of gallons, and the whole may be filled by a rotary or
other pump as at (C).
After charging the apparatus with the spirits or liquor, and the taps have been
closed, compressed atmospheric air is admitted from a tank, by the pipes or tubes
marked (D) and then the pumps (E) are set in motion and maintain a continuous flow
of the spirits or liquor for any length of time, or until maturity is fully attained.
The spirits or other liquors pass through the perforated floor (F) in the form of a
fine shower, and falling on the gauze floor (G) are broken up into spray, every
particle of which is acted upon by the atmospheric air, which oxydises the essential
oils and converts them into ethers."
The tube (H) from the perforated floor is to allow the air to pass into the top of the
apparatus above the liquor, so as not to interfere with the steady flow of the shower.
(K) is the pulley for driving the pumps.
(L) are the delivery pipes when the process is complete.
משגב
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Maturing Spirits and other Liquors and Apparatus
connected therewith.
I JAMES MCKINLESS of Shrewsbury Villa Brooks's Bar Manchester of no occupation
but late Commercial Traveller 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 consists in maturing spirits and other liquors by subjecting same to
the action of air or oxygen or a mixture of same by preference in a compressed state
in a closed vessel containing the spirits or other liquor which is continuously circulated
or moved intermittently therein and in a highly subdivided state, such circulation or
motion causing the intimate action of the air upon the liquor, producing the oxydation
of the essential oils therein and their conversion into their ethers or bouquet, so that
the liquor is changed into the matured, well-flavoured, or aged condition within about
a day, and so that when the so-treated liquor is drawn off only a small loss of alcohol
is occasioned-viz., the vapours contained in the small escaping quantity of air at the
end of the process.

page_text: The apparatus which it is preferred to employ for carrying the process into effect
consists of a closed chamber or vessel of cylindrical or other cross section with a
finely perforated floor or diaphragm at a convenient distance from the top, and with
one or more lower floors or diaphragms of metallic gauze. This vessel is charged with
the liquor to be treated and compressed or common air is let into it. The taps having
been closed, the liquor is, by means of a rotary or centrifugal pump or otherwise,
kept in a continuous circulation while passing down through the perforated diaphragm
in the form of a fine shower, and falling on the gauze floor or floors, it is broken up
into a spray, every particle of which is acted upon by the compressed air. The latter
rises through a pipe and collects in the top of the cylinder above the liquor so as not
to interfere with the steady flow of the shower. A slight circulation of the air is thus
also effected. At the end of the process the liquor is run into casks, and the small
quantity of air remaining at the top is allowed to escape, or it may be passed into a
condenser for recovering the alcoholic and other vapours contained therein, but the
loss of alcohol is found to be so small that it is hardly worth while troubling about it,
or adding expense to the process and plant.
Another form of apparatus is a cylindrical or other vessel which can turn on central
pivots, and which is provided at each end with a finely perforated diaphragm, and
provided near the middle with two wire gauze diaphragms. This vessel, after the
liquor and the compressed air have been 1-t in, is turned intermittently and after
intervals of rest, during which the liquor falls down as spray through the slowly
ascending or displaced compressed air.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows two vessels constructed according to
the first form. The cylindrical vessels A, which may be made of sheet copper, are
two in number, as an example, but may be of any required number. B is a Hoor or
diaphragm near the top, containing a number of small holes, say about 24th inch
diameter and 14 inches apart. (is another diaphragm made, say, of copper wire
gauze, with meshes about 30 to the inch, or 25mm. DD are rotary or centrifugal
pumps on the shaft E for circulating the liquor, constantly raising it from the bottom
by pipes L, and sending to the top by pipes M.. The compressed air is supplied by
the pipe to the vessel A from a compressed air reservoir, or by any other suitable
means. I find that a pressure of one-third of an atmosphere is suitable, but more may
be used to expedite the process. The liquor may be supplied direct from barrels or
casks, or reservoirs may be used, such as F, and of which any suitable number may be
connected at a given level by pipes G, so as to measure a given number of gallons or
litres, and the whole may be filled by a rotary pump H, or by any other suitable means.
I is a small cock for letting out the air of the vessels when they are being charged
with liquor. K is a tube rising from the perforated floor B to allow the air to pass
back into the top of the apparatus above the liquor, so as not to interfere with the
steady flow of the shower.
After charging the apparatus with the spirits or other liquor, and the taps have been
closed, compressed air is admitted by the pipes O, and then the pumps are set in
motion and maintain a continuous flow of the spirits or liquor for any length of time,
or until maturity is fully attained.
The spirits or liquor pass through the perforated diaphragm B in the form of a fine
shower, and falling on the gauze diaphragm (are broken up into spray, every particle
of which is acted upon by the air which oxydizes the essential oils and converts them
into ethers. It will be understood that by reason of the tube K a circulation of the
air takes place within the vessels A, the shower of liquor constantly on the one hand
meeting and carrying down with it the air in a finely subdivided state, and the air on
the other hand ascending again through the pipe K, and collecting in the top of the
vessel, thus always tending to restore the equilibrium. When the process is complete
the liquor is drawn off at the bottom by the taps N, and the air allowed to escape by
the cocks 1, or may, if desired, be conveyed thence to a condenser for regaining the
alcohol and ether contained in the air and for putting same into the spirits treated or
into spirits to be treated.

page_text: The air used in the process may if desired be washed first by passing it through
water or over wet sheets of fabric in any well-known manner.
Fig. 2 is a part sectional side view, Fig. 3 an end view, and Fig. 4 a plan section
of another form of apparatus in which the cylindrical or other vessel A can turn on
central pivots A', provided on a hoop A in two halves which are clamped to the
vessel A, being let into intermediate pieces of wood A* so as not to distort the shape
of the vessel, which may be of thin sheet copper, and yet hold it firmly, wood
adjustment pieces A' or the like being interpose between the joining flanges of the
hoop A. There is a finely perforated diaphragm B toward each end of the vessel and
one or more, in this example two, finely meshed wire gauze diaphragms C, near the
middle. NN are cocks at each end of the vessel for charging it with the liquor, and
II air escape cocks. The vessel is rotated by strap and strap pulley D D', being the
fast and loose pulley on a spindle D2, on which is a worm D, that gears with a worm
wheel E, fixed on one of the pivots A¹. The worm spindle D works in bearings on
the brackets F2, which are fixed to a wooden or other framing F1. The strap is
pulled on to the fast pulley D for slowly rotating the vessel A by means of the
handle H on the striking-bar H, which latter works in slots in the webs of the
brackets F2, and has a notch at H³ in its upper side, which can catch upon the upper
side of the slot in one of the brackets F', a spring F holding it up, thus keeping the
strap on the fast pulley. When the vessel A has been charged with the liquor to be
treated, a funnel N' being put into the cock N under the outlet pipe and cock G',
from the charging tank F, and after the compressed air has been admitted, say, by
the bottom cock I, the striking-bar H is pulled into the position shown and held
therein by the notch H2. The vessel A will then be slowly rotated around its axes A'A¹
until it has been turned half a revolution, or upside down, during which time the
liquid is being permeated by the compressed air. On the worm-wheel E are fixed
two pins E. When the lowest pin near the end of the half revolution comes against
the tappet projection H³ on the bar H, the striking gear end of same will be depressed,
and its notch H be disengaged from the slot in the bracket against the action
of the spring F³. The previously extended helical spring K, which connects the
bar H to an eye on the same bracket F, will then be able to pull the bar H out
to the right and shift the strap from the fast pulley D to the loose pulley 1)¹ and
stop the rotation. To start the rotation, after a slight rest if desired, the attendant
pulls the bar H back by its handle H₁ (or this may be done automatically by
clockwork or other machinery) until it comes to the notch H2, when the spring
will raise the bar and cause it to be held by its notch, whereby the strap is brought
upon the fast pulley D again, and the vessel A makes another half turn, and so
on. The liquor at the bottom is thus each time returned to the top.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of "maturing" spirits and other liquors by means of compressed
or uncompressed air or oxygen, or a mixture of same, in a closed vessel wherein
the spirits are circulated continuously or intermittently in a highly subdivided
state and subjected to the repeated intimate actions of the air, producing oxydation
or conversion of the essential oils into ether or bouquet, substantially as set forth.
2. The application and use for the maturing of spirits and other liquors of a
closed vessel having an upper finely perforated diaphragm, upon which the con-
tained liquor falls, and whence it descends, in the form of a shower, upon one or
more finely meshed gauze diaphragms through the contained compressed or uncom-
pressed air or oxygen, or a mixture of same, means being provided for circulating
the liquor, returning it from the bottom to the top, and a pipe or vent being
provided for giving the air facility for returning to the top tending to restore the
equilibrium substantially as set forth.
3. The application and use for the maturing of spirits and other liquor of a
closed vessel adapted to be turned upside down around pivots, and provided with

page_text: a finely perforated diaphragın near each end, and one or more finely meshed wire
gauze diaphragins in the middle part, the contained liquor falling from an upper
perforated diaphragm upon and through the finely meshed wire gauze diaphragms,
while intermingling with the contained compressed or uncompressed air or oxygen,
or mixture of same, substantially as set forth.
4. In connection with the process herein described, the application and use of a
vent-pipe K, in combination with a perforated diaphragm B, substantially as set
forth.
5. The construction of maturing apparatus described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 6th day of August 1890
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents