A NEW AND IMPROVED PROCESS AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA WATER AND OTHER AERATED LIQUIDS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Valentine Burchell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd November
1867.
I, VALENTINE BURCHELL, of 1, Charlemont Avenue, Kingstown, County
Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW AND IMPROVED PROCESS AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA
WATER AND OTHER AERATED LIQUIDS," to be as follows:--
In the first place I provide 8 vessels, say about 5 feet high, diameter at the
top about 15 inches, at the bottom 19 to 20 inches in the clear. One of those
vessels I call the generator, in which the carbonic acid gas is generated; the
next vessel I call the purifier, which is one-third filled with water, through
which the gas is made to pass by a tube connecting this vessel with the
generator, the space above the water being most useful in contributing to
equalize the pressure in bottling the aerated liquid from the condenser; the
third vessel I call the condenser, which is connected with the purifier, also by
a communicating tube, and through which the carbonic acid gas passes from
the purifier; all these tubes are, according to their several purposes, attached
by screw couplings to brass cocks, which are again connected by screw
couplings to tail pipes that pass through openings in strong iron flanges that
form the tops and bottoms of the 3 vessels, each tail pipe having a projecting
flange in the interior of the vessel and fastened on the outside by a screw nut.
Adjoining the generator is a forcing pump made of fine brass to be worked

page_text: with a plain straight lever; the forcing valve of this pump to be connected by
a lead tube with a brass cock in the top of the generator. From the suction
valve a lead tube of about 5 feet extends, from which 3 brass cocks project,
to each of which a lead tube of about 15. inches in length is attached, and each
tube dips into one of 3 crocks which respectively contain water, solution of
whiting, and dilute sulphuric acid.
The process then of manufacturing soda water or other aerated liquid is
commenced by opening the cock the tube of which dips into the crock containing
the solution of whiting, about two-thirds of which is then by the adjoining
forcing pump forced into the generator; then turn off this cock and open the
one leading to the water crock, one or two injections of which by the forcing
pump will be sufficient to cleanse the solution of whiting from its valves and
chamber; then turn off the water cock and open that leading to the dilute
sulphuric acid crock, all of which should then be pumped into the generator,
when the carbonic acid gas is at once generated and accordingly passes over
into the purifier and through the water; from the purifier it then passes into
the condenser through the tube connecting the two vessels, as before described,
until an equilibrium in the pressure of the gas is formed in the 3 vessels. The
cock leading to the dilute sulphuric acid should now be closed, the one leading
to the water crock opened, and one or two injections of which will cleanse the
pump in the same manner as after the solution of whiting, the remaining third of
which should then be pumped into the generator in order completely to neutra-
lize and saturate the dilute sulphuric acid, and so in two or three minutes a
quantity of pure carbonic acid gas will be generated sufficient to aerate 50 dozen
of soda water, and at once pass through the purifier into the condenser without
the waste of time, power, and the inevitable deterioration of the gas by its
admixture with atmospheric air, when condensed by means of an air pump.
The operation then of impregnating the soda water or other liquid with the
carbonic acid gas is effected with great rapidity by a brass forcing pump,
placed near the condenser, worked by a crank and fly wheel, and requiring
the labor of two or three men for a space of about ten minutes, in which time
50 dozen of soda water or other liquid can be aerated by being pumped from
the crock or cistern in which they are respectively placed through a short
moveable brass tube which I denominate the impregnator fitting within the
tail pipe, made a little larger for the purpose, of the brass cock, through which
the liquid is pumped into the condenser, and having a small projecting flange
to correspond to and fit the outside end of the tail pipe with which it forms an
air-tight joint; the inner end of the tail pipe being overlapped about an inch
by the inner end of the impregnator, which is not open but solid, and then

page_text: perforated with very small holes, so that the liquid when injected with such
force becomes as spray or mist, and so exposing its most minute particles or
atoms is thoroughly impregnated in passing through the condensed atmospheres
of carbonic acid gas, and which impregnation at each succeeding stroke of the
pump is rendered more perfect by the continuous and violent agitation of the
liquids previously pumped in, thus obviating altogether the necessity for a
sweep or agitator.
The rapidity with which all liquids aerated with carbonic acid gas are thus
manufactured must, in establishments not requiring more than 5 or 600
dozen a day, render the employment of steam power unnecessary, by the non-
employment of which a considerable reduction of expense would be effected
in many establishments now requiring its use. In the bottom of each vessel
is a brass cock for drawing off their contents as required, and I may here
state that to effect air-tight joints between brass cocks, couplings, tail pipes,
valves, flanges, &c., &c., I use simple washers of leather which, as the opposed
surfaces are all flat, require no blocking or any other manipulation.
Having described the process of manufacturing I shall now proceed to
explain the nature of such other improvements in the machinery employed
as I have not already detailed.
I bad become aware of the great importance of discontinuing the use of
vessels of copper, brass, or lead in the manufacture of mineral waters, for so
fully was this desideratum recognized that it had been proposed to substitute
vessels of silver, but the great expense of such vessels was fatal to the proposal,
and it would appear that, for practical purposes, all other similar suggestions have
been found from one cause or the other equally inapplicable, the vast majority
of the vessels employed being still made of such objectionable metals; under
these circumstances I instituted a series of experiments and at length succeeded
in rendering timber vessels of great strength perfectly air-tight at the high
pressure required.
The timber I adopted as most convenient and durable was well seasoned
oak the staves of which were 3 inches thick when cleaned off for use. These
vessels when finished by the cooper I got shod or bound with iron hoops of
about 3 inches wide and inch thick, leaving about 3 or 4 inches between
each, and driven on tight at a low red heat; when in its proper position cold
water is poured on each hoop, as in the manner of shoeing the wheels of
carriages, when by the contraction of the iron the staves of the vessel are
pressed together with such force that perfect air-tight joints are formed between
them. The ends of the staves, at the top and bottom of each vessel, I get turned
in a lathe, and as I believe no ingenuity could make the timber tops and

page_text: bottoms of the vessels air-tight in themselves at the high pressure, I obtain
that object by having flanges of iron of nearly two inches thick cast for the
top and bottom of each vessel, beyond which they project sufficiently to allow
holes for strong iron bolts to pass through the bottom and top flanges, the
faces of which so far as they correspond with the turned ends of the staves
are also turned to insure an air-tight joint being formed by the interposition
of a leather washer between them. At the inner side of each flange of the
generator and purifier I place a corresponding sheet of 6 lb. lead to prevent
the action of their contents on the iron, but on the inner sides of the flanges
of the condenser I place similar sheets of tin; the top and bottom flanges are
drawn with great force together by strong iron bolts. I obtain a peculiarly
sweet and purifying vessel for containing the aerated liquids by causing the
inner surface of the condenser to be charred to the depth of about half an
inch, so that the mineral waters prepared in this machinery are in contact
with a surface of charcoal instead of being as at present almost universally,
particularly in the large establishments, prepared in vessels of lead or copper,
in the former of which the solvent power of the aerated liquids are in
immediate and active operation, and in the latter, altho' in the first instance,
the vessel may be tinned, but as in all tinned vessels the tinning is soon,
more or less, worn away, particularly by the great agitation and dashing the
liquids against the sides of the vessel required in aerating mineral waters, and
so copper surfaces constantly encreasing are soon exposed to the dissolving
action of the carbonic acid gas.
I had frequently experienced annoyance and interruption to the progress of
business by the valves at present in use being so fixed in a measure within
the pump, that on the slighest interruption of their action a plumber or a
brass finisher should be sent for to remedy whatever might be wrong; there-
fore as on the system described no air pump is required in the manu-
facture of aerated liquids I invented a simple valve which any workman could
instantly detach from the pump and examine; this valve is formed of a lower
and rather solid piece of brass having an opening sufficient for the passage of
the fluids; round this opening is a flat surface of brass, on which embracing the
opening rests the valve, having a perfectly flat surface, with a projecting stem
from its upper side, and which stem is maintained in its proper perpendicular
position by playing through a hole secured in the centre of the upper part of
the valve by three small arms brazed to its sides; this upper part of the valve is
attached to the under part by a common screw coupling connecting it with
the screwed outer surface of the under part; the entire valve is then con-
nected with the pump by a brass coupling screwed on a short screwed elbow

page_text: projecting from the lower flange of the pump, and through which is an
opening sufficient to admit the fluid into its chamber; a valve of similar con
struction is in the same manner attached to the opposite side of the same
flange. An indicator to shew the pressure within the respective vessels may
be attached to one of the brass cocks on the top of either vessel..
Having now described my Invention of "A New and Improved Process
and Machinery for the Manufacture of Soda Water and other Aerated Liquids,"
I claim as new the following, viz.,―
Firstly. The use of a forcing pump of fine brass for the injection of
solution of whiting and dilute sulpuric acid into the generator, interposing
between each one or two injections of water to wash and cleanse the valves
and chamber of the pump; the solution of whiting, dilute sulphuric acid, and
water being respectively placed in 3 crocks of small size, into each of which
a tube with stop-cock dips, and which cocks are attached to a lead tube,
connected with the suction valve of the pump; by this means those antagonistic
substances are rapidly forced into the generator requiring no sweep or agitator
therein for their complete admixture. A considerable saving of expense is
also effected, as when the aerated liquid is drawn off all the carbonic acid gas
is retained in the vessel instead of being invariably let off when generated
under pressure to admit fresh materials into the generator, a less quantity of
sulphuric acid and carbonate of lime will therefore be required when every new
process is commenced.
Secondly. The Invention of the simple valves described, and which are
peculiarly adapted to this process of manufacturing aerated liquids.
Thirdly. The substituting timber vessels instead of the very objectionable
metals, copper or lead, hitherto almost universally employed in the manufacture
of mineral waters, and of the means by which such timber vessels are rendered
air-tight at the bigh pressure required.
Fourthly. The moveable short tube or impregnator through which the liquids
to be aerated are pumped into the condenser through perforated holes so small
that in conjunction with the agitation caused in the liquid previously pumped in
by each succeeding stroke of the pump their comple impregnation with
carbonic acid gas is effected without the use of any other means whatsoever.
The moveability of the impregnator is essential, as in consequence of the
smallness of the holes necessary to obtain impregnation so perfect as to
require neither sweep or agitator in the condenser, these holes sometimes
become more or less stopped, which can at once be remedied by withdrawing
the impregnator, and removing whatever caused the obstruction; otherwise
it would be necessary to open the condenser for that purpose.

page_text: Fifthly. I claim the general combination and arrangement of the ma-
chinery as described whereby great simplicity and rapidity of production are
combined with a very considerable saving of expense, the latter being greatly
augmented in all cases where steam power may now be required.