IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AND PRESERVING WINE, ALE AND SIMILAR FLUIDS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: TRYIDIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
I, ROBERT DUNLOP, of 41 Oakfield Street, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wine
Merchant and Importer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AND PRESERVING WINE, ALE AND
SIMILAR FLUIDS to be as follows:-
.
"
The object of my invention is to provide a vessel in which a considerable
quantity of any fluid but more particularly Claret and other light wines, ales &c,
may be stored and from which it may be drawn, as required, in small quantities,
as for instance, a glass at a time, without leaving the surface of the liquid exposed
to the action of the air, so as to preserve the contents in sound condition, and thus
to do away, in many cases, with the necessity for bottling, and thus to cheapen the
wine (or other article) to the consumer.
My intention is that the Wine may be drawn direct from the Cask into jars of,
say two or three gallons each, and may then be sent direct to the purchaser who
can then empty the contents into one of my improved vessels hereinafter described,
from which he can draw it off for drinking as he may require it, without the
trouble and risk of drawing corks and without the risk which he would run of
spoiling the bulk if a similar quantity were so treated in an ordinary vessel.
.
I construct my said vessels of any convenient sizes, from a quart or less, to
a capacity of many gallons as may be required and of any suitable material, such
as metal, glass, stoneware, terracotta or timber.
The principal vessel consists of a vertical cylinder, fitted with a piston working
comparatively airtight, and with a cover through which the piston rod works as
does also, a valve-rod controlling a valve in the piston. The cylinder has an
opening near the bottom fitted with a tap for drawing off the liquid.
In order to fill the tank with wine the cover and piston are removed and the wine
poured in. The piston is then inserted above the surface of the wine, the cover
replaced, and the piston lowered down until it comes in contact with the surface
of the wine, the valve being meanwhile opened slightly to allow any enclosed air
to escape, the piston may be under certain conditions, made and used without the
valve.
:
In order to draw off some of the wine, I turn the tap at the bottom of the
cylinder and at the same time open the valve; and, when sufficient is drawn turn

page_text: off the tap, lower the piston until it is again on the face of the wine, and then
close the valve, when the vessel is again air-tight-This operation being repeated
each time any wine is drawn off prevents the air being at any time left in contact
with the surface of the wine (except for a few moments while the wine is being
drawn) and thus causes it to keep unchanged and in good condition until the whole
is consumed.
The piston may be so made as to float upon the surface of the wine during the
time the latter is being drawn off, and so that when the tap is turned off the
packing of the piston. by a special locking apparatus will be pressed against
the sides of the cylinder or vessel making it again air-tight.
'
The shape of the vessel need not necessarily be cylindrical, it may be square, or
oblong, or any convenient shape.
"
The vessel may be filled either by pouring in the liquid or by pumping it in.
.
I ROBERT DUNLOP of 41 Oakfield Street, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wine
Merchant and Importer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AND PRESERVING WINE ALE AND
SIMILAR FLUIDS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide a vessel, hereinafter to be called a
cylinder with its fittings, into which a quantity of fluid, but more particularly
Claret and other light Wines, Ale & may be placed and from which it may be
drawn, as required in small quantities for daily consumption, without leaving the
Burface of the fluid exposed to the action of the Air and thus to preserve the
contents in sound condition and to dispense, in many cases, with the necessity of
bottling in the ordinary manner.
The wine, in the first place, may be drawn direct from the Cask into ordinary
stoneware jars, of say one or more gallon size, these when properly corked are to be
stored away for future use.
The cylinder is then filled from one of these said jars, care being taken that no
portion of the liquid remains in the said jar;-the cylinder being now charged,
small quantities may be drawn from it as required and as will be hereinafter
described.
Referring to the accompanying drawing,
I construct the cylinders A of convenient sizes, from say one quart or so, to a
capacity of many gallons; of suitable materials, but preference is given to glass,
stone, or Staffordshire Ware, or terra Cotta; the shape of the vessel is a vertical
cylinder (although I do not confine myself to that particular shape, because an
oblong or other shape would also be suitable), the cylinder is fitted with a piston F,
with its accessories, a cover C and a tap B. The Piston F is the most important
feature in the invention, and is thus described; A hollow cushion or ring L made

page_text: of thin india rubber fitted with a small india rubber tube is inflated with Air or
some other element, the small tube is provided with a stopper to prevent the exit
of the confined Air in the said inflated ring; the ring is made in size to fit easily
the diameter of the cylinder, and in depth or outside measurement when inflated
about one inch, more or less as may be required; the ring has two circles, that is
an outside which comes in contact with the interior of the cylinder, and an inner
circle; fitting closely the inner circle, is a circular flat piece M of cork, wood or
ware with a centre hole: the said piston ring or cushion is supported above and
below by a pair of thin discs a plan & elevation of which are given at I, J, made
of suitable material, but preference is given to Glass or ware; these discs are made,
some-what, say a quarter of an inch less in diameter than the diameter of the
cylinder, they are also made with centre holes to admit the passage of the tubes
hereinafter described.―The piston rod H is a tube (metal preferred) and is screwed,.
and secured into the upper piston disc into its centre; a smaller tube, G (or rod
may also be used) is made to pass through the centre hole of the bottom piston
dise, through the centre piece of the piston ring, and also through the upper piston
disc, and through the piston rod; and to terminate some-what higher than the said
piston rod or tube; this inner tube is provided at its base extremity with a washer
of india rubber supported with another washer of metal or other suitable material
attached to the end of the said inner tube; the other end of the inner tube is
threaded with a screw and is furnished with a metal nut E.-Now when this nut,
hereinafter called the regulating nut, is screwed or turned in a downward direction
it has the effect of compressing the two discs towards each other, and as the
inflated ring is placed between them, the pressure thus exercised has the effect of
expanding the inflated piston ring or cushion outwards from the centre; and when
inside the cylinder this expansion forces the outside circle of the ring firmly and
continually against the interior circle of the cylinder. The cover C for the cylinder
is made of any suitable material, but preference is given to hard wood such as
Mahogany; it is made to fit the cylinder easily and to rest on the top thereof; in
the centre is a hole into which is fixed a socket or guide with a set screw D to
regulate the descent of the piston rod which latter passes through the said socket.
The valve is made to work through the small or inner tube, being a thin rod
with an india rubber valve at its lower extremity to stop up the orifice of the inner
tube; this valve however may be dispensed with and the said orifice in the inner
tube definitely closed: In some instances the valve would be beneficial.―As an
adenda to the cylinder an outside open vessel of glass or ware may be made in
which ice could be placed to surround the exterior of the cylinder, the tap passing
through the two vessels.
In some cases the Wooden cover may be dispensed with and the piston rod may
be shortened to any required dimensions.
To fill the cylinder, the cover with the piston and its accessories are removel and
the fluid poured in (or it may be filled by suction through the tap). The piston &
is then replaced, the regulating nut being slackened just sufficient to allow the
piston to enter and descend the cylinder easily but not slackly and the guide set
screw also slackened. When the lower disc rests on the surface of the fluid, which
will be known by its floating there, the guide set screw is tightened and the top or
regulating nut is tightened by a few revolutions, this has the effect as before
described of expanding the Air cushion or piston ring, and so making the vessel..
or cylinder Air tight.
Either of the three following methods may be adopted to draw off the liquid:
First slacken the regulating nut slightly, this will permit a small quantity of Air -
into the cylinder and the tap being open the flow will succeed; to stop which
again tighten the regulating nut.
Second method. Open the interior valve slightly thus also admitting Air, the
flow succeeds; to restrain which close the valve.
Third method and the most effectual of the three.-Keeping the regulating nut
screwed tight, slacken the guide set screw, press downwards the piston rod with the

page_text: hand, the flow will follow; to stop which, cease the pressure and tighten the guide
set screw, in this manner no air whatever is admitted because the hand pressure
takes the place of the atmospheric pressure. A spring or weight applied to the
piston would have the same effect, but the hand pressure, for small machines, is the
most simple. In the latter method it is advisable to stop the tap before releasing
the hand pressure, otherwise in consequence of the vacuum created inside, by the
alight rebound of the elastic piston upwards, a small quantity of air would be
drawn up through the open tap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The particular construction and application of the apparatus for holding and
drawing off Wine Ale and other liquids substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described.
2nd The combination with my apparatus of a piston constructed as and for the 1
purpose herein before described.
3rd The outside case to contain ice which is a novelty and beneficial for keeping
Wine & on draught when required.