IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR RAISING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS" which Invention has been
communicated to me from abroad by Léon Morel of Besançon in the Republic of
France Engineer to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising beer and other
liquids by compressed air and it consists in the employment of means hereinafter
described whereby the pressure is automatically renewed when required provision
being also made for regulating or controlling the pressure according to circum-
stances.
An apparatus constructed according to this Invention is provided with a main
air chamber containing air which is compressed by water admitted under pressure-
This chamber communicates with a dome acting as a reserve or supplementary air
chamber for maintaining the pressure whilst the main air chamber is being emptied
as hereinafter described.
The air compressed in this air chamber and dome is admitted under a regulated
pressure to a third air chamber communicating with the cask or vessel containing
the beer or other liquid to be elevated.
A lever suspended in the interior of the main air chamber is provided with
valves at its opposite extremities which valves alternately open or close water
inlet and outlet orifices whereby water is alternately admitted to the said chamber
under pressure and discharged therefrom as hereinafter explained.-This lever is
connected with a moveable block whose extremities present inclines which are
acted upon by fixed studs or pins and which is also provided with a central
projection or tooth capable of engaging with tappets or fingers connected to a
tumbler provided with a counterweight whereby the block is alternately pushed
towards one extremity or the other of the lever thereby bringing the aforesaid inclines
in contact with the fixed studs and depressing the corresponding extremity of the
lever so as to simultaneously close the inlet orifice and open the outlet orifice or
vice versa

page_text: The tumbler is connected to a jointed arm or attachment presenting two studs or
projections between which works an arm connected to a stem or rod acting as a
guide to a float sliding on the said rod. The float when in its lowest position
rests upon a stop or nut at the lower part of this rod and when in its highest
position presses against a similar stop at the upper part of the rod Assuming
the main air chamber to be empty of water the Boat rests upon the lower stop
on the guide rod and operates the tumbler so as to open the inlet orifice thereby
admitting water under pressure to the main air chamber This water raises the
float causing it to slide upon the rod and also compresses the air in the air chamber
and in the dome until the pressure of this air balances the pressure of the water.
The passage of the air into the third air chamber is controlled by a valve acted on
by an adjustable load such as a weight sliding upon a lever. The stem of this
valve is preferably made in two parts connected to discs which bear respectively
against the inner and outer sides of a rubber or elastic membrane in the upper side
of the air chamber.
The sectional area of this valve and the amount of load thereon is calculated
in accordance with the amount of pressure to be transmitted to the liquid that is
to be elevated In proportion as this liquid is withdrawn the internal pressure in
the air chambers diminishes and the water then rises in the main air chamber
thereby maintaining the balance of pressure. The float rises with the water until
it lifts the rod connected with the tumbler thereby causing the latter to fall over to
one side. This motion of the tumbler causes the finger thereon to engage the central
tooth or projection on the moveable block herein before described so as to shift the
latter and cause it to act upon the valve lever and close the water inlet valve and
open the outlet valve In order that the tumbler may act effectually upon the in
and outlet valves, the float when in its highest position is caused to open an air
valve thereby instantly relieving the internal pressure and enabling a supply of
air to be drawn into the chamber as the water escapes. At the same time there
being no excess of pressure in the main air chamber the pressure in the reserve
dome causes a valve to close automatically and cut off the communication between
the dome and the said air chamber thus preserving the required pressure in the
dome. As the water escapes from the chamber the float descends and ultimately
by reason of its weight and that of the guide rod causes the arm connected to the
latter to cause the tumbler to fall over on the other side thereby closing the outlet
orifice and opening the inlet orifice. A fresh supply of water under pressure is then
admitted to the main air chamber and the action herein before described is repeated
automatically as often as required in order to maintain the requisite pressure on
the liquid to be elevated.
Dol
1100-

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Beer and other Liquids.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Léon Morel of Besançon in the Republic of France
Engineer, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly.
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This Invention relates to Improvements in apparatus for raising beer and other
liquids by compressed air and it consists in the employment of a column of liquid
which by means of certain automatic devices hereinafter specified is caused to
alternately rise and fall in a closed chamber thereby alternately drawing air into
the said chamber and discharging it under pressure through delivery valves and
compression chambers arranged as hereinafter described whereby the pressure is
regulated and transmitted to the liquid to be raised.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer
to the several figures on the annexed Sheet of drawings the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a vertical Section of an
apparatus constructed according to this Invention and Figure 2 shews a horizontal
Section of the same taken along the line 1-2, figure 1.
This apparatus is provided with an air compressing chamber A containing air
which is compressed by a liquid such as water admitted under pressure at a. This
chamber communicates with a dome B to which the air compressed in the chamber A
is admitted by a valve x and acting as a reserve or accumulator for maintaining
the pressure, whilst the air compressing chamber A is being emptied as hereinafter
described --The dome B communicates through a loaded valve i, with a third or
supplementary chamber C from which the air is supplied at the required pressure
through a tube D to the cask or vessel containing the beer or other liquid to be
elevated.
The devices for automatically renewing the pressure of the air by the rise and
fall of the liquid in the chamber A are arranged on the bottoin of the said chamber.
A lever b pivotted at b¹ is provided with valves c c¹ at its opposite extremities
which valves alternately open or close the water inlet orifice a and outlet orifice a¹.
This lever is provided with a moveable block d, whose extremities present inclines
or wedges d' d² which are acted upon as hereinafter explained by fixed studs or
pins e, e¹. The block d is also provided with a central projection or tooth f capable
of engaging with tappets or fingers g g² connected to a tumbler E, pivotted at m
whereby the block d, is alternately pushed to the right or to the left towards one
extremity or the other of the lever b, thereby bringing the aforesaid inclines or
wedges alternately in contact with the studs e ore' and depressing the corresponding
extremity of the lever so as to simultaneously close the inlet orifice a and open the
outlet orifice a¹ or vice versa.
The tumbler E is provided with an arm or attachment h presenting two studs or
projections k and k¹ between which works an arm K, connected to a stem or rod T

page_text: acting as a guide to a float F sliding on the said rod. The float when in its lowest
position rests upon a stop or nut S, at the lower part of the rod T and when in its
highest position presses against a similar stop S¹ at the upper part of the rod.
When the level of the water in the chamber A is at its lowest point, the float F
descending to about the position indicated by dotted lines in figure 1, depresses the
rod T and arm K thereby causing the tumbler E to fall over to one side into the
position, also shewn by the dotted lines in figure 1. The tappet gl at the same
time engages with the tooth f and shifts the block d towards the outlet valve c¹.
The wedge then acts on the stud e¹ and depresses the end of the lever b con-
nected to the outlet valve c¹. This valve is consequently closed and the inlet
valve c opened and water under pressure is admitted to the chamber A. This
water gradually raises the float F causing it to slide upon the rod T and compresses
the air in the upper part of the said chamber and in the dome B until the pressure
of this air balances the pressure of the water which may be equal to, say about
two atmospheres, for example;-The passage of the air into the chamber C, is
controlled by the loaded valve i, which is acted on by an adjustable load or weight P,
capable of sliding upon a lever G.-The stem of this valve is preferably made in
two parts t t connected to discs which bear respectively against the inner and
outer sides of a rubber or elastic diaphragm M in the upper side of the air
chamber C.
The area of the valve i, and the amount of load thereon are adjusted in accordance
with the pressure to be transmitted through the tube D to the liquid that is to be
elevated, the valve i, acting as a pressure reducing valve for preventing the
variations in the pressure in the chamber B from being transmitted to the tube D.
In proportion as the beer or other liquid is withdrawn the pressure in the chamber A
tends to diminish and the water rises in the said chamber and thereby maintains
the balance of pressure by compensating for the loss of air escaping through the
tube D. The float Frises with the water until the said float comes in contact with
the stop S¹ and lifts the rod T and arm K, bringing the latter into contact with the
stud, connected to the tumbler E which then fall over to the other side into the
position indicated by the full lines in the Drawing (Figure 1.) This motion of
the tumbler causes the tappet or finger g to engage the tooth f on the block d, so
as to shift the latter and cause the wedge d to act upon the stud e, and move the
lever thereby reversing the position of the valves c, c¹, closing the inlet and
opening the outlet.
In order that the float F and tumbler E may act effectually upon the in and
outlet valves é and c¹ it is necessary to provide for the escape of the compressed
air contained in the chamber A when the water attains the highest point. With
this object the rod T is caused to engage with a ring u on the end of a lever u'
pivotted at vand connected with an air valve v, communicating with the exterior.
This ring is pushed up by a pin 8 on the rod T when the latter is lifted by the float.
The air valve v, then occupies the position indicated by dotted lines, thereby
instantly relieving the internal pressure and also enabling a supply of air to be
drawn into the chamber A. as the water escapes. At the same time there being no
excess of pressure in the chamber A the pressure in the reserve dome or accumu-
lator B causes a valve x, to close automatically and cut off the communication
between the said dome and the chamber A thus maintaining the required pressure
in the dome whilst the chainber A is being emptied and until the pressure in the
latter is restored.
As the water escapes from the chamber A the float F descends and ultimately by
reason of its weight and that of the rod T causes the arm K connected to the
latter to act upon the stud ' and cause the tumbler E to fall over on the other side
as indicated by the dotted lines in figure 1 thereby again closing the outlet orifice a¹
and opening the inlet orifice a, so as to admit a fresh supply of water as herein-
before described to the chamber A. The water being thus alternately admitted to
and discharged from the chamber A. alternately draws in air at the valve v and
expels it through the valve into the accumulator B thereby maintaining a constant

page_text: pressure in the supplementary chamber C and tube D which communicates with
the liquid to be elevated.
It is evident that any suitable materials forms and dimensions may be employed
in the construction of the apparatus and that other devices may be employed for
controlling the admission and discharge of liquid to and from the chamber A
without departing from the nature of the Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The arrangement or combination of parts constituting the apparatus for
raising beer or other liquids by compressed air substantially as herein before
described.
Second. In apparatus for raising beer or other liquids by compressed air the
combination of the air compressing chainber A the dome or accumulator B and the
supplementary chamber C, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Third. In apparatus for raising beer or other liquid by compressed air, the
arrangement of the inlet valve a and outlet valve a¹ operated simultaneously and
in opposite directions by the fall of a weighted tumbler E shifted by the action of
the float F in the compressing chamber A substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus for raising beer and other liquids by compressed air, the
combination of the valves i and controlling the communication between the
chambers, A B and C, and the valve v, admitting air to the air compressing cham-
ber A substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Fifth. The mode of regulating the pressure by means of the adjustable counter-
weight P acting on the valve i in an apparatus for raising liquids by compressed
air substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.