Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making Vinegar and Maturing Spirits.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making Vinegar and
Maturing Spirits.
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER, Montague Villa, Kingsdown, Bristol Brewers'
Architect and Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In a previous application for Letters Patent for improvements in the manufacture
of vinegar and numbered 15475 dated August 15th 1893, is described my improved
apparatus and process as applied to the manufacture of malt vinegar from alcoholic
wort or wash and for maturing spirits. The present application relates to certain
improvements in the before mentioned patent apparatus whereby the old pattern
acetifiers at present in use in vinegar breweries may be altered and adapted for the
manufacture of malt vinegar and maturing spirits under my process.
The first feature of this invention relates to the internal fittings or stages of the
acetifiers the body of which is of a circular form and varying diameter and heights
according to the quantity of wash to be treated in each operation. It is provided
with an air tight cover, in place of the cover at present in use but constructed so
as to be easily removable for the removal or insertion of the frames, seives or
stages which are constructed wholly or partly of any light wood anti corrosive
metal, vulcanite or acid resisting material formed in segments of suitable size and
fitted to the vessel, and so arranged as to form a series of platforms, seives or
stages one over the other at regular or varying angles or inclinations, and arranged
to meet in the centre on a vertical supporting pillar, carried by a transom fixed
across the apparatus. These platforms, seives or stages having the greater portion
of their surface wholly or partly covered with a woven, braided or plaited material
secured by twine, wood pins or anti corrosive metal to the sides and ends of the
frames, but preferably provided with an opening at each alternate end of each
platform, seive or stage so that the oxygen may be free to circulate over and
through the surfaces of the coverings and passing on from one stage to another it
finally passes on to the upper portion of the apparatus. The coverings of the
series of platforms, seives or stages may be so arranged as to hang down as fringes
or strips below the face of the frames, and as an alternative the surfaces of the
platforms, seives or stages may also be covered with prepared paper or wood pulp,
bundles of twigs, pumice stone, asbestos, charcoal or such like material. In this
apparatus there is also the usual reservoir for the wash in the bottom of the vessel
with attemperating coils fitted therein, a circulating fan, blower or pump with its
suction and delivery pipes and connections for the circulation of the air in and
through the vessel. A circulating pump with its pipe and connections for the
wash or wort. A wash distributing apparatus in the upper part of the vessel.
A condensing apparatus in connection with a wet vacuum pump for collecting and
condensing the aldehydes, ethers, volatile alcohols and acids; with their pipes and
other connections as more particularly described in my before mentioned Specification
of Letters Patent numbered 15475 of August 15th 1893. I also desire as an
alternative to substitute another form of spray producing nozzle to be connected
with the delivery pipes of the wash circulating pump and the air circulating fan or
blower, the body of which is constructed in a conical form of vulcanite, ebonite,
earthenware china non corrosive metal or acid resisting material, with an inlet on its

page_text: upper face and the body provided with a series of fine holes perforated therein at
a tangent all over its lower surface in order to distribute the wort or wash mixed
with air in finely divided streams or spray over the surface of the upper tier
of frames, seives or stages. The upper part of the acetifying vessel being also
connected by a pipe to a small open outside vessel which has a connection with the
wash in the reservoir so as to keep the liquid therein at a uniform level, the end of
the pipe being provided with an adjustable telescopic tube dipping down into the
liquid in the small open vessel to form a seal or trap which may be so adjusted that
the hydrogen and nitrogen gasses formed during acetification may be free to escape
in whole or part past the water seal into the atmosphere, or be absorbed by the
liquid. As an alternative this small open vessel may be supplied with water
kept at a suitable level therein by means of an ordinary tap arrangement
actuated by a lever and float, the vessel being also provided with an overflow in
a suitable position.
The whole apparatus is provided with the necessary pipes fitted with cocks,
valves and other connections for the control of the supply of air, wort and gasses
to and from the various parts of the apparatus. Sight glasses, gauges, thermometers
being also fitted in suitable positions in order to observe and test the working of
the apparatus.
Dated this First day of May 1894.
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER,
Montague Villa, Kingsdown, Bristol, Brewers' Architect and Engineer.
:
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making Vinegar and
Maturing Spirits.
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER of Montague Villa, Kingsdown, Bristol Brewers'
Architect and Engineer 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 :-
-
In a previous application for Letters Patent, for "Improvements in the
manufacture of vinegar" and numbered 15475 of August 15th 1893 is described
my improved apparatus and process as applied to the manufacture of malt vinegar
from alcoholic wort or wash and for maturing spirits. The object of this present
invention is principally to so adapt a portion of the vessels now generally used for
acetification in vinegar breweries that they may be used for the manufacture of
vinegar under my improved process.
In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be more clearly
understood I have appended hereto one sheet of drawings on which Fig. 1 shews
partly in section and partly in elevation the form of the apparatus (or one of them)
with its internal and external fittings and connections as applied to an old pattern
vinegar acetifying vessel; and Fig. 2. shews partly in plan & partly in section a
transverse view across the said vessel. The body of these old pattern acetifying
vessels or generators are mostly circular in form and of varying diameters and
heights to suit the requirements of each particular brewery, with a reservoir at
the bottom for the wash, a cover at the top for access to the interior and fitted also
with the usual acetifying material such as birch twigs in bundles supported on a
stage or stages within the vessel.
The first feature of my improved apparatus is, in the removal of the old
acetifying material as just described. with its stage; and in substitution therefor
and placed within the vessel I put a series of internal fittinge, skeleton frames,
seives or stages such as A constructed wholly or partly of light timber, anticorrosive

page_text: metal, vulcanite, or acid resisting material formed in segments and fitted to the
vessel with or without strips such as A upon their faces in order to regulate and
control the flow of a portion of the wash; these frames or stages being so arranged
as to form a series of platforms or stages one over the other at regular or varying
distances, angles or inclinations or perfectly level and arranged to meet at the
centre on a vertical support such as A' and carried by a transom if so desired
across the vessel. These platforms seives or stages having their upper & lower
surfaces wholly or partly covered with a woven, braided or plaited material of an
absorbent nature as A such as felt or flannel supported on the wood frames or
stages and secured by twine, wood pins or and resisting material thereto, but
preferably provided with openings as A³ alternately at the centre and circumference
of each platform or stage so that air may be free to pass over the surface of
or through the coverings A' and passing on from one stage to another (in the
directions shewn by the arrows) until it is finally delivered to the upper portion A
of the apparatus. The coverings of the series of platforms, seives or stages may
be so arranged as to hang down in a number of fringes or strips below the faces
of the frames as A', and as an alternative between the upper & lower surfaces of
the platforms seives or stages may also be placed layers of filtering paper or wood
pulp bundles of twigs; pumice stone, asbestos, charcoal or such like absorbent
material as A. In this apparatus there is also the usual reservoir for the wash B.
in the bottom part of the acetifying vessel or in a separate vessel placed underneath
or adjoining the main acetifying vessel and fitted with attemperating coils C-a
circulating fan or blower D with its suction and delivery pipes and connections
as D'D' for the circulation of air in and through the vessel, also fitted with a
condensing apparatus such as E with inlet and outlet connections as E' E' for cold
water to the jacket and an opening as E³ for admission of air to the end, for
mixing with, condensing and liquefying the aldehyde volatile alcohols and ethers,
the outlet D at the lower end of this condenser may be connected with the net
vacuum pump D by means of the pipe D and the delivery D' may be placed
into a closed collecting vessel such as F or returned back again to the acetifying
vessel by a pipe D. The air from the fan may be passed through an attemperating
jacket G. en route to the pipe D' under the lower tier of the frames or stages A*.
A wash distributing apparatus H formed of a circular nozzle constructed of
vulcanite, ebonite, earthenware or acid resisting material and perforated with fine
needle holes at a tangent so that the wash may be distributed in fine spray or
streams over the surface of the upper stage A, and having its inlet connected with
the delivery pipe H' from the wash circulating pump H' and the air circulating fan
or blower D by a pipe such as D. The upper part of the acetifying vessel is
also connected by a pipe J to a small open outside vessel J¹ in which water at
a temperature of about 40° to 50° Farht. is kept at a uniform level by means of
an ordinary buoy valve or similar device. The nose of the pipe J is fitted with ar
adjustable nozzle J' to regulate the depth of the liquid seal and to form a trap past
which a portion of the volatile and useless products of acetification may be free to
escape into the atmosphere by passing the seal, an overflow pipe such as J' with
syphon trap J delivering any surplus liquor to the acetifying vessel or to waste as
desired. The aldehyde condenser K is fitted with a condensing coil K¹ having its
suction K connected with the upper part of the acetifying vessel and with the
delivery pipe of the vacuum pump D₁ by means of a pipe such as D' and its
delivery to the vessel F by the pipe D' or to the acetifying vessel by means of
the pipe D as before described.
The apparatus as described may be used for maturing spirits without modification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. An improved method of and apparatus for the manufacture of vinegar
from alcoholic wash or wort consisting of a closed vessel fitted with a series of

page_text: shelves, seives, trays frames or stages, constructed of wood or acid resisting
material fixed within the body of the vessel at regular or irregular intervals
or inclinations or quite level and covered wholly or partly with a woven,
plaited or braided material; portions of which may hang down in strips or
fringes from the frames, for holding the wash and acetic ferment in suspension
and saturation as it passes onward to the reservoir below over and through
the before mentioned coverings and stages air is drawn or forced by means
of a fan or blower and circulated within and without the vessel through suitable
pipes and connections, the latter as more particularly described in my Specification
of Letters Patent numbered 15475 and dated August 15th 1893 the whole or a
portion of the various parts herein before described working separately or in
conjunction one with another substantially as herein before described.
2nd. In conjunction with the wash circulating pump and air blast of the fan or
blower, a nozzle of conical form perforated with fine needle holes, at a tangent
whereby the wash or wort mixed with air may be delivered in a fine spray, streams
or jets over the surface of the upper frames of the acetifying apparatus substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3rd. A condensing and collecting apparatus consisting of a vessel with cooling
jacket such as E and series of condensing tubes with inlet for air such as E' and
suction as D connected to a net vacuum pump and connected to the delivery pipe
of a fan or blower as D used for circulating the air within the acetifying vessel
whereby the volatile alcohols, aldehyde and ethers may be collected, condensed and
subsequently collected in a separate vessel or delivered to the acetifying vessel
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. The combination and arrangement of the several parts and appliances
herein before described for the acetification of alcoholic wort or wash for the
production of vinegar or maturing of spirits constructed and arranged substantially
as hereinbefore described and as shown on the accompanying sheet of illustrated
drawings.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of January 1895.
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER.