CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF. VESSELS FOR HOLDING AERATED LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SUCH LIQUIDS INTO THE SAID VESSELS AND RETAINING THEM THEREIN
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURDOCH, of the Office for Patents, 7, Staples Inn, in the County of Middle-
sex, Mechanical Draftsman and Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighteenth day of April, in the seventh year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Murdoch, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Murdoch my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Murdoch, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, the said others, from time to time and at all time's
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF. VESSELS FOR HOLDING AERATED LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING
SUCH LIQUIDS INTO THE SAID VESSELS AND RETAINING THEM THEREIN," com-
municated to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said James Murdoch, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I have
ascertained and set forth the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be carried into effect, in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the different representations
of the same object.
Figures 1 and 2 represent my improved construction of vessels for containing
aerated liquids, into which the liquids are introduced, charged with gas;
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation. A is a bottle (of
crystal or other suitable material), which from its peculiar form is capable of
sustaining a much greater pressure than the ordinary pressure of the gas with
which the liquids are charged. This bottle differs in construction from those
hitherto generally employed for the purpose, inasmuch as it is hermetically
sealed at top, and in having near the bottom a short neck a, in which is an
aperture a', for the introduction and discharge of the liquid, by which arrange-
ment the orifice is always covered by the liquid, and the escape of the gas is
thereby prevented. To the neck a is fitted a cock B (shewn in section in
Figure 3) for facilitating the operation of filling the vessel. This cock has two
passages e and g; the passage e is that by which the vessel is connected to the
reservoir. During the operation of charging the vessel the passage e opens into
the passage g, but the communication between the two may be closed by the
plug h. The passage g is connected with the passage a' in the neck, and with
the rising tube c, on the top of which is fixed the discharge cock d, which may
be either of the ordinary construction, or similar to the cock B. The passage G
between the interior of the bottle and the tube c is always open. C, Figure 7,
is an air cock, which is fixed between the charging pipe and the cock B in
the operation of filling the bottle, for the purpose of allowing the escape of the
air contained in the bottle, which would otherwise prevent the complete filling
of the bottle. The end i is screwed to the orifice e of the cock B, and the
end communicates with the charging pipe. C¹ is the plug of the cock, the
main aperture of which, k, corresponds with the passage k². In the barrel of
the cock a smaller aperture 7 opens into the passage k at right angles, and a
similar aperture m opens into the passage . During the charging of the
vessel the passage k communicates with the passage ke, and the passage m is
shut by the plug; but when it is required to let the air escape from the bottle
the cock is suddenly turned, so as to bring the hole into communication with
the passage k, and the hole k into communication with the hole m. When the
vessel is fully charged, the orifice e in the cock B is closed by the screw
plug h, and the bottom being disconnected from the cock C, a cap f is screwed

page_text: over the end e; the key of the screw plug h may likewise be withdrawn and a
similar cap screwed upon that end.
Figures 4 and 5 represent a vessel of a similar form and construction as the
former, being like it hermetically closed at top, and the liquid being introduced
and discharged at an aperture near the bottom; but it has no rising pipe, like
the former, the filling and discharging being both effected by the same cock D,
which may be of the ordinary kind, or like that represented in section at
Figure 6. The air cock is attached to the nozle n.
E, Figure 8, represents a vessel to contain syrup, or other similar liquid
which it may be desired to mix with the aërated liquids to form aërated lemon-
ade, orangeade, &c. The base o is screwed to the nozzle of the cock D or B,
and to the upper part is screwed the air pump F, by the operation of which
the syrup is introduced into the bottle.
I claim, in respect to the foregoing apparatus, first, the construction of the
bottle or vessel herein before described, namely, the making such vessel closed
at top, and placing the aperture, by which the liquid enters and escapes from
the bottle, in the lower part of the bottle, by which means all loss of gas is
prevented.
2nd, the adapting to the orifice either a charging cock with two passages,
one of which is always open and is connected with a discharge pipe and
cock, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2; or an ordinary cock, which serves both
for filling and emptying the bottle, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
3rd, the application of the air cock to facilitate the escape of the air from
the bottle.
4th, the apparatus for introducing syrup into the bottle..
Figures 9 and 10 represent a modification of the Invention, in which the
liquid and the materials for furnishing the gas are separately introduced into
the apparatus, and the charging the liquid with gas takes place in the vessel
in which the liquid is to be contained. Figure 9 represents a section of the
apparatus as ready for service; and Figure 10 represents the parts of which
the apparatus is composed detached from each other. A is the upper receiver
(formed preferably of crystal), in which is contained the wine, syrup, or other
liquid that is to be saturated with gas; it has a neck a, to which is attached
by cement a collar a¹, (preferably formed of tin,) on which is cut an external
screw a³. B is the lower receiver, (which likewise I prefer to be formed of
crystal,) for containing the water in which the salts which furnish the gas are
to be dissolved; it has a neck 6, to which is cemented the collar 6', formed of
tin, and having an internal screw b³ to receive the screw a² on the collar a'.
This collar contains rings or washers b³, of tin or other soft metal, unattackable

page_text: by acids, or of leather, caoutchouc, or gummed or varnished tissues, - which
being slightly elastic, form, when compressed by the collar a', a soft but secure
joint, which is perfectly air and water tight. C, a tube, of glass, tin, or other
suitable material, which is cemented into the neck b; it has. a small rose or
strainer c (which I prefer of silver) on the top of it, through which the gas
passes to enter the receiver A. D, a cock, (shewn detached in Figure 11;)
soldered to the collar 6'; the passage d of the cock communicates with a
passage b, b, formed in the substance of the collar, and can be opened or closed
at pleasure by the screw plug d', which works in the barrel of the cock; E is
the acid holder, formed in one piece with the vessel B, the material being
contracted at the junction of the two vessels; it has at the lower end a neck e,
to which is cemented a collar e', on which is cut an external screw e³, by which
it is attached to the base. F is a kind of falling valve, by which the com-
munication between the vessels B and E is cut off; when charging the
apparatus, it has a rod f, by which it can be placed or removed, and a tube f
of sufficient diameter to allow the tube C to enter within it, having at the same
time sufficient space between the two tubes for the passage of the gas. G, the
pedestal (of glass) on which the apparatus is supported. When ready for use it
has a neck g, to which is cemented a collar g' of tin, on which is cut an internal
screw g³, by which it is connected to the screw e on the collar e'; it has like-
wise washers 93 (similar to 63) to form a tight joint with the edge of the
collar c¹.
The apparatus is charged and made ready for use as follows:-The three
principal pieces of the apparatus being detached from each other, as shewn in
Figure 10, the receiver A is completely filled with the liquid which it is
desired to saturate with gas, and the vessel B is screwed down upon it; the
valve F is then removed and the receiver is filled with water up to the neck,
where it adjoins E, so as to exclude the air from this compartment; the valve
is then replaced, and the receiver E is filled with the bicarbonate of soda and
tartaric or citric acid in the proper proportions, after which the pedestal is
screwed on, and the apparatus is restored to the position shewn in Figure 9; this
causes the valve F to fall, and the water descending from B to E dissolves the
salt and acid, which decomposes the salt and disengages the carbonic acid gas,
which, taking the course indicated by the arrows, passes through the rose c
and becomes absorbed in the liquid in the receiver A. It should have been
before observed, that when the gas begins to be disengaged from the salt the
cock should be opened to allow a certain quantity of the liquid in A to escape
to make room for the gas. This mode of proceeding is preferable to not
completely filling the vessel A, as it affords the important advantage of

page_text: expelling almost entirely all atmospheric air from the apparatus, the several
compartments being respectively completely filled with the liquid, with water,
and with the gas-generating materials.
In stating my claims with regard to this apparatus, I would observe that I
do not limit myself to the precise form and arrangement of the parts herein set
forth and described, as they may be varied without departing from the principle
of my Invention; but I claim,-
First, the arrangement for charging a vessel with aërated liquids, by
mounting or fixing such vessel upon another vessel containing the materials
for furnishing carbonic acid gas, whereby the liquid may be introduced into
the vessel previous to charging such liquid with gas, which operation of
charging takes place in the vessel itself.
Second, the employment of metallic or of elastic washers, as before described,
for the purpose of forming an air and water tight joint.
Third, the valve, by which the salt and acid are prevented from mixing with
the water whilst charging the apparatus.
Fourth, the rose or strainer, by which the gas is caused to enter the liquid
in numerous small streams.
Fifth, the placing the aperture of discharge and the joints of the different
pieces of the apparatus so that they are covered by liquid so as to prevent the
escape of gas.
And, sixth, adapting either a screw plug or an ordinary cock to the discharge
orifice.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JAMES (L.S.) MURDOCH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid James Murdoch came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid and all and AHO