Improvements in' Means for Drawing Off Beer under a Pressure of LLus, Carbonic Acid Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: "Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1897
41
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...Complete Specification Left,. 9th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
H
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION……..‚
Improvements in' Means for Drawing Off Beer under a Pressure of
LLus, Carbonic Acid Gas.
I, GEORGES LEJEUNE, of Brasserie, Burgelin Nantes, Department of Loire
Inferieure, France, Brewery Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
-
ו) ויידנוד יייי ו ו
The object of the present demand is an apparatus allowing beer to be drawn off
under a constant pressure of carbonic acid gas containing this" latter gas in a
liquid state which can be relaxed automatically 'under a weak and constant pressure
by a special relaxing instrument, the whole forming a bung screwing into the
socket with which barrels are furnished for this purpose and being simply inserted
in the bung-hole when the barrel is not provided with a socket."
The apparatus is composed of a relaxing instrument,' of 'a' bung' properly 'so-
called and of a recipient for carbonic acid, these three parts are screwed together.
The recipient is a, metallic tube open only at its upper part to. be screwed to the
relaxing instrument and whose sides can resist a pressure of 250 kilograms per
square centimeter. The relaxing instrument is a small hollow cylinder. in bronze
shut at one side by a bottom upon which is cast a threaded cylindrical, part screw-
ing upon the upper, part of the, carbonic acid recipient which occupies the lower
part of the apparatus. A channel is made in the centre, of the bottom leaving a
passage for a cylindrical, rod. which has flats, for, the,,passage of the gas. This rod
is connected at the bottom with a valve and at the top with a piston.
The lower valve is pushed against a seat, in, the form of a crown surrounding the
lower, opening of the hole made in the bottom of the relaxing instrument by means
of a spiral spring fixed in a cylindrical box which, plunges into the carbonic acid
gas reservoir, and screwed to the relaxing-instrument; the upper piston is pushed
against a similar seat arranged, at the upper orifice of the said hole into which the
connecting rod passes by a spring pressing upon a nut screwed into the hollow
part of the bung properly, so called; this latter, spring, serves to regulate the
expansion of the carbonic acid gas and its emission into the barrel. A small
conduit bored in the side of the part of the relaxing-instrument situated above the
bottom, serves for the escape of the gas into the, barrel, and is, covered with a small
plate which can be slightly lifted for the passage of the gas, but prevents the beer
from returning into the relaxing-instrument.
Another channel made laterally in the bottom of the relaxing instrument ends
in the central channel of the bottom in, which the valve, connecting rod passes:
it serves for refilling the recipient and is stopped in its ordinary progress by a
screw-stop which at the same time holds the covering plate of the escape conduit.
When the apparatus is applied to a barrel by tightening the nut which presses
the upper spring this latter presses upon the upper pişton, which pressure when it
is sufficient, is transmitted by the connecting rod to the lower valve which leaves
its seat and lets a certain quantity of carbonic acid gas, pass into the upper chamber of
the relaxing-instrument by the central channel, as well as into the empty space

page_text: in the barrel when the pressure of gas is sufficient to neutralize the pressure of
the upper spring, by acting upon the upper piston, the lower valve returns again to
its seat and shuts the central orifice until the moment when a loss of pressure
determinated by the drawing off from the barrel again determines the working
of the lower valve.
The refilling of the recipient of the bung is done by the ordinary means employed
for the liquefaction of gases. In the case of refilling the regulating nut and
the upper spring are substituted by a hollow rod pressing upon the upper piston
to break all communication between the recipient and the upper part of the relax-
ing instrument; the screw plug is then taken away and the recipient is put into
communication with the source of carbonic acid which is liquefiable by compression
or simple cooling.
Dated this 9th day of August 1897
L. DUVINAGE
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Means for Drawing Off Beer under a Pressure of
Carbonic Acid Gas.
I, GEORGE LEJEUNE, of Brasserie Burgelin, Nantes, Department of Loire
Inferieure, France, Brewery Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
The primary object of the present invention is to dispense with the commonly
used flasks, reservoirs, air pumps or other expensive means for drawing off beer
and my invention has more particular reference to a new and improved device, I
term carbonic bung" intended to be applied to the barrels for the purpose to
draw off beer or any other liquid under a constant pressure of carbonic acid gas
or any other suitable medium.
The construction shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing embodies
my invention.
In carrying out this invention I employ:
1° A receptacle B of metal or any other material capable of supporting the
pressure of the carbonic acid contained in said receptacle.
20 A gas releasing or expanding device D screwed or otherwise secured to the
receptacle B and 'adapted to automatically release or expand the gas and to ensure
a constant pressure of this gas.
30 A part A, forming the bung proper screwed or otherwise secured to the gas
releasing or expanding device and intended to bung the barrel when fitted in
place.
The receptacle B and the bung proper A have no particularities and may be of
any suitable form and construction.
My improvements chiefly consist in the arrangement and combination of the
aforegoing parts and in the peculiar construction of the gas releasing or expanding
device D, as more fully and clearly described and claimed hereinafter.
This gas releasing or expanding device is composed of a body 1, substantially
serving as a plug to the carbonic acid receptacle; this plug has a central hole 2, the
lower rim of which forms a valve-seat 3 upon which presses the valve 4 to com-
pletely stop the hole 2. The valve 4 is screwed on the rod 8, 9, 10; the valve 4
is moved within a tube 7 secured to the body 1 and closed, at its lower end, by a
perforated disc 6. The portion of the rod 8, 9, 10 indicated by 9 in the drawing

page_text: has a square cross-section to prevent said rod from turning; the portion indicated
by 10 is threaded and receives the socket 11, also screw-threaded and carrying an
upwardly extending spindle 12, preferably made one with the socket 11; the upper
end portion of the spindle 12 is threaded to receive two nuts 22 for the purpose
hereinafter stated. The socket 11 being screwed on, the complete closing of the
openings 3 and 13 is obtained; the socket being unscrewed, the rod 8, 9, 10 is
forced downwards and the valve 4 leaves its seating, thus allowing the carbonic
gas to pass freely through the central hole 2, whence it flows into the annular
space and discharges through the passage 14 or even through 15 into the
barrel.
16, 17 indicate a diaphragm of any suitable flexible material, placed upon an
inner shoulder 5 of the upper part of D) and pressed by the lower rim of the bung
proper when the latter is in place. The central part of the diaphragm 16, 17 is
pressed between the nut 18 and the piston 19 screwed together and movably held
on the spindle 12. The piston 19 is provided with a stuffing-box 20, through which
passes the spindle 12 and a controlling spring 21, held by the bung proper A,
presses upon the upper surface of the piston 19.
The operation of the gas releasing or expanding device, is easily understood from
the aforegoing description.
The valve 4 being brought away from the seating 3, the carbonic gas flows
through the hole 2, the annular space D¹ and the passage 14 into the barrel;
when the pressure, produced within the barrel and the annular space ] by the
carbonic gas, rises at a given point, the flexible diaphragm 16 17 and therefore
the nut 18 and the piston 19, are forced upwards and, the upper part of the
piston 19 striking against the nut 22, lift the rod 8, 9, 10 carrying the valve 4,
which is thus brought to its seating to intercept the passage of the carbonic gas.
When the pressure falls, the spring 21 forces the piston 19 and therefore the
diaphragm 16 17 down again to their initial position.
It will be seen that this arrangement produces a constant pressure above the
liquid contained in the barrel and allows of normally drawing off this liquid.
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 1
claim is: :-
1) A new bung for beer barrels, termed "carbonic bung," substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
2) In a bung of the class described, the combination with the bung proper,
the receptacle receiving any pressure producing medium, of a gas releasing or
expanding device adapted to automatically maintain a constant pressure within
the barrel to which the bung is applied.
3) In a gas releasing or expanding device the combination with a body forming
a plug, of a hole or passage arranged to be closed or opened by two valves, a
Hexible diaphragm, a special piston movable with said diaphragm and a controlling
spring to bring the various parts back to their initial position when displaced by
a determinate pressure of the gas, substantially as described and shown.
Total thia (ith dow of Mo 1808
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.