Shut-off Valve Apparatus for the Water Chambers of Pressure Apparatus for Forcing Beer.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan.,
1900
Shut-off Valve Apparatus for the Water Chambers of Pressure
Apparatus for Forcing Beer.
I, HEINRICH STAUFF, of 324, Bonnerstrasse, Arnoldshöhe, Cologne, Germany,
Brewery Owner 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:-
The automatic shut off valves heretofore employed on the water chambers of
pressure apparatus for forcing beer consist of a ball floating on the water which.
is made to close the air conduit against the water as soon as the latter has risen
sufficiently high in the glass chamber.
Such shut-off valves are subject to the disadvantage that before the complete
closing of the air conduit by the ball valve takes place a small quantity of water
always passes into the air conduit, which water collects in the air vessel and
becomes stagnant, having the effect on the one hand of more or less impairing
the purity of the air which is led in contact with the beer, and on the other hand,
gradually reducing the air space in the air vessel so that the apparatus requires
frequent adjustment.
Such passage of water takes place in an increasing degree when the ball valve
has been in use for some time, when, by the frequent pressing against the opening
of the conduit, it loses its accurate spherical form.
The present invention relates to a construction of shut-off valve apparatus
whereby the above disadvantages are done away with, as it effectually prevents
the passage of any water into the air conduit.
The arrangement of the valve apparatus for this purpose is as follows
Referring to the accompanying drawing which shews a vertical section of the
apparatus, a is a glass cylinder in which is situated a loosely fitting thin disc b
of metal or other material, which is connected by a rod d passing loosely through
the tubular passage c with the valve e of elastic material.
The combined parts are secured by screwing by means of a connecting piece f
to the water chamber below in precisely the same manner as with the existing
shut-off valves, the chamber a being connected at top to the air conduit h.
When the water supply to the water chamber is opened, the air contained therein
passes through the channels g g g and g¹ g¹c into the vessel a below the disc b.
and between this and the glass cylinder upwards into the air conduit, the upward
pressure of such air current being made to hold the disc b and the valve è in a
floating position in which the valve does not close the upper channels.
When the air has been forced out of the water chamber, water takes its place
in the above mentioned channels, and the upward pressure of this water upon the
disc b, closes the valve e upon its seat.
The water can therefore only rise to such a height in cylinder a
as to effect the closing of the valve, so that no water can
ever penc
trate into the air conduit. It is not necessary for the correct action of
the apparatus to keep the weight of the disc and the valve connected thereto so
small that they are actually raised by the air currents; it is only necessary to see

page_text: that the disc b and valve e do not bear so close against the communicating channels
as to prevent the air from passing through.
On the rising of the water this will then raise the disc 6 sufficiently to close the
valve against further admission of water into the glass cylinder as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
Shut-off valve apparatus for the water chambers of pressure apparatus for
forcing beer, wherein a valve.of elastic material, such as e, is connected to a disc,
such as 6 moving loose in a cylinder such as a, so that on the entrance of water
from the water chamber below into the said cylinder it will raise the said disc
so as to cause the valve to close the communication between the water chamber
and the air conduit, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.