IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND SUPPLYING GAS TO AND ALSO FROM BEERS AND WINES IN CASKS OR VESSELS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAME
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lamb Hancock, of 118, Shacklewell Lane, Dalston,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVED
MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND SUPPLYING GAS TO AND ALSO
FROM BEERS AND WINES IN CASKS OR VESSELS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
SAME
"
Sealed the 7th June 1878, and dated the 10th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lamb Hancock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th December 1877.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK, of 118, Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING
AND SUPPLYING GAS TO AND ALSO FROM BEERS AND WINES IN CASKS OR VESSELS
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAME."
My Invention consists of arrangements, appliances, and apparatus for collecting
excessive carbonic acid gas from casks and vessels while charged with fermenting
fluids, such as ale, beer, porter, cider, wines, and all other fermenting fluids while
in a state of fermentation, or while on draught or otherwise; also for supplying
gas to casks or vessels containing beers or fluids that have become sour to re-
cover same.
To collect and receive the gas given off I arrange a tube of such bore as may be
required and placed in any convenient position to be used as a main, through
which the carbonic acid gas is received and distributed, and connections are made
along its entire length at such distances apart from each other as may be con-
venient, in order to allow of easy connection being made from the main to each
cask and vessel, each joint to be fitted with a separate tap or cock, to which is
attached an india-rubber tube of convenient length, which is furnished with a
tubular spiggot, which is driven into casks or vessels, and by which spiggot the
casks or vessels give off or receive the carbonic acid gas generated, instead of such
carbonic acid gas escaping into the air, and being thereby lost as heretofore. One

page_text: cask or vessel when in a state of active fermentation will in many cases produce
sufficient carbonic acid gas to keep up sufficiently the pressure in a number of
casks or vessels on draught or otherwise.
The foregoing apparatus is also used when I use gas made by an improved gas
generator, hereafter referred to, and consists of a vessel of such size as may be
required, containing an acid which flows on the lime and water when acted upon
by a buoy or ball-cock action, which is fitted either inside of or otherwise to the
improved generator.
The fluid contained in the improved gas generator fluctuates in quantity,
according to the pressure therein and thereon.
The improved generator is furnished with a tube which reaches nearly to the
bottom thereof, and which tube reaches to an elevation to cause sufficient pressure
to charge such casks or vessels as are on draught or otherwise with the required
pressure of gas. The top of this tube passes into the bottom of a vessel of sufficient.
capacity to contain the fluid forced up the tube from the improved generator, which
vessel is open to the air, and thus regulates the pressure of gas in every cask or
vessel brought into connection with the main.
A connecting tubo is fitted from the improved generator to the main, and the
improved generator is fitted with a convenient opening over the vessel containing
the acid for the purpose of charging the same, and also for charging the improved
generator with carbonate of lime or such other substance as may be used in
generating carbonic acid gas.
The improved generator is also furnished with a cock or convenient opening for
discharging the refuse from time to time as required.
The form and construction of the vessel which contains the acid and is acted
upon by the buoy or ball-cock action consists of a vessel of suitable materials, and
is suspended on an axis at right angles to the form of the vessel, and the vessel is
suspended on its axis by brackets attached to the inner side of the generator, or
suspended from the top within the generator at a distance convenient for the
purpose required of the generator.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Lamb Hancock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1878.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK, of 118, Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING
AND SUPPLYING GAS TO AND ALSO FROM BEERS AND WINES IN CASKS OR VESS KLS
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAME"
My Invention consists of arrangements, appliances, and apparatus for collecting
excessive carbonic acid gas from casks and vessels while charged with fermenting
fluids, such as ale, beer, porter, cider, wines, and all other fermenting fluids while
in a state of fermentation or while on draught or otherwise, in order to prevent the
liquid thus acted upon from becoming sour or otherwise deteriorated; also for
supplying gas to casks or vessels containing beers or fluids that have become sour
to recover same and to maintain their recovery.
My Invention will be clearly understood by the following description, reference
being had to the Drawings annexed hereto :-
To collect and receive the gas given off I arrange a tube A, Figure 1, in any con-
venient position to be used as a main, through which the carbonic acid gas from a
cask of liquid under fermentation is received and distributed by connections B, B,
to other casks, into which carbonic acid gas is required to prevent it going flat,
sour, or otherwise becoming deteriorated. The connections B, D, B, are made along
its entare length of the pipe at such distances apart from each other as may be
convenient in order to allow of easy connection being made from the main A to
each cask C, C, or other vessel. Each connection B, B, of the main is fitted with
a separate tap or cock E, to which is attached an india-rubber tube F, F, of con-
venient length, this being furnished with a tubular spiggot G driven into the
cask or vessel C, C. The spiggots I prefer to fit in holes made for the purpose and
opposite to or at a distance from the ordinary bung hole By means of the
spiggots the casks or vessels give off or receive the carbonic acid gas generated
within the casks from fermentation, instead of such carbonic acid gas escaping into
the air, and being thereby lost as heretofore. One cask or vessel such as that shown
at H when in a state of active fermentation will in many cases produce sufficient
carbonic acid gas to keep up sufficiently the pressure in a number of casks or
vessels C, C, C, on draught or otherwise, as will be understood by shutting off the
tap J which is fitted at one end of the main tube A.
The cask J is fitted with a safety valve K, the spring of which can be set to any
desired pressure by the outside button L. M is a vent hole to allow the gas to
escape should the internal pressure become so high as to lift the plunger up to it.
The pressure in all the 4 casks (or it may be any other number) is, so to speak,
balanced by the connections of all the pipes, but any one cask can be shut off from
the main by turning the required tap E.
The foregoing apparatus is also used, with or without the cask H, when I use gas
made by a gas generator, said gas generator consisting of a vessel P for containing a
quantity of lime and water, to which is added in suitable proportions an acid that
will act upon the lime and disengage carbonic acid gas. This vessel has a pipe Q
attached, whose upper end is connected to the main tube A, so that in the absence
of the fermenting cask H the tap El can be closed and the tap J opened to allow of
the connection of the vessel P with the casks C, C, C. The lime rests upon the
false bottom R, which is finely perforated for the liquor to pass through.
The fluid contained in the generator fluctuates in quantity, according to the
pressure therein and thereon; it is therefore furnished with a tubo S which reaches
nearly to the bottom, as shown, so that the internal top pressure may cause the
liquor at the bottom to rise up the tube S and flow into the vessel T, which serves
as a regulator. The regulator T is provided with a valve, and the generator vessel
has a pressure gauge a.

page_text: The generator is fitted with a convenient opening over the vessel containing the
acid for the purpose of charging the same, and an opening is made for permitting
the generator to be charged with carbonate of lime or such other substance as may
be used in generating carbonic acid gas, the generator having also a cock or con-
venient opening for discharging the refuse from time to time as required.
Figure 2 represents two casks C, C, only in one or in both of which a fermen-
tation is going on. These casks are connected by spiggots G, one of which has a
tap E and a flexible tube F as to balance the pressure between the two casks for
the purpose before explained.
The spiggots are arranged in holes provided for them, the usual bung holes being
preferably arranged under so that the casks rest upon the parts of the casks where
the bung holes are. I arrange iron hoops U around the casks over the bung hole
portion, and drive in a wedge V to bear against and hold the bung firmly in
position to obviate the pushing out of the bung under internal excessive
pressure.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The improved means and apparatus for collecting and distributing carbonic acid
gas from one cask to another containing beers, wines, or other formenting liquors,
as described, and shown in the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. I claim generating carbonic acid gas in a separate vessel, and dis-
tributing said gas by means of the apparatus described, and shown in the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lamb Hancock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK. (L.S.)