Improved Method of and Apparatus for Measuring or Checking the Production of Alcoholic Liquids or the Flow of Liquids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Measuring or Checking the
Production of Alcoholic Liquids or the Flow of Liquids.
I, ANDRÉ BASSET of Pecqueux par Mormant, Seine et Marne, France Distiller,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an improved and simple method and apparatus whereby
liquids can be measured or the amount of same that passes through a given pipe
can be checked or controlled. The invention is particularly intended for checking
or measuring the production of distillatory apparatus with the object of dispensing
with the permanent presence of Excise officers at distilleries. According to my
invention I divide the alcohol delivered by the apparatus and I cause a fixed and
exact proportion or fraction of same to flow into closed vessels sealed by the Excise
officer. With this object I cause the alcohol to pass through two orifices or outlets,
the sections of which have a given ratio, say for example 1 to 9, so that the quantity
that flows through the small orifice and which is collected in a sealed vessel shall be
one-tenth of the total production.
In order to ensure that the proportion between the two deliveries shall be exact
it is not necessary for the orifices to be supplied by liquid arriving in drops; too
small a stream reaching the two orifices would not supply them uniformly in the
required ratio, I obviate this by causing the alcohol to flow through the two orifices
from a reservoir in which the liquid has always a certain height. If the alcohol is
supplied in drops only it does not come directly into the reservoir from which the
two delivery pipes lead; it is led into a supplementary reservoir communicating
with the reservoir already referred to by an intermittent syphon. The delivery
through the two orifices in the given ratio will in this case be also intermittent, but
the measure or proportion will be exact.
I will proceed to describe an apparatus suitable for carrying out my invention.
The apparatus has two superposed reservoirs preferably of glass separated by a
metallic partition. The alcohol from the distilling apparatus-after having passed
if desired through a filter which retains impurities enters the upper reservoir at
top; an intermittent syphon is placed between the two reservoirs so that if the
alcohol arrives in a thin stream or even in drops it accumulates in the upper
reservoir until its level reaches the top of the syphon. The syphon being thus
primed the alcohol descends copiously into the lower reservoir until the level in the
upper reservoir goes down to the mouth of the short leg of the syphon.
The lower reservoir then contains alcohol up to a certain height, that is to say it
is under conditions suitable for producing a well proportioned delivery through two
pipes in this reservoir. These two pipes are vertical and have no orifices for the
passage of the liquid except vertical slots the section of which is in the required
proportion of say 1 to 9. As the common height of the orifices is determined by
the height of the liquid in the reservoir it is only necessary for the width of the
slots to be in the required ratio. In order that the passage of the liquid may not
be affected and the checking or measuring thereof falsified by differences due to
capillarity arising from differences in the width of orifices, I make all the slots of
the same width, but I form 9 slots in the one pipe and one slot in the other.
the lower end of the syphon I place a concentric cone to spread the alcohol as it
issues therefrom. To prevent the undulations of the surface of the alcohol affecting
At

page_text: the heights of the delivery through the slots I surround the two pipes with a guard
which extends above the slots; the alcohol can thus only reach the slots by passing
over the top of the guard. If this is well regulated the liquid which will remain at
the bottom of the reservoir around the guard when the apparatus is not working,
will serve to show if the parts are in truth, as the liquid ought to be flush with the
edge of the guard all round.
The alcohol which flows through the larger pipe can be utilized at once by the
distiller that which flows through the smaller pipe to serve for checking the
quantity of alcohol produced and its quality, is received in sealed vessels. There
may be several of these scaled vessels connected by branches to the pipe, so that
the distiller may direct the alcohol into one or another according to the condition
or taste of the alcohol that is distilled. The delivery area of the syphon and of the
slots in the two delivery pipes should be greater than that of the pipe that conducts
the alcohol into the upper reservoir, because the alcohol might be delivered by this
pipe at full bore.
To prevent the distiller by closing all the cocks to the closed vessels stopping the
flow of the alcohol through the small delivery pipe this pipe opens at the end
without any cock into a final receiver. The pipe has an upward bend which causes
the alcohol to flow into one or other of the closed vessels when one of the cocks is
opened but permits the alcohol to flow into the final receiver when all the cocks
are closed.
The branch pipe is also fitted with a checking or test cock which the Excise
officers alone can open. By closing all the cocks to the closed vessels and opening
this test cock the proportion of the delivery to the small pipe in relation to that of
the large pipe can be measured, and thus the officer can verify if the proper ratio is
being maintained.
Instead of having only two delivery pipes, viz.-one large and one small as above
described there may be several pipes in lieu of the one large pipe. Instead of slots
in the pipes there may be holes in the bottom of the apparatus, or at the end of the
syphon, communicating with the delivery pipes.
Dotad this 14th dow of August 1901
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Measuring or Checking the
Production of Alcoholic Liquids or the Flow of Liquids.
I, ANDRÉ BASSET of Pecqueux par Mormant, Seine et Marne France, Distiller.
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of an improved and simple method and apparatus whereby
liquids can be measured or the amount of same that passes through a given pipe can
be checked or controlled. The invention is particularly intended for checking or
measuring the production of distillatory apparatus with the object of dispensing
with the permanent presence of Excise officers at distilleries. According to my
invention I divide the alcohol delivered by the apparatus and I cause a fixed and
exact proportion or fraction of same to flow into closed vessels sealed by the Excise
officer. With this object I divide the alcohol into several portions, say five, by
means of separate orifices or outlets all of the same size; one portion passes on to
the Excise officer's sealed vessel and the other four portions to a separate vessel or
receiver. Thus the quantity that flows to and is collected in the sealed vessel is
one fifth of the total production.

page_text: In order to ensure that the proportion between the two deliveries shall be exact
it is not necessary for the orifices to be supplied by liquid arriving in drops; too
snall a stream reaching the orifices would not supply them uniformly in the required
ratio. I obviate this by causing the alcohol to flow through the orifices from a
reservoir in which the liquid has always a certain height. If the alcohol is supplied
in drops only it does not come directly into the reservoir from which the delivery
pipes lead; it is led into a supplementary reservoir communicating with the
reservoir already referred to by an intermittent delivery syphon. The delivery
through the orifices in the given ratio will in this case be also intermittent but the
measure or proportion will be exact.
The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus constructed in accordance
with my invention. Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections in planes at right angles
to each other; Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. The
apparatus has at its lower part two reservoirs A A', A being preferably of glass
and A' of metal; they are separated by a partition B. The alcohol from the
distilling apparatus (disregarding for the present the devices above the reservoir A¹)
enters the reservoir A' at top; an intermittent syphon F is placed between the two
reservoirs so that if the alcohol reaches the reservoir A' in a thin stream or even
in drops it accumulates in that reservoir until its level reaches the top of the
syphon. The syphon being thus primed the alcohol descends copiously into the
lower reservoir A until the level in the upper reservoir goes down to the mouth o
of the short leg of the syphon.
The lower reservoir then contains alcohol up to a certain height that is to say it
is under conditions suitable for producing a well proportioned delivery through the
pipes G and H. These pipes are vertical and are for example 5 in number; one
pipe G discharges into a vessel C with which a pipe I communicates. The other
4 pipes H all discharge into a vessel D and thence by an outlet a into a vessel E
with which a large pipe J communicates. The 5 pipes G and H are hermetically
closed at the upper part and have no orifices for the passage of the liquid except
vertical slots bb the widths of which are uniform. As the height common to all
the orifices is determined by the height of the liquid in the reservoir the amount of
liquid that will flow through G is one fourth of that which flows through the
4 pipes H that is to say one fifth of the total production. In order that the
measuring of the liquid may not be falsified by differences due to disturbance or
agitation of the liquid in consequence of the fall from the syphon F I arrange at
the lower end of the syphon a concentric cone c to spread the alcohol as it issues
therefrom. This cone forms the bottom of a vessel K which has tubes d arranged
in the spaces between the pipes G and H. The undulations of the surface of the
alcohol might affect the heights of the delivery through the slots; in order to
prevent this I surround the pipes G and H with a guard e which extends above the
slots; the alcohol can thus only reach the slots by passing over the top of the
guard. If this is well regulated the liquid which will remain at the bottom of
the reservoir around the guard when the apparatus is not working, will serve to
show if the parts are in truth as the liquid ought to be flush with the edge of the
guard all round.
The alcohol which flows through the pipe J can be utilized at once by the distiller ;
that which flows through the smaller pipe I serves for checking the quantity of
alcohol produced and its quality. It is conducted to sealed vessels as indicated in
Figure 4 which shows the apparatus on a smaller scale. There may be several of
these sealed vessels connected by branches f¹ff to the pipe I so that the
distiller may direct the alcohol into one or another according to the condition or
flavour of the alcohol that is distilled. The delivery area of the syphon F and
that of the slots in the delivery pipes G and H should be greater than that of the
pipe that conducts the alcohol into the apparatus because the alcohol might be
delivered by this pipe at full bore into the reservoir A.
To prevent the distiller by closing all the cocks ff¹ &c. to the closed vessels
stopping the flow of the alcohol through the small pipe I this pipe opens at the end.

page_text: without any cock into a final receiver K'. The pipe has an upward bend O which
causes the alcohol-to flow into one or other of the closed vessels when one of the
cocks &c. is opened but permits the alcohol to flow into the receiver K' when
all the cocks are closed.
7"
The branch pipe is also fitted with a checking or test cock which the Excise
officers alone can open. By closing all the cocks f f¹ &c. to the closed vessels
and opening this test cock the proportion of the delivery to the small pipe I in
relation to that of the large pipe J can be measured and thus the officer can verify
if the proper ratio is being maintained.
The reservoirs A A' and those hereinafter explained are supported by arms L
carried by knife edges g. These are part of a frame h suspended at ii from fixed
supports. The apparatus therefore assumes of itself a vertical position. The
top M and the bottom piece M' which carries the vessels C and E are connected
by a protecting jacket N of wire gauze, glass or other material. Z is the pipe by
which the liquid enters; it is fixed to the top M. As the apparatus may have to
work with great variations of delivery a large syphon would act badly when the
delivery was slight, a suitable priming of the syphon requiring the liquid to arrive
with a certain speed. To avoid this I superpose several syphons F F F F³ which
are of gradually diminishing size from bottom to top, the uppermost syphon which
is the smallest being readily primed by the minimum delivery to the apparatus and
having itself a sufficient delivery to prime the syphon which immediately follows
it. I also add to these syphons auxiliary overflows which come into action in
proportion as the delivery of the distillatory apparatus increases and becomes more
than the delivery of the syphons. The lower syphon only, which corresponds to
the maximum delivery of the distillatory apparatus, has no need of an auxiliary
overflow. The following is the action:-The alcohol inlet pipe Z discharges
through a wide opening into the box Q the conical bottom P of which causes the
liquid to flow to the periphery. The liquid passes into the chamber A' the annular
space m of which communicates with the central space m'. kk are pipes leading
from a vessel R which serves as the first overflow. The bottom of this vessel is
raised at and this constitutes a narrow space in which is lodged the upper part
of the syphon F; this renders the priming of the syphon quicker. If this first
syphon F the short leg of which descends into the space m' is of too small a bore
to allow of the flow of all the liquid that arrives at Z the liquid rises in the
chamber A, passes over the edge of the overflow vessel R, discharges into R and
Hows through the pipes kk directly into the chamber A³ below. This chamber A³
is fitted like A' with an overflow vessel R' and pipes.k. If the syphon F2 is not
sufficient the liquid rises in A³ passes into R' then through into the chamber A³,
and so on.
In this way the first syphons which are small do not cause inconvenience although
they are insufficient for the delivery. On the other hand the last syphon F,
however large it may be, has always its action assured because the liquid enters
the chamber A' supplied by a sufficiently powerful syphon F.
In order that the syphon may prime more rapidly when the level of the liquid
approaches the top of the bend I give the bend a Hattened form; further the
parts in which the upper parts of the syphons are arranged are narrowed
in section as much as practicable so that the level rises promptly when it approaches
the top of the bend. To insure the unpriming of the syphons 1 fit to the bend
of each a tube t at the end of which is a small cone; when the liquid 'leaves this
end of the tube the air enters immediately.
The apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 and herein before described is a fixed
apparatus; it is however obvious that portable apparatus can be made of
substantially the same construction.
In order that a distiller may not attempt to falsify the proportionate flow through
the respective pipes by inclining the apparatus, the arrangement shown in Figure 5
may be employed. In this modification the outlet a of the vessel D. does not
reach beyond the top of the vessel E which is closed and has only an aperture

page_text: opposite the outlet a. If the apparatus be inclined so that the height of the
liquid in A may be lower at the left of the figure than at the right and thus reduce
the flow through G, then a is no longer exactly opposite the aperture in the top
of E and a part of the liquid will How over the top of E into the vessel C and
will increase the delivery through I.
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
1. An apparatus for measuring or checking the amount of liquid that passes
through a given passage as for example the amount of alcoholic liquid from a
distillatory apparatus, the said measuring or checking apparatus comprising on the
one hand a delivery pipe and on the other hand a certain number of delivery pipes
all these pipes having slots of uniform width and dividing the liquid into two
portions in a given ratio whatever be the height of the liquid in a chamber where
the said pipes are arranged, the smaller portion of the liquid being retained and
serving as the means of proportionately measuring the total delivery substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination with a chamber or vessel in which a liquid is divided into
two portions as and for the purpose referred to in Claim 1 of an intermittent
syphon in the said chamber or vessel and communicating with an upper vessel into
which the liquid to be measured enters in a stream or by drops, the syphon
delivering the liquid in regular quantities whenever the level is high enough to
charge or prime the syphon substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a chamber or vessel in which a liquid is divided into
two portions as and for the purpose referred to in Claim 1 of several superposed
syphons gradually diminishing in size from bottom to top of the series the upper
and smallest syphon being capable of being primed by the minimum supply of
liquid and having itself a sufficient delivery to prime the next following syphon,.
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with the said syphons of auxiliary overflow apparatus which
come into action when the delivery of liquid to the apparatus exceeds the delivery
power of the syphons substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with a chamber or vessel in which a liquid is divided into
two portions as and for the purpose referred to in Claim 1 of a liquid spreading
cone below the syphon therein and a guard which extends above the level of the
top of the slots in the delivery pipes, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
•
6. The combination with a chamber or vessel in which a liquid is divided into
two portions as and for the purpose referred to in Claim 1 and with the pipes for
delivering the respective portions, of a test cock on the pipe which delivers the
smaller portion substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The apparatus constructed and working substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of May 1895
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.