IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS TO BE USED WHEN- DRAWING OFF WINE, BEER, AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, of Cambridge Lodge, Brentford
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS TO BE USED WHEN- DRAWING OFF WINE,
BEER, AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 3rd September 1872, and dated the 12th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th July 1872.
I. GEORGE SMITH, of Cambridge Lodge, Brentford Road, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS TO BE USED WHEN DRAWING OFF
WINE, BEER, AND OTHER LAQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus and means
to be used when drawing off wine, beer, and other liquids.
It is well known that various beverages lose much of their aroma and
quality if drawn from a cask in small quantities from time to time

page_text: when required for use. This is especially the case with delicate wines,
such as clarets, Burgundies, and hocks, consequently such wines are now
always bottled at great trouble and expense.
Now according to my Invention in order that such wines and other
liquids may be drawn from the cask, and may without injury be kept
in draught for a considerable time, I employ an apparatus by which
all air entering the cask is compelled to pass through a preservative
liquid by which the injurious action of the air upon the wine or other
liquid is prevented. The preservative liquid which I employ is spirits
of wine to which tannin has been added. Into the vent hole in the
cask a metal vent peg is screwed, it has a passage up through it ter-
minating in a socket. A cylindrical vessel is screwed into the socket,
and there is a tube rising up through the bottom of the vessel nearly to
the top. The preservative liquid is placed in this vessel and surrounds
the tube. Over the tube another vessel is inverted and its mouth dips
into the preservative liquid; the inverted vessel may be fixed upon the
top of the tube, or it may be simply inverted over it. The outer cylin-
drical vessel may be provided with a cover to prevent the evaporation of
the spirit, and there is then a stop-cock on the cover, which is opened
to admit air when the wine or liquid is to be drawn off. The air can
only enter the cask to supply the place of the liquid drawn off by
passing down under the mouth of the inverted vessel and bubbling up
through the preservative liquid, and so the air is rendered innocuous.
The exterior of the cask should be kept moist, and it may with advan-
tage be kept cool with ice, a perforated ice tray being put on the top of
the cask and the whole inclosed in a thick woollen jacket.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty--
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give-
and grant unto me, the said George Smith, Her special license that
I, the said George Smith, my executors,. administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Smith, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS
TO BE USED WHEN DRAWING OFF WINE, BEER, AND OTHER LIQUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Smith, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Smith, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus and
means to be used when drawing off wine, beer, and other liquids.
It is well known that various beverages lose much of their aroma
and quality if drawn from a cask in small quantities from time to time
when required for use. This is especially the case with delicate wines
such as clarets, Burgundies, and hooks, consequently such wines are
now always bottled at great trouble and expense.
Now according to my Invention in order that such wines and other
liquids may be drawn from the cask, and may without injury be kept
in draft for a (considerable time, I employ an apparatus by which
all air entering the cask is compelled to pass through a preservative
liquid by which the injurious action of the air upon the wine or other
liquid is prevented. The preservative liquid which I employ is spirits
of wine to which tannin has been added. Into the vent hole in the
cask a metal vent peg is screwed, it has a passage up through it termi-
nating in a socket. A cylindrical vessel is screwed into the socket,

page_text: and there is a tube rising up through the bottom of the vessel nearly to
the top. The preservative liquid is placed in this vessel and surrounds
the tube. Over the tube another vessel is inverted and its mouth dips
into the preservative liquid. The inverted vessel may be fixed upon
the top of the tube, or it may be simply inverted over it. The outer
cylindrical vessel may be provided with a cover to prevent the evapo-
ration of the spirit, and there is then a stop-cock on the cover which
is opened to admit air when the wine or liquid is to be drawn off. The
air can only enter the cask to supply the place of the liquid drawn off
by passing down under the mouth of the inverted vessel and bubbling
up through the preservative liquid, and so the air is rendered innocuous.
The exterior of the cask should be kept moist, and it may with
advantage be kept cool with ice, a perforated ice tray being put on
the top of the cask, and the whole enclosed in a thick woollen jacket.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings

page_text: through the preservative liquid the air will not injure the wine or liquor
in the cask.
The purpose of the air tap e¹ is to prevent the evaporation of the
spirit when the liquor is not being drawn; this tap need not however be
employed.
Figure 2 shews an arrangement where a glass flask i is inverted over
the top of the air tube d to take the place of the parts e, f, and g. This
cheaper form of the apparatus is especially applicable to beer casks,
and may be used with a weak spirit which is not subject to rapid
evaporation.
Parts of the apparatus being made of glass, it is easy to see that it
is kept properly supplied with preservative liquid, without which there
would be risk of injury to the wine or liquor.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,
the apparatus and means for preserving wine and other liquors in
draught, by causing the air entering the cask at the vent to pass
through a preservative fluid, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
GEORGE SMITT 11