IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR DECANTING AND DRAWING OFF WINE, BEER, AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Dollheiser at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1877.
JOHN DOLLHEISER, of Cologne, in the Empire of Germany.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR DECANTING AND DRAWING OFF WINE, BEER,
AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction of apparatus for
decanting and drawing off wine, beer, and other liquids, whereby the same is
effected in a more convenient and efficacious manner than by the means hitherto
employed.
One great advantage arising from the employment of these improvements is that
the whole of the liquid contained in the cask, barrel, or other vessel can be drawn
off therefrom without the necessity of tilting or otherwise disturbing the said cask,
barrel, or vessel.
Another advantage is that the liquid maintains its freshness and does not become
deteriorated from exposure. A hollow plug or bung is introduced into the bung-
hole or other aperture in the cask, barrel, or vessel; running through the centre of
the plug is a pipe of such diameter as to leave an air space between the outer
surface thereof, and the inner surface of the plug or bung, which space opens into
the top of the cask, barrel, or other vessel. The said tube is fitted in the plug or
bung in an air-tight manner, either by india-rubber packing or by any other con-
venient means, and may, if desired, be so arranged as to be capable of sliding up or
down therein so as to regulate the distance between the bottom of the cask, barrel,
or other vessel, and the lower end of the tube or pipe, which is by preference closed
and perforated according to the varying level of the surface of the wine, beer, or
other liquid. The other end of the pipe is provided with a tap or valve by means
of which the liquid can be drawn from the cask as desired.
A hand air pump is attached to the plug or bung in any suitable manner, and is
connected by a pipe or tube with the hollow air space in the former, the necessary
valves being provided and so arranged as will be well understood by persons con-
versant with mechanism, that on the pump being actuated it forces air through the
before-mentioned air space on to the upper surface of the liquid contained in the cask,
barrel, or other vessel. On the tap or valve being opened for the purpose of drawing

page_text: off some of the wine, beer, or other liquid, the pressure of the compressed air on the
surface of the same causes it to pass through the perforations in the lower end of the
tube or pipe and to flow out through the valve or tap.
Instead of forcing compressed air direct into the cask, barrel, or other vessel, the
communicating channel between the same and the air pump may be closed, and the
latter employed to compress air into cylinders or reservoirs which are provided with
pipes and taps, or cocks communicating with the air space in the hollow plug or
bung, such compressed air being thus rendered available for use, when required,
without it being again nécessary to actuate the air pump.
In cases where it is desired to draw liquids from more than one cask the hollow
plugs or bungs in the casks are connected with the reservoir or reservoirs con-
taining the compressed air, or with the air pump by means of pipes and taps, or
cocks, thus dispensing with the necessity of having an air pump to each.