Improvements in Treating Spirits and other Liquids with Gases.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Treating Spirits and other Liquids with Gases.
I, JOSEPH BANKS HILLIARD, Surgical Instrument Maker, 65, Renfield Street,
Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I pass any gas (such as air or oxygen) thro' and in contact with any fluid (such
as whiskey or spirit) and as the gas is absorbed by the fluid I add fresh gas without
allowing the gas to escape or evaporation of the fluid to take place. I do this by placing
the fluid in a suitably shaped tank, (it may be as described in my former Patents
No. 7169, 1893, and No. 24, 1894) and connecting the exit tube by which the
gas leaves the tank, with the inlet tube by which the gas enters the tank; and
causing the gas to circulate (by pump or other means) and so pass thro' the
fluid in the tank. Any gas absorbed by the fluid I replace, by pumping more
fresh gas into the enclosed continuous circuit formed by the inlet and outlet
tubes and the tank, and thus keep the circulating body of gas in an effective
condition for acting on the fluid, chemically and mechanically, without loss of
gas, or evaporation of fluid from the tank. The apparatus is fitted with all
necessary taps, valves, gauges, &c., and may be made of any suitable material.
Dated this 13th day of October 1897.
Improvements in Treating Spirits and other Liquids with Gases.
I, JOSEPH BANKS HILLIARD, of 65, Renfield Street, in the, County of the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Surgical Instrument Maker, 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:-
I pass any desired gas (such as air or oxygen, or ozone, or mixture of gases)
through and in contact with any alcoholic liquid to be treated (such as whiskey)
and as the gas is absorbed by the liquid or lost by leakage I add fresh gas with-
out allowing the gas already in the apparatus to escape or evaporation of the
liquid to take place. I do this by placing the liquid in a suitably shaped holder
or tank, (it may be as described in my former Patents No. 7169, 1893 and
No. 24, 1894) or in a series of casks and connecting the exit tube, by which
the gas leaves the tank, with the inlet tube by which the gas enters the tank
and causing the gas to circulate (by pump or other means) and to pass through
[Price 8d.1

page_text: the liquid in the tank. Any gas absorbed by the liquid or lost by leakage I
replace by causing an additional quantity of fresh gas to enter the enclosed continuous
circuit formed by the inlet and outelet tubes and the tank, and thus keep the
circulating body of gas in an effective condition in quantity and quality for
acting on the liquid in the tank chemically and mechanically without allowing
loss of gas or evaporation of liquid from the tank. The apparatus is fitted with
all necessary, taps, valves
gauges, etc., and may be made of any suitable
This invention may be carried out in various ways. In the sheet of drawings
I have illustrated three methods of carrying out my invention.
material.
A is the vessel containing the spirit or other liquid to be operated upon. In
Figure 1 B is a gas holder or reservoir weighted or light containing a supply
of air or oxygen or other gas desired. The two ends of the vessel A are connected
together by means of a pipe C. There is a connection between the pipe C and
the gasholder or reservoir B. At any convenient part of the pipe C a circulating
force and suction pump D is inserted. The force pump is used for forcing the
gas, oxygen or air into the liquid at the bottom of the tank and drawing it (the
gas) from the gasholder. During its passage up through the liquid, part of
the oxygen or air or other gas may be absorbed or used up by the liquid or
material in the liquid. The remainder passes through and returns to the force
pump, and is again and again sent through the liquid as often as required. The
force pump draws off from the gasholder oxygen or air to replace any that is
taken up by the liquid. There may be a separate pump to draw the oxygen
from the gasholder and force it into the circuit and thus provide a supply of
gas at any pressure that may be considered best, or the circulating process may
be done in a partial vacuum, or by properly manipulating the taps and stop-
cocks in the circuit, the pump may be made to produce pressure of partial vacuum
in the circuit.
In Figure 2 I use two gasholders and transfer the gas from one to the other
and vice versa through the liquid. Each gasholder is connected to both ends
of the vessel containing the liquid and a stopcock is provided in each of the
connecting tubes. These stopcocks are lettered a, b, c, d. As shown in Figure 2
the gas is being transferred from the gasholder B¹ to the gasholder B². The
stopcocks a and d are open and the stopcocks b and c are closed. The gas-
holder B is weighted so as to drive the gas through the liquid into the gas-
holder B2. When the gasholder B¹ is empty and the gasholder B³
is full, the weights are transferred from B1 to B3 the stopcocks
and d are closed and the stopcocks b and c are opened. The air or oxygen or
other gas is then forced through the liquid from the gasholder B³ to the gas-
holder B¹.
a
Figure 3 is a plan of a modification of the apparatus shown in Figure 2.
B1, B2, are the gasholders and the gas is transferred from one gasholder to the
other through the liquid in the vessel A.
The principle of this invention is to treat the liquid, while the whole materials,
spirit, or liquid and gas ozone oxygen or air are enclosed, so that no escape or
loss is possible, and at the same time the gas-air or oxygen-is circulated
through the liquid spirit for any desired time; and a supply of fresh gas is
constantly kept up to take the place of any gas absorbed by the liquid or spirit.
The action is chiefly on the fusel oil in the spirit, and first and chiefly on the
amylic portion of the fusel pil as in the natural process of ageing by time. As
there is practically no loss of gas, and as the whole of the gas is utilized, the
quantity of gas necessary is very small. The parts of the fusel oil which are
desirable (to give flavour and body character to the whisky) are retained, but
altered and converted as in natural ageing, by oxidation, and the whisky is not
injured or reduced in strength in the process. The circuit being closed, no
evaporation can occur and cause loss of spirit, and as no moist air or water is
necessary, the strength of the spirit is not reduced,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The process of treating spirits or other alcoholic liquids by passing air, oxygen,
ozone, or other gas or mixture of gases through or over the liquid in a closed
circuit, having in connection a reservoir or other source from which an additional
supply of fresh gas can be taken to replace any absorbed by the liquid, substan-
tially as described.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Applicant's Patent Agents.