Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Yeast.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1840
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Yeast.
I, THEODOR VOGEL, of Saalfeld, Thuringia, in the Empire of Germany, Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
For aerating (aufzichen) yeast use is made in breweries of apparatus which are all
based on the principle of forcing air in a finely divided state into the yeast, and
mixing the air very intimately with the latter. To realize this object numerous
arrangements have been devised which present, however, all more or less the defect
of rendering a thorough cleaning of the apparatus after use exceedingly laborious or
quite impossible because of the difficulty experienced in approaching the several parts
of the apparatus. The aforesaid defect is obviated in the improved apparatus
constructed according to the present invention, as the several parts of this apparatus
can be readily dismounted for cleaning purposes. The improved apparatus more-
over possesses all the advantages of the apparatus heretofore used for the same
purpose.
A further advantage is realized in one form or modification of the apparatus which
enables the air, which is to be mixed with the yeast, to be purified or sterilized prior
to the mixing, which with regard to the timely fermentation is of considerable
importance.
My improved apparatus comprises a cylindrical vessel having an inwardly dished
bottom, which vessel is provided with feet and can be easily moved from place to
place by means of lateral handles. In the vessel is placed a funnel-shaped piston,
the funnel of which has elongated holes arranged in circles. The piston is fixed to
the piston-rod which has a handle at its upper end. In one arrangement the said
piston-rod and handle are hollow so that the air has access to the apparatus through
them. The piston-rod is fixed in the piston by means of an internally screw-
threaded socket secured to a tubular part of the piston, the piston rod being screwed.
about half way into the said socket. Into the lower end of this socket is screwed the
tubular part of an air-distributing device.
In this cylindrical part, which is made thicker at the lower end, terminate four
brass tubes which are arranged crosswise and provided with collars. Each of the
said tubes is adapted to receive at its free end an india-rubber valve consisting of a
tubular part which is slid upon the brass tube, and a mouth-shaped prolongation
having its lips slit open in front. In the state of repose these lips fit tightly upon
each other.
In a modification of the apparatus the air-distributing device is fixed from the
inside of the vessel in the bottom of the latter. In this case the open end of the
socket terminates in a cylindrical chamber secured to the under side of the bottom of
the above-mentioned vessel and receiving a short pipe. This chamber contains
filtering material (such as wadding) interposed between wire gauze which, by means
of pins on the tight-fitting cover of the chamber, is pressed against the said filtering.
material and against an annular flange in the chamber. In the aforesaid modification
the cylindrical vessel is closed at the top by an india-rubber plate which is put
around the bent edge of the said vessel and has a thick annular part or collar for
preventing the access of air to the interior of the vessel. The said india-rubber
plate has also a thick annular part or collar at its centre to surround the piston rod
so that the air is also prevented at this point from entering the vessel, the interior
of the vessel is therefore completely closed against the outer air. Lip valves
arranged in proximity to the upper end of the said vessel enable the escape of air to
the outside.
In lieu of the described india-rubber plate a cover can be firmly secured

page_text: on the vessel and provided with a stuffing-box for the piston-rod in the well-known
manner.
The operation of the apparatas is as follows :- After the said vessel has been half
filled with yeast the piston is moved up and down. When in the first-described
arrangement the piston is moved upwards a vacuum is produced below the piston,
and through the hollow handle and piston rod and the air-distributing device (the
valves of which allow air to escape but not to enter) air passes into the space
below the piston, and yeast passes at the same time from above through the openings
in the funnel and is now mixed with air. In the downward movement of the
piston the valves of the air-distributing device are closed, and the yeast below the
piston, which has already been mixed with air, must pass through the openings
in the said funnel above the latter. This operation is repeated in the next
upward and downward movement of the piston. Air is therefore continually
forced into the yeast so that it will become intimately mixed with the particles of
the yeast.
In the case of the modification of the apparatus herein before described the opera-
tion is as follows:-The air, which has previously been purified, will in the upward
movement of the piston pass into the said chamber below the bottom of the vessel,
where any particles which it may contain are retained by the filter, and thence
through the valves of the air-distributing device into the interior of the said vessel
below the piston where it is mixed with yeast. In the downward movement of the
piston the aforesaid valves are closed, and the same operation takes place as above
described.
Any superfluous air above the piston is ejected in the motion of the pistons
through the valves which are arranged at the upper part of the vessel or on the cover
of the latter.
In order to clean the above described apparatus, which can be very easily effected,
draw out the piston, screw the piston-rod from the socket, screw also the air-
distributing device from the socket, or from the bottom of the vessel and clean the
several parts separately.
The metallic parts of the apparatus are made of brass, tinned copper, or tin.
Apparatus of large size can be supported upon a portable wooden frame by means of
ournals in order to facilitate the removal of the aerated yeast from the vessel.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Yeast.
I, THEODOR VOGEL of Saalfeld, Thuringia, in the Empire of Germany, Manu-
facturer, 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 :-
For aerating (aufzichen) yeast use is made in breweries of apparatus which are
all based on the principle of forcing air in a finely divided state into the yeast, and
mixing the air very intimately with the latter.
To realize this object numerous arrangements have been devised which present,
however, all more or less the defect of rendering a thorough cleaning of the apparatus
after use exceedingly laborious or quite impossible because of the difficulty experienced
in getting at the several parts of the apparatus. The aforesaid defect is obviated in
the improved apparatus constructed according to the present invention, as the several
parts of this apparatus can be readily dismounted for cleaning purposes.
The improved apparatus moreover possesses all the advantages of the apparatus
heretofore used for the same purpose.

page_text: enables the air, which is to be mixed with the yeast, to be purified or sterilized prior
to the mixing, which with regard to the timely fermentation is of considerable
importance.
'
The improved apparatus is represented in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the general arrangement of the essential
parts of the apparatus.
Figures 2 illustrates a longitudinal section of the apparatus provided with the air-
purifying device.
Figure 3 shows a detail.
Figure 4 is a section on the line X X of Figure 1 and
Figure 5 is a section on the line Y Y of Figure 1.
My improved apparatus comprises a cylindrical vessel A having an inwardly
dished bottom A¹ which vessel is provided with feet E and can be easily moved from
place to place by means of lateral handles F. In the vessel is placed a funnel-shaped
piston, the funnel of which has elongated holes k¹ arranged in circles as shown in
Figure 4. The piston is fixed to the piston rod C which has a handle (at its upper
end) D. In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the said piston-rod and handle D
are hollow so that the air has access to the apparatus through them. The piston rod C
as shown in Figure 3 corresponding to the arrangement in Figure 1, is fixed in the
piston D by means of an internally screw-threaded socket secured to a tubular
part a of the piston, the piston rod C being screwed about half way into the said
socket. Into the lower end of this socket 6 (Figures 1 and 3) is screwed the tubular
part of an air distributing device shown separately in Figure 6, with its cylindrical
part d.
In this cylindrical part which is made thicker at the lower end terminate four
brass tubes e which are arranged cross-wise and provided with collars f. Each of
the said tubes is adapted to receive at its free end an india-rubber valve consisting of
a tubular part h which is slid upon the brass tube and a mouth-shaped prolonga-
tion g having its lips i slit open in front. In their normal position these lips fit
lightly upon each other.
In a modification of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 the air-distributing device
is fixed from the inside of the vessel in the bottom A' of the latter. In this case
the open end of the socket d terminates in a cylindrical chamber K secured to the
under side of the bottom A' of the above mentioned vessel and receiving a short
pipe k.
This chamber contains filtering material (such as wadding) interposed between
wire gauze m and n which by means of the pins on the tight fitting cover p of the
chamber, pressed against the said filtering material and against an annular flange
in the chamber. In the modification represented in Figure 2 the cylindrical vessel A
is closed at the top by an india-rubber plate L which is put around the bent edge of
the said vessel and has a thick annular part or collar for preventing the access of
air to the interior of the vessel. The said india-rubber plate L has also a thick
annular part or collar at its centre to surround the piston rod so that the air is also
prevented at this point from entering the vessel, the interior of the vessel is there-
fore completely closed against the outer air. Lip valves o arranged in proximity to
the upper end of the said vessel A enable the escape of air to the outside. In lieu of
the above described india-rubber plate a cover can be firmly secured on the vessel
and provided with a stuffing-box for the piston-rod in the well known manner.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-After the said vessel has been
balf filled with yeast the piston is moved up and down. When, in the arrangement
shown in Figure 1 the piston is moved upwards a vacuum is produced below the
piston, and through the hollow handle D, and piston rod C and the air distributing
device the valves 9 of which allow air to escape but not to enter, air passes into the
space below the piston, and yeast passes at the same time from above through the
openings in the funnel and is now mixed with air. In the downward movement of
the piston the valves g of the air distributing device are closed' and the yeast below

page_text: the piston which has already been mixed with air, must pass through the openings
in the said funnel above the latter.
This operation is repeated in the next upward and downward movement of the
piston. Air is therefore continually forced into the yeast so that it will become
intimately mixed with the particles of the yeast.
In the case of the modification the apparatus shown in Figure 2 the operation is
as follows:-The air which has previously been purified will in the upward movement
of the piston pass the pipe k into the said chamber K below the bottom of the vessel
where any particles which it may contain are retained by the filter m and n and
thence through the valves g of the air distributing device into the interior of the
said vessel below the piston where it is mixed with yeast. In the downward move-
ment of the piston the aforesaid valves g are closed and the same operation takes
place as above described.
Any superfluous air above the piston is ejected in the motion of the pistons through
the valves o which are arranged at the upper part of the vessel or on the cover of
the latter.
In order to clean the above described apparatus which can be very easily effected,
draw out the piston, screw the piston rod from the socket, screw also the air distri-
buting device from the socket, or (Figure 2) from the bottom of the vessel respectively
and clean the several parts separately.
The metallic parts of the apparatus are made of brass, tinned copper, or tin.
Apparatus of large size can be supported upon a portable wooden frame by means
of journals in order to facilitate the removal of the aerated yeast from the vessel.
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 :-
First An apparatus for the treatment of yeast in breweries, which consists of a
cylindrical vessel A and a piston adapted to move up and down in the same, and
provided with small holes k¹.
Second In an apparatus for the treatment of yeast the employment of a hollow
piston-rod C having a bandle D provided with a hole, through which the admission
of air for the yeast is effected by means of an air-distributing device secured on the
under side of the piston (Figure 1).
Third In an apparatus for the treatment of yeast the arrangement of the air
distributing device at the bottom of the vessel, a chamber K arranged below the said
device having a lateral pipe and a filtering device which permits of the introduction
into the apparatus of purified air as shown in Figure 2.
Fourth In an apparatus for the treatment of yeast the arrangement of an in-
wardly bent bottom A¹ of the vessel A, and a funnel-shaped piston B, in order to
diminish the deleterious space as much as possible in the downward movement of the
piston.
Firth In apparatus for the treatment of yeast, the employment of air valves con-
sisting of a cylindrical part h having tongue-shaped flaps i.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.