A Process and Apparatus for Sterilising and Saturating with Carbonic Acid Gas Liquids contained in Casks or like vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMILIE DIEUITIONIN
A Process and Apparatus for Sterilising and Saturating with Carbonic
Acid Gas Liquids contained in Casks or like vessels.
I, CAMILLE AMEYE, of Iseghem, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer, 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 have already invented a special process for the sterilization of liquids in bottles
in respect of which Letters Patent have been granted to me dated the 23rd day of
February 1897 No. 4926, and an apparatus for the saturation of liquids in bottles
with carbonic acid gas and the extraction of air in respect of which Letters Patent
have been granted to me dated the 6th day of July 1897 No. 16091.
Now, wishing to give a greater extension to the same principles of preserving
liquids I have invented, based on the same processes, a special construction of
apparatus for the sterilization and saturation with gas of liquids in casks or receivers
other than bottles.
My new apparatus constitutes the mechanical element of two operations of a
complete process destined for the preservation of beers, wines, or other liquids
treating them directly whilst they are contained in the casks or other receivers
for exportation, delivery, or storage.
The process is executed consecutively in its two phases without removing the
casks from the apparatus and without displacing or removing any part or accessory
of the apparatus.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe the same
with reference to the drawings hereunto annexed, in which
Figure 1 is a face view of the apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same showing the steriliser
and saturater carrying two casks E E.
It is hardly necessary to explain that this apparatus may be constructed for
two, four, six, eight, and even ten casks or receivers.
This apparatus is constructed exactly on the same principle and the process
is exactly the same as those patented in my name by the said Letters Patent
Nos. 4926 and 16091 of 1897 the principles and processes being resumed after a
preliminary sterilization in and completed by the gasification of liquids by the
extraction of air and the rotary movement in order to obtain a complete impregna-
tion of the liquids with gas in the manner hereinafter described.
I therefore have not specially described the operation which constitutes the
principle and processes contained in the said patents.
The following is the manner in which the apparatus is perfected in view of
its utilization for the sterilization and saturation with carbonic acid gas of liquids
in casks or receivers other than bottles.
I will first describe the arrangement of the different parts of the apparatus
shown in Figure 1.
A1 A2 is the shaft of the apparatus mounted on two standards or supports I
supporting all the parts of the apparatus.

page_text: This shaft is longitudinally perforated or intersected with channels extending
from each end to near the centre where a partition of about ten centimetres is
formed in order to separate the two distinct channels one of which has its outlet
or inlet at B' and the other at B².
B has three inlet cocks one for the vapour or hot water, a second for cold or
iced water, and a third for carbonic acid gas.
B2 has as outlets two cocks one for condensed vapour or hot water and then
on cooling by the cold or iced water; the second cock exhausts the carbonic acid
gas driven out during the heating and which is discharged by this way into a
gasometer in order to utilize the gas thus driven out.
The inlet and outlet tubes B and B are supported by iron brackets H fixed to
the pillars I and remain stationary during the rotation of the apparatus by means
of a system of gland or stuffing box forming a valve-B¹ is the entrance to the
first channel of the shaft A¹ and B2 is the outlet of the second channel A².
C¹ is an iron tube screwed into the channel of the part of the shaft A¹ and
joined by an india-rubber tube C2 to the serpentine tube D¹ which is introduced
into the bung-hole of the cask after the manner of a cork screw.
D' is a silvered copper serpentine tube fixed in a metallic screw bung for the
sterilization of the liquid by vapour or hot water and serving as a channel for the
immediate cooling to about 10° C. by cold or iced water, after the operation of
heating, and also giving passage to the carbonic acid gas during the saturation of
the liquid.
The passage of gas through this serpentine tube contributes also to a cooling
effect to about 10° C. in consequence of the expansion and evaporation of the
carbonic acid gas.
I) is a pressure regulator with a copper ball silvered on the inside, which
regulator consists of a copper box partitioned in its central horizontal plane
furnished on the outside with twelve small spiral tubes forming twelve serpentine
tubes of very small internal diameter for example about a millimetre.
These serpentine tubes put the upper part of the partitioned copper box in
communication with the lower part.
This regulator is necessary inasmuch as it reduces the pressure on the cask
which would be occasioned by the too sharp contact of the carbonic acid gas with
the liquid during the saturation, and prevents the passage of the liquid during
the rotation.
The copper ball which is placed immediately above the receiver serves as a
displacement reservoir for the liquid, and the expanded gas during the heating.
E represents casks or receivers of any suitable kind maintained in their position
by an iron cradle or support G mounted on the shaft by the part F.
F (Figure II) is a bracket bolted onto the shaft A¹ A³ consisting of two fixed
vertical and parallel plates serving to hold or maintain the casks or receivers fixed
and pressed against the other end by means of the screw H.
G is a moveable cradle or support for the casks pressed against the bracket F
and regulated by means of a screw in order to centralize the casks and to diminish
the effort required to put the apparatus in motion:
H, H, are two plates with an adjusting screw to fix and press the casks against
the iron bracket F.
One of these plates is fixed and is supported by bent iron rods, the other is
left moveable and is governed by the screw in order to fix the casks in position by
the bracket F.
I I are standards or supports fitted with bearings and oil boxes in order to
support and lubricate the shaft which is made to revolve by means of pulleys L.
JJ are safety chains to keep in position the casks or receivers.
KK are cocks firstly for the expulsion' during the heating, of air and gas through
the bent rubber tube M¹ to the fixed iron tube M which connects with the channel
of the shaft A2 issuing by one of the cocks B²; secondly for the entrance of gas
during the saturation.

page_text: 0
L L are fast and loose band pulleys for putting in motion and for stopping
he rotation of the apparatus.
M is an iron tube fixed in the channel of the shaft A² opening at B2 and which
ube M communicates with the cock K by means of a rubber tube.
In order to consecutively conduct the two operations of sterilizing and gasifying
he cock K is closed and the whole system is put in motion by shifting the driving
and onto the fast pulley the apparatus being driven at the rate of about thirty
evolutions per minute.
The cock B is then opened to admit the vapour or hot water which is first intro-
luced into the channel of the shaft A¹ and then passes into the tube C¹ and enters
the serpentine tube 1' and issues from the serpentine tube by the rubber tube M¹
which connects with the fixed tube M which communicates with the channel of
that part of the shaft A2 and finally issues in the form of water of condensation by
one of the cocks 132.
During this heating operation which occupies about ten minutes the rotation of
the apparatus is stopped from time to time in order to draw off by the cock K the
air and gas driven out by the expansion of the liquid during the heating in order
to prevent pressure thereon.
When a temperature of about 60 or 65 degrees C. has been attained and in
consequence the liquid contained in the receivers is sterilised the cooling to about
10° C. is immediately proceeded with without either changing or removing the
parts of the apparatus.
The vapour cock B₁ being closed the cold or iced water is made to enter at a
suitable pressure by the special cock also B¹. .
The water travels over exactly the same ground as the vapour which preceded it
and escapes by a cock B².
When the liquid is sufficiently cooled that is to say to about 10° C. the saturation
by carbonic acid gas is proceeded with and the gas is allowed to travel exactly the
same way as in the heating and cooling except that the two cocks B2 are closed
and the cock K is opened in order to allow the gas to come into contact with the
liquid after passing through the regulator D2 and to saturate the liquid under a
pressure of about two atmospheres.
During these three operations of heating or sterilising, cooling to about 10° C.
and saturating with carbonic acid gas the apparatus is kept in constant rotation.
The latter is indispensable; first during the heating in order that the molecules
of the liquid may be separated and not influenced too directly by contact with the
heated serpentine tube through which rushes the vapour or hot water which
circulates in the serpentine tube D¹ so as to avoid a burnt taste also to equally
distribute the heat in the liquid;
Secondly, during the cooling so that the temperature may be equalised; thirdly,
during the saturation so that it may be perfectly impregnated with carbonic acid
gas.
My processes being based upon the principle that I set up in the specifications
of my said previous patents namely that the bad results obtained in Pasteurisation
5 heretofore, especially when treating beer, are due to the strong pressure to which
the liquid is submitted in the closed vessel which pressure amounted to six
atmospheres more or less, I have now constructed my apparatus in order to avoid
all pressure during the heating by putting the liquid constantly in motion, and
by lowering the pressure about every two minutes by opening the cock K for which
50 purpose the apparatus is momentarily stopped.
The manometer which can be fixed on a small tube carried by the bung has
up to the present, only indicated during the operation of sterilising a maximum
pressure of half an atmosphere.
This same small tube which is provided with a cock at the bung-hole (not show
55 in the drawings) serves to draw off a certain quantity of liquid at the end of th
heating so as to ascertain the temperature.

page_text: This liquid is driven out by its own pressure which at this moment is half an
atmosphere.
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
1. The complete process for the treatment of beer, wine, or other liquid in
casks for delivery or other receptacles for the purpose of storage whilst treating
them by the apparatus the mechanical elements of which produce the two opera-
tions of sterilising and gasifying consecutively substantially as described.
2. Imparting motion to the liquid during the heating so that the molecules
of the liquid may not be influenced by too long or too prolonged a contact with the
heated metallic serpentine tube which movement has for its object to cause the
molecules to circulate with relation to the source of heat substantially as herein
described.
3. In apparatus of the character described the special channels in the shaft com-
bined with a system of gland or stuffing box forming a valve permitting the supply
and draw off cocks to remain fixed during the rotation of the shaft, substantially
as herein shown and described.
4. The arrangement of the pressure regulator 12 with twelve (more or less)
little serpentine tubes placing the two parts of the copper box in communication,
which two equal parts of the copper box are separated by means of a horizontal
partition, and which regulator has for its object to lessen the shock of the entering
gas and prevent pressure on the casks during the rotation, the discharge of the
liquid or its scum or froth substantially as herein shown and described.
5. The means for imparting rotary motion to the liquid during the heating
whilst keeping up the communication through the various channels, which has as
its object to modify or avoid the pressure of the liquids in the casks or any
other receptacles and to prevent the molecules of the liquid from being influenced
by too long and too direct a contact with the source of heat substantially as herein
shown and described.
6. The peculiar combination and arrangement of parts constituting an apparatus
for sterilizing and gasifying liquids substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 29th day of October 1897.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.