IMPROVED HYDRAULIC APPARATUS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Defaye, of Capian, near Bordeaux, in
the Empire of France, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
HYDRAULIC APPARATUS."
Sealed the 5th November 1861, and dated the 7th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Defaye at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
May 1861.
I, FRANÇOIS DEFATE, of Capian, near Bordeaux, in the Empire of France,
5 Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
HYDRAULIC APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My object is to decant or pour liquids from one vessel to another by the
elasticity of concentrated air, using the following apparatus:-To a round
tube descending into the vessel containing the liquid I attach a metal piece
in the form of a reversed cone, but having on one side a projecting piece or
pipe, which is to receive the end of a double-valve bellows, such as has long
been used in decanting wines; at the bottom of this cone (where it enters
the vessel containing the liquid) is an opening by which the air penetrates on
to the liquid. The round tube first mentioned has at its lower extremity
5 another tube so attached to it that it may lengthen or shorten as a telescope,
and so adapt itself to any depth of reservoir or vessel containing liquid, and
in close proximity to its lowest extremity it has two openings for the entrance

page_text: of the liquid from the vessel.
On the upper extremity of the first-mentioned
tube a bent or elbow tube is so fixed that it may be turned round in every
direction. When the bellows is set at work, the air escaping from the conical
piece by the opening at its lower end (which enters the vessel or reservoir)
presses upon the liquid, forces it to enter the openings at, the bottom of the
extension on the first-mentioned tube, and rising within it escape by the elbow
into the vase, cask, or other vessel into which it is to be decanted. A stop-
cock is provided for shutting off the liquid at pleasure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Defaye in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th Noveniber 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
DEFAYE, of Capian, near Bordeaux, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
François Defaye, Her special licence that I, the said François Defaye, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François
Defaye, my executors, administrators, 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,
nud vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED HYDRAULIC
APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said François
Defaye, 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 François Defaye, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: The object of the Invention is an improved hydraulic apparatus for drawing
off wine, beer, spirits, vinegar, or other liquids from casks, butts, barrels, or
other similar vessels, and, if required, causing the said liquids to flow into
another cask, barrel, butt, or other similar large or small vessel. Hitherto
liquids have been drawn off from casks, butts, or other similar large vessels
either by means of a pump or by cocks; in my improved apparatus, by means
of a pair of bellows, an air pressure is exerted on the top of the liquid in the
cask or other similar vessel, sufficient for forcing the liquid up into that arm
of a suitable siphon pipe that dips into the liquid, and cause the same to run
off by the other arm of the siphon.
In the annexed Drawings, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a cask pro-
vided with my improved apparatus for causing the liquid contained in the cask
to be drawn off or forced into another cask at the side of the first, one part
of which latter, and of the apparatus, is represented as cut off, in order better
to show the arrangement of the same; Fig. 2 is a separate view, on a
working scale, of part of the apparatus, whilst Fig. 3 is a similar view of a
modification thereof. In these Figures corresponding parts are indicated by
the same letters of reference.
A is the cask from which the liquid is to be drawn off into another cask A¹;
B is a bung of wood, but, by preference of brass, tin, or any other suitable
metal or material, which bung may be screwed, or in any other suitable
manner hermetically secured in the bunghole of the cask, so as to prevent any
escape of air between these parts. This bung is made hollow, and to it may
be connected, by means of a branch pipe C, the muzzle of a pair of bellows D.
The bung B is closed at the top by a cap or cover E, provided with a circular
hole, in which is inserted and hermetically fits the arm F of a siphon F, G,
provided in H with a stop-cock, whilst sufficient space is left between this
pipe F and the remainder or hollow part of the 'bung B for allowing the air
from the bellows D free access to the liquid in the cask. One of the sides I
of the bellows D is provided with a valve i opening inwards, whilst the
muzzle J has a similar valve jopening outwards. In case a pair of bellows
provided only with the valve i should be made use of, it will be required that
instead of leaving the lower part of the bung B round the pipe F open, this
part be closed, and only an opening 6 (as shown in Fig. 3) be left, which
opening is to be provided with a valve j¹, opening outward.
It will be understood that the parts B, C, and F, G, may be soldered,
screwed, or otherwise fixed together so as to form one apparatus, or that they
may be made separate and be fitted hermetically together when the apparatus
is to be made use of; I prefer, however, that the arm F, which must be made

page_text: of sufficient length, may be made to glide up and down in the corresponding
hole of the top or cap E of the bung B for allowing the lower opening of this
pipe F to dip at the required depth into the liquid in the cask, viz., according
to the quantity of liquid to be drawn off...
The mode of working of the apparatus is as follows:-The bung B having
been firmly and hermetically inserted in the side of the cask A, or other vessel
from which liquid is to be drawn off, the arm F of the siphon F, G, is
introduced in the circular hole of the cap E of the bung and its lower opening
caused to dip at the required depth into the liquid in the cask A. The
bellows D being now fitted to the bung, and put into operation, air will be
forced into the cask, which air in pressing on the top of the liquid will drive
this latter up into the arm F of the siphon, and cause the same to run off at
the other arm G, either into the cask A¹ or other vessel put underneath the
opening of this arm G, and after the required quantity of liquid has thus been
drawn off from the cask A, the stop-cock H is shut, to prevent air from entering
into the cask A by the siphon F, G.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be put into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself to the
precise details of the above-described apparatus, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principle of acting of the same;
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,
is, drawing off wine, beer, spirits, vinegar, or other liquids from casks, butts,
barrels, or other similar vessels by means of a moveable apparatus to be
applied to the said vessels, and which is arranged in such manner as to allow
of an air pressure to be exerted on the top of the liquid sufficient for forcing
this liquid up into a suitable siphon pipe, one arm of which dips into the
liquid to be drawn off, whereas by the other arm this liquid is allowed to run
off into another casks, butt, barrel, or other suitable vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Defaye, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this, Second day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one:
F. DEFAYE. (L.S.)