A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF ACTING APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER OR OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by H. Meinecke at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1881.
H. MEINECKE, of Breslaw, in the German Empire. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
SELF ACTING APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
The principal feature in the self acting raising or forcing apparatus consists of
two cylinders, the water cylinder and the air cylinder; these are so arranged over
one another that the pistons of both cylinders are connected to one piston rod.
The water cylinder is connected with the water supply by a pipe or other suitable
connextion.
By means of a four way cock, water is conducted alternately above and below
the upper or water piston, and by the pressure of the water the piston is driven up
and down, the waste water escaping by a pipe or other suitable outlet. The
reversal of the aforesaid cock is effected as follows:-The piston rod is carried
through the cover of the upper cylinder, and has a tappet fixed thereto. On the
plug of the cock is placed loosely a lever disc with two arms or tappets and a
weight, whilst a crank, the pin of which extends into a notch (ausschnitt) of the
lever disc, is fixed to the said plug.
The lever disc can turn on the plug of the cock to a certain extent without
turning the said plug.
When the piston is moving upwards, the cock is in such a position that the
water can enter below the upper piston. Water thus entering below the piston,
the tappet on the piston rod lays hold of one of the arms or tappets on the lever
disc, and turns the disc, and with it the aforesaid weight, so that the latter stands
at an angle of about 92° with a horizontal line. During this action the plug of
the cock remains stationary, and the piston continues its movement to the top of
its stroke. The weight then falls by its own gravity from about 92° to 175°. The
crank is thereby moved, and the cock is turned by it into such a position that the
water enters above the piston and drives the latter downwards. The tappet on
the piston rod now brings the weight into a position of about 80° from the horizontal
line, and the action above described is repeated.
When the piston has arrived nearly at the top or bottom of its stroke, the reversal
will be effected by a very small further motion of the piston, and the influx of
water thereto continues until the piston has completed its full stroke.

page_text: The lower cylinder is furnished with suction and delivery valves, and the pressure
which the water exerts on the upper piston is transmitted through the piston rod
to the piston in the air cylinder, the air above or below the piston being thereby
compressed.
This compressed air is conveyed to the cask, and the beer or other liquid therein
is driven out to the height required.
When the pressure in the pipes of the town water supply averages two and a
half atmospheres, the apparatus when placed on the ground floor of a house will
yield about two atmospheres.
The height to which the liquid can be driven depends upon the relative areas of
the two pistons, for example, with the proportion of one to two the apparatus
would compress the air one atmosphere, and this pressure would force the liquid
to a height of about eight metres, where it would be delivered with tolerable
speed.
By reason of the density of the contents of the pipes, the apparatus only works
when the beer or. other liquid is being taken from the cask; when no liquid is being
taken out, the apparatus remains stationary, there is therefore no waste of water,
and the expense of driving the apparatus is very small. The waste water flowing
from the apparatus may be utilized for domestic and other purposes.