IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AERATED OR CARBONATED WATERS OR BEVERAGES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CHARLES ELLERY AVERY, chemist, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Jacksonville, County of Duval, State of Florida, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING
AERATED OR CARBONATED WATERS OR BEVERAGES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Heretofore soda or aerated or carbonated waters and beverages have been made
on the large scale by the reaction of mineral acids on the carbonate of lime, such
as marble dust or whiting, or on the small scale by the reaction of tartaric acid on
carbonate of lime or the carbonate or bicarbonate of potash or soda. The first
reaction is a cheap one in cost of the chemicals used, but requires skilled labor, the
products of the factories must be carried long distances in heavy, strong vessels
called fountains; the bottled form also entails heavy weight of glass and boxes,
with long transport. To make the cost of transportation lighter and the handling
ready the tanks or fountains must be skillfully built of costly materials.
A fountain cannot always be obtained when it is desired in out of the way
places, nor is it safe to make one with untrained labor, as the cheap acids such as
sulphuric or chlohydric are dangerous to person and property.
The gazogenes for private use that use tartaric acid to react with salaeratus or
the carbonates of the alkalies or carbonate of lime are costly to use from the high
price of tartaric acid,
The object of my invention is to cheaply generate carbonic acid gas with a
heavy pressure so as to charge these beverages with the gas without the use of
dangerous chemicals requiring special skill.. The first cost by my process is greater
than by the ordinary process in the chemicals used, but the beverages may be
made on the spot and by unskilled people, saving costs in transport, skilled labor,
and profit much greater than the additional cost of the chemicals,
Small machines may be readily built for household use to make soda water &c.
by my process, much resembling the French gazogenes. The chemicals can be kept
mixed and ready for a long time until they are wetted to induce the reaction.
The apparatus used need not be costly, as its weight is of little account since it has
not to bear rough handling and long transportation.
I charge the beverages with carbonic acid gas generated under pressure by the
action of alkaline bicarbonates such as soda or potash salaeratus on the sulphate of

page_text: calcium, hydrated as in terra alba or dehydrated as in plaster of Paris, water being
present to induce the reaction and the sulphate of lime being in the powdered
form.
I prefer to mix the sulphate of lime with the alkaline bicarbonates both in the
powdered form, and to wet with water to induce the reaction; but the bicarbonates
may be dissolved in the water and their solution poured upon the sulphate of lime.
As to the quantities used, the terra alba or plaster of Paris being a very cheap
material I prefer to use it in some excess over the theoretical proportion to ensure
the complete decomposition of the more expensive bicarbonate, but I do not limit
myself as to the proportions used, as I believe myself to be the first discoverer
of the fact that this reaction will liberate carbonic acid gas under sufficient
pressure to charge these beverages. The molecular weight of dehydrated sulphate
of lime Ca. S. O is Ca = 40; S = 32. O₁ = 64, total 136, of hydrated sulphate of
lime Ca, S. O, 2H, O= 136 + H₁ = L + O₂ = 32, total 172.
=
The molecular weight of the bicarbonate of soda is Na. H. C, O,₁. Na = 23 + H
=1+C 12 + 0,= 48, total 84; since one molecule of Ca. S. O, reacts with
two of Na. HC O, in this reaction we must double the latter weight which if the
reaction is theoretical with pure materials requires 136 parts of dehydrated
sulphate of lime or plaster of Paris, or 172 of hydrated sulphate of lime or terra
alba, to react with 168 of bicarbonate of soda or two hundred of bicarbonate of
potash. The equation of the reaction is as follows, Ca. S. O₁ + 2 Na. H. C. Os
Ca. CO, +C. O₂+H₂O + Na₂ SO
I prefer to use a quantity of water once or twice as great in volume as the mixed
powder of sulphate and bicarbonate to wet it and induce the reaction, but I do
not confine myself to this proportion.
This mixture of calcic sulphate and alkaline bicarbonate takes the place of the
usual chemicals well in soda water generators or gazogenes, as the reaction is quiet
and steady, the reagents not dangerous, they are found in every village, may be
kept mixed in safety, are not dangerous if accidentally wetted, are cheap, and give
a sufficient pressure of gas to charge the beverages.
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) In the manufacture of soda water, mineral water, ginger ale, or other
nerated or carbonated beverages the method of generating carbonic acid gas
against pressure by the reaction of the alkaline bicarbonates or the sesqui
carbonates with the plaster of Paris or terra alba i.e. the sulphate of calcium or
lime, hydrated or dehydrated, in the presence of water.
(2) In the manufacture of soda water, mineral water, ginger ale or other aerated
or carbonated beverages the method of charging the water or suitable solutions
with carbonic acid gas generated by the reaction of the alkaline bicarbonates with
the sulphate of lime, hydrated or dehydrated, that is to say, either plaster of Paris
or terra alba as they are commercially called, the reaction being induced by the
presence of water.
Dated this 10th day of April 1885.
Witnesses,
JOSIAH QUINCY.
E. C. DAVIDSON.
CHARLES ELLERY AVERY.