IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS WITH ELECTRICITY, TO PURIFY AND IMPART TO THEM THE CHARACTER OF AGE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of N° 11 Wellington Street,
Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS WITH ELECTRICITY,
TO PURIFY AND IMPART TO THEM THE CHARACTER OF AGE" a communication
to him from abroad by Anson Coleman Tichenor, of Alameda, Alameda
County, State of California, United States of America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1883.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of N° 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in tho
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ALCOHOLIC
LIQUORS WITH ELECTRICITY TO PURIFY AND IMPART TO THEM THE CHARACTER
OF AGE" a Communication to me from abroad by Anson Coleman Tichenor, of
Alameda, Alameda County, State of California, United States of America
This invention relates to an improvement in the method or process of treating
alcoholic liquors with electricity to separate and extract those acrid oils, alcoholic
principles and matters of poisonous and deleterious properties which in the
ordinary course of treatment are removed or thrown off by age.
The following description fully explains the nature of the said invention and the
manner in which I proceed to apply, use and carry out the same reference being
had to the accompanying drawings in which.
Figure 1 is a section of the apparatus I use showing the wires which come from
the source of electricity and Figure 2 shows the electrodes in detail; the fibrous or
textile covering is seen at E on the smaller plate

page_text: A is the vessel to hold the liquor, of capacity to hold, say a barrel of liquor. It
is electrically isolated by being placed on an insulated base and a light cover or
frame of wire gauze or thin material is placed over it to exclude dust and insects.
An electric generator is provided, from which conductors C, C¹, are carried to the
vessel, where connection is made to poles or plates D, D1, forming the electrodes.
The best results are obtained by using tubs or vats of about one barrel capacity
and a dynamo-electric machine having a strength or power equal to a
Daniell's
battery of forty cells. Conductors C C₁ are then led to each receptacle and
connected with a pair of electrodes in cach. Where several receptacles are used in
this manner they should be of about uniform capacity.
"
5
1
The electrodes D D' are plates or poles of carbon or metal
The positive one (D) is made one third larger than the negative one (D¹). They
are inserted into the liquor at opposite sides of the tub or receptacle, so that their
active surfaces are covered by the liquor, and they are placed as far apart as the
diameter or size of the tub will admit. The full strength of the electric current 1
from the generator is then applied directly through the liquor and it is maintained
for a length of time or number of hours varying with the size and power of the
machine, and governed also by the kind of liquor being treated.
This process of operation is substantially the same both in treating whisky and
-such-heavy liquors and in operating on wines and lighter grades of liquors, but in 2
working wines I place the liquor in close casks or receptacles having the conductors
inserted through an aperture in the side so that the cask can be sealed up while
the contents are being acted on. For electrodes the metal plates are best adapted
for wines, but carbon poles should be used for whisky.
The strength of current from the generator in working wines should be reduced 2
also-to-about-one-third of that-used for heavier liquors,-say-from ten to fifteen.cell_
power. In the course of this operation of the electric current. it will be found that
the impurities and matter separated and thrown out from the body of liquor are
deposited upon the surface of the negative or small plate, and in a short time this
surface becomes thickly coated or covered with a slimy or viscid substance that 3
requires to be removed and the surface of the plate or pole kept clean for proper
action.
This cleansing is accomplished in a simple and effective manner by simply
wrapping or surrounding the plate with a removable case or cover E, of felt, canton
flannel, woollen cloth, or other fibrous or textile material that, while not interfering 3
with the action of the current, will yet protect the plate and constitute a removable
receiving and absorbing surface.
All the matter and substances extracted by the current and precipitated or
attracted to and deposited upon this surface are then readily taken out by lifting
the plate and removing the wrap or cover. This improvement enables the plate to 4
be cleaned without interference with the continuity of the operation, as the wraps
or covers are quickly removed and replaced by clean ones. The absorbing
character or quality of the wrappings is also of advantage in taking up the
extracted matter
I am aware that in the process of aging liquors it has been found that 4
fusel-oils etc, will gather on one electrode, and I am also aware that in coating
metals by electric deposition one of the electrodes has been covered with a porous,
fibrous, or textile covering for the purpose of gathering the material, hence I do not
claim such
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the invention communicated 5
to me as aforesaid and in what manner the same is or may be performed what
I Claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
The method of removing fusel oils or other impurities from alcoholic liquors
which consists first in passing through them an electric current by means of wires
and electrodes, one of which is provided with a removable envelope or casing, and 5

page_text: secondly in removing said envelope from the liquor and renewing it by putting on
another or cleansing and restoring the old envelope at intervals when it has
received a deposit of impurities, substantially as herein set forth
-
In Witness whereof I tho said William Edward Gedge have hereunto set my
hand and Seal this Ninth day of August in the year of Our Lord One thousand
Eight hundred and Eighty three.