A Method or Means of Protecting Bottles and their Contents against Injury or Loss during the Operation of Sterilising or Pasteurising Wine, Beer, and other Liquids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method or Means of Protecting Bottles and their Contents
against Injury or Loss during the Operation of Sterilising or
Pasteurising Wine, Beer, and other Liquids.
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, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and to the figures
and letters marked thereon that is to say :-
A serious inconvenience in the sterilising of bottled liquids is the heavy internal
pressure which the liquid exercises on the cork and glass of the bottle, this pressure
being very detrimental to the liquid because of the oxidation thereof and which gives
to the liquid a burnt taste.
It also happens from the same cause that when the bottles are submitted to a
moderate degree of heat serious losses are sustained notwithstanding that the corks
are secured by means of string by reason of the corks being forced out by the pressure
of the liquid and gas and thus a large quantity of liquid frequently escapes with the
serious result that after the cooling operation the bottle is insufficiently filled to
ensure the efficient ageing of the liquid whilst if the cork resists the pressure the
bottle bursts and both liquid and bottle are entirely lost.
Now the object of the present invention is by a simple contrivance to remedy the
defects above pointed out.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a corked bottle having the present invention
applied thereto, and,
Figure 2 is a separate view of the double wire conduit.
a represents the bottle, b represents the cork and c represents the double wire and
c¹ represents the conduit formed thereby.
The conduit c¹ is formed by a length of iron wire c doubled over in the form of a
long staple as shown more particularly at Figure 2 and this device is employed in
manner following:
After the filling of the bottle a with liquid and during the insertion of the cork b
the double wire c which at its upper part has previously been bent over into a hooked
form as represented at Figure 1 is hung on the neck of the bottle a and the cork b is
then driven in for about one third or half its length, and the length of double wire c
thus forms a minute conduit c¹ between the bottle neck and the cork for the purpose
hereinafter described.
When bottles corked in the manner above described are submitted to steam or other
heat for sterilising or pasteurising purposes the gases and especially the carbonic acid
gas which is often in large proportion and the air contained in the liquid escape without
obstruction by the minute conduit c¹ formed between the two limbs of the bent
wire c.
As the gas and air escape without obstruction no liquid will be lost from the bottle,
and when the operation of sterilising or pasteurising is finished and the liquid has
become cool the quantity thereof will be substantially the same as when first bottled.

page_text: After the heating of the bottle a the double wire c may be easily withdrawn by the
aid of an instrument engaging the hooked end thereof and in dealing with wine the
driving in of the cork is finished by the corking machine without raising the cork so
that during this operation the atmosphere is entirely excluded from the contents of
the bottle.
In dealing with beer however the cork when driven in to a depth of a third or half
of its length can be easily raised by the fingers, and the bottle can then be placed in
an aërating machine in order to introduce into it carbonic acid gas to replace that
which has been driven out during the sterilising or pasteurising operation.
In order to protect the double iron wire c from rust it is from time to time boiled
in the red wine of Bordeaux and the colouring material of this wine forms with the
iron an insoluble tannate of iron and this tannate prevents the liquid which comes
into contact with the wire from being injuriously affected either in taste or in
colour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In the sterilising or pasteurising of liquids a length of double wire placed
between the cork and the bottle so as to form a minute conduit substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In the sterilising or pasteurising of liquids a length of double wire at one end
bent into a hook shape so as to hang on to the bottle neck and occupy a position
between the cork and the bottle substantially as herein shown and described and for
the purpose stated.
Dated this 6th day of July 1807
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.