Improvements in Apparatus for Bottling Beer and other Liquids.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 19th July, 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH VINDIS, of Prague, Inventor.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Bottling Beer and other Liquids.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster and 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer 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 :-
The object of the herein described invention is to provide an apparatus for bottling
beer and other liquids by the means of compressed air or carbonic acid gas, which
prevents any loss with respect to quantity or quality of the liquid which is to be
bottled, and ensures a simple and easy handling.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the apparatus, figure 2 a front view of
its filling and corking arrangement, figures 3-5 details of the chief part of the
apparatus, namely, the cock m and the cock casing or socket belonging to it (figure 3
showing a longitudinal section, figure 4 a section through the cork on the line 1-1,
and figure 5 a view of the cock from below).
The filling apparatus is connected by tubing with the chief air vessel (which is
filled with air or carbonic acid gas) and with the barrel, from which the liquid is to
be drawn, the pipe bringing the liquid which is to be bottled to the bottles, and
the pipe which is connected with the cock H communicating with the chief air
vessel C.
The filling apparatus consists in :—
The auxiliary air vessel A, the standard S with the cock m and the corking
mechanism Z and the pressure tray t on which the bottle is placed and pressed against

page_text: The
The cock m is provided with two larger and two smaller holes. Through the wider
opening n the liquid is conducted through the piping f, and the cock casing into
the bottle L; through the conical opening n' the cork is driven into the bottle by
the corking mechanisın z. In the hole n of the cock is placed a small tube 12,
leading from the opening o in the cock to the cock socket; this arrangement is
intended to receive and to lead away the air which is displaced by liquid during
filling. Over the slightly conical boring n' is the corking arrangement 2.
conical hole n' is placed in such a way that when the handle g is turned, either the
hole nor the hole n' is placed in communication with the bottle. The bottle L
stands on a tray t and is continuously pressed against the rubber ring h at the mouth
of the cock or tap r by a lever and counter weight; if the bottle is to be taken away
the treadle e is depressed, whereby the counter-weight is overbalanced, and the
bottle L goes down with the treadle.
Under the standard S in the framing of the apparatus is the vessel or chamber A,
by the aid of which the over pressure in the chief pressure vessel during the drawing
is regulated. This regulating chamber has three pipe connections; namely, by the
pipe connected with the cock H the chamber A is connected with the chief pressure
retort C, the pipe leads the compressed air from the retort A to the bottling cock m
and the pipe a and the valve which have for their object the reducing of the
pressure of air in the vessel A so much below that in the chief vessel C (and
consequently that in the cask B), that the difference of pressure is sufficient to drive
the beer into the bottle when the cask lies lower than the cock m. If the bottling
apparatus is placed higher than the cask, the air pressure in the vessel A is regulated
by means of the valve v by screwing the cover 1, (which is provided with a small
air hole 2) up or down, whereby the tension of the spring of the valve is adjusted,
and hence also the relative pressures in the vessels. If, on the contrary, the filling
apparatus stands lower than the cask, the small cover would accordingly be screwed
down so far (and thereby produce in the regulating retort. A such a counter pressure)
that the liquid flows into the bottle without any froth. The pipe for the compressed
air, ends close to the pipe for drawing off the liquid in the cock socket r; the pipe f
is provided at its end with a valve c, which prevents the liquid from flowing back to
the cask when there is pressure in the cock socket r.
When the liquid is to be drawn the chief air vessel is connected by the cock H,
and the pipe leading from the cask is also connected with f, the cask being fitted with
a tapping cock 3. The air cock g at the chief air vessel C is then at once opened.
The air in the chief air vessel C immediately rushes to the cock H, when the cock
is opened, and also as far as the tapping cock q³. After the cock H has been opened
the compressed air rushes into the vessel A and into the pipe C, and into the cock
socket 7. Now the cock H is closed and the beer cock next to the tapping cock ³
is opened, consequently the beer is forced into the pipe and through the valve c into
the cock socket r. Owing to the closing of the cock H, the chamber A is shut off
from the chief air vessel C, and therefore the air pressure in the former is so
regulated, through the valve vas to allow the beer to flow into the bottle. The
cock m is now turned from right to left by means of the handle g, whereby the air
opening o and the hole n are simultaneously opened, and the filling of the bottle thus
takes place.
As described above, the beer or the liquid is subjected only to a slightly
higher pressure than that prevailing in the chamber A; owing to this circumstance
and also to the peculiar section of the hole n, which is provided with the tube n², the
beer is caused to flow into the sides of the bottle, and therefore fills it without
foaming. The air which is driven out of the bottle goes through the central tube n²
and the opening o in the cock socket to the pipe band from thence into the
chamber A. In order that the beer or liquid, owing to the possibility of a counter
pressure may not rush back to the cask, the valve c is placed at the opening of the
tube f, which valve opens itself when the beer flows towards the bottle, but closes
itself when the counter pressure happens to be equal to the pressure in the cask or the
chief air vessel C.
When the bottle is filled the cock m is turned round again, and in consequence of

page_text: this turning, from the left to the right, the openings o and n are shut off from the
cock socket, and the conical hole in the cock comes in communication with the
bottle, so that the cork, placed in the corking arrangement Z may be driven into it.
To prevent the air which is between the surface of the liquid in the bottle and the
forced cork to cause any damage to the bottle through the great pressure, a small
opening is provided in the cock socket, which opening may be shut or opened by
the means of adjusting screws. It communicates with the groove . in the cock m
and thereby with the conical hole n¹, acting as a safety valve, and permitting the
compressed air to escape from the bottle.
20
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for bottling beer and other liquids the opening n connected
with the piping for bottling the liquid, and the opening o connected with the
compressed air piping band the central tube n², the conical hole n' in the cock m
connected with the corking arrangement Z together with the groove a com-
municating with openings which act as safety valves and are opened and closed by
adjusting screws.
2. The apparatus for the bottling of liquids consisting chiefly in the auxiliary air
vessel A the stand S, the cock m, the regulating valve the piping a, b and the
valve c and the tray t.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.