IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUOR
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lako, of the Firm of Haseltino, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, 'London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUOR"
A communication from abroad by Amos Lawrence Wood, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Willian Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd June 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUOR." [A. communication from abroad by Amos
Lawrence Wood, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.]
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of Inventions known as
apparatus for purifying and aging distilled spirits, and has for its object to treat the
liquor in its original barrel or package without emptying it into a purifying tank,
and thus destroying its identity.
To attain this object I proceed in the manner and by the means as hereinafter
described, that is to say, in carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a
saving or overflow chamber having an open mouthed conical neck adapted to fit
within the bunghole of the barrel containing the liquor. There is an annular
elastic packing located between the inside of the bunghole and the exterior of the
said conical neck; a hot air pipe leads from a coiled pipe located within a heater,
into which steam is forced through a pipe. I also provide a pump or air-distributor,
by means of which the air is forced through a pipe to the aforesaid coiled pipe,
where it is heated and passes on through the hot air pipe, and thence through
the liquor in the barrel, as a perforated bent pipe or coil of such a suitable form
that it may be inserted through the bunghole of the barrel. There is an annular
spaco between the hot air pipe and the interior part of the open neck of the
saving or overflow chamber through which the saving or overflow is forced into
the said chamber, after passing through the contents of the barrel; an outlet pipe
is provided leading from the top of the saving or overflow chamber and terminating

page_text: within a water-tank in a perforated bulb. An outlet pipe loads from the upper
part of the water-tank for the purpose of carrying off the impurities and poisonous
gases which are expelled from the bulb and rise through the water. The said
outlet pipe may lead directly to the outer atmosphere or to a second perforated
bulb located within a second water-tank if so desired.
I provide jointed fastening rods or links for the purpose of temporarily securing
the saving or overflow chamber to the barrel.
After the saving or overflow chamber has been secured in its proper placo in
relation to its barrel, and the perforated, coiled, or bent pipe immersed within the
liquor contained in the barrel, I force heated air through the hot air pipe, which air
as it escapes through the perforations of the coiled pipe passes through and comes
in immediate contact with every part of the liquor, and thus by heating aud
agitating the liquor by means of the heated air the impurities are taken from the
liquor and forced upwards through the annular space into the saving or overflow
chamber, and thence through the pipe and perforated bulb into the liquid contents
of the water-tank, where the alcohol and other matters brought by the heated nir
from the liquor are arrested. The saving or overflow chamber serves for the
purpose of retaining any portion of tho liquor or its proof that may be forced with
the impurities up through the annular space, and to return it by condensation in a
liquid state to the barrel, and thus prevent the waste of the liquor or any material
lowering of its proof. The hot air is forced through the contents of the barrel and
its delivery pipe by means of the air-distributor, pipe, and coil contained within
the steam heater, as above described. It is obvious that any number of barrels
may simultaneously be operated upon from one and the same air-distributor, heater,
and water-tank or tanks without departing from the spirit of my Invention.
According to the laws of some countries, notably those of the United States of
America, liquor barrels containing liquor must bear certain government stamps,
which must be cancelled when the liquor is removed from the barrels, and if it is
removed for aging and purification by processes and apparatus heretofore in use,
and then returned to barrels, new stamps must be affixed, so that a double expense
for stamps is incurred. It will be seen that in using my apparatus the original
stamps need not be cancelled in order to make the apparatus available, and thus a
great saving results to the rectifier.
In old modes of aging and purifying liquors a large tank is used to receive the
liquor to be treated, and a purchaser has no guarantee that the liquor refilled into
an original barrel or package is of exactly the same brand that ho bought beforo
its treatment, but by using my apparatus, which requires no removal of the liquor
from its original package, its identity is perfectly preserved. This is, as will be
readily appreciated, an important advantage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUOR." A communication from abroad by Amos
Lawrence Wood, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for purifying and aging
distilled spirits, and has for its object to treat the liquor in its original barrel or
package without emptying it into a purifying tank, and thus destroying its
identity.
To attain this object I proceed in the manner hereinafter described by the aid of
the apparatus shewn in the Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 represents a top view of a barrel provided with my improved
apparatus.
Figure 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section on the lino x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus used for forcing
heated air to and from the liquor contained in a barrel.
Like letters indicate the saine parts throughout the Drawing.
A indicates a barrel containing liquor B; E designates a saving or overflow
chamber having an open-mouthed conical neck e adapted to fit within the bunghole
of the barrel as shown; f is an annular elastic packing located between the inside
of the bunghole and the exterior of the conical neck c, as shown in Figure 2; G is
a hot air pipe leading from a coiled pipe G' located within a heater F, into which
steam is forced through a pipe F¹, as shown in Figure 3; D is a pump or air
distributor, by means of which the air is forced through the pipe G2 to the coiled
pipe G', where it is heated and passes on through the hot air pipe G, and thence
into the liquor in the barrel through a perforated bent pipe or coil (+³ of such a
form that it may be inserted through the bunghole of the said barrel; e¹ indicates
an annular space between the pipe G and the interior part of the open neck e of the
saving or overflow chamber E, through which space the saving or overflow is forced
into the said chamber E after passing through the contents of the barrel; H is an
outlet pipe leading from the top of the saving or overflow chamber E, and terminating
within the water-tank H¹ in a perforated bulb h, as shewn in Figure 3. An outlet
pipe ¹ leads from the upper part of the water tank H¹ for the purpose of carrying
off the impurities and poisonous gases which are expelled from the bulb h and rise
through the water. The pipe h¹ may load directly to the outer atmosphere or to a
perforated bulb located within a second water tank, if so desired.
I, I", designate jointed fastening rods or links for the purpose of temporarily
securing the saving or overflow chamber E to the barrel A in position, as represented
in Figures 2 and 3.
After the saving or overflow chamber E has been secured in its proper position
in relation to the barrel A, as shown in Figure 2, and the perforated, coiled, or
bent pipe G³ has been immersed within the liquor contained in the said barrel, I
force heated air through the pipe G, which air, as it escapes through the perfora-
tions of the pipe G³, passes through and comes in immediate contact with every
part of the liquor B, as shown. And thus by heating and agitating the liquor by
means of the heated air the impurities are taken from the liquor and forced
upwards through the annular space c' into the saving or overflow chamber E, and
thence through the pipe H and perforated bulb into the liquid contents of the
water tank H¹, where the alcohol and other matters brought by the heated air
from the liquor are arrested.
The saving or overflow chamber E serves the purpose of retaining any portion of
the liquor or its proof that may be forced with the impurities up through the

page_text: annular space e¹, and to return it by condensation in a liquid state to the barrel,
and thus prevent the waste of the liquor or any material lowering of its proof. Tho
hot air is forced through the contents of the barrel and its delivery pipo by means
of the air distributor Ď, and pipe G³, and the coil G', contained within the steam
heater F, as above described. It is obvious that any number of barrels may
simultaneously be operated upon from one and the same air distributor, heater,
and water tank or tanks without departing from the spirit of my Invention.
According to the laws of some countries, notably those of the United States of
America, barrels containing liquor must bear certain government stamps, which must
be cancelled when the liquor is removed from the barrels, and if it is removed for
aging and purification by processes and apparatus heretofore in use, and then
returned to the barrels, new stamps must be affixed, so that a double expense for
stamps is incurred. It will be seen that in using my apparatus the original stamps
need not be cancelled in order to make the apparatus available, and thus a great
saving is effected by the rectifier.
In former methods of aging and purifying liquors a large tank is used to receive
the liquor to be treated, and a purchaser has no guarantee that the liquor
received in a barrel or package when the same is refilled is of exactly the same
brand as the original contents thereof, that is to say, the same as the liquor
contained therein before its treatment; but by using my apparatus, which requires
no removal of the liquor from its original barrel or package, its identity is perfectly
preserved. This, as will be readily appreciated, is an important advantage
resulting from my Invention.
Having thus full described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In apparatus for purifying and aging liquor the barrel or package for
containing the liquor to be purified and aged, and the perforated pipe located
within the said barrel, and connected with a pipe leading therefrom, in combination
with a saving or overflow chamber directly connected with the barrel, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
Second. In apparatus for purifying and aging liquor, a saving or overflow
chamber serving to arrest and condense any portion of the liquor which, by
agitation, may be caused to rise thereto in the form of vapor or spray, and return
the same in liquid form, thus preventing waste of the liquor and lowering of its
proof, substantially as specified.
Third. In an apparatus for purifying and aging liquors, the combination of the
saving or overflow chamber provided with a contracted nozzle or spout and
eduction pipe, the hot air pipe passing through the said chamber and terminating
in a perforated bent portion below the nozzle or spout thereof, the heater, the heating
pipe passing through the said heater and connected with the hot air pipe, a suitable
air forcing apparatus connected with the said beating pipe, the condenser, and the
pipe terminating therein and connected with the eduction pipe, all substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. In an apparatus for purifying and aging liquors, the combination with
the saving or overflow chamber, constructed as above set forth, of the hooked
adjustable extension rods, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.