Apparatus, Methods, and Arrangements Adapted for Breweries, Distilleries, and other Installations for Charging Spaces or Chambers with Air Free from Micro-organisms (Microbes) and their Germs, and Preventing Air Containing the same from Penetrating therein and into Wort and other Substances
Year: 1889

page_text: Apparatus, Methods, and Arrangements Adapted for Breweries,
Distilleries, and other Installations for Charging Spaces or
Chambers with Air Free from Micro-organisms (Microbes) and
their Germs, and Preventing Air Containing the same from
Penetrating therein and into Wort and other Substances.
Apparatus, Methods, and Arrangements Adapted for Breweries,
Distilleries, and other Installations for Charging Spaces or
Chambers with Air Free from Micro-organisms (Microbes) and
their Germs, and Preventing Air Containing the same from
Penetrating therein and into Wort and other Substances.
I, Dr. KARL MÖLLER of Kupferhammer near Brackwede in the German Empiro
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 :-
In carrying out that part of my invention which relates to the supply of germ free
air to spaces or chambers I employ a germ proof air filter such as is represented in
Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. It consists of the germ proof filter
cloth A sewn in wedge shaped pocket or bag form and composed of a number of layers
of a closely woven fabric or other filtering material and of the germ filter casing B
provided at top with a closely fitting cover and having an air outlet C. To the
casing B is bolted a preliminary filter casing D placed either underneath as in Figs. 1
and 2 or sidewise as in Figs. 3 and 4. It has an air inlet E which may be closed by
a valve or slide, etcetera, and a steam inlet F with valve. It is fitted with a simple
pocket or bag filter serving for the separation, from the air to be filtered, of all
ordinary dust and dirt and of the larger portion of the microbes. It usually suffices to
change or cleanse the preliminary filter cloth once every half year.
When a preliminary filter is used the germ proof filter may work for an almost
unlimited time without the necessity of cleaning it, as the microbes which it separates
form so small a quantity that the filtering capacity or efficiency is not affected to an
appreciable extent whilst the microbes are always thoroughly separated. Upon first
commencing operations, and every time the germ proof filter cloth is withdrawn, the
filter and its pipe connection must be sterilised, for which reason the filter cloth should
be withdrawn as seldom as possible.
A filter frame A¹ fits into each pocket of the filter cloth for preventing the collapse
of the pockets by air pressure, these wedge shaped frames A' being pressed down by
cross bars G, G, and by two screws fixed to the upper frame which presses the filter

page_text: cloth to the lower filter frame so as to form a tight joint. The air prossure is produced
by a blower foreing the air through the filtor.
The air outlet is in communication with the air pipos leading to the cooling and
fermenting chambers and carries a testing cock I hereinafter described.
In order now to effect sterilisation steam is let into the filter casing through inlet F
passing through the filter cloth, thence through outlet into the pipe connection
which it, with the filter cloth and casing, sterilises. When the steam has been passed
through the filter and pipe connection for about an hour, sterilisation is offocted and
the filter must now be quickly driod. This is done by blowing warm air through
the filter by means of a blower, the air for this purpose, being warmed in a heater by
waste or other steam or other known way.
The filter and pipe connection having been once sterilisel they will remain in the
same state if the joints of the same are tight and the apparatus is not opened, as it
should not be.
To prove the freedom from germs of the filtered air or the presence of germs therein,
1 employ the test cock H shown in detail to an enlarged scale in Figs. 11 and 12. It
ends at the bottom in a perforated point out of which the air passos; at top it is con-
nected to a pipe or vessel charged with the air to be tested with respect to its freedom
or not from germs, which air is under pressure. The pointed outlet of the cock is
directed downwards. A guard K is fixed on the cock with its lower edge projecting
below the outlet point of the same. It is of a shape to allow of the introduction into
it from underneath of the mouth of a flask or receiver J and serves to prevent the
entrance into this latter of germs from the surrounding outside air. The flask J
contains food gelatine or other substance suitable for a feeding ground for micro-
organisms and it and its contents is sterilised after the mouth has been well closel
with a wadding stopper.
In order now to test the air the mouth of the flask J is brought underneath the
guard K which has previously been subjected to the action of a flaine and thereby
freed from any microbes adhering thereto, then the wadding stopper is removed with a
similarly sterilised tongs or pincer and the flask now lifted up until it bears above
against the guard, the cock having just previously been opened. Air is now allowed
to pass during sufficient time through the test cock into the flask, whereupon any
gerins that may be floating in the air are impelled against the bottom of the flask and
adhere firmly thercio. Before the cock is turned off, the mouth of the flask is closed
underneath the guard with a germ free wadding stopper. The flask is thon withdrawn
and examined to see if colonies form theroin, and if the food gelatine remains free
from such formations, it may be assumed that the air tested is germ free.
Instead of the test cock being ns described, it may be of any other suitable con-
struction, or a valve, slido or other convenient device may be employed for the same
purpose. The guard may also be of any other form so long as it allows of the
introduction of the mouth of a flask or recoivor into the sumo from underneath and is
suitable for preventing the entrance of germs from the surrounding air.
In carrying out that part of my invention which relates to the prevention of the
entrance of air containing germs into the germ free spacos or chambers I maintain a
suitable excess air pressure in these latter by placing them in communication with n
blower or with an extending air container similar in construction to a gas holder by
which air or othor gas free from germs may be forced into them. In any caso tho
said spaces or chambers should be as air tight as possible with air exit so soon as this
exceeds a cortain determined pressure. Tho air supply pipo must also be supplied
with a closing appliance such as will provont a return of air into the gorm free air
passage when the excess pressure censes, for which purpose the following means
may be employed
--
(a) Water closure to the air outlet pipo serving for exit of air from the germ free
spaco and to the air inlet pipe for the admission of air into the same, which water
closure may consist either of a basin shaped vessel with an inwardly projecting edge
and having the pipe dipping into it such as shown in Fig. 5, or of an U shaped pipe
with a spherical enlargement at its rising end such as shewn in Fig. 6 similar to the

page_text: spherical apparatus used in laboratories with the difference that the air outlet pipe
projects into the spherical part and carries a screen at its lower end. The inwardly
projecting edge of the vossol (Fig. 5) and also the screen (Fig. 6) has for object to
prevent the exit of water.
.
The U pipe when it is carried upwards may have the form indicated in dotted
lines which form would be necessary in the case of having to arrange the pipe over
cooling apparatus, to the lower ends of which, sterilised air is passod out to be dis-
charged when saturated with the steam of the cooler.
The pipe and basin (Fig. 5) may be of any suitable known form; generally the
basin would be attached to a wall, like the ordinary discharging basins, and the
pipe, if passing straight through the wall, end in a bend. The water closure to
the air inlet pipe must be charged with sterilised liquid.
(b) Door closures to the germ free space with double doors so arranged that the ono
can only be opened when the other is closed. The most simple arrangement is that of
two doors C, C (Figs. 13, 14 and 15) fitted with spring locks D, DT, of known con-
struction, one for each door. On the inner sides of the doors facing each other are
hung handles A, A¹, on chains B, B', each of which handles fits on to a bolt or spindle
projecting from the lock of the opposite door, the length of the chains carrying the
handles being so proportioned that the respective handle can only be placed on its
corresponding bolt or spindle after the opposite door has been shut; thus if any
one passes in by the door C, this must first be closed and locked behind the person
who has passed, before the lock D' can be opened by means of the handle A and
inversely must be locked before O can be opened. The doors are shut as hermetically
as possible, and it may be against an elastic packing, the key holes not passing right
through.
Further my invention comprises means for filtering sterilised liquids. In order
that the removal of germs from the air shall have an efficacious result it is
necessary to preserve the sterilised liquids passing to cooling and fermenting spaces or
chambers from all contact with infected bodies, therefore the liquids when they are to
be filtered should be so treated out of communication with the atmosphere, for which
purpose a filter such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is employed. It consists of casing B
and mountings, with filter cloth A sewn in pocket or bag form stretched by tho
appliance shewn separately in Figs. 9 and 10 formed of flat iron framing G and wire
or rod extension H bent round to the form of the pocket. The flat iron framing is
fastened down by screws, hand lovers or other convenient way at the same time
stretching the pockets by means of the stretching wire or rod H.
The casing B has a liquid inlet C; D is the outlet for the filtered liquid and inlet
for boiling or sterilised water for washing out the filter which washing water is
caused to circulate in an inverse direction; E is for the discharge of sediment in
cleansing the filter or after the cloansing operation, or previous to setting the same to
work. In the sterilising operation the stoam passes out by pipe D which it also
sterilises or a special mounting may be provided for discharging the steam.
cover may be opened and closed tight.
The
The construction of this liquid filter may be modified by placing the filtering pockets
of the same at the side or directed upwards or obliquely.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A germ proof filter in combination with a simple preliminary filter in the
manner that this latter may be disconnected from the germ proof filter for the
purpose specified substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the
drawings.
2. The method of mounting the filter cloth so that the same may be connected to
and disconnected from the filter casing or frame, and pressed against it and ex-
tended by means of wedge shaped frames and two cross bars substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings.

page_text: 8. The arrangement of a test cock with guard for testing the air substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings.
4. The arrangement of water closures through which gorm free air may pass out
but through which air containing gerins cannot enter, for tho purpose of maintaining
the germ freo air out of communication with air containing gerins, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.
5. Obtaining an excess pressure in the germ free space as compared with the
external atmosphere by means of a blower or when this is not used by means of
an extending air holder on the principle of a gas holder for the purpose specified
substantially as described.
6. The arrangement of, and method of oponing and closing the double doors to
the germ free spaces by which the one door cannot be opened until the other is
closed, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 18 to 15 of the drawings.
7. The pocket or bag shaped filter cut off from communication with the atmosphero
for the filtration of liquids within a closeable casing, substantially as described with
reference to Fig. 7 and 8 of the drawings.
8. The appliance for stretching the filter pockets substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings.
Thi Cil dan 1000