IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Johns, of Newport, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 30th June 1876, and dated the 4th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Johns at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1876.
"
THOMAS HENRY JOHNS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Mechanical
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS."
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination
of pneumatic apparatus for raising or forcing beer and other liquids, and consists of
an air pump and air vessel, the latter being charged with compressed air by the
former to a pressure of, say, from 5 to 10 pounds per square inch, and being con-
nected by branch pipes with the upper portions of the several casks or vessels from
which the beer or other liquid is to be forced.
The said air pump consists of two cast-iron or other suitable standards or vertical
supports bolted to a square flange on the top of the air pump barrel, and fitted with
overhead bearings or brasses in which works a crank shaft carrying a fly wheel and
winch handle for actuating the same. A connecting rod transmits motion to a
sliding cross head on the rod of the air pump plunger, such cross head working
between guide rods bolted to the flange of the air pump, the barrel of which is con-
tained inside or partly inside the before-mentioned air vessel, which may be of
rectangular or other convenient form, and upon which the whole of the parts con-
stituting the air pump and driving appliances are mounted. The pump barrel is
open at the top and bottom, and the plunger which works therein is fitted with a
valve opening inwards, a similar valve, also opening inwards to the air vessel, being
situate at or near the lower open end of the pump barrel.
The action of this apparatus, which is intended to be placed in the cellar, is as
follows: On rotating the crank shaft the plunger forces air into the air vessel,
which thus becomes charged with compressed air, and this air is conveyed by any
convenient number of pipes leading from the air vessel to any desired number of
casks or other vessels. The said pipes communicate directly with the upper part of
each vessel, and are provided or not with stop-cocks or valves to admit of any one
[Price 6d1

page_text: or more of such pipes being shut off when its cask or vessel is empty. Other pipes
lead from near the bottom of each cask or vessel to the counter or bar on the floor
above, and are there arranged in convenient proximity to each other, each pipe
being provided with a tap, so that on turning any one of the taps the beer or other
liquid be raised or forced by pneumatic pressure alone into the measure or other
vessel for receiving the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Henry Johns in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th July
1876.
THOMAS HENRY JOHNS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING BEER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS."
My said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement and combination of apparatus
for raising or forcing beer and other liquids, and consists of an air pump and air
vessel, the latter being charged with compressed air by the former to a pressure of,
say, from 5 to 10 pounds per square inch, and being connected by branch pipes
with the upper portions of the several casks or vessels from which 'the beer or other
liquid is to be forced.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the Figures
on the annexed explanatory Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indi-
cating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings is a side elevation and partial section of my said
improved combined apparatus; and Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Figure 1
showing the pump and driving mechanism detached from the air vessel.
A is the air pump having two cast-iron or other suitable standards or vertical
supports B, B, bolted to a square flange C on the top of the air pump barrel, and
fitted with overhead bearings or brasses at D, D, in which works a crank shaft E
carrying a fly wheel F and winch handle G for actuating the same. A connecting
rod H (shown partly broken away in Figure 1) transmits motion to a sliding cross
head I on the rod K of the air pump plunger L, such cross head working between
guide rods M, M, bolted to the upper flange N of the air pump, the barrel of which
is contained inside or partly inside the before-mentioned air vessel O, which may
be of rectangular or other convenient form, and upon which the whole of the parts
constituting the air pump and driving appliances are mounted, as shown clearly in
Figure 1. The pump barrel A is open at the top and bottom, and the plunger L
which works therein is fitted with a valve a opening inwards, a similar valve b, also
opening inwards to the air vessel O, being situate at or near the lower open end of
the pump barrel.
The action of this apparatus, which is intended to be placed in the cellar of a
building is as follows:-On rotating the crank shaft the plunger forces air into the
air vessel, which thus becomes charged with compressed air, and this air is conveyed
by any convenient number of pipes leading from suitable apertures P, P, in the side
or sides of the air vessel to any desired number of casks or other receptacles for
liquids, not shown in my Drawings. The said pipes communicate directly with the
upper part of each vessel, and are provided or not with with stop-cocks or valves to
admit of any one or more of such pipes being shut off when its cask or vessel is
empty. Other pipes lead from near the bottom of each cask or receptacle to the
counter or bar on the floor above, and are there arranged in convenient proximity
to each other, each pipe being provided with a tap, so that on turning any one of
the taps the beer or other liquid will be raised or forced by pneumatic pressure
alone into the measure or other vessel for receiving the same.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combination of the air pump A and driving gear with the air
vessel and branch pipes leading therefrom to the casks or vessels containing the
liquid to be elevated when arranged to operate together, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Johns, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS HENRY JOHNS. (LS)