An Improved Saccharometer or Device for Testing Beer Worts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Saccharometer or Device for Testing Beer Worts.
We, MAX PREU. and GOTTLIEB HIMMEL, both of Tübingen, Wurtemberg, in
the Empire of Germany, Master Brewer and Mechanician respectively, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In order to ascertain the saccharine contents of beer worts, a saccharometer is
as is well known at present employed which is immersed in a glass vessel filled
with worts drawn from the boiling pan or the fermenting vat in order that
the percentage of the worts may be read off on the said saccharometer above the
level of the liquid. But the reading off with these comparatively small saccharo-
meters made of glass is mostly inexact partially owing to the small divisions
in the scale and partially owing to the foam or froth that always floats on the
worts.
The above mentioned drawbacks are removed by the saccharometer or worts
tester forming the object of the present invention and which is shown in the
accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a front view and Figure 2 a side view
partly in section, whilst Figures 3-10 are details of construction which will be
hereinafter described.
This improved worts testing device is not formed of glass but of metal so
that it is much more durable in practical working, and may be made of any
suitable size so that one degree has for instance a length of from 30-40 milli-
metres as against 6-7 millimetres in the present glass instruments which in
itself of course greatly facilitates the reading off.
The improved worts tester is however so arranged that it allows of the reading
off being effected directly in the pan or fermenting vat. For this object, a
separate indicator B is mounted freely adjustable on the scale A of the testing
device, which indicator rests on a float 6 which also loosely encloses the scale A.
Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the float which
is so weighted that the upper edge of the indicator B when the meter is immersed
in the liquid to be measured always lies above the plane of the surface of the
liquid. In this manner the reading off with the new apparatus does not take
place on the surface of the liquid, the position of which in consequence of foam
and adhesion is always difficult to determine, but in a much easier and more
exact manner above the indicator B, the position of which cannot be rendered
difficult to ascertain either through foam or adhesion. The float touches the
scale A only at two points with its inner projecting ring (Figure 3) that is
to say with the least possible friction. As the float 6 keeps the indicator B on
the surface of the liquid, whilst the float a floats in the liquid, an alteration in
the specific gravity of the liquid which causes a sinking or rising of the float a
to the extent of a degree of the scale A has for consequence a movement of the
float 6 at most of from 1-2 millimetres that is to say it amounts to only 1/20
or of the movement of the scale, in case the length of the rod of the same is

page_text: for instance 40 millimetres, that is to say there results through the co-movement
of the float an error which may be practically disregarded. As however the
division of the scale A is determined equally by means of the float b this error
is entirely avoided.
In this manner by means of the indicator B carried by the float 6 the hitherto
so difficult reading off of the degrees in testing worts is entirely removed and
the same may be directly ascertained in the boiler or in the fermenting vat.
In order however to render this reading off still more convenient, this im-
proved worts testing device is also provided with the following arrangement. On
the rear side of the scale A there runs a flat bar C revoluble on its longitudina!
axis, the upper end of which bar engages by means of a fork ca pin or screwd
of a carriage D horizontally movable to and fro in a case E on a handle d', as
shown in Figures 4 and 5 in vertical section and plan view, the lid of the case E
being removed. According as the handle is drawn out of the case E (Figures 4
and 5) or pushed into the case E (Figures 6 and 7) which represents a front
view and view from beneath of the case E, the larger diameter of the cross section
of the bar C stands either vertical or parallel to the plane of the scale A and
in the first case the bar C passes freely between the jaws of a spring clamp B¹
fixed on the indicator B (Figures 8 and 9), whilst in the latter case the bar C
pushes the clamps B₁ apart so that they clamp themselves on the said bar. If
the apparatus with the handle drawn out has been immersed in the liquid
which is to be tested, the float will raise the indicator B with the clamp B¹
up to the degree of the scale A corresponding to the specific gravity. If then
the handle D be pushed into the casing E the indicator B will by means of its
clamp Bas already explained clamp the bar C firmly in its them position on
the scale and the specific gravity can be conveniently read off after the removal
of the apparatus from the liquid. Of course in this case the arangement is such
that the reading off takes place above the clamp B¹.
The improved worts tester hereinbefore described may of course have any
suitable division of the scale according to Balling, Lang, Kaiser or the like from 0
up to 18° or may only show such figures as are desired by the person ordering
it. The length of the separate degrees of the scale may of course as already
stated be made of any suitable size.
Finally the back of the scale A. may also be divided into degrees arranged
for beer worts of 4° Reaumur before use so that with the same instrument both
boiling beer worts and also 4 % beer worts ready for use may be tested.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is;-
1. A saccharometer or beer wort tester having a float (b) freely adjustable on
a scale (A) and carrying an indicator (1), which float is so weighted that after
the tester has been placed in the liquid the indicator (1) will lie above the plane
of the surface of the liquid while the scale (A) can freely move in the float (b)
so that the reading off of the scale (A) instead of taking place as hitherto by means
of the level of the liquid may be effected by means of the said easily observable
indicator (B) and therefore may be effected directly in the pan or in the ferment-
ing vat, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. A saccharometer or worts tester of the kind described in which the scale (A)
is provided with a stop device acting on the indicator (13) so that the indicator
may be fixed on the scale while the apparatus is floating and the position of the
mark, that is to say the specific gravity of the liquid may be thereby ascertained
after the apparatus has been removed from the liquid substantially as herein-
before described.
3. A saccharometer or worts tester of the kind described in which the scale (A)
is provided with a revoluble bar (C) of flat section and the indicator (B) with
a clamp (B) embracing the said bar (C) so that after the apparatus has been

page_text: suspended in the liquid and the indicator (B) adjusted on the scale (A) the bar (C)
may be so turned as to insert itself between the jaws of the clamp (B) with the
widest diameter of its section so that the clamp jaws (B¹) are pressed apart
and are fixed with the indicator (1) on the bar (C) and thereby also on the
scale (A) substantially as herein before described.
4. A saccharometer or worts tester of the kind described in which the upper
end of the bar C is connected with a carriage (D) working horizontally to and
fro so that the rotation of the bar C in either direction and thus the fixing and
releasing of the indicator B on the scale (A) may be effected by the adjustment
of said carriage, for which object the latter is preferably provided with a
handle (D) capable of being easily reached whilst the apparatus is floating, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the teth
n1007
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.