Improvements in Apparatus for use in Barrelling Beer and other Liquids.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891-
4
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Barrelling Beer and other
Liquids.
I, WILHELM ALBACH, of Hoechst-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany, Copper-
smith, 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus designed for use in barrelling beer and other
liquids.
It is well known that beer on being bunged up, which takes place about a week
prior to the barrelling receives an addition which gives rise to the formation of carbonic
acid so that it will become aerated. The pressure produced in the store cask must
always be the same, as carbonic acid is set free and produces effervescence when the
pressure is reduced from any cause. In case the beer is mature for barrelling without
being fit for use such a considerable pressure will be produced in the store-cask that
it becomes almost an impossibility to fill the beer into a trade barrel without counter-
pressure by reason of the enormous effervescence caused when the pressure is removed,
that is to say at the moment when the beer leaves a filter or an ordinary barrelling
apparatus.
In the improved apparatus constructed according to my aforesaid invention the
carbonic acid, a certain quantity of which is disengaged in every movement of the
beer, serves for the production of the required counterpressure. Beer subject to high
pressure in the store-cask can by this means be barrelled without causing froth,
therefore the apparatus operating under economical conditions is of great importance
for the brewing industry.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 shows an elevation of the improved apparatus in connection with a barrel
to be filled;
Figures 2 and 3 show a section and elevation of a faucet.
Figure 4 represents a section of a valve arranged on the air vessel;
Figures 5 and 6 represent an elevation and plan of the apparatus in connection
with two trade barrels to be filled.
The said apparatus comprises two superposed vessels or receptacles A and B with
their accessory parts and a faucet C.
To the upper receptacle A leads a pipe a provided with a cock and connected with
the store-cask or with the outlet of a filter by means of a flexible pipe. Upon the
receptacle A is placed a gauge-glass b which carries a three-way cock c and a pressure-
gauge d. At the lower end of the receptacle A is a cock e which is in connection
through a flexible pipe with the cock of the aforesaid faucet C. This cock h,
which is screwed tightly into the faucet C, has secured to it a short pipe m, upon the
lower extremity of which is slid a flexible pipe n extending to the bottom of the barrel
to be filled. The pipe m is surrounded by a brass cone in such a manner that
between this cone and the pipe m will remain an intermediate space i which is open
below but closed above, and which is in connection with a gauge-glass through the
medium of a smali cock p and a flexible pipe q. The gauge-glass is connected with
the air vessel B through a pipes which extends nearly to the bottom of the same.
This vessel is supported upon feet æ, and is provided with a small air cock y, Figure 6,
a pressure gauge u, a discharge valve t, and a discharge cock w.
The above-mentioned faucet C is inserted into the bung-hole of the barrel to he
filled so as to form a tight joint. For this purpose the cone is provided exteriorly
with an india-rubber cover as indicated at j; it fits into the bung-hole of the ordinary
trade barrels, and the simple insertion of the same will also be sufficient in the case of

page_text: the barrels provided with screw threads as recently introduced. For facilitating the
operation a handle k is provided which is connected with the cone 7, and the two parts
are of such a weight that when the cone is simply inserted a tight joint will be
obtained. When not in use the faucet is attached by means of a hook v to a bracket o
provided on the said vessel.
Now when beer is to be introduced from a store-cask or from a filter into a trade-
barrel, Figure 1, the cock of the pipe a is cautiously opened so that the beer will flow
slowly into the receptacle A. For the present the cock e remains closed, whilst the
three way air-cock c is open and connected by a flexible pipe with the air cock y,
Figure 6, of the air vessel B. The beer rises in the receptacle A and displaces all
the air forcing it through the three-way cock, flexible pipe and cock y in the vessel B,
so that the first pressure is produced in this vessel. As soon as the beer commences
to issue from the three-way cock the latter is closed and the cock p on the faucet is
opened. By this means the barrel is filled with compressed air and receives the first
counterpressure. Thereupon the cocks e and are opened and the beer is allowed to
flow from the receptacle A into the barrel. The air contained in the barrel then
escapes through the intermediate space i in the aforesaid cone, the cock p, the flexible
pipe 9 into the gauge-glass and through the pipe s into the air-vessel B. In the
further passage of beer into the barrel the air in the air vessel B is compressed and
will continually escape through the valve t during the barrelling operation when the
pressure in the air vessel B has been raised to 0-2 or 0.3 atmospheres according as
the said valve is adjusted. The latter is weighted proportionately to the pressure at
which the beer is to be maintained in the barrel, and which is indicated by the pressure
gauge u. Of course the pressure in the vessel B can never be higher than in the
receptacle A, as otherwise the beer will not flow in.
The filling operation is continued until the beer rises through the intermediate
space i, the cock p and the flexible pipe q into the gauge-glass r, whereupon the cocks p
and are closed, the faucet C is lifted from the bung-hole of the barrel and inserted
into that of another barrel to be filled. After the faucet has been inserted tightly
into the bung-hole of the second barrel the cock p is opened whereupon the beer
contained in the gauge-glass flows through the pipe 7 cock p and pipe n into the
barrel and the compressed air in the vessel B is at the same time conducted into the
fresh barrel, thereby establishing the counterpressure. When now the inlet cock h
is opened the transfer of the beer from the store-cask or filter can take place instantly,
and as the necessary counterpressure will already be in the fresh barrel effervescence
is obviated. As through inattention of the operator, or because fresh barrels, bungs
or other requisites must be fetched, the cocks h and p may not be closed at the
moment when the beer appears in the said gauge-glass it is expedient, in order to
obviate the flow of the beer into the air vessel B, to suspend in the gauge-glass by
means of a net an india-rubber ball which will stop the access to the air vessel in case
the beer rises as far.
It has already been observed that the intermediate pipe s extends to the bottom of
the air vessel B.
When the beer is conducted through flexible pipes, cocks and the like some carbonic
acid becomes free through the friction produced between the beer and the walls. As
its specific gravity is greater than the ordinary air, this carbonic acid collects in the
lower part of the air vessel B so that only air will leave through the discharge valve t.
In the production of the counterpressure in the fresh barrel to be filled, by conducting
the air under pressure from the air vessel B to the said barrel the carbonic acid
contained in the lowest part of the vessel B is first forced into the barrel so that no
carbonic acid will further separate during the filling but will combine again with the
beer.
For employing the apparatus simultaneously in connection with two barrels the said
receptacles are made somewhat larger, and the several parts connecting these
receptacles with the barrels are made double. In use the three-way cock c is then first
set in communication with the small air cock y upon the cover of the air vessel and
the beer which enters is caused to force the air from the flexible pipes the receptacle A,

page_text: and the gauge-glass 6 through the flexible connecting pipe between the three-way
cock c and the small air cock y into the air vessel, thus establishing the first pressure.
Three or four barrels are then placed in position to be filled, and the two faucets are
inserted into two of these barrels. The air cock on the faucet of the barrel to be
filled first is opened so that this barrel will be filled with compressed air to produce
the counterpressure. This done the beer cock is opened and the beer enters the
barrel filled with air. The beer admitted forces the air contained in the barrel
through the air vessel into the second barrel on opening the air cock with which the
faucet of this barrel to be filled is provided.
When the second barrel is filled with air the valve t, as the air in the air-vessel and
in the second barrel is compressed to a great extent opens at the pressure to which it
has been adjusted. The beer after the filling of the first barrel proceeds through the
air passage, and appears in the gauge-glass." Both cocks are then closed and the beer
cock of the second barrel is opened. After this the faucet is lifted from the first
barrel, the barrel is rapidly closed and the faucet is inserted into the third barrel.
Then the air cock of this barrel is opened slowly until the requisite counter pressure
has also here been established. In this further barrelling the second barrel when it
has been filled with beer is closed, and the above described operation is repented.
Accordingly it is not necessary in the case of the improved apparatus to establish
first the requisite counter pressure in each barrel by compressed air as in the apparatus
heretofore employed. Compressed air for establishing the counter pressure is
continually obtained in the air vessel B of my apparatus, which serves at the same
time as au expansion receptacle adapted to compensate for the slightest changes which
may occur in the counterpressure during the barrelling. This maintenance of a
constant pressure constitutes a great advantage both in the direct barrelling and in
the filtering of the beer, because the beer in the store cask rises as the pressure
decreases, and allows the escape of the carbonic acid. However, not only the carbonic
acid but also the alcohol is retained by the counter pressure which is maintained
automatically, and the beer is preserved longer both in the transport and in bottles.
The beer barrelled by means of this improved apparatus effervesces like champagne
for hours which is not the case with beer barrelled through the medium of other
apparatus.
Besides these advantages the one already mentioned is of great importance, namely
that no loss of beer can occur through inattention of the operator. The valve formed
in the gauge-glass between the barrel to be filled and the air vessel by the india-
rubber ball suspended in the net completely closes the air vessel when the beer in the
gauge-glass rises too high, and causes a stoppage or an uninjurious interruption of the
barrelling.
Furthermore, the apparatus is extremely simple has no complicated cocks and does
not require any inconvenient manipulations, so that inexperienced persons can readily
use it.
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 :-
First. An apparatus for barrelling beer and other aerated liquids, wherein the
counter pressure is obtained automatically and no special compressed air is employed,
characterized by a large air vessel B which possesses a valve adapted to be adjusted
to a counterpressure, and which can be connected by a pipe q with one or two barrels
to be filled, so that on opening the cocks appertaining thereto the air in the barrel
which is filled is forced from this barrel through the pipe q into the air vessel B, and
that the second barrel can receive the requisite counterpressure from this vessel.
Second. In the apparatus characterized in the first claiming clause a receptacle A
which is included in the beer pipe before the barrels to be filled, and is in connection
with the air vessel B through a pipe between the cock c and the cock y, so that when
the receptacle A is filled with beer and when the same is shut off from the barrels to

page_text: be filled the beer will force the air in the receptacle into the air vessel and establish
the first counterpressure in the same.
Third. In the apparatus characterized in the first claiming clause a faucet having
a beer cock which is in communication with the interior of the barrel through the
pipe m and the air cock p which communicates therewith through the intermediate
space between the pipe m and the cone 1, the cone 7 being provided with an india-
rubber cover for the purpose of enabling it to be inserted into the barrel to form a
tight joint.
Fourth. In the apparatus characterized in the first claiming clause a valve consisting
of an india-rubber ball in the gauge-glass included in the air pipe 7, whereby the
access of beer to the air vessel is precluded.
Dated this 25th day of November 1890.
'
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.