Improvements in Vessels for the Transport, and Means for the Conservation of Effervescing Beverages therein.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1897-Accepted 12th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vessels for the Transport, and Means for the
Conservation of Effervescing Beverages therein.
We, ERNST MORITZ ECKARDT, of Dresden A., Manufacturer, and CHRISTIAN
FRIEDRICH LORENZ, of Dresden Blasewitz, Germany, Bank Director, 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 this invention the effervescing beverage for transport and keeping is placed in a
metal container the upper part of which is reduced and is there surrounded by a
pressure gas holder from which gas, carbonic acid gas for instance, is automatically
supplied to the beverage as required. The beverage container and the gas holder
are enclosed in a wooden cask like casing sufficiently large to provide, around and at
the bottom of the same, an intermediate space for cooling purposes. The casing.is
provided a little below its upper edge with a centrally apertured head or partition
upon the cover of which aperture is mounted the apparatus for the supply of gas to
the beverage.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section on line 1-1 of Fig. 3 of
the complete device of the invention. Fig. 2 a part vertical section on line 2-2. of
Fig. 3. Fig. 3 a top view. Fig. 4 a detail view of a cover fastening bolt in
connection with the head and cover. Fig. 5 shews a hand ring for use in carrying
the vessel.
g is the metal beverage container which for the purpose of preventing
oxidation and impurities consequent thereon is enamelled or tinned or otherwise
suitably coated inside, r the annular gas holder surrounding the reduced upper end
of the container g. h the wooden casing. x the intermediate cooling space. d the
apertured head or partition and a the cover adapted to be fastened over the aperture
in said head and against a metal ring bencircling said aperture, the fastening bolts a
being of a peculiar shape as shewn in Fig. 4.
c is a screw plug for opening and closing a discharge or cleaning aperture at the
bottom of the container g and e are similar screw plugs in the head d and in the
bottom of the wooden casing respectively for charging and emptying the cooling
space. hare hoops such as are usually employed for holding together the staves of
casks.
The gas holder which is attached to the cover a is provided with a tubular
attachment 1 by which it communicates with the two valves-a shut off valve and
an automatic gas pressure supply valve-of the gas supply apparatus. These valves
are located in a casing v, the shut off valve comprising a screw socket f turning
therein, a screw f¹ turning in the socket, and a membrane m, which latter closes
tight against a shoulder formed in the casing when the socket f is screwed down.
The screw may be turned in either direction to act upon the membrane m which
is located centrally over the pressure gas passage of the valve and is provided above
and underneath with strengthening collars, as shewn, having for object to render
easier and more positive the action of the screw f on the membrane m as also that
of the membrane on the pressure gas passage.
To shut off the gas flowing from the holder ", the screw f¹ is turned down about
half a turn whereby the membrane m is pressed down with its lower strengthening

page_text: collar or boss upon the end of the pressure gas supply passage and closes it. To
reopen the passage the screw f¹ is turned back correspondingly.
The gas holder is charged through a screwed sleeve fitted in the same and
passing through the head d adjacent to the valve which sleeve is closed by a solid
screw plug.
The automatic gas pressure supply valve connecting the gas holder with the
inside of the beverage container g comprises a lever mechanism which is actuated
by the pressure of the gas upon membranes. In this mechanism is a lever located
partly within and partly without the casing v and connecting the membranes m³, m²,
the former shutting of an inner space of the casing by means of a screwed head
which presses the edge of the same against a shoulder formed in the casing. This
membrane is shut off tight on the screw threaded part of the lever i by means of a
small screw nut taking against each side of the membrane which at the same time
serves as a movable adjuster of the lever i.
The central bore of the head k is large enough to afford the lever i the requisite
play. Inside the casing this lever is provided at its end with a block or valve body o
by which the bore of the adjustable screw n is set open or closed, this bore being
practically a continuation of the pressure gas passage before referred to. The outer
end of the lever is loose in the slide stud p which is firmly connected to the
membrane m³.
The pressure of the gas flowing into the beverage container g forces the
membrane m³ upwards the stud p then performing a like movement in the casing q
whereby the lever i so turns on the membrane m¹ as to press the valve body o upon
the bore of the screw n and thus cut off the supply of gas to the beverage container,
therefore the gas coming from the gas holder 7 can only reach, in the container g, a
certain and nearly constant density which acts upon the beverage therein, because
when some of this is drawn off the membrane m² will return and the valve body o
rise to permit the passage of precisely so much gas into the container g as will bring
sufficient pressure against the membrane m² to bulge it upwards and thereby the
valve body o downwards to close the bore of the screw n and completely cut off the
admission of gas.
u (Fig. 2) is the tube by which the beverage rises from the lower part of the con-
tainer g to be drawn off as required through a discharge tube y (Figs. 2, 3) which
is slightly inclined to prevent any of the beverage remaining therein and spoiling.
The beverage is turned on and off by means of a screw ' the lower end of which is
furnished with an elastic packing for taking against the top end of or against the
outlet of the tube u. The tube y is made in two parts one of which may be slid
telescopically upon the other so that when in transit no part of the tube need project
beyond the wooden casing h. The unauthorised opening out of the tube may be
guarded against by sticking a suitable label to the two parts.
As shewn in Fig. 4 the screw bolts 8, by which the cover a is attached to the head d,
instead of having the usual head, are formed with bent ends which are introduced
into corresponding holes in the ring band may be removed therefrom after loosening,
but without it being necessary to remove the nuts which in this way cannot be
exchanged or lost, and a very simple, durable, and safe fastening is obtained.
To facilitate the removal of the apparatus from one place to another any suitable
number of hand rings t (Fig. 5) may be provided to engage with a like number of
hooks z fixed inside the upper part of the wooden casing h.
2
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. In a vessel for the transport and conservation of effervescing beverages with
means for automatically supplying pressure gas to the beverage therein, the beverage
container g and the gas holder r enclosed in a wooden casing h so as to provide an
intermediate cooling space, said gas holder surrounding in the form of a ring the
upper part of the beverage container which is closed by a cover on which are carried
shut off and regulating valve apparatus, by which direct communication is established

page_text: between the beverage container and the gas holder, for the purpose specified,
substantially as described and shewn.
2. In the automatic gas supply or regulating valve referred to, the lever i which
in conjunction with the membranes m³, m², regulates the pressure of the gas within
the beverage container and is mounted so as to project outwards beyond the
casing v, for the purpose specified, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a vessel of the kind described a shut off valve which is in direct communi-
cation with the gas supply or regulating valve and by which the gas is shut off by
means of a screw socket f, a membrane held fixed in the valve casing at its circum-
ferential edge by said screw socket, and a screw adapted to be turned in the screw
socket and shut off the gas by pressing the membrane against the gas orifice,
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 13th day of November 1897.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.