CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
HICKS, of Old Burlington Street, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of February, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Hicks, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Robert Hicks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Robert Hicks, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR IMPREGNATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Robert Hicks, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court. of Chan-
cery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Robert Hicks, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
In the description of my "Improved Apparatus for Impregnating Liquids
with Gases," I will, in the first place, mention the vessel in which I generate or
disengage carbonic acid gas, and which I denominate "the generator." This
generator may vary in size, but must be manufactured of suitable materials, and
of sufficient strength for the purpose intended. Thus, the one I make use of is
a cast-iron cylinder an inch thick, two feet deep, and one foot diameter inside
measure, its upper and lower edges have flanges upon them two inches wide,
in addition to the substance of the cylinder, which has been turned to a face,
and together present a surface of about three inches; the top and bottom of
the said cylinder are also of cast iron, and are each one inch and a half thick,
and have their corresponding surfaces to the edges and flanges of the cylinder
turned so as to form a metallic fit between them; they are fastened on the
cylinder by screw, clamps; this outer cylinder is lined by a leaden one, closely
fitted to it, the seams of which are burned together instead of being soldered;
the edges both at top and bottom of this leaden cylinder are turned back so as
to overlap the flanges of the iron cylinder, and a leaden top and bottom are
laid over them of sufficient diameter to cover the flanges; then, on the outside
of them are placed the cast-iron top and bottom, which are drawn down close
upon the flanges of the cast-iron cylinder, with the leaden flanges above men-
tioned intervening, this is effected by the screw clamps before mentioned. Into
the upper third part of this generator is fitted a leaden cullender perforated
throughout with small holes, into which I put lumps of carbonate of lime for
the purpose of saturating any hydrohloric acid that might otherwise pass over
into "the receiver" with the carbonic acid gas, when that acid is made use of.
Into my generator I have "an agitator" fixed vertically, one end of its shaft
projecting through the center of the lid, and the other end sinking into a
leaden socket fastened to the centre of the bottom; on to the end of the shaft
of the agitator projecting through the lid or top is fixed a wrench handle. A
stuffing box is introduced into the hole in the centre of the lid or top for the
upper part of the shaft to work in. To one side of the shaft near to its
bottom or lower extremity is fixed a paddle board covered with lead, with its
face looking obliquely upwards, so that when the shaft is made to revolve (by
turning the handle) it may sweep up the carbonate of lime, or any other car-
bonate I might make use of; thus effectually mixing it with the acid employed
for generating or disengaging carbonic acid gas. The shaft and paddle board

page_text: of my agitator are constructed of wood. Connected to the generator is a small
glass pump packed with asbestos for pumping the hydrochloric acid into it.
The cylinder of the pump is about four inches and a half long, and an inch
and a half diameter inside measure; its ejection pipe passes into the lower part
of the generator, and conveys at each stroke of the pump about four ounces of
acid, and if the hydrochloric acid of commerce, sp. gr. 1,1060, is used (which
I use), about four hundred and eighty-five inches of carbonic acid gas will be
disengaged from the carbonate of lime by the action of the said four ounces of
hydrochloric acid thrown in by every full stroke of the pump. A presser
guage of ordinary construction is connected to the generator, its object will be
readily conceived by practical men, therefore explanation of its use and action
are rendered unnecessary. A leaden tap is introduced and securely fixed into
one side and near to the bottom of my generator for the purpose of drawing off
the chloride of calcium or muriate of lime or other residua, when in a fluid
state from time to time as may be required. My generator will contain about
nine gallons five pints and a half.
Having now sufficiently described the gas generator that I employ, I will
proceed to speak of the "receiver" that is connected thereto. This vessel con-
tains the water, common soda water, or other fluids, impregnated with carbonic
acid gas, and is connected to the generator by means of a leaden or other suit-
able pipe, which passes off from the upper part of the generator and enters the
receiver near to its bottom, terminating in a rose full of small holes, similar to
the rose upon the spout of a common watering pot. The receiver must be
manufactured of suitable materials, and of sufficient strength to bear the
pressure of from six to eight atmospheres or more; (thus) the one that I
employ is manufactured of cast iron lined with tin; it is of a cylindrical form,
with separate flat ends, constituting its top and bottom (as it stands on one
end); it is put together in the same manner as the generator, and is of the
same substance of metal, the tin lining or vessel being also connected to it in
the same way as the leaden vessel is to the generator, and the seams of its
cylinder being also burned together. My receiver is four feet deep and one
foot in diameter inside measuře, and holds nineteen gallons and three pints, or
thereabouts. A pressure guage is connected to it as well as to the generator.
A common force pump is attached to it, and is made use of to pump water or
other fluids, when employed; into it; the spout, or ejection pipe, of the said
pump terminating by a rose, similar to the one before described, except that
the holes in it are rather larger, and entering the receiver at its upper part, so
that the water or other fluids may shower down upon the gas when the pump
is in action. When five atmospheres of carbonic acid gas, more or less, as

page_text: may be intended, and indicated by the pressure guage, are allowed to pass into
the receiver from the generator aforesaid, I introduce the water or other fluid
that I may be making use of in the manner above explained, filling the vessel
with it two-thirds full, or less, as I may wish. In my receiver there is a
common wooden agitator fixed, one end of its shaft projecting into a socket
made of tin, and fastened on the inside and in the centre of its bottom, and
the other end of the shaft passing through a stuffing box which is fitted and
made secure in a hole in the centre of the top of the said receiver. On to the
extremity of the end of the shaft projecting through the stuffing box is fixed the
wrench handle for revolving the agitator when required.
The description of the receiver being finished, I will proceed to explain the
nature of my Invention appertaining to the "bottles" made for containing
aerated water, common soda water, or other fluids impregnated with carbonic
acid gas, or any other gas or gases. The bottles vary in size; may be manu-
fatured of glass or other suitable materials, constructed sufficiently stout for
resisting the pressure of the gas or gases contained in them. The bottles that
I make use of are of two different sizes; the larger are made of green glass,
the smaller of flint glass, white or coloured, and common green glass. The
larger hold about three gallons, and the smaller ones about ten ounces or half
a pint. The former I denominate "reservoir bottles," and the latter "portable
bottles." Both are constructed upon similar principles, but I have adopted
new combinations to make up or constitute these bottles which will be
explained in the sequel. The reservoir bottles, when made of glass, are of
a spherical form and very stout, the glass being nearly an inch thick in every
part of the globe of the bottles; but I propose to manufacture some of the
reservoir bottles of sheet iron, and to enamel their insides, in which case their
form may vary, but due regard must be had to their strength); in this case
I make them in two parts, with flanges, and interpose between them a leather
or other suitable washer, and pass bolts through them which are fastened by
screws or other suitable means. Tin vessels put together in the same way
might answer the purpose, or copper ones lined with tin in the same manner
as the receiver. The portable bottles, when made of green glass, are of the
same substance as the common soda water bottles, and of somewhat the same
form; but, when made of white glass they are thicker, and some of them are
of similar shape to the green glass ones, and others vary, inasmuch as they
have feet upon them, and are either of plain or cut glass.
In every variety of combination to make up these bottles (except when the
ordinary soda water bottles are made use of as hereinafter described) the
mouths of them are formed without lips or flanges, the orifices in the said

page_text: mouths are a little more only than three-eights of an inch in diameter, and the
aperture through the necks, until they reach the upper part of the bodies of
the bottles, are of the same diameter as near as possible. On the outside of
the mouths and necks coarse screws are formed, either by pressing them into
a mould while the metal or glass is hot, or by cutting them afterwards. To
these male screws, thus formed on the outside of the mouths and necks of the
bottles metallic caps are screwed on, having had corresponding female screws
cut into them. Just before screwing them on some recently melted shell lac
or other suitable cement is poured into them, by which means the caps are
well screwed over the mouths of the bottles.
In the first variety of combination for forming my bottles I will describe
the connection of taps for drawing off the contents of the bottles with the caps
above mentioned. They are made as follows:-The caps have holes made
through their centres nearly three-eights of an inch in diameter, which are
tapped with a screw tap throughout the whole length of their heads or solid
parts (about an inch in length), which stand above the screws that have been
cut in their lower or under parts for fastening them on to the bottles, and
which have already been noticed. Into the lower orifices of the female screws
that have been tapped through the heads or solid parts of the caps, tubes are
introduced, and are firmly screwed by corresponding male screws that havo
been cut upon one of their ends; this is done before the caps are cemented
over the tops of the bottles. These tubes pass through the orifices in the
mouths and the apertures in the necks of the bottles, and are of such length
as to reach nearly to their bottoms. Into the upper orifices of the female
screws, aforesaid, taps are firmly screwed by their corresponding male screws;
leather washers are put over the screws so that when the taps are screwed
into the caps they become compressed between the flanges of the taps at the
termination of their screws, and the flat tops of the caps thus forming close.
joints so as to prevent leakage at this part of the connection when the tap is
turned off. To my "reservoir bottles," with the taps affixed, as just described,
I have additionally a side screw pin (made of steel or silver) passing into one
side of the cap and intersecting the opening of communication in the said cap
between the tap and the tube, acting upon the principle of the screw-pin in the
portable gas-screw tap; in this case it is intended as a safety plug; also to
prevent leakage, which might possibly happen without such a safeguard. It
would, of course, be necessary, before turning on the tap for drawing off the
contents of the bottle, to open this valve by withdrawing the screw a little.
In my smaller portable bottles I have not adopted this arrangement, as I
only fill them when required for more immediate use.

page_text: I wish to state that, in the bottles I use under the arrangement just .de-
scribed, the caps are made of tin, and the taps are of the same metal, except
their keys, which are of brass, but covered with plates of silver in those parts
which revolve in the shells of the taps, as well as the orifices through the said
keys being lined also with silver tubes which are connected to the plates
aforesaid by means of silver solder. The tubes passing into the bottles are of
silver. The metallic parts of this arrangement of bottles might be entirely of
silver or of other suitable materials...
Having now described my arrangement in the connections of taps to the
bottles, it remains only to shew or explain how the said bottles are connected
to the receiver in order to fill them with aerated water, &c. From the bottom
of the receiver passes out a tube that is connected by a union joint or other-
wise to the tap of the reservoir bottles or that of the portable bottles when
the latter is filled from the receiver; this pipe, which is made of tin, has
a screw tap connected to it upon the principle of the portable gas screw tap
before mentioned, which was contrived some years ago, and is well understood
by engineers and other practical men; it is here used to prevent leakage from
the receiver when its contents are not being drawn into the bottles. There is
also connected to this said pipe another tap of ordinary construction, and is for
the purpose of drawing off the aerated water or other fluids from the receiver.
When this tap is in use the valve of the portable gas tap is open-and remains
open during the time of filling the bottles. Here ends my description of the
first variety of combination for forming my bottles.
My second variety, which I will now explain, is somewhat upon the same
principle as the first; I have, for instance, fitted into that part of the cap that
stands above the screw whereby it is united to the bottle, in the way before
mentioned, a conical plug, with its base downwards, which has a hole drilled up
its centre for half its length to meet a hole at right angles to it, drilled through
its side; and, corresponding to this last hole, there is one through the side of the
cap, which communicates with a tube screwed over it into the said cap that
forms a spout through which the aerated water or other fluids pass; this tube
or spout, after passing from the cap horizontally two or three inches, is bent
downwards at an angle of about forty-five, and terminates in a conical-shaped
extremity, with its base at the end, and about an inch long; thus forming an
open mouth for the reception of the end of the pipe, through which the bottle
is filled by the receiver, and into which also a corresponding tube connected to
the cap, covering the mouth of the portable bottle and forming its spout, is
inserted, when it is intended to fill the said portable bottle with aerated fluid of
any kind from the reservoir bottle. The upper part of the plug projecting

page_text: about three quarters of an inch above the top of the cap, has a screw cut
upon that part of it just above said cap, upon which a collar is screwed by a
corresponding female screw that has been cut in it; the object of this collar is
to prevent the plug from falling from its seat, when not maintained there by
the pressure of gas contained in the bottle (as, for instance, when the bottle is
empty). The apex of the plug is cube-shaped, over which is applied the cor-
responding hole in the key or wrench for turning the plug, so as to bring its
lateral hole in correspondence with that of the cap, when it is wished to draw
off the contents of the bottle, and in the contrary direction when it is desired
to cut off the supply. Under this arrangement, the tube that passes into the
bottle, nearly to its bottom, is screwed or fastened into the base of the plug
instead of being screwed into the cap, as under the former arrangement; and
all the metallic parts in this variety of combination for forming my bottle are
made of tin, except the plug, which is covered with a plate of silver; but I do
not confine myself to the employment of this metal, as there are other suitable
materials. It remains only to speak of the connection of the bottles in this
arrangement to the receiver, in order to fill them. A piece of tin or silver
pipe, with one end formed into a conical shape, so as to correspond with the
mouth at the end of the tube or spout of the reservoir bottle, into which it is
well fitted, is connected at the other end by the union joint that is already
partly attached to the pipe issuing from the receiver, and which pipe, in all its
parts, has already been fully described.
In my third variety of combination for forming bottles, conical plugs are
introduced into the caps above the screws that unite them to the tops of the
bottles, and form valves there opening inwards. The valves are kept closely
shut by the pressure of the gas in the bottles, when they contain aerated water,
or any other fluid impregnated with gas, and they are opened by depressing the:
conical plugs aforesaid, which have rods or wires attached to their apices, and
which pass upwards through holes in the centre of the caps that have stuffing-
boxes fixed in them, and afterwards terminate in buttons sufficiently strong to
bear the requisite pressure for overcoming that of the gas in the bottles upon
the basis of the said plugs. There are holes in the sides of the caps which
have free communication with the inside of the bottles when the plugs are
pushed down by pressing on the bottles aforesaid with the hand; this com-
munication takes place through the tubes that pass into the bottles nearly to
their bottoms, the upper ends of which screw into tin or silver plates, or plates
made of other suitable material, that rest upon the tops of the bottles. There
are small coils of wire, forming springs, passing round the rods above the tops
of the caps reaching to the buttons, by the elastic force of which the plugs are

page_text: maintained in their seats, when the aerated water or other gaseous fluids are
drawn off from the bottles. The tubes or spouts connected to the sides of the
caps are similar to those described in the former arrangement. The bottles
are connected to the receiver in order to be filled with aerated water, &c., in
the same way as under the former arrangement. The metallic parts of this
combination are tin, except the spring, which is iron plated with silver; other
suitable metals may be employed for the same purpose. The plugs or valves
that I employ under this arrangement are made of india-rubber; they may be.
made of silver, or other suitable materials.
"
In my fourth variety of combination for forming bottles, "cylindrical plugs
are introduced into the caps above their screws, uniting them to the bottles,
and form valves opening upwards or outwards; three-fourths of the length of
these plugs are situated above the side holes in the caps, and the lower fourth
of them projects below the said holes when the valves are shut; into the
bottoms of the plugs are attached pieces of leather, being fastened to them by
means of shell lac, or other cement, and when the said plugs are seated, which
is the case while the valves are shut, these said pieces of leather are pressed
upon the central holes in the tin plates or other suitable plates that rest upon
the tops of the bottles, and to which they are also cemented by shell lac, or
other cement. The tin plates just mentioned receive the tubes that descend
into the bottles in the same way as under the former arrangement. The
cylindrical plugs, besides having leather attached to their bottoms as above
mentioned, are also packed with leather in their middle parts to prevent leakage.
Upon the tops or over these plugs are placed springs formed of coils of stout
iron wire, which are enclosed in the upper parts of the caps by lids that screw
upon their tops. The elastic force of these stout springs is sufficient to maintain
the plugs or pistons in their seats when the bottles are charged with aerated
water, or other fluids impregnated with gas. The aforesaid plugs or pistons
are raised by means of levers, their long ends forming handles, and their short
ends, which are hooked-shaped, passing through holes in the sides of the caps,
lodged in nitches made in the plugs just above their piston parts. There are
projections cast on the sides of the caps, which have perpendicular fishures
or grooves made in them for the reception of those parts of the lever that
.form their fulcrums, which are fastened therein by pins. By depressing the
handles of the levers, the plugs or pistons are raised above the holes in the
sides of the caps, and the springs above become compressed between the tops
of the said plugs and the lids screwed on to the tops of the caps; the aerated
water and other fluids impregnated with gas or gases now escape through the
tubes in the bottles, and pass off through the tubes or spouts which are con-

page_text: nected to the sides of the caps in the same manner as under the former
arrangement. The connection between these bottles now fully described, and
the receiver for the purpose of charging them with the contents of the said
receiver, is made in the same manner as in the last arrangement. The
metallic parts of this combination of bottle are tin, the springs excepted, which
are iron. I do not confine myself, however, to tin, as some other materials
might be used.
I will lastly speak of that combination of bottle wherein I make use of the
common soda-water bottle. Into the mouth of this bottle a cork is introduced
for about half its length, the other half being screwed into a cap similar to
those which are screwed over the mouths of the bottles herein-before described.
Throughout the whole length of the cork, in its centre, a hole is perforated
large enough for the reception of a tin or other suitable tube about a quarter
of an inch in diameter. This tube has a flange at its lower end for supporting
the bottom of the cork, and at its upper end a nut is screwed over its mouth
resting upon the cork, thus together fastening the tube into the cork. Into
the lower orifice of this tube is screwed or otherwise fixed a piece of solid
tin, in which the seat of a conical valve is formed with its base downwards;
(or the tube itself may be formed out of solid tin or other suitable material
by boring it, and the seat of the valve may also be formed in it). This
valve may be constructed of silver or other suitable metal or of india-
rubber, or leather, or other suitable material. To the apex of the valve is
fastened to a wire, which passes upwards through the tube aforesaid, ter-
minating in a screw or otherwise upon which a small nut is placed. A spring
made of iron (plated with silver) or of other suitable material, encircles
the wire above mentioned from nearly the bottom to the top of the tube.
The lower end of the spring rests upon the top of the piece of metal in
which the seat of the valve is formed, and its upper end is confined
within the tube by the small nut aforesaid. Into the female screw of the
mouth of the cap a tin tube about two inches long is screwed or otherwise
fastened, through which a smaller tube or spindle passes, and is screwed or
fastened upon the wire, its upper end projecting two or three inches above the
larger tube. The object of this last-mentioned small tube or spindle is to
lengthen the wire connected with the valve so as to keep the mouth of the
bottle at a distance from the bottom of the glass while the contents of the
bottle are escaping, when the valve is opened by pressing the end of the small
tube or spindle upon the bottom of the glass. The fluid, escaping through the
valve, passes out between the tube and spindle of the valve into the glass or
other vessel receiving it, that being small to allow the fluid to pass. When

page_text: it is intended to fill the bottle, the tube and spindle just described must be
disconnected by unscrewing them, and an adopting piece must be screwed
or otherwise connected to the cap, with a mouth-piece similar to those of the
bottles already described, whereby it is attached to the mouths of the reservoir
bottles or receivers, as may be required. In the metallic parts of this com-
bination of bottle I do not confine myself to tin, as there are other suitable
materials that may be employed.
It is obvious that other modifications of combinations for forming bottles
upon similar principles to the foregoing might be mentioned, but I deem it
unnecessary to give further exemplifications of them, but I will, however,
describe another method of connecting the bottles for filling them, instead of
connecting them to the receiver in the ways already explained:-In some cases
instead of using the receiver I connect the suction pipe of a common force-
pump to an ordinary gas-holder containing the gas intended for use, and also
to a vessel containing water or other fluid by a branch pipe; on to these
bifurcated pipes I fix cocks for adjusting the proportions of gas and water
or other fluids. The ejection pipe, or spout of the pump, aforesaid is connected
to the bottles in a similar manner as the pipe from the receiver, which has
been already fully described. In other cases I attach the bifurcated pipe to
the ordinary pumps as used by publicans and others, whereby an extra quantity
of carbonic acid gas can be given to the ale, or beer, or other liquids so drawn.
I sometimes send out the carbonic acid in a liquid and gaseous form, in which
case I use a vessel of similar construction to the receiver, but stronger.
I claim, in the first place, the combination of the generator, receiver, and
bottles, all herein-before respectively described, by which combination I produce
"Certain Improvements in Apparatus for Impregnating Liquids with Gases,"
whereby they are manufactured and used with more facility and safety than
has heretofore been done; secondly, I claim the combinations which make up
the bottles herein-before described; thirdly, I claim the combinations which
make up vessels for containing carbonic acid in a liquid and gaseous state, and
which said vessels are portable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hicks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-three.
ROBERT (L.S.) HICKS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Eleventh day of August,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Robert Hicks came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Eleventh day of August, in the year above written.