Im- IN INSTRUMENTS FOR TESTING THE ALCOHOLIC STRENGTHS OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Im-
IN INSTRUMENTS FOR TESTING THE ALCOHOLIC STRENGTHS OF
LIQUIDS." A communication from abroad by Miss Marie Euphrosyne
Elizabeth Brossard-Vidal and Mr. Alexandre Auguste Napoléon Patte,
Optician, both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 2nd February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1861.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR TESTING THE ALCOHOLIC STRENGTHS OF
LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved alcohol meter or spirit meter for
ascertaining the alcoholic strength of liquids. The principle of construction
of this alcohometer is based on the law that the ebullition of spirituous
liquids takes place at a lesser temperature inversely according to their alcoholic
strength or richness, whatever may be their density or the substances they

page_text: contain in solution (provided they are not saturated) or the mixture to which
they are submitted to change the apparent quality.
This alcohometer is composed of a thermometer having a bent stem, such
as in maximum and minimum thermometers, the reservoir of which is
immersed in the vessel containing the spirit to be tested, which is put in
ebullition by means of a spirit lamp. It will be understood, that in observing
the temperature of ebullition of this liquid, and in comparing it with the
temperature of ebullition of pure water and of absolute alcohol, the alcoholic
strength will be ascertained. In order to compare the temperatures of
ebullition, I place parallel with the stem of the thermometer a scale suitably
graduated, which can be moved at will, in order to place the zero of this
scale at the point indicated by the mercury as the boiling point of distilled
water, then by observing on the scale the points indicated by the mercury
as the boiling points of the different alcoholic liquids, their relative alcoholic
strengths or richness will be ascertained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR TESTING THE ALCOHOLIC STRENGTHS OF
LIQUIDS," a communication from abroad by Miss Marie Euphrosyne Elizabeth
Brossard-Vidal & Mr. Alexandre Auguste Napoléon Patte, Optician, both of

page_text: 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I
the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improved ebullioscope, or instrument for
ascertaining the alcoholic strength of liquids. This apparatus is represented
in the annexed Drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the thermo-
meter; Fig. 2, an elevation of the heater, in which are placed the spirit
lamp and boiler; Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the boiler, and Fig. 4, a side
view of the spirit lamp. In these Figures the same letters of reference repre-
sent the same parts seen in different positions.
a, thermometer with a bent stem, placed in a horizontal or inclined position;
6, reservoir of the thermometer; c, supplementary reservoir; d, copper socket
for receiving the recipient 6 of the thermometer; e, cover of the boiler, on
which the thermometer is fixed; f, hook for fastening the cover on the boiler
by means of a bayonet joint; 9, graduated scale for indicating the degree of
alcoholic strength; h, knob for changing the position of the scale g; i, plate'
on which the thermometer is fixed, & on which the scale slides; ;, marker,
indicating the degree shown by the thermometer; k, k, small rings for
attaching the thermometer to the plate i; 1, cork plug, for securing the
thermometer in socket d; m, heater, containing the spirit lamp; n, door at
which the lamp is introduced; o, cylindrical part for receiving the boiler;
p, boiler; q, cylindrical part, on which is placed the cover that is fixed to the
thermometer; r, handle of boiler; s, spirit lamp; t, handle of spirit lamp;
u, cover of said lamp; v, foot or support of the ebullioscope; x, overflow of the
boiler. The whole being arranged as described and represented in the Drawings.
The following is the method of ascertaining the alcoholic strength of a liquid.
The principle of the apparatus is based on the fact that the ebullition of
spirituous liquids takes place at a temperature in an inverse relation to their
richness in alcohol, whatever may be their density or the substances they may
hold in solution or suspension. The liquid to be experimented on is placed

page_text: in the boiler, which is of small size and of cylindrical form, similar to those
The said liquid is then
employed for graduating ordinary thermometers.
heated to ebullition by means of the spirit lamp, and the marker placed at
the part where the mercury stops at boiling point, this instrument being
previously graduated in such manner that the degree indicated by the marker
determines the alcoholic strength of the liquid. The thermometer employed
is bent at right angles like ordinary maximum and minimum thermometers,
and for the purpose of shortening the stem a supplementary reservoir is
adapted above the other reservoir for receiving the mercury, the dilatation of
which takes place, & is indicated at the required moment.
Before commencing the operation, the following precaution should be taken,
namely, as the boiling point is to be compared with that of water, and as the
latter varies with the amount of atmospheric pressure, an experiment should
previously be made with distilled water, and then adjusting the scale by means
of knobs h, so that the zero of the scale corresponds to the point at which the
mercury stops when the pure water has reached boiling point.
By means of this instrument may be ascertained, first, the alcoholic
strength of a liquid; secondly, the amount of sugar or salt therein contained;
and, thirdly, the augmentation of volume consequent on such matters being
held in solution.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination and
arrangement of parts constituting the improved ebullioscope, herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings, applied for the purposes before
mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
dood and civty-one