Automatic Governor and Pressure Regulator for Steam Beer, Porter and other Malt Liquids that are to be Drawn under a High Pressure.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by CLEMENT JOHN SCHUSTER, of 30, Second Street,
San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Automatic Governor and Pressure Regulator for Steam Beer, Porter
and other Malt Liquids that are to be Drawn under a High
Pressure.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, 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 devices used for drawing malt liquors from a barrel
into a glass for immediate consumption, and the object thereof is to provide an
improved apparatus by means of which such liquors may be drawn quickly and
under any pressure without venting the barrel in which they are contained.
The word steam-beer in these specifications is used to designate a variety of
beer produced and consumed to a large extent in the State of California and other
commonwealths of the Pacific Coast of the United States of America. This beer
is made at all seasons of the year and is brewed for immediate use. It is somewhat
allied to lager beer, but differs from the latter kind chiefly in that it evolves an
enormous quantity of gas, part of which must be liberated before the beer generat-
ing it can be drawn, whereas lager beer, on the contrary, has not life enough of
its own and must be foamed, that is charged with air, soon after tapping the keg
or barrel which contains it, in order to render it potable. Hence the necessity of
following a very different process in drawing these two kinds of malt liquor, one
having a great natural power of effervescence while the other is lacking in this
respect. It is estimated that the average pressure in a barrel of steam beer
amounts to eighty pounds per square inch and often reaches as high as 110 lbs.
Were such beer drawn in the same way as lager, nothing but froth could be had.
The practice has therefore obtained, where steam-beer is retailed, to first vent or
steam the barrel containing the same, before dispensing it, the beer being
afterwards drawn directly from the barrel through a faucet the plug of which is
raised instead of being turned in order to break the force of the flow. The vent-
ing, if resorted to freely, liberates the beer-gas and lessens its pressure so that the
liquid can be had without trouble, but only one-half of it can be said to come out
of the barrel in a state at all fit to be drunk, the remainder becoming flat and
unsalable to a connoisseur. If, on the other hand, the venting be done sparingly,
there is so much foam coming out of the drawing off faucet that it becomes a very
tedious matter and involves a great loss of time and labor to draw even such a
small quantity as a glassful of beer. Even then the beer looses its strength
gradually as the gas is let out at the faucet, and the barrel is no sooner half
"
Dain Q17

page_text: emptied that its contents become lifeless and unpalatable. In either case, besides,
the last glassful cannot be had out of the barrel, as there is not enough pressure
at the bottom to cause the beer to run out of the faucet.
It is the aim of the present invention, seeing the difficulties above stated, which
are experienced with all effervescent malt liquors, to provide an apparatus that
will operate substantially as follows: first, to run out the liquor from the barrel
into a suitable fount in small quantities at a time, such as may be needed for
immediate use, without venting or "steaming," thereby keeping a full head of gas
inside the barrel and the liquor therein in its liveliest condition; second, to break
the pressure on the liquor thus drawn, outside the barrel, and only as the same
is required for consumption; third, to automatically vent the fount and maintain
the pressure at a given rate therein; and fourth, to preserve the liquor in the
fount at a low degree of temperature so it may be had therefrom in the best pos-
sible shape, that is to say neither too flat nor too foamy, but clear, cool, and sharp.
Referring now to the drawing hereto annexed,-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of apparatus of the kind here
referred to; Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing a row of beer barrels placed on a
rack ready to be connected with the said apparatus; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section
on the line of Fig. 1, looking downward; and Fig. 4 is a broken sectional
elevation of a small part of the apparatus, presenting a modification thereof.
The letter A represents steam-beer barrels, which are usually placed several in
a row upon a rack B located at any suitable spot about the room where the beer
is to be dispensed, for instance in a cellar underneath, or in some corner on the
room floor, as may be found convenient. These barrels are allowed to remain 24
hours or so on the rack before they are tapped, in order to give time to the yeast
which the beer contains to settle below the level of the faucet C with which each
barrel is furnished. No vent-holes need be provided in the barrels, as the like are
not to be used. But the beer having sufficiently settled, it is run directly from any
of the barrels into the governor and regulator, without venting or steaming,"
through a flexible pipe D, which has suitable couplings d d¹ for connection with
either of the faucets C and a metallic pipe E leading into the governing and
regulating apparatus.
This apparatus consists, first, of a casing F provided with a cut off valve where
the pipe E discharges, and second, of a fount G inclosed within a case or an ice-
chest and having a vent-hole automatically controlled by a float I and suitable
valves 2 2¹. The beer is drawn into the glass or pitcher through a faucet J after
passing through the casing F and fount G.
The pipe E is brought up to one side of the casing F and coupled with an
elbow e
discharging into the bottom thereof. Below the discharge end of the
elbow-pipe e is a valve f carried by a yoke or stirrup f having a pin that sup-
ports it in a suitable socket formed in a screw-plug 3 in the bottom of the casing.
The yoke f¹ has at its upper end a stem f* that passes through a flexible or movable
diaphragm laid across the casing and preferably secured between outward
flanges of the same. From the diaphragm the stem f* runs upward through
a tubular screw-cap engaging a screw-threaded opening f8 in the upper part
of the casing F. The stem is secured to the centre of the diaphragm by means of
nuts or plates fo f10 and is thus adapted to act jointly with said diaphragm and
partake of the latter's movements together with the yoke and valve carried thereby.
A spiral spring f1 coiled around the stem f' and set between the cap and the
upper plate determines the resistance that has to be overcome before the dia-
phragm and parts thereto connected are allowed to rise. This spring, it will be
understood, offers more or less resistance according to the way the screw-cap is
turned. If the cap be screwed down, the spring will be compressed and bear
proportionately upon the diaphragm through the upper plate f. If the cap be
screwed up or unscrewed, the spring will be relaxed and the pressure on the
diaphragm reduced accordingly. Whatever be the pressure, however, the dia-
phragm cannot be depressed below its normal level, as it bears upon the lower

page_text: under.
plate f, which is held up on the stem f* by the yoke f¹, pin ƒª, and plug ƒ³ there-
From the casing F the beer flows into the fount G through a side pipe g con-
necting said casing with said fount and passed through one side of the case H.
The fount consists preferably of a tin vessel of a cylindrical shape and is placed
in the case H in such a way as to be surrounded and covered with ice, if desired,
the case being made large enough and provided with a suitable metal lining h for
this purpose.
The beer enters the fount through a lateral opening near its
upper end and comes out on the opposite side through a similar opening to be
found a little above its bottom and into which is inserted the faucet J from the
corresponding side of the ice-chest H, the course being indicated by the arrows in
Fig. 1. Besides these openings g¹³ through which the beer passes, the fount is
further provided with a vent-hole in the center of its top 95 which is made remov-
able and is secured to the head by means of screws go and thumb-nuts g', as shown.
Small tubes gg are inserted into this vent-hole, one from above as at g³ and the
other from below as at g, both forming a continuous passage the ends of which
are controlled by the two valves i i¹ already referred to and which are preferably
united by a common stem 2ª. To the lower valve is attached a float I, which
keeps the upper valve i normally seated when the beer is low in the fount. This
float is usually made of cork or glass and is of a weight calculated to seat the upper
valve against a gas pressure of say 10 pounds, or more. Beyond that pressure the
gas may raise the valve i and depending float and escape outside into the ice-
chest through an air-hole go made in the side of a hollow screw gl running into
the end of a thimble g₁ the base of which is screwed into an annular flange g¹³.
formed on the upper side of the cover g of the fount G. But when raised by the
beer rising in the fount, the float unseats the upper valve i and seats instead the
lower valve, thereby closing the vent-hole and preventing the escape of gas in
that direction. The float is confined and guided in its vertical play within the
fount by means of a yoke or stirrup composed of screw-threaded rods g¹ secured to
the under side of the top g and united at their lower ends by a cross bar gl having
a central hole through which a pin projecting from the bottom of the float passes.
This yoke with the float therein and other parts located beneath the cover g³ are all
inclosed within a shield or tubular casing K secured to an under flange g₁e of said
cover. Side holes are made in the sides of this casing in order to allow the gas
in the fount to reach the vent-hole, and perforations are likewise provided in its
bottom so that the beer may rise to the float.
The pressure in the fount is indicated by a gage L connected therewith by a pipe
and placed on the outside of the case H where it can easily be seen. This gage
shows at a glance the state of the beer in the fount and enables one to regulate
the pressure therein to suit. The regulating is done through the agency of the
screw-cap which controls the tension of the spring f" upon the diaphragm f
in the upper part of the casing F in such a way as to close the valve f and cut off
the beer supply from the moment the pressure in the fount has reached the limit
determined upon, which is of course immediately indicated by the gage. The
gage goes as the cap is screwed. Thus, to break the pressure of the beer from the
barrel and reduce it down to a 30-lb. pressure when run into the fount the cap f
is screwed up or down until the gage indicates 30. It is never necessary to regu-
late under 30 or 35 lbs., as the beer can be drawn nicely under that pressure, at
an ordinary temperature. The adjustment is done very quickly and the beer can
therefore be drawn soon after the connections between the barrel and the apparatus
are made. The diaphragm, it will be understood, is raised by back pressure as
soon as the same is sufficient to overcome the resistance offered by the spring
under the cap, as determined by the gage, and operates to bring about a total or
partial closure of the cut-off valve according to circumstances, thereby stopping
more or less tightly the discharge end of the pipe and reducing or checking, as
the case may be, the flow of heer from the barrel for the time being, or until the
fount can vent itself through the automatically operated valves and is relieved of

page_text: part of its contents. Any tendency then of the pressure to increase in the fount
above a given rate causes a proportionate upward movement of the diaphragm and
cut-off valve and operates to diminish the area of the beer passage in the same
ratio. Contrariwise, a decrease in the pressure insures the fall of the diaphragm
and valve and enlarges the area of the beer passage. The pressure in the fount
is therefore almost constant and is soon equalized through the automatic vent
whenever disturbed. The effect of the automatic vent is to overcome an unneces-
sary amount of carbonic acid gas which accumulates in the top of the fount. This
gas, if not released, will cause the fount to become gas-bound and when the draw-
ing off faucet is turned on there will be nothing but a gas escape. The cause of
the gas accumulating is that the beer in the fount is put under a less pressure than
in the barrel and releases the gas in proportion as the pressure is decreased. If
the beer could be drawn from the fount at the same pressure under which it is in
the barrel, and the pressure or quantity were not kept back, there would be no
necessity of venting the fount, as the gas could not separate from the beer so
rapidly and in such volume as to fill the fount to the exclusion of the beer and
close up the valves. On the other hand, if the pressure in the fount were decreased
to almost nothing, by loosening the spring on the diaphragm and quickening the
action of the cut-off valve, the gas would immediately leave the beer upon enter-
ing the fount just as if it were in a glass and cause the vent to be continually
working while drawing through the faucet. The apparatus, it will be seen, can
be regulated so that fermenting beer may be drawn through it from a barrel of
100 lbs. pressure or over as flat and with no more foam than water, or it can be
regulated to draw sharp beer with as much of a foamy head as is required. There
are also other uses for the automatic vent. When the beer is first turned on, it
allows all the air to leave the fount, and when the barrel is empty, it allows the
gas to escape until the gage drops to a set pressure which shows that the barrel is
empty, before the fount itself has had time to be emptied. Connection may then
be established at once with another barrel before emptying the fount, so the new
beer will not strike the bottom of it. This prevents the yeast, which is an ingre-
dient that accumulates in the fount to a certain extent, from riling" or exciting
the beer, thus keeping the beer perfectly clear. The upper valve i acts as a blow-
off. Its only use is to keep enough gas or pressure on the beer to keep it from
becoming flat and souring when one barrel is emptied and another is not connected
on at once. If the upper valve were not there when the barrel would empty itself,
the float and under valve would drop and the gas from the barrel would pass
through the fount and vent and leave the remainder of the beer in the fount with-
out pressure. The result would be flat beer which would soon sour. Still, the
upper valve i may be dispensed with and the apparatus can be made to work well
without it. Now, if a higher pressure than 30 or 35 lbs. is desired in the fount, it
can readily be had by screwing down the cap more and further compressing
the spring upon the diaphragm so the latter will withstand a greater back pressure.
A high pressure in the fount is sometimes desirable, especially where it is wanted
to serve extra sharp beer. Such is the construction of the apparatus that it allows
the drawing of beer from the fount at an extraordinarily high pressure. Indeed,
it has been found that with a judicious use of ice, good and clear beer can be had
out of the fount even at a pressure of 60 pounds. The working of the cut-off
valve and the automatic vent are the same, whether the pressure in the fount be
high or low, and no matter what that pressure is the head of gas in the barrel is
preserved, the same exerting its power up to the last and decreasing only as the
barrel becomes empty. It is estimated that there still remains a pressure of 30
to 35 lbs. in the barrel after it is emptied. The pressure is therefore amply suffi-
cient to keep the beer sharp always and get the last drop of it out of the barrel, if
desired. This, it is thought, is the only apparatus devised so far that can thus
force the whole of the beer from a cellar, that is to say without the use of pumps
or special raising appliances. As the supply becomes exhausted the pressure drops
down in the fount and is quickly indicated by the gage, which thus shows how

page_text: soon a barrel should be replaced or connection established with another one as
already stated. This is a valuable and special feature of the apparatus.
The beer is drawn off the fount, as above mentioned, through the faucet J,
which is what is termed a high-pressure faucet, that is one adapted to draw the
beer in a solid state at a comparatively high pressure, say at any pressure between
10 and 60 lbs. This faucet has a plug movable vertically through the faucet
body. This plug is never turned when drawing the beer, but is slightly lifted or
raised from its seat so that the beer may flow out all around it and not come out in
a full stream. The flow being thus divided allows a greater surface of the liquid
to be aired and the beer drops into the glass clear as water with just enough foam
in it to form a nice crown on top of the glass.
The operation of the apparatus, it will be observed, is simple and is readily
understood by those using it, so that there is no occasion for its failing to work
satisfactorily under ordinary circumstances. There is nothing in this apparatus
to get out of order, should a case arise when the working is not what it is expected
to be and the ordinary attendant is unable to regulate it. In such case, all the
ordinary attendant is required to do is to stop the automatic vent by screwing
down the hollow screw g" so as to close the air-hole g, and the apparatus will
cease working until rearranged or reset by a person more familiar with its con-
struction.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in the construction and relative arrangement of
the valves controlling the vent-hole. As will be noticed, these two valves are
disconnected in Fig. 4, whereas they are joined by a common stem in Fig. 1.
Their functions remain, however, practically the same, the upper valve being
seated on the upper end of the tube and the lower valve ¹ finding a seat, when
raised by the float I, on the lower end of the tube go. But in the modification the
valve is permanently seated under normal conditions, being pressed down by a
spiral spring coiled around its upwardly-running stem and confined between
said valve and the hollow screw g". This spring takes the place of the float I, the
weight of which is depended on to keep down the valve i in the other construction.
The tension of said spring is regulated, as will be seen, by the screw g" and the
greater such tension the more pressure will the valve stand, but the venting is
effected automatically as in the other case. By preference, the air-hole g₁u in
Fig. 4 is made in the side of the thimble g rather than in the side of the screw gl
as in Fig. 1. The float in Fig. 4 has its separate stem, but in other respects is
constructed and works as hereinbefore described.
The case H may be made large enough to contain several founts, if desired. On
the other hand, two or more barrels can be connected with the same fount. By so
doing, the beer will be allowed to remain longer in each barrel, while being drawn,
and given time to generate more gas, so that each barrel will empty itself at a
higher pressure than if only one were tapped at a time. The two barrels then get
emptied together.
The cover g is purposely made of lesser diameter than the head of the fount, the
intention being to lessen the extent of pressure from within on the removable part
and thereby diminish the strain on its fastenings. Fewer screws are therefore
required, both on account of reduced size and reduced strain, and the cover is more
conveniently applied and removed. The kind of fastenings used for the cover also
makes it easier to put on and take off. Besides, one can handle it better, if crowded
for space, as is likely to be the case in many places, owing to the position of the
counters or stands where the apparatus is to be set up.
The apparatus as a whole is susceptible of much ornamentation and may be set
up in any approved style. Thus, for instance, it can be put behind marble or
finished with tile facing as taste or fancy may direct.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination of a fount capable of receiving liquor under pressure and

page_text: provided with an automatic valve for releasing part of the gas from the fount
when the liquor therein is below a certain level, means controlled by the liquor
for preventing the operation of the valve to release the gas after the liquor has
reached a certain level, a high-pressure faucet, and a regulator connected with the
source of supply allowing the liquor to flow into the fount while the faucet is
opened, substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for drawing off malt liquors under pressure, a fount capable
of receiving the liquor under pressure and provided with a float-operated valve that
will automatically release part of the gas from the fount when the liquor therein
is below a certain level and retain the gas in the fount when the beer is above a
certain level, the said valve being seated by the rising of its float, substantially as
described.
3. In an apparatus of the kind described the means for regulating the level of
the liquid in the fount between limits substantially as described with reference to
Figure 1 or to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. An apparatus for drawing off malt liquors under pressure constructed and
operating substantially as herein described.
Dated this 21st day of June 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.