Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Maturing and Improving Fermented Alcoholic Liquids, applicable also for Oxidising Oleaginous and other Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 20th day of March 1893, allowed,
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c Act, 1883,
Specification.
au Amendment of this
Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Maturing and Improving
Fermented Alcoholic Liquids, applicable also for Oxidising
Oleaginous and other Liquids.
I, WILLIAM SAINT MARTIN, of 7 Boulevard Beau Séjour Passy, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Certain liquids prepared industrially, and, in general, fermented alcoholic and
oleaginous liquids, cannot be obtained in a pure state, notwithstanding the improve-
ments that have been applied to the manufacture and purification; they are always
mixed with a large and varying quantity of aldehydes, essential oils and other
organic compounds having an unpleasant taste and being very prejudicial to the
health of the consumer.
Many attempts have been made up to the present to improve the quality of these
products, and particularly brandies, wines, beers, oils, etc., but none of these methods
have realised, in a practical manner, the proposed object.
A fractional distillation causes a considerable loss of alcohol, without entirely
eliminating the injurious bodies above mentioned.
The methods of treating liquids by an electric current are slow and costly.
The apparatus forming the object of the present invention is not only applicable
to alcoholic liquids, but to all other liquids which it is proposed to submit to an
energetic oxydation.
It is known that the substances which give to alcohol this unpleasant taste are
composed of aldehydes, oils and ethers of special composition. Now it is proposed
by the present invention, to destroy these substances by oxydating them by simply
passing them through my apparatus. Moreover oxygen and ozone favour the
developement of aroma in liquids.
In this manner I am enabled to purify these liquids with great rapidity and,
above all, with great efficiency, the oxygen employed being changed into ozone,
either before mixture with the liquid to be treated, or during the passage of the
mixture in the apparatus, in manner hereinafter more fully explained.
In order to transform the oxygen into ozone in the midst of the liquid being
treated, I convey the mixture under great pressure into the apparatus, and I so
divide the particles that the oxygen, suddenly expanding, and under the action of
a violent shock, developes a large quantity of electricity, and is transformed into
ozone, which, owing to the extreme division of the liquid, acts upon it in all its
parts and destroys all the injurious substances aforesaid.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
.
Figure 1 represents a side view of my apparatus partly in section.

page_text: gure shows a plan of same.
Figure 4 shows in detail a grate with metallic cloth.
Figure 5 shows an injector as applied to my apparatus.
Figure 6 gives the details of a spray diffuser according to my system.
The liquid to be treated is placed in a receiver or barrel A, whence it passes into
a coil Ɑ, which acts to cool or heat it, according to the nature of the liquid being
treated. It then runs into an injector F shown in Figure 5, where it is mixed with
a certain quantity of oxygen or ozone.
This gas under high pressure is contained in a reservoir or metallic bottle B,
whence it passes into a regulator b, into an expansion chamber C, into a meter D,
and into a washing vessel E, and arrives in the injector F either directly by the
tube e, or, after having traversed an ozonising apparatus f, where, under the action
of an electric current coming from a battery, it is transformed partly into ozone.
The gas penetrates into the injector Fin through the orifices arranged around the
end of the tube 2, the end of which is closed. It thus penetrates perpendicularly
into all parts of the liquid, and the mixture or emulsion thus obtained passes
through a sieve f3 having very small openings which help.to intimately mix the
two fluids at the same time retaining the impurities which may be in the liquid
being treated.
From there the mixture passes to the pump G which drives it back into a
reservoir H furnished with a manometer, and from there into a spray diffuser I,
where the oxydation, properly so called, of the liquid takes place.
This receiver I, see Figure 6, is formed of a cylindrical drum, the two ends of
which are made of discs of thick glass, allowing the operations carried on within to
be seen from the exterior.
The mixture of liquid and oxygen or ozone enters this drum by a tube i, which
divides into two branches, each of which is bent back at right angles, and has at
its extremity a point, the mouth of which 1, of very small section, allows a very
small jet of fluid to pass, which, consequent on the great pressure to which it is
subjected, escapes with great violence.
The two mouths are placed exactly in relation to each other at a very slight
distance, but variable according to the nature of the liquid to be treated.
It can be readily understood that the force of the two jets of liquid coming
together, the shock is extremely violent, and the infinitely fine spray which holds
the oxygen in suspension, is thrown in all directions. The same shock determines
also the production of a considerable quantity of electricity and the oxygen under
the action of the electricity is cooled, and strongly and briskly changes in a large
proportion into ozone which acts upon the oxydizable products of the liquid to
oxydate them.
One of the two points i¹, the one to the left in Figure 6, can be replaced at
pleasure in the direction of its axis by means of gearing worked from the exterior
by the screw 11.
The liquid after having thus been submitted to a perfect spray diffusion, and to
the action of the ozone, flows away into a column J furnished with three stages of
sieves, allowing the oxygen and ozone always to be maintained in emulsion.
At the top of the column J, the liquid falls on to the first sieve, which is
constructed as represented at Figure 4.
These sieves form small drops which fall in the form of fine rain as far as the
middle sieve, where a new current of oxygen or of ozone mixes with them.
Figure shows a section through the centre of this sieve.
A wire gauzej, which receives the liquid in the form of rain falling from the
stage above, causes it to be very finely divided.
The oxygen or ozone penetrates through a tube made in the form of a ring,
and pierced upon its entire circumference with holes, through which the gas escapes
and mixes with the liquid. This mixture falls upon a sieve k and thence, in the
form of fine rain, to the base of the column, where a fresh quantity of oxygen or
ozone is injected by the tube ; a pump K forces the mixture to the base of a

page_text: large reservoir L, in which the liquid is finally cleared of the gascous or volatile
products, which are formed in the oxidating reactions. For this purpose the top of
this reservoir L is placed in communication with a receiver M, in which there is a
vacuum caused by the pump N.
To enable the apparatus to be worked continually I arrange two of these
reservoirs L, which enable me to empty one while the other is being filled with
liquid.
The liquid thus oxidated is collected in a receiver O, which is itself in communi-
cation, by means of the pipe o, with the vacuum pump, which causes, in a continuous
manner, the removal of the volatile products formed by the oxidation of the
injurious bodies, and the oxygen which is in excess. It will be understood that the
form or the dimensions, as well as the arrangement, of the different receivers or
organs in relation to one another, may differ from those I have shown as
examples in the drawings without departing from the peculiar character of my
invention.
The injector F and the spray diffuser I are the parts which are essentially new
and which in addition to the industrial result above described obtained by the
treatment of liquids with oxygen enables me to mix very intimately liquids which
have hitherto been very difficult to mix by ordinary known means. I would
mention particularly the mixing of wines and spirits which has never hitherto
been perfectly accomplished, but which I am enabled to do in an absolutely efficient
manner.
Dated his Dond day of Dasombow 1901
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Maturing and Improving
Fermented Alcoholic Liquids, applicable also for Oxidising
Oleaginous and other Liquids.
I, WILLIAM SAINT-MARTIN, of 7 Boulevard Beau Séjour, Passy, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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:-
It is known that fermented, alcoholic or oleaginous liquids cannot be obtained in
a state of purity whatever may be the care used in the process of manufacture or
purification; they are always mixed with a varying quantity of aldehydes,
essential oils and other organic compounds of a dangerous character and
disagreeable flavour.
It is also well known that the substances which communicate their unpleasant
taste to alcohol are composed of aldehydes, oils and ethers of special composition.
My system, which may be applied to any liquid requiring to be oxidated
energetically, has for its object to destroy these substances by oxidating them by
simply passing them through the improved apparatus, in which this the liquid,
being finely divided, is subjected to the action of oxygen or ozone which also in some
cases favor the development of the aroma of liquids.
In this manner I am enabled to purify these liquids with great rapidity and
above all with great efficiency, the oxygen employed being changed into ozone
either before mixture with the liquid to be treated or during the passage of the
mixture of oxygen and liquid through the apparatus, in manner hereinafter more
fully explained.
In order to-transform-the-oxygen into ozone in the midst of the liquid being
treated, I convey the mixture under great pressure into the apparatus, and I so
divide the particles that the oxygen, by suddenly expanding and under the action

page_text: ed-inte
of-a-violенt-Shock; develops a large quantity & electricity and 15-transtorn
ozone, which, owing to the extreme division of the liquid, nets-upon-it-in-all-its
parts and destroys-all-the-injurious substances aforesaid.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal elevation partly in section and Figure 14 a
plan of my apparatus.
Figure 2 shows an end elevation.
Figure 3 represents, in section drawn to a larger scale, the arrangement for
finely dividing the liquid.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of an injector as applied to my apparatus.
Figures 5 and 6 show in elevation two slight modifications in the arrangement of
the apparatus.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
The liquid to be treated is placed in a receiver or barrel a, whence it passes into
a coil a', which serves to cool or to heat it according to the nature of the liquid
under treatment, as shown in Figure 1. It then runs into an injector b, shown in
vertical section at Figure 4, where it is mixed with a certain quantity of oxygen
or ozone.
This gas, under very high pressure, is contained in a reservoir or metallic
bottle c, whence it passes into a regulator c, into an expansion chamber c³, into
a meter c³, and into a washing vessel c, and arrives in the injector b, either
directly by the tube d or after having traversed an ozoning apparatus e, where,
under the action of an electric current coming from a battery e¹, it is partly
transformed into ozone.
The
gas
enters the injector b, Figure 7 4, through orifices arranged around the
circumference of a tube 1, the end of which is closed. It also thus penetrates
perpendicularly into all parts of the liquid, and the mixture or-emulsion thus
obtained passes through a sieve 62 having very small openings, which also helps to
intimately mix the two fluids, at the same time retaining the impurities which may
be in the liquid being treated.
From there the mixture passes to the pump which drives it into a pressure
reservoir g furnished with a manometer, and thence into a spray diffuser (Figure 3)
where the oxidation, properly so called. of the liquid takes place.
This spray diffuser (see Figure 3) is formed of a cylindrical drum h, the two
ends of which are made of discs of thick glass, which allows the operations
carried on within to be seen from the exterior.
The mixture of liquid and oxygen or ozone enters this drum by a tube i, which
divides into two branches, each of which is bent back at right angles and has at
its extremity a nipple of very small section, which allows a very small jet of fluid
to pass with great pressure.
The two mouths are placed exactly opposite to each other at a very slight
distance, but capable of being varied by a screw 2, according to the nature of the
liquid to be treated.
It will be readily understood that, the force of the two jets of liquid coming
together, the shock is extremely violent and the infinitely exceedingly fine spray
which holds intermingles intimately with the oxygen in suspension is thrown in all
directions.
The same shock probably determines also the production of a considerable
quantity of electricity, and the oxygen, under the nation of the electricity, is
cooled-und-strongly and briskly is transformed in a large proportion into ozone,
which acts upon the products of the liquid capable of being oxidized.
The liquid, after having thus been submitted to a perfect spray diffusion and to
the action of the ozone, flows away into the receiver & provided with interruptions
or baffle plates allowing the oxygen and ozone always to be maintained in emulsion
intimate mixture with the liquid.

page_text: In the arrangement shown at Figure 1, the receiver k has the form of a tower,
which is provided in the interior with perforated partitions; it receives, by the
tube and about the middle, a new current of oxygen or ozone, which mixes with
the liquid.
The tube which conducts this current, is bent into the form of a ring and
pierced around its entire circumference with holes, through which the gas escapes
to mix with the liquid, and this mixture falls upon a perforated partition and
thence, in the form of fine rain, to the base of the column, where a fresh quantity
of oxygen or ozone is injected by the tube k², and whence a pump forces the
mixture to the base of a large reservoir m, in which the liquid is finally cleared of
the gaseous or volatile products which are formed in the oxidating re-actions.
For this purpose the top of this reservoir is placed in communication with a
receiver n in which a vacuum is created by means of the pump n².
To enable the apparatus to be worked continuously I arrange two of these
reservoirs m, which enables me to empty one while the other is being filled with
liquid.
The liquid thus oxidated is collected in a receiver o, which is itself in communi-
cation, by means of a pipe o¹ and the receiver a, with the vacuum pump, which
causes, in a continuous manner, the removal of the volatile products formed by the
oxidation of the injurious bodies and the oxygen which is in excess.
As is shown at Figures 5 and 6 my apparatus is capable of various modifications,
resulting from the suppression of certain organs, which suppression is permitted by
the nature of the liquid under treatment; thus in Figure 5 the liquid to be treated
is sent direct from the receiver a into the pressure chamber by the pumps f,
thence into the spray producing apparatus, into the receiver k and into the
receiver o, where it is collected as just described.
Also in this simplified arrangement of my apparatus, the oxygen from the
bottle c passes directly from the expansion chamber to the washer c' and to the
spray producing apparatus h.
Figure 6 shows how I can apply a vacuum to my apparatus; is the vacuum
pump, which is in communication with a vacuum chamber p'; this chamber is in
communication, firstly, with the receiver k by the pipe to draw off the ethers
which are disengaged from the liquid in this receiver, and secondly, with the
receiver o by the pipes and the screw plugs to cause a vacuum in this chamber.
The injector and the spray diffuser are the parts which are essentially new
and which, in addition to the industrial result above described obtained by the
treatment of liquids with oxygen, enable me to mix very intimately liquids which
have hitherto been very difficult to mix by ordinary known means. I would
mention particularly the mixing of wines and spirits, which has never hitherto
been perfectly accomplished but which I am enabled to do in an absolutely
efficient manner.
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 :-
:-
1. An apparatus, for maturing and improving fermented, alcoholic and oleaginous
liquids, formed by the combination of a spray. producing apparatus and the
intermediate receivers k, m, n, through which passes the liquid to be treated, and
in which it is intimately mixed with oxygen or ozone for the purpose of destroying,
by oxidation, certain injurious products, all substantially as herein described.
2. The application in the apparatus above claimed, of a new arrangement of
injector, in which the gaseous current is caused to arrive normally in at right angles
to the direction of the liquid, with the object of producing an intimate mixture of
the two fluids, substantially as described.
3. In a system of apparatus for treating liquid by oxygen or ozone, a spray
diffuser for the liquid formed of two fittings or nipples placed in a line with or
facing each other, and allowing fine jets of a mixture of gas and liquid to escape,

page_text: which, by meeting each other, cause the whole of the mixture to be turned into
spray and to-be-transformed into a veritable emulsion, intimately mingled as herein
described.
4. The arrangement of apparatus for the treatment of liquids by oxygen or
ozone, consisting of a pressure chamber, where the liquid to be treated is
compressed, of a spray diffuser h, where the liquid in the form of fine spray is
mixed with the oxygen or ozone, and of a receiver k, where the treatment is
finished, in combination with a reservoir e of oxygen under pressure with its
expanding chamber c² and a washer c', as described with reference to Figure 5.
5. The application to the apparatus above claimed, of a pump and vacuum
chamber producing a vacuum in a reception chamber o and drawing off the
gases disengaged in the chamber k, as described with reference to Figure 6.
6. The peculiar arrangement and combination of apparatus substantially as
herein described and for the purposes stated.
Dated this 8th day of September 1892
WM. ST. MARTIN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
WM. ST. MARTIN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.