IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Specht, of the Firm of Specht, Ziese, & Co.,
Civil Engineers and Patent Agents, of Hamburg, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Specht, of the Firm of Specht, Ziese, & Co.,
Civil Engineers and Patent Agents, of Hamburg, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,
AND FOR PRESERVING THEM WHILST ON DRAUGHT." A. communication by
Karl Wilhelm Weissenborn, of Hamburg, Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Specht at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November 1880.
ALEXANDER SPECHT, of the Firm of Specht, Ziese, & Co., Civil Engineers and
Patent Agents, of Hamburg. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING
BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS, AND FOR PRESERVING THEM WHILST ON DRAUGHT."
[A communication by Karl Wilhelm Weissenborn, of Hamburg, Germany.]
This Invention consists in an apparatus by means of which fluids can be drawn
off without admitting the air, which apparatus is especially adapted for beer,
because in this case the contents of carbonic acid and the seasoning of the beer
remain unchanged or preserved, in consequence thereof the beer will not get stale,
even when remaining several days in this apparatus. Another advantage of this
apparatus, in comparison with the beer preserving apparatus working by means of
compression of air or carbonic acid, consists in employing pressure upon the beer
in the apparatus only, instead of in the barrel, and in maintaining the same pressure
from beginning to end. For this purpose the apparatus has first to be filled with
beer from a barrel, and as soon as the latter is emptied the communication between
the apparatus and barrel is disconnected or stopped. The beer in the apparatus is
now excluded totally from the air and can be drawn off by means of a very simple
mechanical contrivance at any height required.
The apparatus consists of a hollow cylinder enamelled inside, in which fits a
piston enamelled at the bottom, which piston is provided with an adjustable packing
of indiarubber and a small air valve. To the piston is connected a rack which
passes through a cross bar passing to the upper end of the cylinder.
This cross bar is intended to serve as a bearing for the shaft of a pinion gearing
into the rack, and as bearing for the shaft carrying a roller, which latter guides

page_text: the back of the rack. On the shaft are keyed two cog wheels acting in opposite
directions. This shaft serves also as a fulcrum for the lever, with a ratchet carrying
a moveable weight, and a detachable lever with a ratchet.
The jacket of the cylinder is provided with a ferrule close to the bottom, the
latter communicating by a glass tube with a drawing off cock. This ferrule is
combined with a cock or valve communicating by a hose or pipe with the filled
barrel from which the liquid is to be taken. The drawing off cock can either be
attached to the cask or jacket of the cylinder surrounding the apparatus, or may be
conducted to any other suitable place.
According to the different heights up to which the beer has to be pressed, so is
the weight adjustable on the first named lever. A screw on the ferrule, as well as
a flange at the bottom of the cylinder, are intended for cleaning the apparatus.
The operation is as follows:-
In order to fill the apparatus the piston is brought down to the bottom of the
cylinder, while the two ratchets being out of gear the cock or valve has to be
connected by means of a pipe or hose with the barrel which has to be emptied.
After this the second named ratchet is thrown into gear, and by moving the
detachable lever up and down the piston moves upwards, and the fluid enters the
cylinder. When the barrel is empty the cock must be closed, and the second-
named ratchet thrown out of gear; then the first ratchet is thrown into gear with
the first cog wheel, and by means of a weight on the lever the piston presses on
the fluid, which latter passes through the glass tube to the drawing off cock.
The controlling cock or the small air valve is opened for the escape of air which
might have entered the cylinder while filling, and is kept open until the fluid flows
over.
The apparatus can be totally emptied through the drawing off cock, and the
quantity drawn off may be registered on a scale to be marked on the rack.
According to the seasons the annular space between the apparatus and the
surrounding cask may be filled with ice or hot water.
The apparatus may also be employed with advantage for drawing off or lifting
of other fluids, especially wine and spirits, because no loss will happen, and access
to the atmosphere is prevented.
The apparatus may also be successfully used for drawing off petroleum or other
volatile oils, because it prevents the formation of explosive or combustible gas in
the apparatus, and allows the latter to be located in the cellar or other room
separate from the place the oil has to be drawn off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Specht in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May
1881.
ALEXANDER SPECHT, of the Firm of Specht, Ziese, & Co., Civil Engineers and
Patent Agents, of Hamburg. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING
BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS, AND FOR PRESERVING THEM WHILST ON DRAUGHT."
A communication by Karl Wilhelm Weissenborn, of Hamburg, Germany.
This Invention consists in an apparatus by means of which fluids can be drawn
off without admitting the air, which apparatus is especially adapted for beer,
because in this case the contents of carbonic acid, and the seasoning of the beer
remain unchanged, in consequence whereof the beer will not get stale, even when
remaining several days in this apparatus. Another advantage of this apparatus,
in comparison with the beer preserving apparatus working by means of compression
of air or carbonic acid, consists in employing pressure upon the beer, maintaining
the same pressure from beginning to end. For this purpose the apparatus has first
to be filled with beer from a barrel, and as soon as the latter is emptied the
communication between the apparatus and barrel is discontinued. The beer in the
apparatus is now excluded totally from the air, and can be drawn off by means of
a very simple mechanical contrivance at any height required.
In the accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate
like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation (one half a vertical section) of my Invention ;
Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, a vertical section of the same.
A is a hollow cylinder enamelled inside, in which fits a piston B enamelled at the
bottom, which piston is provided with an adjustable packing of india-rubber C and
a small air valve x.
A rack D is connected with the piston B which passes through a cross-bar E
fastened to the upper end of the cylinder. This cross bar is intended to serve as a
bearing for the shaft y of the pinion F gearing into the rack D, and as a bearing
for the shaft carrying the roller R, which latter guides the back of the rack.
On the shaft y are keyed two cog wheels Ğ, G', acting in opposite directions.
This shaft y serves also as fulcrum for the lever H with ratchet I carrying a
moveable weight Q, and the detachable lever H' with ratchet I'.
The jacket of the cylinder is provided with a ferrule M close to the bottom, the
latter communicating by a glass tube with the drawing off cock L.
The glass
tube may be arranged either inside the cask O as it is shown on the right hand
side construction of Figure 3, or outside as it is illustrated by the left hand side of
Figure 3. The ferrule M is combined with a cock or valve N communicating by a
hose or pipe with the filled barrel. The drawing off cock L can either be attached
to the cask O surrounding the apparatus, as shewn in the Drawings annexed, or
may be conducted to any other suitable place.
According to the different heights up to which the beer has to be pressed, the
weight is adjustable on the lever H.
The screw on the ferrule M, as well as the flange M at the bottom of the
cylinder is intended for cleaning the apparatus.
The operation is as follows:-In order to fill the apparatus the piston B is
brought down to the bottom of the cylinder A, the ratchets I and I¹ being out of
gear. The cock N has to be connected by means of a pipe or hose with the barrel
which has to be emptied. After this the ratchet P is thrown into gear, and by
moving the lever H¹ up and down the piston moves upward and the fluid enters
the cylinder. A. When the barrel is empty the cock N must be closed, and the
ratchet I' thrown out of gear; then the ratchet I is thrown into gear with the cog-.

page_text: wheel G, and by means of the weight Q on the lever H the piston presses on the
fluid, which latter passes though the glass tube to the cock L. The controlling
cock x is opened for the escape of air which might have entered the cylinder while
filling, and is kept open until the fluid flows over...
The apparatus can be totally emptied through the drawing off cock, and the
quantity drawn off may be registered on a scale to be marked on the rack. According
to the seasons the annular space between the apparatus and the surrounding cask
may be filled with ice or hot water.
The apparatus may also be employed with advantage for drawing off or lifting
other fluids, especially wine and spirits, because no loss will happen.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of my Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
1. In an apparatus for preserving beer or other liquids, the pressure contrivance
for drawing off the fluid without admitting the air, which contrivance is moved
downwards by means of levers with adjustable weights, and upwards by means of
levers or cranks worked by hand or machinery, substantially as specified.
2. In an apparatus for preserving beer or other liquids, the cylinder A with
piston B, the latter in combination with a rack D gearing in a pinion F, substantially
as herein set forth.
3. In an apparatus for preserving beer or other liquids the combination of a
rack D guided in a roller R with a pinion F keyed on the shaft y with two opposite
acting cog wheels G and G¹, substantially as and for the purpose as specified.
4. In an apparatus for preserving beer or other liquids the lever H carrying the
adjustable weight Q with ratchet I, and the lever H with ratchet I' in combination
with the opposite acting cog wheels G and G¹ keyed on the shaft y carrying the
pinion F which is journalled in the cross bar E, substantially as described.
5. In an apparatus for preserving beer or other liquids the ferrule M in combination
with the feed cock N and the drawing off cock L, substantially as described, and
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Specht, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ALEXANDER SPECHT. (L.S.)