Improvements in and in Means or Apparatus for Filtering and Bottling Beer and other Liquids,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
Improvements in and in Means or Apparatus for Filtering and
Bottling Beer and other Liquids,
We, FRANK FAULKNER, of The Laboratory, Bath Row, Edgbaston, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Consulting Brewer, JAMES EDWARD JOHNSON
JOHNSON, F.I.C., F.C.S., of Crown Works, Marsh Gate Lane, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Manufacturing Chemist, and THE NON-DEPOSIT BEER COMPANY
LIMITED, N.D.B. Works, 69A, Bath Row, Edgbaston, Birmingham aforesaid, 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:-
In order to facilitate the filtration of beers and other liquids that are filtered
under pressure of air or other gas, and to control the extent of beer fobbing i.e.
frothing, when filtering beer, and enable the filling of bottles or other receptacles
(hereinafter called bottles) to be effected in a more or less automatic manner, the
filtered liquid on reaching the delivery side of a bottle filling cylinder is, according
to. this invention, met by a counter-pressure of air or gas, preferably of carbon
dioxide, the counter-pressure being equal say to about three-quarters of 'an
atmosphere and the direct pressure to say about one, or one and one half atmo-
spheres. To enable this method of filtering and bottling under pressure to be
carried out successfully, there is employed a bottling machine provided with two
cylinders one of which, viz., the first or filling cylinder, is fitted with a base valve,
for example a ball valve, for regulating the entry of beer to the cylinder, the second
cylinder being used as a counter-pressure gasometer that enables the operating
bottler to rapidly alter the normal counter-pressure at will.
This duplicate arrangement of cylinders is specially adapted for bottling beers
or other liquids (hereinafter referred to as beer) that are highly charged or super-
saturated with gas.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying illustrative drawings show respectively in
end elevation and cross section, a filter. Fig. 3 shows in front elevation, a.con-
struction of bottle filling machine embodying this invention and suitable for use
with the filter shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The filtering material preferably consists of compressed blocks or plates 1 of
pulped cellulose, or a mixture of pulped cellulose and asbestos, held in place in an
ordinary manner between plates 2 and 3 that are respectively formed with small
and large perforations, the combined blocks or plates 1 of fitering material
and the supporting plates 2 and 3 therefor, being fixed in place within a suitable
casing 4 that is provided with an inlet pipe 5 for the beer to be filtered and with
an outlet pipe 6 for the filtered beer. When a mixture of cellulose and asbestos
is used, suitable proportions are 90 parts by weight of cellulose to 10 parts by
weight of asbestos, but the proportions can be varied. In the example shown, the
inlet pipe 5 is formed by a hollow trunnion that is connected to the central space 4ª
between the plates, and to a pipe 6" that is provided with a valvė 7 and a glass
vessel 8 having a pressure gauge 8" and is connected to a supply pipe 9 for con-
nection to a cask or other vessel from which the beer to be filtered and bottled is

page_text: forced by gaseous or other pressure. 10 are vent cocks. The outlet pipe 6
is connected by the branched passage 11 with the end compartments 12, 12ª of
the filter case 4 and by a flexible pipe 13 to the lower end of a filling cylinder 14
that is in connection through a cross pipe 15 and common longitudinal pipe 16 with
a number of filling nozzles 17 of a bottle filling machine, the said nozzles being
each formed with a circumferential opening or openings controlled by a tap or
other valve 17 and through which beer can escape and descend along the inner
surface of the bottle to be filled (when the bottling tap is opened), and with a
central outlet pipe 18 through which air can escape from the bottle whilst the
same is being filled with beer, as in bottling machines of known construction.
According to this invention the several outlet pipes 18 extend to the upper part
of the cylinder 14 which is connected to a second cylinder 19 provided at 20 with
an outlet normally closed by a valve 21 that is pressed against its seat by a
suitably weighted lever. 22, both cylinders, which may be of glass, or of metal with
gauge glasses, being provided with pressure gauges 23. The movable bottle
supports 24 and the means for carrying and operating the same, are of known
construction.
.
With the arrangement described it will be seen that if the supply and delivery
pipes 9 and 6 of the filter be connected respectively with a cask containing beer
under gaseous pressure and the bottle filling machine, and the valve 7 be opened,
then as the air cannot readily escape from the cylinders 14 and 19 of the bottle
filling machine, such air will set up a counter-pressure to the direct pressure of the
beer passing through the filter, and also to that of the beer entering a bottle that
is being filled, whereby the filtering and filling operations are enabled to be carried
out in a more advantageous manner than heretofore, the extent of such counter-
pressure being capable of ready regulation, to suit requirement, by merely adjusting
the position of the weight on the lever 22.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. In the filtration of beer or other liquid that is filtered under pressure and is
highly charged with gas, subjecting the beer or other liquid on the delivery side of
the filter to a considerable counter-pressure, substantially as herein described for
the purposes specified.
2. In apparatus of the kind herein described for bottling beer or other liquid
that is highly charged with gas, the combination with the filling cylinder from
which the beer or other liquid is led to filling nozzles and bottles and into the top
of which air is delivered from the bottles being filled, of a second cylinder adapted
to serve as a counter-pressure gasometer that is connected to the top of the first
cylinder and is closed by a loaded exit valve the load on which can be easily and
quickly varied to adjust the counter-pressure to suit requirement, substantially as
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
3. The improved combined filtering and bottle filling apparatus shown and
described.