Improvements in and Apparatus for Sterilising Liquids:
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov,, 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan,, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Sterilising Liquids:
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com
municated to me from abroad by Compagnie Générale pour la Consèrvation des
Liquides, of 76, Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, in the Republic of France), 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 sterilising liquids such as wine, beer, or milk, for
example, and to apparatus to be employed therein and it has for its object to
effect the sterilization in a more perfect and economical manner and on a larger
scale than hitherto. For this purpose there is provided a combination of a vessel
containing the liquid to be sterilised with a second vessel to receive and preserve,
under pressure, and in an unaltered condition, liquid which by the action of
heat and dilatation, is forced out of the first vessel.
The sterilising of fermentable and effervescing liquids such as wine, beer.
milk and the like on a large scale without injuring the original properties of
such liquid, requires the fulfilment of the following conditions.
1. A perfectly uniform distribution of temperature throughout the liquid to
be treated must be preserved. This condition has not been complied with in
the immoveable apparatus used hitherto as the liquid therein was too highly
heated in one part and insufficiently heated in another part of the apparatus.
Thus excessive heat produced, in the case of beer for example, coagulation of
some portion of the albuminous substances, which, on subsequent cooling of the
liquid, rendered the beer turbid. Also a change in the taste took place, the so-
called "Pasteurising taste" being produced. On the other hand the less heated
portions of the liquid did not become sterilised and therefore infected the whole
of the liquid.
2. Rapidity of heating and cooling must be provided for in order, not only to
attain the physiological effect of sterilising, but also to arrest further action
of heat, which would have a detrimental influence, either chemically, or physically.
3. Complete preservation of the gases such as carbonic acid gas, alcoholic
vanour, and the like must be provided for this being most essential in order to
retain the characteristics of the respective liquids. The preservation of car-
bonic acid gas, especially is indispensable for the reason that, for instance in
the case of beer, it is the bearer of important aromatic principles for instance
ethereal substances and essential oils of malt and hops.
These highly volatile aromatic bodies are intimately mixed with, or contained
in, the carbonic acid gas bubbles and therefore any escape of the gas, especially
at a high temperature, will cause a loss of a portion of the said volatile aromatic
bodies resulting in a material change in the characteristics of the liquid treated.
4. High pressure must be established because the greater is the pressure to
which the liquid is subjected the more completely will the micro-organisms
contained therein succumb to the action of heat. This is due not only to the
propagation of pressure and heat in general, but also to the fact that high pres-
sure only will cause the liquid to penetrate the protoplasm of yeast for instance,

page_text: This is important for the destruction of bacteria which occupy the centre of the
cells and are protected thereby. In liquids heated without pressure they are
subjected to so-called dry heat only, which they resist; but under high pressure
the liquid penetrates, to the bacteria which are destroyed under the influence
of damp heat.
5. Absolute inalterability, constancy, and neutrality, of all surfaces of the
apparatus with which the liquid comes into contact during sterilisation should
be provided for because oxides of iron, copper zinc, lead, and the like cause
change in compounds of nitrogen and other substances contained in liquids
such as beer, wine, and the like, and such metallic compounds as well as other
complex compositions are very quickly produced by the action of organic acids
on simple contact with such surfaces in the presence of heat.
Various apparatus have been devised to enable sterilisation of large quantities
of liquids such as beer, wine and milk for example to be effected without changing
their original properties but none of them completely accomplish the desired
object.
This invention provides a process and apparatus whereby the sterilisation of
liquids is effected so as to fulfil all of the aforesaid conditions by the use of two
vessels, or cylinders, of different size, the larger one of which is completely filled
with the liquid to be sterilised, whilst the smaller one contains compressed
sterilised gas, or vapour, such as air, or carbonic acid gas, for example. Both
cylinders are rotated while heat is being applied. After the liquid attains a
pressure, say, for instance, of ten atmospheres, communication between the two
cylinders is established by the opening of a valve, and the smaller cylinder
receives the portion of the liquid which is forced thereinto by dilatation of the
liquid in the larger cylinder.
This combination of two cylinders presents the advantage of allowing simul-
taneous application of heat and high pressure, quick heating and cooling, and
rotation for the purpose of uniformly agitating the liquid, and equalising its
temperature throughout the whole volume, moreover avoiding all loss. of liquid,
as that portion which is separated by dilatation is preserved for the next operation.
it being returned into the large cylinder before the next operation is commenced.
By completely filling the large cylinder the expansion of the liquid therein
produces from the commencement of heating so high a pressure that no vapours
can be formed in the liquid thus treated and therefore none of the volatile con-
stituents contained in the liquid escape but remain dissolved in the liquid..
After the heat and high pressure have been allowed to act simultaneously for
a sufficient time to completely destroy all micro-organisms, suspended in the
liquid, the whole of the liquid is at once cooled down.
All the surfaces which come into contact with the liquid are completely covered
with silver or other precious metal or alloy of precious metals, so as to prevent
any alteration of the liquid by the formation of metallic oxide which would
otherwise take place.
The accompanying drawing represents in side elevation partly in section in
Figure 1 and in end elevation in Figure 2 an apparatus constructed according
to this invention. It consists of two jacketted cylinders a and mounted so as
to be capable of being rotated around their axes and arranged parallel with each
other as shewn. Each of the said cylinders contains heating pipes c, d, and the
said cylinders are connected with each other by a preferably non-rotating pipe e
in which an overflow valve is inserted as at r.
The larger cylinder is supported by guide rollers f and has secured to it a
toothed ring g driven through the gear so that rotary movement is transmitted
to the said cylinder through the belt and pulley i from any suitable motor. The
toothed ring g is in gear with a toothed ring on the smaller cylinder turning
in bearings in the frame so that this cylinder is also rotated.
The liquid to be sterilised is introduced into the cylinder a by a tap 7 and is
withdrawn therefrom through the same tap, after sterilisation has been effected.

page_text: The smaller cylinder b is filled with carbonic acid gas, or compressed sterilised
air, for example.
A heating medium, such, for example, as steam, is admitted by the pipe m
into the lower part of the jacket of the cylinder and passes through the pipe n
into the chamber o and into the tubes c, thence through the pipe into the
upper part of the jacket, and leaves the apparatus by the pipe q. In a similar
manner the heating medium is conducted through the jacket and the pipes d
of the smaller cylinder b. Sterilisation now proceeds and cooling is at the proper
time effected by passing a cooling medium in, in place of a heating medium.
Any escape of gases, which might take place at the end of the operation, from
the cooled liquid into the vacuum naturally formed above the said liquid in
consequence of the cooling, will be prevented by allowing compressed air, or
carbonic acid gas, to enter and fill the said vacuum as it is formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The sterilising of beer, wine, milk, or other liquid by heating the liquid to
he sterilised in a completely closed rotating vessel filled with the said liquid,
and in communication with another rotating completely closed vessel, which
receives the liquid forced out from the first vessel on a predetermined pressure
being attained, the liquid remaining in the first vessel being by dilatation still
under high pressure, and the liquid, which has been forced into the second vessel
being placed under the pressure of compressed air, gas or vapour, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for sterilising liquids, two closed vessels or cylinders of different
size (preferably coated internally with silver, or the like), rotatable about their
axes and in valvular communication with each other, each of the said vessels
or cylinders being jacketted and traversed lengthwise by pipes for the passage of
the heating and cooling media, the smaller cylinder serving for receiving from
the larger cylinder that portion of the liquid under treatment, which, on its
attaining a predetermined pressure, is forced out and for preserving for the next
operation, under the pressure of sterilised air, gas, or vapour, the liquid so received
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A sterilizing apparatus constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of November 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.