IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING CARBONIC ACID, APPLICABLE TO BEER CASES AND OTHER VESSELS FOR PRESERVING, RAISING, AND TRANSFERRING THEIR CONTENTS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederic Seebohm-Ultzen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th September 1868.-A communication from abroad by Haas-
Demrath, of Bockenheim, Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in the Kingdom
of Prussia.
I, FREDERIC SEEBOHM-ULTZEN, of the Westminster Palace Hotel,
Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING CARBONIC
ACID, APPLICABLE TO BEER CASES AND OTHER VESSELS FOR PRESERVING, RAISING,
AND TRANSFERRING THEIR CONTENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improved apparatus for generating
carbonic acid, applicable to beer casks and other vessels for preserving,
raising, and transferring their contents, and relates to a peculiar com-
bination of apparatus arranged as shewn in general outline by the
accompanying Drawing, in which 1 is a cylindrical vessel made of lead
and intended to be used for the development of carbonic acid from
marble or pure lime, with which the vessel is supplied through an
opening at f, which opening is closed during the working of the

page_text: apparatus. Towards the lower end of this vessel there is another
opening having an eduction tube provided with an india-rubber
tube capable of being closed by a compressing valve, and serving to
let out chloride of calcium produced by condensed muriatic acid.
Towards the back part of the cover of the vessel 1 another opening
is formed, to which is fitted a valve box e communicating with a
connecting tube d, and provided with a flap valve arranged to allow
of the escape of the carbonic acid from the vessel 1 into the tube d,
but not permitting it to return.
The cylindrical vessel 2, also intended to be kept closed, serves for
purifying the carbonic acid, for which purpose it is filled about 3rds full
of pump water to which some soda is added, these being supplied to the
vessel through an opening in front of its cover g, after which the cover
is closed. There is another opening situated towards the back part of
the cover, and provided with a collar to which the connecting tube d
leading from vessel 1 is screwed. An additional tube leads down almost
to the bottom of No. 2 vessel, and serves to convey the carbonic acid
which by its own natural pressure is caused to descend this tube d, and
thence ascends from the bottom of vessel 2 through the water, and
is thereby purified, and is afterwards conducted by the tubes k, l, into
the beer cask or other vessel. At the bottom of vessel 2 there is
provided a tube fitted with a suitable valve which serves for
letting out the dirty water before refilling the vessel.
8 is an
open vessel of earthenware, glass, or other suitable material to receive
muriatic acid, which should be mixed with water in the proportion
of, say, about 3 parts of muriatic acid to 4 parts of water, and
this vessel is to be about two-thirds filled with such mixture, and
should be placed above the vessels 1 and 2 at an altitude equal to at
least twice the distance from the bottom of the cellar to the beer tap.
The tube a connecting the vessel containing muriatic acid with the
vessel 1 containing marble is of gutta percha, and is formed in two
parts connected by a short length of india-rubber tube 6 provided with
a compressing valve c for stopping the circulation of the fluid inside of
the gutta percha tube when requisite, as for instance during the filling
of vessels 1 and 2. The different receptacles having been duly supplied
and closed up as described, the compressing valve c connected to the
gutta percha tube is to be slowly opened, when muriatic acid from the
vessel 3 will enter vessel 1, and therein immediately dissolve the marble,
and thereby generate carbonic acid. The muriatic acid entering in this

page_text: manner, the production of carbonic acid will continue until the
pressure
of the carbonic acid balances the weight of the column of muriatic acid,
which constantly regulates the action of the apparatus during the
opening and closing of the tap from time to time. The pressure thus
produced on the surface of the beer in the cask is sufficient to force the
beer out of the cellar through the tap n and connecting tube o into the
bar tap q. The carbonic acid filling up so much of the interior
of the cask as is not occupied by the beer serves to preserve and
improve the latter by preventing its contact with atmospheric air, and
also (during the operation of tapping or drawing) prevents the escape of
the carbonic acid naturally contained in the beer. On opening the
tap q, beer from the cask flows out, carbonic acid from the vessels
1 and 2 simultaneously entering the cask and filling up
the space left
vacant by the withdrawal of the beer, and in consequence of the
resulting diminution of pressure in the vessels 1 and 2 muriatic acid
enters them through the connecting tube a, thereby instantly producing
a fresh supply of carbonic acid equal in quantity to that which has
passed into the cask.
The advantages of this combination and arrangement of apparatus are
that it is self-regulating in its operation, an equal pressure of carbonic
acid being invariably maintained notwithstanding the tapping or with-
drawal of the contents of the cask in variable quantities or at irregular
intervals, and consequently the application of carbonic acid to the
purposes of this Invention is much simplified. Moreover, as the vessel
containing muriatic acid need not be closed it can be made of such
materials as will resist the action of the acid, besides which by remaining
thus open it serves as a safety valve, because it allows an escape of
carbonic acid, should the latter by any chance acquire a pressure more
than equal to the weight of the column of muriatic acid in the tube a,
thus preventing the explosion or bursting of the apparatus.