IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VINEGAR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VINEGAR."
A communication from abroad by Oscar Finn Boomer and Henry Rice
Randall, both of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, Gentlemen.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF VINEGAR." [A communication from abroad by Oscar Finn
Boomer and Henry Rice Randall, both of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, Gentlemen.]
This Invention relates to an apparatus for the conversion of a suitable liquid into
vinegar by exposure to air.
Its object is to provide in a small space a great extent of surface over which the
liquid must flow, be exposed to the air, and brought in contact with vinegar ferment
or spores.
It consists in the arrangement in a vinegar apparatus of one or more series of
shelves, covered with cloth or other fibrous material, one above another in such
position that a liquid will flow from one shelf to the next lower shelf after
traversing the threads of the cloth or fibrous covering, a portion of said liquid and
of the vinegar ferment or spores being retained in the meshes of the cloth or other
fibrous material, and inducing a speedy fermentation in fresh liquid coming in
contact therewith and with the air.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a box or chest, which may
be of any desired size, and is preferably rectangular in shape. Within this box or
chest are arranged several series of vertical shelves extending between and having
their ends secured to the side walls. These shelves are slightly curved transversely
on top, and the several series are separated by suitable spaces. From the bottom
of each shelf projects a longitudinal rib, preferably triangular in cross section, and
each shelf, including the rib, is surrounded by a covering of cloth or other fibrous
Damian 61
.

page_text: material fitting closely upon its curved top, but held away from its under surface
by the rib so that two converging cloth surfaces meet at an angle under each shelf,
this angle being directly above the longitudinal centre of the top of the next
lower shelf, and at a slight distance therefrom.
Near the top and bottom of the chest suitable air holes are formed in its walls
to permit a proper supply of air to enter, but I may cause a downward flow of air
through the chest by means of a suitable blower, the lower air holes in the wall of
the chest being closed when the blower is connected to the bottom of said chest.
Troughs are provided at the top, and when the liquid is fed from a suitable
source into the same it trickles through the slots or openings in the top of the chest,
falls upon the top of the upper shelves, and flows sidewise in both directions until
the fibrous coverings are thoroughly saturated, when it trickles off at the angles
under the shelves and falls upon those below, this action continuing until it finally
reaches the lowest angles and drops into the tank.
During its passage the aceteous fermentation of the liquid takes place, and a
portion of the ferment or spores is retained in the meshes of the cloth or other
fibrous covering, and induces a rapid fermentation of fresh liquid, which comes in
contact with it and the air in the chest while making its way downward over the
shelves and coverings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th July 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF VINEGAR." A communication from abroad by Oscar Finn
Boomer and Henry Rice Randall, both of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, Gentlemen.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the conversion of any
suitable liquid into vinegar by exposure to air.
The object of the said Invention is to provide in a small space a large extent of
surface over which the liquid must flow, be exposed to the air, and brought into
contact with vinegar ferment or spores.
The said Invention consists in the arrangement in a vinegar apparatus of one or
more series of shelves (covered with cloth or other fibrous material) one above
another so that a liquid will flow from one shelf to the shelf next below after
traversing the threads of the cloth or fibrous covering, a portion of the said liquid and
of the vinegar ferment or spores being retained in the meshes of the cloth or other
fibrous material, and reducing a speedy fermentation in fresh liquid coming in
contact therewith and with the air, as hereinafter more particularly described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus constructed according to my
Invention, and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the shelves surrounded by a cloth
covering.
A designates a box or chest, which may be of any desired size, and is preferably
rectangular in shape. Within this box or chest are arranged several vertical series
of shelves B extending between and having their ends secured to the side walls of
the said box. These shelves are slightly curved transversely on their top, and the
several series are separated by suitable spaces. From the bottom of each shelf
projects a longitudinal rib C, preferably triangular in cross section, and each shelf,
including its rib, is surrounded by a covering D of cloth or other fibrous material
fitting closely upon its curved top, but held away from its under surface by the
aforesaid rib, so that two converging cloth surfaces meet at an angle under each
shelf, this angle being directly above the longitudinal centre of the top of the next
lower shelf, and at a short distance therefrom.
Near the top and bottom of the chest suitable air holes G are formed in its walls
to permit a proper supply of air to enter, but I may cause a downward flow of air
through the said chest by means of a suitable blower, as shown at H, the lower air
holes in the wall of the chest being closed when the blower is connected to the
bottom of the said chest as shown, and vice versa.
When the liquid is fed from a suitable source into the troughs F it trickles
through slots or openings in the top of the chest, falls upon the top of the upper
shelves, and flows sidewise in both directions until the fibrous coverings are
thoroughly saturated, when it trickles off. at the angles under the shelves and falls
upon the shelves next below, this action continuing until it finally reaches the
lowest angles and drops into the tank. During its passage through the chest A the
acetuous fermentation of the liquid takes place, and a portion of the ferment or
spores is retained in the meshes of the cloth or other fibrous covering, and induces
a rapid fermentation of fresh liquid, which comes in contact with it and the air in
the chest while making its way downward over the shelves and coverings. .

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood.
that I claim,
First. In an apparatus for the manufacture of vinegar one or more series of
shelves covered with cloth or other fibrous material, and arranged one above
another in such a manner that the liquid will fall from one shelf after traversing it
and its covering upon the shelf next below, and traverse it and its covering in a
like manner, substantially as above set forth, and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination with one or more series of shelves provided with the
ribs C of the cloth coverings forming downward projections under the said shelves,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRY H. LAKE. (L.S.)