Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 10th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th July, 1887.
I, JOHN CRAWFORD of Rose Cottage, Shawlands, near Glasgow, in the County of
Renfrew, Wine and Spirit Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising or forcing beer and
other liquids, which apparatus as constructed in accordance with the invention consists
of a close tank or vessel having at one part of the top or upper side a raised portion
whereon is situated a valve chest from which a pipe communicates with the barrel or
other vessel containing the liquid to be raised or forced, air under pressure being
passed into the barrel or other vessel by the action of the apparatus as herein-after
set forth.
To one side of the closed tank there is connected a pipe leading to a water main or
other source of water supply and from the said pipe a branch leads to the barrel of a
cock which is preferably supported on the bottom of the tank the said branch having
in it a stop cock which is connected to a hollow or truncated valve working in a
casing secured on the upper side of the tank pressure being put on the said valve by
means of a lever and adjustable weight. The plug of the cock, carried on the bottom
of the tank, is made hollow and open at one end to the interior of the tank a hole or
opening being also made in the side of the plug and which, by the action of the
apparatus, is alternately turned into communication with the inlet branch of the
barrel and with an exhaust pipe. The cock is so turned by a lever one end of which
is connected to its solid end the other end of the lever being attached by a link to the
lower extremity of a piston rod the piston being situated in a cylinder supported
vertically within the tank and having at its upper and lower ends passages leading
to the water supply pipe. In that part of the pipe to which these passages are
connected a stop cock or valve is situated and to the said cock or valve there is

page_text: connected one end of a rod, the other end being attached to a ball or float and by
which, according to its position in the tank, the cock is turned to supply water above
the piston and to exhaust from below the piston or vice versa as required the exhaust
from both ends of the cylinder passing through the cock or valve and thence through
a pipe connected to an exhaust branch in the valve barrel at the bottom of the tank.
In working with the apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described the weight on
the lever in conjunction with the truncated valve is adjusted to give the pressure of
air required, the cock connected to the said valve remaining open for the supply of
water to the tank until the said pressure is reached. The water rising in the tank
forces the air through the valve chest on the upper part thereof and thence through
the pipe connected to the barrel or other vessel containing the liquid to be forced and
at the same time the water lifts the float which, on the water level reaching a pre-
determined point, turns the supply cock of the cylinder into position to cause the
piston to turn the plug of the cock in the lower part of the tank into communication
with the exhaust whereby the water in the tank is made to flow away and the float to
sink into position to actuate the piston in the opposite direction and thereby to open
communication with the water supply. The air forced into the barrel or other vessel
by the rising of the water in the tank is prevented from returning by the valve or
valves in the chest before mentioned and on the said chest there is also provided a
valve opening inwards to supply air to the interior of the tank as the water is exhausted
therefrom.

page_text: I, JOHN CRAWFORD, of Rose Cottage, Shawlands, near Glasgow, in the County of
Renfrew, Wine and Spirit Merchant, 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 :-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising or forcing Beer
and other liquids, which apparatus as constructed in accordance with the Invention
consists of a closed tank or vessel having at one part of the top or upper side a
raised portion whereon is situated a valve chest from which a pipe communicates with
the barrel or other vessel containing the liquid to be raised or forced, air under
pressure being passed into the barrel or other vessel by the action of the apparatus as
hereinafter set forth.
To one side of the closed tank there is connected a pipe leading to a water main or
other source of water supply and from the said pipe a branch leads to the barrel of a
cock which is preferably supported on the bottom of the tank the said branch having
in it a stop-cock which is connected to a hollow or truncated air valve working in a
casing secured on the upper side of the tank pressure being put on said valve by means
of a lever and adjustable weight.
The plug of the cock carried on the bottom of the tank is made hollow and open at
one end to the interior of the tank a hole or opening being also made in the side of
the plug and which, by the action of the apparatus, is alternately turned into com-
munication with the inlet branch of the barrel and with an exhaust pipe.-The cock is
so turned by a lever one end of which is connected to its solid end the other end of
the lever being attached by a link to the lower extremity of a piston rod the piston
being situate in a cylinder supported vertically within the tank and having at its
upper and lower ends passages leading to the water supply pipe.-In that part of the
pipe to which these passages are connected a stop-cock or valve is situated and to the
said cock or valve there is connected one end of a rod, the other end being attached
to a ball or float and by which, according to its position in the tank, the cock is
turned to supply water above the piston and to exhaust from below the piston or vice
versa as required, the exhaust from both ends of the cylinder passing through the cock
or valve and thence through a pipe connected to an exhaust branch in the valve barrel
at the bottom of the tank.
In working with the apparatus constructed as herein before described the weight on
the lever in conjunction with the truncated valve is adjusted to give the pressure of

page_text: air required, the cock connected to the said valve remaining open for the supply of
water to the tank until the said pressure is reached.-The water rising in the tank
forces the air through the valve chest on the upper part thereof and thence through
the pipe connected to the barrel or other vessel containing the liquid to be forced
and at the same time the water lifts the float which, on the water reaching a pre-
determined point, turns the supply cock of the cylinder into position to cause the
piston to turn the plug of the cock in the lower part of the tank into communi-
cation with the exhaust whereby the water in the tank is make to flow away and
the float to sink into position to actuate the piston in the opposite direction and
thereby to open communication with the water supply.-The air forced into the barrel
or other vessel by the rising of the water in the tank is prevented from returning by
the valve or valves in the chest before mentioned, and on the said chest there is also
provided a valve opening inwards to supply air to the interior of the tank as the water
is exhausted therefrom.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed
which represents partly a longitudinal section and partly an elevation of an apparatus
for raising or forcing Beer and other liquids constructed according to and constituting
my invention.
To one side of the tank A, a pipe B, is connected to the water main or any other
convenient source of water supply, and to the said pipe B, a branch pipe C, is
connected having situated in a convenient position thereon a stop-cock D, or its
equivalent of any desired design, said cock D, being connected by any suitable means
to the valve E, situated in preference on the bottom of the tank A.-The said cock D,
is connected by means of a lever d¹, and suitable connecting rods e, and e¹, to an
air pressure valve X, situated in preference on the top of the tank A, and to one side
thereof, which is governed by the lever F, and weight G.-To the top of the
lever e², and situated in the air valve X, is secured in any suitable manner a disc or
diaphragm, which may be constructed of India Rubber or any other suitable elastic
material. The plug of the said valve E, has an elongated slot on one side, corre-
sponding slots being formed in the valve casing to admit of the alternate supply of
water to the tank and the exhaust of water therefrom through the pipe H.-The
valve E, is actuated by means of the lever J, attached to the rod K, by the
link J, said rod K, being attached to a plunger of ordinary design situated in the
cylinder L. To the upper part of the said cylinder a port or passage M. is formed
and at its lower part is also connected a port or passage N, both of which are actuated
by means of the stop-cock P, which is connected by the rod Q, to the ball or float R,
which on the water rising or falling in the tank A, opens or closes the ports or
passages M, and N, according to its position in the tank A.-In any suitable position
on the top of the tank A, an air chamber S, is constructed having one or more outlet
air valves U, leading to an air storage tank, not shewn on the drawings, of any
suitable shape or design and situated in any convenient position adjacent to the
barrels or other vessels containing the liquids to be raised or forced.-An air inlet
valve W, is also supplied to the top of the air chamber S.-The said chamber S, also
allows the ball or float to rise much higher than would otherwise be the case thus
ensuring the valve or cock P, being shut off in a proper manner. A similar space S',
is formed in the bottom of the tank into which the float or ball R, falls when the
water in the tank is exhausted, being the predetermined point which ensures the
valve P, being properly opened.
The operation of the apparatus constructed according to my invention and illustrated
on the accompanying Drawings is as follows:-
The water from the main is turned on and enters through the pipe B, and passes
down through the pipe C, and cock D, and thence through the valve or cock E, to
the interior of the tank A, and as the water rises in the tank it raises the float or
ball R, which, on reaching a predetermined point, causes the air remaining in the
limited space at the top of the tank to become so compressed as to distend the

page_text: rubber disc or diaphragm f, in the truncated valve X, on the top of the tank and at
the same time to lift the lever d¹, and shut off the supply of water to the tank.-
Simultaneously the float R, turns the supply cock P, of the cylinder L, into position
to cause the plunger to turn the plug of the cock E, in the lower part of the tank A,
into communication with the exhaust whereby the water in the tank is exhausted
through the cock E, and waste pipe H, in the lower part of the tank.-As the water
rises it forces the air under any desired pressure out through the air valves U,
and thence to the storage tank or other receptacle, and, alternately, the action of the
water fills the tank and as it is exhausted through the pipe H, allows an influx of air
to enter through the air valve W.-The operation of filling and emptying the tank is
repeated so long as the cock remains open to the water main thus making the apparatus
perfectly automatic in its action.
The desired pressure being attained the apparatus is or may be brought to a stand,
or by allowing a regulated low pressure influx of water to enter the tank the action of
the mechanism may be made to operate at a minimum rate of speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
The general arrangement and combination of parts or their mechanical equivalents
operating substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn upon the annexed Sheet
of Drawings.