Improvements in Shavings for Vinegar Generators and for Clarifying Beer.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shavings for Vinegar Generators and for Clarifying
Beer.
I, RUDOLPH H. HERDER of Chicago, in County of Cook, and State of Illinois,
in the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This my invention relates to the wooden shavings used in the manufacture of
vinegar for the wort to trickle through, and thereby to be exposed to the action of
the atmospheric air for speedy acidification, and again in the clarification of beer in
breweries, and in either case it is the object to expose as large a surface of the
shaving as possible, and, more particularly in the vinegar manufacture, for every
particle of wort to be brought into contact with the air for combining with the oxygen
thereof. Heretofore these shavings, planed by special machinery to be about one
and a half inches wide and one foot long and to be ribbon-like, were very closely
coiled, so that after being filled in the generator, they would not pack and settle,
consequently the closely wound coils would not admit the passage of wort and air and
therefore offered an inefficient surface, and it is the object of my invention to provide
wooden shavings that are prevented from forming close coils and thereby to offer
their entire surface for the wort to trickle down on, and at the same time for the air
to be in intimate contact therewith, so that a ten fold result of acidification may be
reached, and the production of vinegar may be largely accelerated.
And with these objects in view, my invention consists in the production of shavings
as an article of, manufacture, which are either corrugated or serrated or provided with
longitudinal or vertical ribs on either or both sides, so that they cannot coil close,
and thereby expose their entire surface, and yet be sufficiently solid not to settle or
be compacted in the generator, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.
The shavings, which are planed with a correspondingly shaped knife, may be
corrugated on both sides, and these corrugations may be formed somewhat diagonally,
that with coiling they will not intermeet, but will hold the coil to be expanded and
opened for its entire surfaces to be made useful, or the shavings may be planed on
one side to provide transverse ribs, and on their other or opposite sides to have
longitudinal ribs, that with coiling the transverse ribs of one side will close against
the longitudinal ribs of the other side, thus providing sufficient step-like openings
between the coils of largely increased surface, through which the wort can but
slowly trickle, while at the same time atmospheric air can pass through. Although
having described but two shapes of shavings, I do not desire to be restricted thereto,
since ribs or serratures to one side only or of a longitudinal, transverse or diagonal
direction will answer the purpose as well, since when coiled they will not allow to be
compacted by settling in the generator.
It will be readily seen that a shaving having corrugated or ribbed surfaces will
detain the wort on its down passage to require perhaps three times the length of
time for trickling down than with smooth or straight surfaced shavings, consequently
exposing the wort a much longer time to the action of the atmosphere and thereby
increasing the working capacity of the generator to a great extent.
Dated this 25th day of February 1880
RUDOLPH H. HERDER.
By Harris & Mills,
, Southampton Buildings, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shavings for Vinegar Generators and for Clarifying
Beer.
I, RUDOLPH H. HERDER of Chicago, in the County of Cook, and State of Illinois,
in the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 my invention relates to the wooden shavings used in the manufacture of
vinegar for the wort to trickle through, and thereby to be exposed to the action of
the atmospheric air for speedy acidification, and again in the clarification of beer in
breweries, and in either case it is the object to expose as large a surface of the
shaving as possible, and more particularly in the vinegar manufacture, for every
particle of wort to be brought into contact with the air for combining with the
oxygen thereof. Heretofore these shavings, planed by special machinery to be about
one and one half inches wide and one foot long, and to be ribbon-like, were very
closely coiled, so that after being filled in the generator, they would pack and settle,
consequently the closely wound coils would not admit the passage of wort and air,
and therefore offered an inefficient surface, and it is the object of my invention to
provide wooden shavings that are prevented from forming close coils, and thereby to
offer their entire surface for the wort to trickle down on, and at the same time for
the air to be in intimate contact therewith, so that a ten-fold result of acidification
may be reached, and the production of vinegar may be largely accelerated.
And with these objects in view, my invention consists in the production of shavings
as an article of manufacture which are either corrugated or serrated, or provided
with longitudinal or vertical ribs on either or both sides, so that they cannot coil
close, and thereby expose their entire surface and yet be sufficiently solid not to
settle or be compacted in the generator, all as will be hereinafter more fully
described.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a cross section of a shaving
planed to be corrugated, and Figure 2 an elevation of same as coiled; Figure 3
represents an edge view of a shaving as stretched out and having transverse ribs to
its top face and longitudinal ribs to its bottom face; Figure 4 represents a cross
section of this said shaving, and Figure 5 an elevation of the same as coiled.
Corresponding letters of reference in the several figures of the drawing, designate
like parts.
A denotes the shavings as planed with a correspondingly shaped knife to be
corrugated on both sides, which corrugations may be formed somewhat diagonally,
that with coiling, they will not inter-meet, but will hold the coil to be expanded and
opened, for its entire surfaces to be made useful, and B is a shaving planed on one
side to provide transverse ribs b, and on its other or opposite side to have
longitudinal ribs c, that with coiling the transverse ribs of one side will
close against the longitudinal ribs of the other side, thus providing sufficient step-
like openings between the coils of largely increased surface, through which the wort
can but slowly trickle, while at the same time atmospheric air can pass through.
Although having shown but two shapes of shavings, I do not desire to be restricted
thereto, since ribs or serratures to one side only, or of a longitudinal, transverse,
or diagonal direction will answer the purpose as well, since when coiled they will not
allow to be compacted by settling in the generator. If desired the shavings may also
be made with perforations through the same, but this is not essential.
It will be readily seen that a shaving having corrugated or ribbed surfaces will
detain the wort on its down passage to require perhaps three times the length of
time for trickling down than with smooth or straight surfaced shavings, consequently.
exposing the wort a much longer time to the action of the atmosphere, and thereby
increasing the working capacity of the generator to a great extent.
"

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
As an article of manufacture, shavings, for vinegar production or beer clarification,
corrugated, serrated, or ribbed, on one or both sides, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
i
Dated this 21st day or October 1009.
RUDOLPH H. HERDER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.