Improved Method of Sterilizing, Purifying, and Deodorizing Casks and other Receptacles for Beverages, and other Materials.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
Improved Method of Sterilizing, Purifying, and Deodorizing Casks
and other Receptacles for Beverages, and other Materials.
I, ALFRED APPS, Scientific Instrument Maker, of 433, Strand, London, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Various receptacles for fluids, semi-fluids and solids become more or less fouled
on their interior surfaces by constant contact with the contents. This is noticeable
to a great extent with wine and beer casks, and in many cases the casks or other
vessels after a short time become useless in consequence of a great quantity of
animal and vegetable matter adhering to the surface and even penetrating the
substance of the receptacle to a considerable depth. Attempts have been made
to sterilize by steaming, also by treatment with various chemicals, but so far without
success. Now if active oxygen and especially ozonized oxygen or air can be brought
into contact with the growth in the wood and upon it, then the whole of the
germs are destroyed. I produce this result by placing the casks or other receptacles
to be sterilized in a chamber, preferably globular or cylindrical as may be
most convenient according to the shape of the vessels and depending
also on the number to be treated at one operation. Now it is useless to attempt
to reach all the germs by simply enveloping the casks in the gas, as the time
required would prevent the process becoming commercially useful. I therefore
exhaust the air from the chamber containing the casks or other receptacles, and in
doing so withdraw the air and other gaseous matters from the pores of the wood
or other substance forming the walls of the receptacle, to the required degree,
say half an atmosphere, more or less, and then turn on the inlet tap or opening
supplying the ozonized air or oxygen which then rushes into every pore.
If the ozone be spent before the desired result has been attained, I repeat the
exhausting process and then introduce a fresh charge of ozone, and so on, until
the sterilization, purification, or deodorization of the receptacle has been com-
pleted.
For the treatment of casks the ends should be removed or loosened, so as to
admit the ozonized air to the joints. In some cases, however, the receptacle may
be hermetically closed, and then the interior of the receptacle exhausted, instead
of exhausting the chamber.
As a certain percentage of moisture will facilitate the sterilization, I moisten
the casks or other porous receptacles by admitting steam or water during the
process, so far as is required to soften the material to be acted upon.
I do not limit myself to action upon wood, but include every porous substance
out of which air or other gas, whether occluded by or adhering to the same, can
be withdrawn by my process of exhaustion.
Dated this 10th day of March 1897.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Method of Sterilizing, Purifying and Deodorizing Casks
and other Receptacles for Beverages, and other Materials.
I, ALFRED APPS, Scientific Instrument Maker, of 433, Strand, London, 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:-
-
Various receptacles for fluids, semi-fluids and solids become more or less fouled
on their interior surfaces by constant contact with the contents. This is noticeable
to a great extent with wine and beer casks, and in many cases the casks or other
vessels after a short time become useless in consequence of a great quantity of
animal and vegetable matter adhering to the surface and even penetrating the
substance of the receptacle to a considerable depth. Attempts have been made
to sterilize by steaming, also by treatment with various chemicals, but as far as I
am aware without success.
Now if active oxygen and especially ozonized oxygen or air can be brought
into content with the growth in the wood and upon it, then the whole of the germs
may he destroyed. I prosince this respit by ploring the casks or other receptacles
to be sterilized in a hermetically closed chamber, preferably globular or cylindrical,
as may be most convenient according to the shape of the vessels and depending alo
on the number to be treated at one operation. Now it would be useless to attempt
to reach all the germs by simply enveloping the casks in the gas, as the time
required would be excessive so as to prevent the process from becoming com-
mercially useful. I therefore exhaust the chamber containing the casks or other
receptacles by means of an air pump or analogous apparatus and in doing so with-
draw air and other gaseous matters from the pores of the wood or other substances
forming the walls of the receptacle until the internal air pressure has fallen to
the desired limit, say half an atmosphere, more or less. Subsequently I turn_on
the inlet tap or opening supplying the ozonized air or oxygen which then rushes
into the chamber and enters the pores of the cask or other receptacle for perishable
organic matter.
If the ozone be spent before the desired result has been attained, I repeat the
exhausting process and then introduce a fresh charge of ozone, and so on, until
the sterilization, purification, or deodorization of the receptacle has been com-
pleted, after which the receptacle is removed from the ozonizing chamber.
For the treatment of casks the ends should be removed or loosened," so as to
admit the ozonized air to the joints. In some cases, however, the receptacle may
be hermetically closed, and then the interior of the receptacle exhausted, instead
of exhausting the chamber containing the same. After ozonization the receptacle
should be washed with steam or hot water.
As a certain percentage of moisture will facilitate the sterilization, I moisten
the casks or other porous receptacles by admitting steam or water during or
before the process, so far as is required for softening the material to be acted upon.
The water should be introduced as a spray or should be distributed by agitation.
I do not limit myself to action upon wood, but include every porous substance
out of which air or other gas, whether occluded by or adhering to the same, can
be withdrawn by any process of exhaustion; nor do I claim generally the applica-
tion of ozone or ozonised air, for sterilizing, purifying or deodorizing casks, nor
the simultaneous use of moisture for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The method of sterilizing, purifying or deodorizing casks and other recep-
tacles for perishable organic matter by means of ozone or ozonized air, which
consists in placing the said receptacle in an airtight chamber, then exhausting
the latter as far as required, then admitting ozone or ozonized air, allowing the
same to act and finally removing the said receptacle from the ozonizing chamber,
substantially as described.
2. The process for ozonizing casks, which consists in removing or loosening
the ends of the casks, so as to expose their joints, and placing them in an air-
tight chamber, then rarefying the air in the same, subsequently admitting ozone
or ozonized air, allowing it to act, and finally removing the cask, substantially as
described.
3. The process for sterilizing, purifying or deodorizing casks and similar
receptacles by means of a gas or gas mixtures, substantially as described.
4. The process for ozonizing casks and similar receptacles, which consiste in
exhausting the casks, then admitting ozone or ozonized air, with or without
moisture, and allowing it to act, substantially as described.
רזי
344
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.