IMPROVEMENTS IN BEER AND OTHER LIKE ENGINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hector Auguste Dufrené, of No. 10, Rue de la
Fidélité, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEER
AND OTHER LIKE ENGINES."-A communication from Monsieur Celestin
Rahon residing at Douzy in the Empire of France
Sealed the 15th November 1867, and dated the 20th May 1867,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hector Auguste Dufrens,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1867.
I, HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENE, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in
the Empire of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BEER AND OTHER LIKE ENGINES," to be as follows; that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in an improved construction of
apparatus for raising beer and other liquids.
This apparatus is constructed of three receivers, one for containing air
compressed by any suitable means; the two others are wood or metal cylinders
containing the beer or other liquid, one emptying while the other fills; each
of these cylinders is provided with a piston without a rod floating on the
surface of the beer. Two pipes provided with taps are adapted to the bottoms.

page_text: of the cylinders and extend to the part at which the beer is to be delivered.
The tops of the cylinders are put in communication with the receiver of
compressed air by two other pipes also provided with taps; thus when a
cylinder is full of beer communication is opened between the receiver of
compressed air and the delivery pipe, the air being compressed causes the
beer to rise, and the piston lowering with the liquid keeps it from contact with
the air. The apparatus being empty fills alone. A barrel full of beer is
placed at the top of the apparatus, the two communications above said are
closed, and the barrel and the lower part of the cylinder put in com-
munication, the beer then passes into the cyliinder and raises the piston;
the air escapes through a valve placed at the upper part and which the piston
closes, when the cylinder being full it comes near to the cover; the valve
in closing prevents the air from escaping, and the flow ceases of itself.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hector Auguste Dufrené in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HECTOR
AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and 4, South Street,. Finsbury, London, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Hector Auguste Dufiené, Her special licence that I; the said Hector
Auguste Dufrené, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Hector Auguste Defréné, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter, during the term therein-expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BEER AND OTHER LIKE ENGINES," (a, communication from
Monsieur: Celestin; Rahon, a person resident at Douzy,, in the Empire of
France),, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hector,
Auguste Dufrené; my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing.
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals; should particularly

page_text: .
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention; and in what manner
the same was to be performed; and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hector Auguste Dufrené, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed; and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
:
'The Invention communicated to me consists in an improved construction
of apparatus for raising beer and other liquids.
This apparatus consists of three receivers, one for containing air, compressed
by any suitable means; the two others are wood or metal cylinders containing
the beer or other liquid, one emptying while the other fills; each of these
cylinders is provided with a piston without a rod floating on the surface of
the beer. Two pipes furnished with taps are adapted to the bottoms of the
êylinders and extend to the part at which the beer is to be delivered. The
tops of the cylinders are put in communication with the receiver of com-
pressed air by two other pipes also provided with taps; thus when a cylinder
is full of beer communication is opened between the receiver of compressed
air and the delivery pipe, the air being compressed causes the beer to rise in
the delivery pipe, and the piston lowering with the liquid keeps it from
contact with the air. The apparatus being empty fills alone.. A barrel full of
beer is placed at the top of the apparatus, 'the two communications above
named are closed and the barrel and the lower part of the cylinder put in
communication, the beer then passes into the cylinder and raises the piston ;
the air escapes through a "valve placed at the upper part, and which the
piston closes, when the cylinder being full it comes near to the cover; the
valve in closing prevents the air from escaping, and the flow ceases of
itself.
To make the Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a
section of the apparatus ; Figure 2 shows the key for turning the pistons; and
Figure 8 a detail view on a larger scale of the closing valve.
A and B are the two receivers containing the beer, and which it is preferable
to make of cast iron enamelled internally; C and C¹ are wood pistons, the
lower face of which is made to fit the bottom of the receivers A and B ;
J and J are man-holes for cleaning, closed in any suitable manner; "D and D',
are pipes for carrying the beer out, and provided with, taps E, E', 6 and 6¹; G¹

page_text: is a pipe communicating between the compressed air receiver R and the
receivers A and B by means of the pipes G and G' and taps a and 'a'; K and
K' are cast-iron pieces fixed on the pistons, and having a square notch made
in them for receiving the square end of the key a, y, Figure 2; H and H¹ are
valves and fittings. Figure 3 represents one of the valves on a larger scale.
His a casing fixed to the lid of the receivers A and B; P is the seat of a valve n,
and is adjusted by a screw to the casing H, and is provided with a screw O
for opening or closing the valve n; a rod m fixed to the valve n also serves to
close it when pressed from beneath upwards. The apparatus being, thus
arranged and empty air is compressed by any suitable means into the
recipient R, the taps a and b are closed and the tap E opened, to which is
adapted a flexible or non-flexible pipe communicating with the open tap of a
barrel full of beer or other liquid. The valve n being open the beer enters
under the piston and raises it until the piece K coming in contact with the rod
m the pressure of the rising liquid causes the valve n to close and prevents
the entrance of fresh beer, the tap Ę is then closed and the taps a and
opened, the pressure of the air in the receiver R. then acting on the surface
of the piston forces the beer to rise through the pipe D up to the point to
which it is desired to bring it. The cleansing is effected when the receivers A
and Bare empty by closing the tap 6 and opening the tap E, the pressure then
expels rapidly the lees through the tap E. To effect a more complete cleansing
the piece P is unscrewed, and the key y, x, is inserted with its extremity
placed in K, and by turning it the piston C is caused to rub on the bottom of
the receiver A or the piston C¹ on the bottom of the recipient B so as to
remove the adhering matters. It is then only necessary to throw in a little
water and apply pressure as herein-before described to cause the lees and
other impurities to run off through the tap Ę or E¹. The pistons serve to
prevent the action of the air on the beer, and afford a means of stopping the
operation for the introduction of liquid. The floats or pistons C and C³ may
be made of hollow metal soldered.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, communicated to me,
and the manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do
pot confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, but what I claim is,
Firstly, the general arrangement and construction of the apparatus for
raising beer and other liquids, as herein-before described and shewn in the
accompanying Drawing,
Secondly, the employment of pistons of wood or other material floating on
the beer or other liquid, and rising or falling with it, as herein before described
and shewn in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Thirdly, the combination of the piston and valve for obtaining a self-
acting means of stopping the introduction of the liquid when the appa-
ratus is filled, as herein-before described and shewn in the accompanying
Drawing.
Fourthly, the combination of the key and piston to effect the cleansing,
as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hector Auguste Dufrené, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.