Improvements in Apparatus for the Electrical Treatment of Beer or other Liquid or Material.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Electrical Treatment of Beer or
other Liquid or Material.
We, LOUIS WAGNER, Machinist, of 707 Swan Street, and JOHN MARE,
Maltster, of 416 N. Howard Street, both in the City of Baltimore, State of
Maryland, United Sates of America, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our invention relates to that class of apparatus in or by which an electric
current, preferably of an alternating character, may be applied to or through
liquids for the purpose, among other things, of destroying the life of organisms
which would otherwise cause the deterioration or souring of the beer, or effect
similar or other objectionable results in other liquids.
It is the object of our invention to effect these results in a more simple, effective
and economical manner, and to such end consists in a conduit provided with opposing
electrodes which limit the passage of the liquid, or other material through the
conduit and spread or disperse it in a comparatively thin sheet over their opposing
surfaces; it further consists in a conduit having opposing electrodes of peculiar
shape as hereinafter set forth; it further consists in a conduit which is at the same
a sight-glass or tube of transparent insulating material, provided interiorly with
and supporting opposing electrodes; it further consists in an electrolyzing device
adapted to be interposed in a beer or other conduit; it further consists in certain
parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.
In order to make our invention more clearly understood we have shown in the
accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical effect, without limiting
our improvements in their useful applications, to the particular construction, which,
for the sake of illustration, we have delineated. In said drawings:
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, on line 1-I, Fig. 3, of a conduit and electrodes
embodying our invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar view on line II-II, Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line III-III, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the electrodes in its preferred form.
Fig. 5 is a similar view of another form of electrode.
Referring to the drawings, 1 is a conduit which may be the draw-off pipe for the
fine beer from the shavings-cask, the pipe leading from the fermenting vat, or a
conduit from any desired source of supply of the liquid to be treated. The lower
portion of this conduit is preferably an elbow 2 provided at its upper end with a
horizontal flange 3, with a vertical collar or flange 4, and within the latter with a
shoulder 5.
6 is a continuation of the conduit 1, in the form of a goose-neck, the limb 7 of
which returns downward parallel with the ascending limb of the conduit, and
terminates in an elbow 8 in line with the elbow 2. The device may then be con-
veniently interposed in any existing conduit, as C, without displacing or diverting
the latter. The elbow is formed with a flange 9, collar 10, and shoulder 11, similar
to those of the part 2.
Interposed and held between the shoulders 5 and 11 and having its ends within
the collars 4 and 10, is a sight-tube or section 12 composed in whole or in part of
suitable material, such as glass, so that the liquid passing through the conduit, and
any electrolyzing action upon it, may be here observed. The upper and lower ends

page_text: of the tube 12 rest upon rubber or other packing rings 13, and the parts 2 and 6
are firmly clamped upon it by bolts 14 parallel with the tube and passing through
the flanges 3 and 9.
The electrodes, of carbon or other suitable conducting material, are indicated
at 15 and are mounted within and insulated by the tube 12. They, in conjunction
with the tube or with any filling or obstructing material which may be employed,
restrict the free passage-way through the tube to a relatively narrow opening or
slit 19 which is situated directly between the electrodes, whereby their operative
faces, from one to the other of which the electric current passes, are brought
close together and the liquid spread and dispersed so as to have all of its parts and
organisms therein, efficiently treated. To this end we prefer to form the electrodes,
as shown, with semi-cylindrical rear faces 16 fitting closely to the wall of the
tube 12, with flat opposing operative or conducting faces 17 and with inclined
bottom faces 18 whereby the liquid is directed to the narrow free passage 19.
Secured in or to, or formed with the electrode is a conductor 20 which passes
through the tube 12 by an aperture 21. 22 is a washer at the outside of said
aperture through which also the conductor 20 passes, and 23 is a nut screwed upon
the end of the conductor and clamping the electrode in place. The source of
electrical energy is indicated digrammatically at 24 from the opposite poles of which
conductors 25 lead respectively to the two electrodes, and may be conveniently
connected thereto by being clamped beneath the nuts 23.
Such being the arrangement of the parts it will be observed that the fluid, for
instance beer from the shavings-cask, coming along the conduit C will be caused to
pass into the elbow 2.
Its course being thence upwards as it passes the electrodes,
it is caused by gravity to fill all parts of the tube 12 so that all the operative faces
of both electrodes are encountered by the liquid (which would not necessarily be
the case it the tube 12 lay horizontally and the flow of liquid were not sufficient to
fill the conduit.) The liquid being spread into a thin body or sheet by the
restricting action of the surfaces 18, all particles in it are brought into contact
with or in close proximity to the operative faces 17 and caused to furnish a part of
the conducting means for the electric current from one such surface to the other,
whereby any organisms are killed or rendered harmless. By mounting the
electrodes entirely in a tube or chamber of non-conducting material, the electrical
energy is not dissipated but caused to act through the electrodes alone and on the
thin sheet of liquid between them.
26 is a sampling and vent cock in the conduit, and preferably situated at the
extreme top of the bend 6. It serves to deliver a sample of the electrically treated
liquid. In case the electrolytic action is sufficiently strong to decompose into gas
any constituents of the liquid, such gas will collect in the bend 6, and may be
suffered to escape through the cork 26 at intervals or as it collects, thus preventing
its accumulation from interfering with the free passage of the liquid.
In order to cause all parts of the passing liquid to make contact with or come
nearer to the electrodes, the opposing surfaces 17 of one or both of the latter
may be transversely ribbed or corrugated so that the liquid next to said surfaces
will be retarded, causing the liquid to roll over said surfaces and bring particles
and organisms from the middle of the passage 19 into contact with the electrodes.
Such corrugation is indicated at 27 in Fig. 5.
The electrodes may be solid, or may only have faces of conducting material,
being left hollow or being filled with any material which will exclude the beer or
other liquid and prevent its accumulating within such hollow electrode.
The device or apparatus may be situated at any suitable point in a beer making
plant, and may be the means of finally drawing off the finished beer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :--
1. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or

page_text: material, a conduit provided with opposing electrodes restricting the passage-way
through said conduit, substantially as set forth.
2. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit provided with opposing electrodes forming a narrow and long
passage-way or slit, substantially as set forth.
3. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, an upwardly extending conduit provided at its sides with opposing
electrodes, substantially as set forth.
4. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a sight-tube, and opposing electrodes therein, substantially as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a sight-tube, and electrodes therein and carried and insulated thereby,
substantially as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit or chamber of non-conducting material, and electrodes fitting and
secured to the sides of the same, substantially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit section adapted to be interposed in a pipe, and having an
upwardly extending limb, and opposing electrodes in said limb, substantially as
set forth.
8. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit section adapted to be interposed in a pipe, and having upwardly
and downwardly extending limbs, elbows at the lower ends of the latter, and
opposing electrodes in the upwardly extending limb, substantially as set forth.
9. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit section adapted to be interposed in a pipe and having upwardly
and downwardly extending limbs, opposing electrodes in the upwardly extending
limb, and a vent at or near the top of said limbs, substantially as set forth.
10. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit section adapted to be interposed in a pipe and having upwardly
and downwardly extending limbs, opposing electrodes, and a vent, situated beyond
the electrodes, substantially as set forth.
11. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit, electrodes fitting and restricting said conduit and having
conductors attached rigidly thereto, extending outwardly therefrom, and passing
through said conduit, and means for engaging said conductors to clamp the
electrodes against the interior of the conduit, substantially as set forth.
12. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, an electrode corrugated transversely to bring a flowing material into
contact therewith, substantially as set forth.
13. In an apparatus for the electrical treatment of beer or other liquid or
material, a conduit, and restricting electrodes therein having inclined faces 18,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1894.