New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Ageing Liquors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Ageing Liquors.
A communication from abroad by JULIAN A. H. HASBROUCK, of Plainfield, in the
County of Somerset and State of New Jersey, United States of America.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
37
This invention has reference to spirituous or alcoholic liquors (brandy, gin,
whiskey, etcetera) and to means of improving the quality of the same, when newly
distilled, by artificially producing the ripening or mellowing effects termed "ageing
which are naturally attained by keeping such liquor many years.
Processes and other means of artificially ageing liquors are not unknown, but,
prior to this invention, liquors, treated for that purpose by any of the known processes,
have either been positively injured by the elimination of part or all of their vital
constituents, or, in some instances, by the decomposition of the liquor and the
destruction or conversion into other materials of the elements of the liquors, but, in
many cases, no appreciable change, certainly no great improvement in the quality
of the liquor, has been observable after the treatment.
The object of this invention is to improve alcoholic or spirituous liquors by producing
the effect known as "ageing" by artificial means without depriving the liquors of any
of the constituent elements or deteriorating their quality in any degree.
To this end, the invention consists in artificially ageing alcoholic or spirituous
liquors by heating the same, subdividing, breaking up or converting the liquor into a
spray or vapour, and subjecting it, while in the condition of a spray or vapour, to the
action of atmospheric air or oxygen gas.
An air-tight tank is provided, made of wood and preferably constructed like a cask,
that is, of staves, and of a slightly tapering form and with the staves secured by hoops
driven on in the usual manner. The heads of the cask or tank are provided with
gudgeons which are journalled in suitable supports so that the tank can revolve freely.
The gudgeons are bored through axially and stuffing boxes are formed by counter
boring, the smaller apertures at the bottom of the stuffing boxes being tapered slightly
and communicating with tapered apertures in the centre of the heads. A coiled or
double U-shaped pipe of block tin is placed inside the tank and traverses any number
of times nearly the entire length of the tank. The ends of this pipe are carried through
the apertures in the centre of the heads and into the smaller apertures at the bottom
of the stuffing boxes, where they are secured by means of tubular conical plugs driven
into the ends of the pipes so as to expand the said ends against the tapering sides of
the apertures.
The heads of the plugs are driven against the bottom of the stuffing
boxes. Through the glands of the stuffing boxes are passed tubes which are centered
so that their inner ends align with the hores of the plugs, said ends being sustained
centrally by means of collars placed over them and against the heads of the plugs.
The outer ends of the tubes are coupled to pipes, one of which connects with a source
of steam (or hot air) supply-say a boiler or the exhaust of a steam engine- and the
other serves to carry off the steam, condensation water, etcetera. The tubes are
immovable and are held centrally by means of the follower and packing in the boxes
and the collars, while the followers being connected with the packing boxes of the
gudgeons turn freely on the said tubes. Inside the tank are arms at right angles to
each other and fastened by means of pins preferably of wood driven through the sides
of the tank and into the ends of the arms. These arms are square pieces of wood and
are arranged so that those of one set are in contact with those of the other set, thus

page_text: making the intervals between the arms equal to their width. Near their ends and on
opposite sides the arms are provided with spoon-shaped hollows. In one end of the
tank is a faucet, the nozzle of which is arranged to be connected by means of a
suitable pipe or tube with a tank of oxygen gas or the chamber of an air pump.
There is also a cock in one of the heads to draw off the vapours when it is found
necessary so to do.
All the wood of the inside of the tank is charred so that the liquor shall be separated
from the natural wood by a layer of carbonized wood and all the metal inside of the
tank (namely, the steam pipe and ends of the faucet and cock) is of block tin or other
metal that will resist chemical action by the liquor. The tank is rotatel by means of
a belt passed over a pulley on one of the gudgeons.
With an apparatus such as above described the process of ageing liquors is as
follows:-
The tank is one-half or two-thirds filled with new liquor through the bung (which
is arranged so as to close air-tight) and the bung being closed the tank is revolved at
a sufficient speed to cause the arms to lift the liquor and drop it after or at about
the time they arrive at or pass the vertical position, and steam is admitted to the pipe
in sufficient quantities to maintain the temperature at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
By the revolution of the tank, the arms, with their spoon-shaped hollows, are caused to
agitate the liquor and also to lift it up and drop it back through the atmosphere of
the tank above the liquor. Thereby the liquor is broken up and it falls through the
atmosphere of air or gas in the upper part of the tank in the form of spray or vapour.
At the commencement of the operation, oxygen gas is admitted to the tank through
the faucet and allowed to expel the air before the tank is closed so that the upper part
of the tank will be filled with the gas at a pressure of about 5 pounds to the square
inch. The gas in the course of a few days become somewhat vitiated by the
consumption of the gas brought about by the oxidation of the oxidizable constituents
of the liquor and the presence of the vapours from the liquor on the remaining air or
gas. The vitiated air or gas is removed from the vessel by opening the cock, it being
at a temperature considerably above that of the exterior air it rapidly passes out of
the open cock, and its place is taken by gas admitted to the vessel through the fancet.
The gas should fill the space above the liquor and preferably be maintained at a
pressure as above indicated, but not necessarily so.
The spraying and oxidizing of the liquor are continued until the required "age" is
reached, that is until every particle or atom of the liquor has been acted on by the
gas or as nearly so as desired. This is the theory of the process, practically the time
depends upon the "age" to be reached and the time also depends on the quality of
the liquor. My correspondent finds by experiment that about 25 days' treatment by
his process is equal to about a year's time by the natural process. The heating of
the liquor is an important part of the treatment as it hastens the action of the
oxygen gas.
Atmospheric air may be substituted for oxygen, but the action is much slower and
consequently the time required for ripening or ageing the liquor is longer.
Dated this 13th day of January 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Ageing Liquors.
A communication from abroad by JULIAN A. H. HASBROUCK, of Plainfield, in the
County of Somerset and State of New Jersey United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to spirituous or alcoholic liquors (brandy, gin, whiskey,
etcetera) and to means of improving the quality of the same, when newly distilled, by
artificially producing the ripening or mellowing effects termed "ageing" which are
naturally attained by keeping such liquors many years.
Processes and other means of artificially ageing liquors are not unknown, but prior
to this invention, liquors treated for that purpose, by any of the known processes have
either been positively injured by the elimination of part or all of their vital constituents
or in some instances by the decomposition of the liquor and the destruction or
conversion into other materials of some of the elements of the liquors, but in many
cases no appreciable change, certainly no great improvement in the quality of the
liquors, has been observable after the treatment.
The object of this invention is to improve alcoholic or spirituous liquors by producing
the effect known as ageing by artificial means without depriving the liquors of any of
the constituent elements or deteriorating their quality in any degree.
To this end this invention consists in artificially ageing alcoholic or spirituous
liquors by heating the same, subdividing, breaking up or converting the liquor into a
spray or vapour and subjecting it while in the condition of a spray or vapour to the
action of atmospheric air or oxygen gas.
In the accompanying drawing is illustrated an apparatus suitable for carrying out
the improved process,.
Figure 1 representing a longitudinal section of the apparatus, and
Figure 2 a transverse section of the same.
Referring to the drawing :-
T represents a tank made of wood and preferably constructed like a cask, that is, of
staves and of a slightly tapering form, and with the staves secured by hoops driven on
in the usual manner. The heads H H of the cask are provided with gudgeons G G
which are journalled in suitable supports S S so that the tank can revolve freely.
The gudgeons are bored through axially, and stuffing boxes B B are formed by
counter-boring, the smaller apertures a a at the bottom of the stuffing boxes being
tapered slightly and communicating with tapered apertures a¹ a¹ in the centre of the
heads H H. A coiled or double U-shaped pipe P of block tin placed inside the
tank and traverses any number of times nearly the entire length of the tank. The
ends e e of this pipe are carried through the apertures a' a', and into the apertures a a,
where they are secured by means of tubular conical plugs p p driven into the ends of
the pipes so as to expand the said ends against the tapering sides of the apertures.
The heads of the plugs, it will be observed, are driven against the bottom of the
stuffing boxes. Through the glands or followers g g of the stuffing boxes are passed
tubes tt, which are centered so that their inner ends align with the bores of plugs pp,
said ends being sustained centrally by means of collars c c, placed over them and
against the heads of the plugs. The outer ends of the tubes are coupled to pipes s s',
one of which connects with a source of steam supply, say a boiler, or the exhaust of a
steam engine, and the other serves to carry off the steam, condensation water, etcetera.
The tubes t t are immovable and are held centrally by means of the follower and
packing in the boxes and the collars cc, while the followers, being connected with
the packing boxes of the gudgeons, turn freely on the said tubes. Inside the tank
are arms A A' at right angles to each other and fastened by means of pins n preferably
of wood driven through the sides of the tank and into the ends of the arms. These
arms are square pieces of wood and are arranged so that those of one set are in contact
with those of the other set, thus making the intervals between the arms equal to their
width. Near their ends and on opposite sides, the arms are provided with spoon-
shaped hollows h. In one end of the tank is a faucet F, the nozzle of which is
arranged to be connected by means of a suitable pipe or tube with a tank of oxygen
gas or the chamber of an air pump. There is also a cock in one of the heads to
draw off the vapours when it is found necessary so to do. All the wood of the inside

page_text: of the tank is charred, the charred surface being represented by stippling in the
drawing, so that the liquor shall be separated from the natural wood by a layer of
carbonized wood and all the metal inside of the tank, namely the steam pipe P, is of
block tin or other metal that will resist ch. mical action by the liquor. The tank is
rotated by means of a belt passed over the pulley W on one of the gudgeons.
With an apparatus such as above described the process of ageing liquors is as
follows:-
The tank is one-half or two-thirds filled with new liquor through the bung R (which
is arranged so as to close air-tight) and the bung being closed the tank is revolved at
a sufficient speed to cause the arms to lift the liquor and drop it after or at about the
time they arrive at or pass the vertical position, and steam is admitted to the pipe P
in sufficient quantities to maintain the temperature at about 100° Fahrenheit. By
the revolution of the tank the arms with their spoon-shaped hollows are caused to
agitate the liquor, and also to lift it up and drop it back through the atmosphere of
the tank above the liquor. Thereby the liquor is broken up and it falls through the
atmosphere of air or gas in the upper part of the tank in the form of spray or vapour.
At the commencement of the operation, oxygen gas is admitted to the tank through
the cock F and allowed to expel the air before the tank is closed, so that the upper
part of the tank will be filled with the gas at a pressure of about 5 lbs. to the square
inch. The gas in the course of a few days becomes somewhat vitiated by the
consumption of the gas brought about by the oxidation of the oxidizable constituents
of the liquor and the presence of the vapours from the liquor in the remaining air or
gas. The vitiated air or gas is removed from the vessel by opening the cock C (it,
being at a temperature considerably above. that of the exterior air, rapidly passes out
of the open cock) and its place is taken by fresh gas admitted to the vessel through
the cock F. The gas should fill the space above the liquor and preferably be
maintained at a pressure as above indicated, but not necessarily so.
The spraying and oxidizing of the liquor are continued until the required "age" is
reached, that is until every particle or atom of the liquor has been exposed to the
action of the gas. This is the theory of the process, practically the time depends upon
the "age" to be reached and the time also depends on the quality of the liquor. It
is found by experiment that about 25 days' treatment by this process is equal to about a
year's time by nature's process. This proportion it is preferred should be adhered to.
The heating of the liquor is an important part of the treatment as it hastens the
action of the oxygen gas.
Atmospheric air may be substituted for oxygen, but the action is much slower and
consequently the time required for ripening or ageing the liquor is longer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, 1 declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In the treatment of liquors for the purpose of ageing them, the process herein
described, the same consisting in confining the liquor to prevent the vapours from
escaping, protecting the liquor against injury from chemical action, by contact with
the walls of the containing vessel, by means of a layer of carbon or carbonized wood
interposed between the liquor and the surface of the tank and its arms, said carbon
also serving as the purifying and colouring agent, heating the confined liquor, spraying,
vaporizing or otherwise finely dividing it, and subjecting the liquor so confined,
heated and divided, to the action of oxygen gas.
2nd. The apparatus herein described for carrying out the above specified process,
the same consisting of a wooden tank T provided with gudgeons journalled in supports
on which the tank rotates, the said tank having interior wooden arms A A', and an
interior pipe P made of tin or other metal not corrodible by the liquor, the inside
surface of the tank and also the arms being carbonized or charred so that the liquor
cannot come in contact with the natural wood, and the pipe P having it ends carried
through and secured in apertures in the heads of the tank, and stationary tubes tt,

page_text: connected one with a hot air or steam supply pipe and the other with an exhaust pipe,
and also passed through stuffing boxes in the gudgeons so that they communicate
with the ends of the pipe P.
Dated this 13th day of October 1890
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.