IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING AND DRAWING OFF ALES, WINES, SPIRITS, AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Mark Frank Mason and George
Anderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th August 1875.
We, MARK FRANK MASON, of 296, Pentonville Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, and GEORGE ANDERSON, of Mansion House
Buildings, in the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR BOTTLING AND DRAWING OFF ALES, WINES, SPIRITS, AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to
be as follows:-
Hitherto ales, wines, spirits, and other liquids, have been drawn off by
means of driving a tap or stop-cock into the lower end of the barrel,
and thus drawn off through the tap or stop-cock for some time after the
barrel has been tapped. In this manner it is found to be necessary to
allow time for the ales to settle from the effects of having been disturbed
by this mode of tapping, or to draw off a quantity of waste ale until it
becomes clear in order that it may be drawn off as clear as possible; to
do this a large quantity of the ales are wasted. Many plans have been
tried to prevent this loss of time and waste, but without obtaining the
desired results.

page_text: We propose by this Invention to remove all these difficulties; in order
to do this we make a hollow tube of bamboo cane or other suitable
material, this tube or float we cut a little shorter than the length of the
barrel, on one end of this tube we fix a piece of india-rubber about three
or more inches long, we then make a brass tap the proper size for
fitting well into the tap hole of the barrel, the smaller end of this tap
we put into the other end of the india-rubber tube, and thus form a
flexible neck; at the outlet end of the brass tap we screw a piece of
brass pipe, and at the lower end of this pipe we fix a stop-cock; we
then cork up the other end of the bamboo cane, and make one or more
small holes near the end but on the under side, so that as the tube floats
a little below the surface of the liquid a free passage is open the whole
length of the tube and downfall pipe.
We will now describe the manner of using the drawing tube or float.
The barrels when placed on the rack to be put with the bung hole
down underneath, and bring the tapping hole proper to the top of the
end of the barrel; we then knock in the cork and insert the float tube
the small holes downwards, and drive the brass tap at the outer end fast
into the tap hole in the barrel. The floating tube will become fully
charged, as also the outside pipe; no sucking or blowing required; by
turning on or opening the tap at the lower end the liquid comes freely
and clearly from the barrel or other vessel, as the sediment has not been
disturbed in the barrel. By this mode of tapping and manner of drawing
off the float tube descends gently as the liquid is drawn off until it
touches the bottom of the barrel, the liquid being drawn off from the
top instead of the bottom, a thing very much desired by wholesale and
retail dealers in fine ales, &c.
We will now describe the bottling machine or apparatus. The object
of this part of our Invention is to bottle liquids without any chance of
waste, which is not the case with any of the many bottling machines
now in use with which we are acquainted.
We will now fully describe it as follows:-We make a strong but
very light frame of wrought iron; we then make a copper cylinder or
vessel to hold 8 quarts; this vessel we fix from the top on to a cross bar
at the top of the framework, the cylinder hanging suspended from the
cross bar at the bottom of this vessel, and in the centre of the vessel
bottom which is slightly conical, a valve, the lower end of this valve
coming through the bottom about 3 inches, the bottom of valve is also

page_text: conical; we then equally divide the valve into 6 parts, and borc 6 holes
through the sides of this valve a little above the conical bottom, and
insert 6 bent brass tubes or pipes that branch out like a star; the stem
of the valve passes up through the top of the cylinder some distance to
allow its being worked by the bottler from the outside. We then
make a flat round float a little smaller than the diameter of the cylinder
inside of copper or tin, with two upright rods passing from the float up
through the top of the cylinder some short distance as the valve rod;
wo then place on the upright rod of the float above the cylinder an
adjustable cross bar; another or inlet valve is placed at the back, and
near the top of the cylinder; this valve is set in an horizontal position
with 3 inlets outside, and one outlet into the cylinder; the valve rod
goes through the cover of this valve to allow the lever to work it. We
then place an upright pillar or bent one as the case may require; a bent
tappit lever is fixed to the pillar provided with a slot, and a hole through
it for a small bolt or pin to carry and hold it in position, the cranked
lever. The lower end of this lever fits in like manner into the valve rod,
the other end rests above the cross bar of the float. We then make a
small upright pillar to carry the lever for opening and shutting the
valve at the bottom of the cylinder; at the top of the sides of the frame-
work run a rock shaft or cross shaft; on to this shaft we place two
square grooved wheels, one at each end; just within the frame at one
end of this shaft a lever is keyed for the purpose of operating the same,
we then screw into the bar supporting the cylinder on each side of the
cylinder two iron pipes 20 inches long, and towards the floor a flat plate
of iron or table for the bottles to stand upon while being filled; from
this table runs 2 half inch rods or bolts through the 2 iron pipes for
the purpose of keeping the iron plate or table in position while being
moved up or down; at the upper end of these rods we secure a copper
flat linked chain, which passes round the wheels and made fast to the
same; two loose collars are fixed, one on each rod, with set screws to
regulate the distance the table is required to move; on this table is
placed a round piece of wood 2 inches thick with 6 openings, into
which the bottles stand ready to be filled.
We now describe the manner of operating this machine :-6 bottles
are placed on the table directly under each outlet pipe of the bottom
valve;
the table is raised by pulling the lever the required distance to
allow the outlet pipes to enter the neck of the bottles; the vessel being

page_text: charged with 6 quarts of liquid the lever of the bottom valve rod is
raised and opens the valve allowing the liquid to run out in equal
measure into each bottle, the lever is pulled back, the full bottles
removed, and the same operation repeated; the bottom valve is then
closed and the upper valve opened by means of the bent lever, the
liquid flows through the inlet valve down the side of the cylinder and
underneath the float which ascends until 6 quarts of liquid has run into
the cylinder, it then shuts by means of the cross bar and bent lever of
the top inlet valve.