IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE QUANTITY AND STRENGTH OF SPIRITS OR OTHER PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY THE PROCESS OF DISTILLATION
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Peterson, of Brompton Square, in the County
of Middlesex,,Actual Counsellor of State in the Russian Empire, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE
QUANTITY AND STRENGTH OF SPIRITS OR OTHER PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY THE
PROCESS OF DISTILLATION."-A communication from abroad by Theodor
Steinberg, of Oseenovoy Koost, near Saratof, in the Empire of Russia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Peterson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th June 1862.
I, GEORGE PETERSON, of Brompton Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Actual Counsellor of State in the Russian Empire, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
THE QUANTITY AND STRENGTH OF SPIRITS OR OTHER PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY THE
PROCESS OF DISTILLATION," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved mode of taking the correct
quantity of spirits or other liquid products arising from distillation, and also
for obtaining accurate samples representing the actual strength of the whole
quantity distilled, the whole apparatus being self-acting and capable of

page_text: receiving absoluté security from being meddled or tampered with while at
work. In carrying out these improvements a box or other suitably shaped
vessel is fixed at the end of the worm of the still into which the spirit or
other product flows; it is conducted along a trough into the interior of a drum
or hollow wheel, which is divided (by preference) into five compartments, but
other numbers may be used, if desired, into each of each of these compart-
ments suitable discharge pipes are fixed, so as to allow the liquid to be dis-
charged from each compartment at its proper time. The spirit runs into the
drum of the hollow wheel, and on filling one compartment a float is lifted,
and by means of suitable levers a catch is released, which allows the weight
of the spirit to cause the drum to rotate a portion of a revolution. On the
drum commencing to rotate the float descends bringing the catch on the lever
again into position to arrest. the progress of the drum; as the drum rotates
it discharges its contents into the box near the bottom, whence it delivers
into a pipe leading to the receptable where the spirit or other product is
stored; each revolution of this-drum or of each compartment thereof is regis-
tered by suitable counting apparatus, and the exact capacity of the drum
being known the quantity passing through the apparatus is known with
certainty. On one side of the drum and outside thereof are fixed studs, one
to each compartment, and on each of these studs are suspended small jars or
bottles of suitable shape; as the drum revolves each of these bottles passes
under a perforated trough, which receives the spirits or other products as it
runs from the drum towards the exit pipe, and gets filled with a charge of
such spirit, or it may be filled in any other convenient manner; being
weighted these jars or bottles always hang perpendicularly on the studs to
which they are attached. On reaching the upper part of the case where they
are carried by the revolution of the drum they come in contact with a fixed
bar or projection, by which they are reversed, and discharge their contents
into a pan or funnel furnished with a pipe leading to a tank or receptacle
underneath the apparatus into which each sample is delivered, and which
when taken out gives an accurate sample or extract of the whole quantity
distilled. Should accident, frost, or other cause stop the revolution of the
drum or wheel then the spirit or other product overflows from the inlet of
the drum into another trough, and is delivered into a funnel-shaped box,
which is formed with a number of apertures suitably, arranged therein; one
of these apertures delivers a regulated proportion of the whole quantity dis-
charged from the still into a funnel, which leads again to another, tank. or
receptacle placed under the apparatus, and on this quantity, so, delivered being
measured and tested a very near approximation to the quantity and strength

page_text: made may be ascertained. The strength of the distilled spirit is also shown
by a floating alcohometer or bydrometer placed in the tank, and visible
through a glazed orifice in the side of the tank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Peterson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th December 1862..
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PETERSON, of Brompton Square, in the County of Middlesex, Actual Coun-
sellor of State in the Russian Empire, send greeting..
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said. George Peterson, Her special licence, that I, the said
George Peterson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Peterson, 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 APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE QUANTITY. AND STRENGTH
OF SPIRITS OR OTHER PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY THE PROCESS OF DISTILLATION," &
communication to him from abroad by Theodor Steinberg, of Oseenovoy
Koost, near Saratof, in the Empire of Russia, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Peterson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven⚫
tion, 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 George Peterson, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improved mode of taking the correct
quantity of spirits or other liquid products arising from distillation, and also
1

page_text: for obtaining accurate samples representing the actual strength of the whole
quantity distilled, the whole apparatus being self-acting, and capable of
receiving absolute security from being meddled or tampered with while at work.
In carrying out these improvements a box or other suitably shaped vessel is
fixed at the end of the worm of the still, into which the spirit or other product
flows; it is conducted along a trough into the interior of a drum or hollow
wheel, which is divided (by preference) into five compartments; but other
numbers may be used, if desired. Into each of these compartments suitable
discharge pipes are fixed, so as to allow the liquid to be discharged from each
compartment at its proper time. The spirit runs into the drum of the hollow
wheel, and on filling one compartment a float is lifted, and by means of
suitable levers, a catch is released, which allows the weight of the spirit
to cause the drum to rotate a portion of a revolution. On the drum
commencing to rotate the float descends, bringing the catch on the lever
again into position' to arrest the progress of 'the drum. As the drum
rotates, it discharges its contents into the box near the bottom, whence
it delivers it into a pipe leading to the receptacle where the spirit or other
product is stored. Each revolution of this drum or of each compartment thereof
is registered by suitable counting apparatus, and the exact capacity of the
drum being known, the quantity passing through the apparatus is known with
certainty. On one side of the drum and outside thereof are fixed studs one
to each compartment, and on each of these studs are suspended small jars or
bottles of suitable shape. As the drum revolves, each of these bottles passes
under a perforated trough, which receives the spirit as it runs from the drum.
towards the exit pipe, and gets filled with a charge of such spirit, or it may be
filled in any other convenient manner; being weighted these jars or bottles
always hang perpendicularly on the studs to which they are attached.
On reaching the upper part of the case where they are carried by the
revolution of the drum, they come in contact with a fixed, bar or projection,
by which they are reversed, and discharge their contents in a pan or funnel
furnished with a pipe, leading to a tank or receptacle underneath the apparatus,
into which each sample is delivered, and which, when taken out, gives an
accurate sample of the whole quantity distilled. Should accident, frost, or
other cause stop the revolution of the drum or wheel, then the spirit or other
product overflows from the inlet of the drum into another trough, and is
delivered into a funnel or other suitably shaped box, which is formed with a
number of apertures suitably arranged therein; one of these apertures delivers
a regulated proportion of the whole quantity discharged from the still into a
funnel, which leads again to another tank or receptacle placed under the

page_text: Figures 1, 2, and 3, shew vertical sections; Figure 4 is a plan in section
of apparatus suitably arranged for the purposes of the Invention. The other
Figures of the Drawings shew some of the parts separately, the nature of which
is written thereon. a, a, is a strong metallic vessel formed with a division at
a', and having a cover a², capable of being fixed and secured in position by a
lock, or otherwise; a³ is the inlet passage, which is placed in communication
with the end of the worm of the still. The spirit or other product as it flows
into the vessel a is received into the well b, from which it flows through
perforations into the well or tube b', so as to equalize its flow over the upper
edge thereof into the trough c, which conducts it into the interior of the drum
or hollow wheel d, which in this arrangement is divided into five compart-
ments d (although this number may be varied). The drum d is fixed
on the axis d*, which rotates in fixed bearings a*, a*, lubricated by means of
cylinders of grease and plumbago contained in tubes, and pressed upwards
against each bearing by spiral springs. The inlet passages to each compart-
ment of the drum are within the inner circumference of the drum d, the
contents being discharged as the drum rotates through the pipes d², d², into the
body of the vessel a, from which it flows away by the pipe or passage a', leading
to the receptacle where the spirit or other product is stored. As each com-.
partment of the drum d fills the float e rises and releases the lever catch f from
a stop or projection d' on the drum d, thus allowing it to make a partial revolu-
tion by the gravitating power of the compartment filled with liquid. The drum
in its rotation brings the inlet passages of another compartment into position
for the liquid to pass into, which allows the float e to descend and place the
lever catch in a position to arrest the further rotation of the drum d until
again released. In order to communicate the movement of the float e to the
catch f, it is connected by a pin joint to the lever e', which moves on a pin
joint at es, carried by the upright support a; the other end of the lever e¹ is
connected by the connecting rod to the lever arm e fixed on the axis e

page_text: on which is fixed the lever arm'e, to the upper end of which the catch fis
attached. On the end of the axis d* a toothed pinion d is fixed; which
gives motion to suitable counting and registering apparatus contained in the
compartment outside of the vessel a which has a glazed opening in front in
order that the quantity registered may be readily seen. The registering
apparatus is not shewn in the Drawings as it may be of the ordinary character,
which is well known for other purposes; d³, do, are jars or bottles (one to
each compartment of the drum d) suspended on studs fixed on one side of
the drum near the periphery, and as the drum rotates each jar or bottle is
filled in succession with the spirit às it is discharged from the compartments.
The spirit as it issues from the several discharge pipes d' is delivered on to
the periphery of the drum'd, which conducts part of it up over the edge of
the tray de fixed on the sides and end of the drum as shewn, along, which it
flows, and in passing over the perforated part at the delivery end thereof, is
caused to fall in the form of rain into the mouths of the bottles or jars d", sò
as to fill them when they are at their lowest position in passing below the
tray d. It will be seen on examining Figure 5 of the Drawings, that the jars
or bottles d are formed with suitable openings so as to admit of the free
.passage of the air whilst being filled or discharged, in order to ensure their
correct action. Each jar or bottle carries a projecting pin, which in its
revolution is brought in contact with the fixed horizontal wire or bar 9, thus
causing the bottle to revolve or partially revolve on its stud or axis, and so
discharge its contents into the fixed pan or funnel h from which it is conducted
by means of a pipe h' and channel into the tank or receptacle ï in the'.
lower compartment of the box or vessel a. The channel ', into which each
sample of the spirit is delivered by the pipe h', is formed on the under surface
of the cover of the tank i, and conduct's the successive samples into the stout'
glass tube 2, the lower end of which is open to the tank i, and a floating
alcohometer or hydrometer is placed in the glass tube 2 which may be seen
through a glazed opening in the side of the case or vessel a which is formed
with a hinged flap securely fastened inside, but capable of being let down in
order to withdraw the accumulated samples contained in the tank i when
required. In case the revolution of the drum or wheel & should cease by
being frozen, or from accidents or design, or from any other cause, then the
spirit as it is delivered into the interior of the drum will flow back through s
the inlet and fall over into the trough j which conducts it into the box or
vessel which is formed with several compartments containing a series of
perforated trays or sieves which check and regulate the flow of the spirit.
The spirit as it flows into the upper compartment 1 of the box k, percolates

page_text: through the perforations and around the trays contained therein, flowing away
through orifices formed in the front plate k', the central portion of such orifices
being enclosed by side plates. The spirit which flows through the orifices
external of the side plates is conducted by the spouts or channels into the
vessel a, but that portion of the spirit which is delivered into the central
compartment is conducted by a pipe into the middle compartment 2 of the
box & arranged like the compartment 1 with perforated trays, through which
this portion of the spirit is distributed, a certain portion being delivered as
before by the central orifices in the plate k into the lower compartment 3,
where the spirit is again divided, a minute portion or sample being delivered
through the pipe k' at the bottom of the vessel, which pipe enters the socket
of another pipe which delivers it into another compartment i* of the tank i
where these samples are accumulated. The spirit in the compartment ** is
in communication with the glass tube containing another alcohometer to
indicate externally of the vessel d, the strength and level of the spirit
contained therein.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Peterson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
GEORGE PETERSON. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane. W.C.