IMPROVEMENTS IN SAMPLING AND TESTING APPARATUS FOR SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS OR OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES O'NEILL MACKLE, of 94 Cresswell Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAMPLING AND TESTING APPARATUS FOR SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS
OR OTHER LIQUIDS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in sampling and testing apparatus for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, N° 235 of 1881.
The apparatus in its present condition consists preferably of a glass cylinder
with copper or other metal ends, the lower end is fitted with a spring valve which
opens automatically when the instrument is inserted in the liquid. This valve
opens preferably inwards by the force of the liquid against it, though for some
purposes such as for testing the quality of oils at different heights in a cask,
I operate the valve or valve spring by hand, so that it is kept closed during a
certain portion of its descent into the liquid and allowed to open at the place from
which the sample is to be taken. The liquid will of course rise in the cylinder
until it reaches the level of immersion, or until the vessel is full as desired. The
valve closes as the instrument is withdrawn from the liquid, retaining in it the
sample required. By a spring or catch or other arrangement attached to the valve
it may be opened at pleasure by the operator and the liquid emptied from it by
the same aperture through which it entered. This obviates the necessity of
turning the instrument upside down for the purpose of emptying it as was the case
with the old one, though it can be emptied in that manner as the top is left open.
The valve may be kept in its place by its own weight, or by the column of liquid
in the cylinder instead of by a spring, and such may be found more convenient
with a rod or spindle passing out through the bottom opening to raise it when
required.
For testing the strength or specific gravity of spirits or other liquids, I place in
the glass cylinder an hydrometer, inside the bulb and stem of which is placed
a thermometer, so adjusted as not to overbalance the hydrometer, and so placed
that its support or back carrying the scale and showing the temperature carries on
its reverse side the scale for the hydrometer. A cushioned ring suspended from

page_text: the top encircles the stem of the bydrometer, and a cushion may be placed at the
bottom on which the bulb can rest to prevent its being accidentally broken.
The instrument may be made in small telescopic form which can be conveniently
carried in the pocket, an instrument of such size being convenient for testing a
small quantity of liquid. For use on counters or in labratories where the instru-
ment would be only used for testing samples previously obtained, it may be fitted
with a broad base or foot to stand upon either with or without a valve therein for
emptying it; and for sampling liquids when the colour only is to be observed, the
hydrometer and thermometer may be dispensed with.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES O'NEILL MACKLE of 94 Cresswell Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Commission Agent do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN SAMPLING AND TESTING APPARATUS FOR SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS
OR OTHER LIQUIDS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in sampling and testing apparatus for
which Letters Patent were granted to me N° 235 of 1881.
The apparatus in its present condition is best described by aid of the accom-
panying drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of apparatus for
sampling casks.
Figure 2 apparatus for use by a publican or other user for ordinary testing.
In these A is a glass cylinder with copper or other metal ends B. C. The lower
end B of Figure 1 is fitted with a spring valve D which opens automatically
when the instrument is inserted in the liquid it is also provided with a wire
connection E by which it can be opened at other times.
This valve opens
preferably inwards by the force of the liquid against it, though for some pur-
poses such as obtaining samples of oils at different depths in a cask, I operate the
valve or valve spring by hand with wire connection E so that it is kept closed
during a certain portion of its descent into the liquid and allowed to open at the
place from which the sample is to be taken. The liquid will of course rise in the
cylinder until it reaches the level of immersion or until the vessel is full as desired.
The valve closes as the instrument is withdrawn from the liquid retaining in it the
sample required. By a spring or catch or other arrangement attached to the valve
it may be opened at pleasure by the operator and the liquid emptied from it by
the same aperture through which it entered. This obviates the necessity of
turning the instrument upside down for the purpose of emptying it, as was the
case with the old one, though it can be emptied in that manner as the top is left
open. The valve may be kept in its place by its own weight, or by a column of
liquid in the cylinder instead of by a spring, and such may be found more
convenient with a rod or spindle passing out through the bottom opening fitted
with wire E to raise it when required.
For testing the strength or specific gravity of spirits or other liquids I place in
the glass cylinder a hydrometer F inside the bulb and stem of which is placed a
thermometer G so adjusted as not to overbalance the hydrometer and so placed
that its support or back carrying the scale and shewing the temperature carries on
its reverse side or other part the scale for the hydrometer; the hydrometer is made
with a long tubular bulb instead of a round one in order to better adapt it to the
glass cylinder that it floats in, and the thermometer is made to go to the bottom of
the bulb instead of as in my former Specification being only in the stem, by this
means the scale can be made longer and more legible; a cushioned ring H suspended
from the top C encircles the stem of the hydrometer and a perforated cushion I
made of india rubber may be placed at the bottom on which the bulb can rest to
prevent its being accidentally broken,

page_text: The instrument may be made in small telescopic form which can be conveniently
carried in the pocket an instrument of such size being convenient for testing a
small quantity of liquid. For use on counters or in laboratories where the instru-
ment would be only used for testing samples previously obtained it may be fitted
with a broad base or foot as in Figure 2 to stand upon either with or without a
valve therein for emptying it; and for sampling liquids when the colour only is to
be observed, the hydrometer and thermometer may be dispensed with.
In arranging the apparatus care should be taken that the bydrometer shall be
well cushioned above and below.
The cushioning ring H is preferably so placed that the bulb of the hydrometer
shall come against it before the top of the glass tube of the same can strike the
metal end B or pass through the contracted opening bin same. In some cases &
buffering cap is placed in the top perforated so as to admit of the free passage of
liquid while cushioning the hydrometer By careful fitting and making the
contracted part e b of fair diameter and well burnished inside the necessity of a
buffering cap may be avoided. The hydrometer can be graduated to Twaddle,
Baumé, English, or other scale and thus the instrument can be used by chemists
for ascertaining the specific gravity or density of liquids.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
ف.
1st. The manufacture and use of sampling and testing apparatus having hydro-
metric and thermometric or specific gravity testing appliances in which a valve at
bottom can be opened by the operator at will at any depth of immersion or when
exposed and containing liquid contents whereby a sample can be obtained at any
required depth and after testing can be easily discharged back again through the
bottom into the vessel from which the sample was drawn.
2nd. The improvements on my old sampling apparatus for securing the safety
of the hydrometer and for improving its shape substantially as described.
3rd. The manufacture and use of sampling and testing apparatus having
transparent glass tube for hydrometric or specific gravity testing and thermometric
appliances substantially as described in which the whole stands upon a firm
support so that it can be used like a beaker standing on a table and the liquor can
be poured into it and out of it, and left to stand if desired till an exact temperature
is obtained.