IMPROVING DRAUGHT BEER, ALE, PORTER, AND CIDER
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Symes Prideaux, of 209, Piccadilly, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVING DRAUGHT BEER,
ALE, PORTER, AND CIDER."
Sealed the 22nd December 1865, and dated the 6th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Symes Prideaux
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
6th July 1865.
I, THOMAS SYMES PRIDEAUX, of 209, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVING DRAUGHT
BEER, ALE, PORTER, AND CIDER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve the quality of beer, ale, porter,
and cider, by preserving it equably charged with carbonic acid in any required
degree whilst in draught, so that it shall possess the briskness, freshness, and
palatable and dietetic properties now, obtained by keeping these liquors for a
certain period in bottle. By this Invention not only is the trouble, expense,
increased freight, and other disadvantages inseparable from the system of
bottling got rid of, but the production of the gas not being effected at the
expense of the saccharine matter of the beverage, ás is the case with bottled
liquors, the full flavour is preserved, whilst further fermentation being

page_text: rendered impossible, the drink is not liable to become at all hard or sour,
whatever the temperature and state of the weather, whilst another great
advantage is that the degree of aeration being under exact command may be
regulated to the point most agreeable to the palate of the consumer. This
object is to be attained by maintaining over the surface of the liquor an
atmosphere of carbonic acid gas at a pressure considerably above that of the
atmosphere (the aeration of the liquor being in the ratio of the pressure).
This desideratum is to be accomplished in the following manner:-The cask
containing the liquor is to be fitted with a strong metallic vessel containing
highly condensed carbonic acid, this vessel is to communicate with the interior
of the cask by a tube furnished with a stop-cock, the action of which is to bo
regulated and controlled by the degree of pressure of the atmosphere of the
cask. The automatic action of the stop-cock is to be effected by connecting
it with a spiral metallic tube closed at one end, the other communicating with
the atmosphere of the cask, and employing the motion resulting from the
tendency of such a tube to straighten or unwind itself under pressure on its
interior, and to resume its former position on the diminution of the pressure
to close or open the stop-cock, or the same object may be secured by connecting
it with a loaded piston working in a cylinder and exposed to the action of the
atmosphere of the cask on its under or interior side. I do not restrict myself
to these methods of regulating the supply of gas. The stop-cock may be
opened by hand and shut off in the same way upon the desired pressure being
attained, as shewn by a pressure guage, but I prefer to regulate the supply
automatically.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Symes Prideaux in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
STMES PRIDEAUX, of 209, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Symes Prideaux, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Symes Prideaux, my executors,. administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said Thomas Symes Prideaux, 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
IMPROVING DRAUGHT ALE, BEER, PORTER AND CIDER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Symes Prideaux, my executors' or
administrators, by an instrument in writing. under or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, 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 Thomas Symes Prideaux, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This. Invention has for its object to improve the quality of beer, ale, porter,
and cider, by preserving them equably charged with carbonic acid in any
required degree whilst in draught, so that they shall possess the briskness,
freshness, and palatable and dietetic properties now obtained by keeping these
liquors for a certain period in bottle. By this Invention not only is the trouble,
expense, increased freight; and other disadvantages inseparable from the
system of bottling got rid of, but the production of the gas not being effected
at the expense of the saccharine matter of the beverage, as is the case with
bottled liquors, the full flavour is preserved, whilst further fermentation being
rendered impossible, the drink is not liable to become at all hard or sour,
whatever the temperature and state of the weather, whilst another great
advantage is that the degree of aeration being under exact command, may
be regulated to the point most agreeable to the palate of the consumer.
This object is to be attained by maintaining over the surface of the liquor au
atmosphere of carbonic acid gas at a pressure above that of the atmosphere.
I find a pressure of 4 or 5 pounds on the square inch produces a pleasing
degree of aeration, and one which ordinary casks are competent to bear; but
this point may be adjusted to the taste of individual consumers, due regard
being had to the endurance of the vessel containing the liquor, the aeration
of which will be in the ratio of the pressure. The above desideratum is to be
accomplished in the following manner :-The cask containing the liquor is to
be fitted with a strong metallic vessel containing highly condense carbonic

page_text: acid; this vessel is to communicate with the interior of the cask by a tube
furnished with a stop-cock or valve, the action of which is to be regulated
and controlled by the degree of pressure of the atmosphere of the cask, so that
when this falls below the desired standard the valve will by opening restore
it, and become itself again closed by the increase in pressure ensuing. The
vessel of condensed carbonic acid and the interior of the cask thus constitute
high-pressure and low-pressure reservoir, so connected that as the contents
of the latter are drawn off that of the former supplies their place, and main-
tains in the lower pressure reservoir a nearly equable standard of pressure, till
that of its own contents sinks to the same level. The automatic opening and
vessel containing the liquor
closing of the connecting passage between the
ways.
and that containing the supply of carbonic acid may be effected in various
I prefer to employ a bag piston or diaphragm as shown in the annexed
Drawing, but I do not restrict myself to it, nor - though I believe its
mechanical details to be new, and its construction as a whole to be superior
to that of any valve for regulating aeriform pressure at present known,
do I claim its use in any way except for the purpose described. The valve
or stop-cock may also be opened by hand and shut off in the same way upon
the desired pressure being attained, as shown by a pressure guage, but I prefer
to regulate the supply automatically. The vessel of condensed carbonic acid
will require to contain a supply of gas about equivalent to twice the contents
of the cask. The precise quantity required will evidently vary with the
degree of pressure maintained over the liquor. The initial pressure in
the supply vessel is unimportant except as a question of convenience affecting
its size, on which ground I prefer to employ a pressure of not less than 12
atmospheres.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shows a vertical section of the apparatus. a, socket into which
the charging apparatus is to be screwed, with a leather washer on the collar
to keep the joint tight; the pressure from the charging apparatus will open
the valve b, which is held up against its seat by the spiral spring c, and when
the sphere is fully charged the charging apparatus may be disconnected, and
the valve 6 will keep all tight; a socket d, with tube of any length, must be
screwed into the cask with a plug to fit into it tight before the apparatus is
applied; this socket is fitted with an open-sided plug e, which is for lifting up
the valve f sukan the ennaratus is fixed or nut into the socket the

page_text: The action of the apparatus will be as follows:-g, socket and valve seat, is
tightly screwed into the sphere by the nut h; j, the pressure valve is held in
its place by the india-rubber washer k, and disc l, both of which are kept in
their place by the tube m, screwed firmly up by the nut n; when there is no
pressure of gas in the sphere or barrel, or when the pressure of gas in the
barrel is below the standard for which the valve is adjusted, the valvej will
remain slightly open, as shown, but when the standard pressure is attained in
the cask or space O, the valvej will close, the disc being much larger than
the washer k, the pressure in the space O¹ being the same as O; when the
pressure is reduced in the cask or in O and O¹, the valve; will open, and the
gas will escape from 0¹ into 0 through the opening j¹, through the
centre of the valve, and through f and e into the cask f and e, having three
flat sides thus
The
espace p has a small opening 9 to the atmosphere
so as not to reduce the power of the disc l, which is corrugated to make it
more flexible. If it be desired to have an apparatus of which the standard of
working pressure may be varied, it may be effected by making the disc / pro-
portionally weaker, and giving it the assistance of a steel spring, the strength
of which can be altered at pleasure.
I do not make any claim to the use of the apparatus above described,
except for the purpose described, what I claim is, the appending to casks or
other vessels containing beer, ale, porter, or cider, a reservoir charged with
condensed carbonic acid, so connected with the vessel containing the liquor
that the latter can be easily replenished with the gas from time to time as
occasion may require.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Symes Prideaux, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOMAS S. PRIDEAUX. (L.S.)