AN IMPROVED METHOD OF. AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPARKLING WINES
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edme Jules Maumené and Louis
Brunet Jaunay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 14th July 1858.
We, EDME JULES MAUMENE, Professor of Chemistry, and LOUIS BRUNET
JAUNAY, Wine Merchant, at Rheims, Departement of Marne, in France, do
hereby declare the nature, of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF.
AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPARKLING WINES," to be as follows:-
The new system of working effervescing wines consists in the employment
of closed metallic vessels named aphrophoruses into which the wine is intro-
duced, and in which it remains during the whole of the time that a production
of froth or effervescence takes place; the wine is placed in the aphrophoruses
in certain conditions that may be widely different; sometimes we introduce it
immediately after complete fermentation has taken place in the barrels, when
all the natural sugar is exhausted and we are about to add the dose of sugar
required for the production of a new fermentation to obtain the desired amount.
of froth. Sometimes we introduce it the moment it comes from the press,
that is to say, before the wine is formed and when it is nothing more than
grape juice. Sometimes, again, it is introduced in other conditions which it
is not necessary to mention here.
The aphrophoruses are not absolutely shut, they are closed by valves having
weights or springs which are loaded according to the degree of froth it is
wished to obtain. If the liquid contains more sugar than is necessary (as it
happens when grape juice is used), the valves permit the excess of gas to
escape; this excess is utilised in the continuation of the process. During the

page_text: formation of the froth a deposit takes place: we experience no difficulty in
separating the latter; for, either the deposit adheres to the aphrophorus, and
the wine can then be carefully drawn off in a clear condition, or it does not
adhere, and in this case it can be made to fall, by means of a slight shaking
and the wine decanted into another aphrophorus perfectly clean, whence it can
be drawn off a little later. Wines can be mixed in the aphrophoruses even
after the production of the froth in utilising compressed carbonic acid gas, as
will be explained further on.
To draw the wine from the aphrophorus and bottle it, it is necessary to
make use of a garde mousse (froth retainer) deprived of its swipe and even of
its sphere, and reduced to its empliseuse (filler). The garde mousse is a
metallic reservoir intended to operate the decanting of effervescing wines even,
if necessary, after the wine has already been put into bottles. This reservoir
is of a spherical shape near its diameter; it has a swipe destined to receive
the bottles of wine to be introduced into the garde mousse. The bottle is
brought vertically under the swipe, where it is held firmly, whilst the plate
which is destined to support it is pressed down against the strong springs
arranged so as to push the plates up again until the neck of the bottle is
thrust against a ring of india-rubber placed underneath the swipe; the bottle
being thus firmly engaged is swung towards the operator, lifting it gradually
higher and higher up to an angle of 45°. At this angle the mouth of the
bottle comes in front of a pipe always ready to furnish carbonic acid gas at a
definite pressure in order to re-establish in the bottle the pressure existing
before it was opened. That being done, the movement of the bottle is
continued until the latter becomes vertical, its neck downwards; when in this
position the wine runs into the sphere without being shaken, because the
pressure has been previously established in the sphere, and is the same as
that in the bottle. As soon as the wine is thus decanted, the motion of the
swipe is continued until the bottle arrives again at an angle of 45°, but on the
other side where another tube awaits it and receives the carbonic acid gas now
contained in the bottle in place of the wine, and which this tube conducts
back to the gas holder. The bottle is then allowed to fall back to its first
position; it is then disengaged so that it may be corked in order to prevent
the carbonic acid gas which remains in the bottle from escaping. If the wine
which is to be bottled is in an aphrophorus, it is not necessary to use the swipe
mor the sphere, the emplisseuse is here sufficient.
The latter instrument is the third part of the garde mousse, it is fastened
to the end of a tube of silver serving to draw off the liquid from the garde
inousse. It consists of a metallic cylinder containing two cocks, one of

page_text: which gives passage to the wine brought up by the silver tube, the other
serves to carry off the carbonic acid gas coming from the top of the sphere.
The bottles that are to be filled are placed under the empliseuse (filler), where
they are fixed by means of a treadle which presses them against a piece of
india-rubber; the gas cock is opened first to produce in the bottle the same
pressure as in the sphere. The wine cock is next opened to let as much wine
run as is required.
This will be better understood by a few words of explanation; thus, we
have stated that we re-establish in the bottles the pressure that existed in them
before they were opened. It may seem very difficult to ascertain this pressure;
we have accomplished this by means of an instrument to which we bave given
the name of aphrometer, or froth measurer. Thus, again, we said that the
pressure in the garde mousse is the same as in the bottle; we have been able
to realize this condition, and at the same time to keep up constantly the
pressure in the garde mousse by means of a gas regulator.
All these instruments are represented in detail in the Drawings which
accompany the present description.
The same may be said of some other instruments invented by us, and which
form a complete system for the working of effervescing wines. Thus the
garde mousse requires a complete apparatus for the preparation of the
compressed carbonic acid gas; the apparatus which serves to produce this gas.
being well known need not be mentioned here, though it has been represented
in the Drawings. To compress the gas we employ pumps which form part of
our Invention.
In the making of effervescing wines, we are obliged to measure variable
dose or quantities of sweet vinous liquid. On the Drawings will be seen the
douseuses (measures or mixers), or pipettes which we have invented, and which
will be found very advantageous.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT APPARATUS.
Aphrophorus A, A', (Fig. 1,) is a large cylinder of any dimension made of
silvered copper or silver sheathed with copper. It is composed of many parts
A, A', A", A", and covered by a lid C. This cover is taken off to introduce
the wine or the grape juice, and is then immediately replaced. The appa-
ratus is then left to itself until after the formation of the froth, nothing else
being required to be done than to see the working of the valve S, by which
the excess of carbonic acid gas escapes goes on properly. If needed, the
apparatus might be lifted up, the flanges of the joints are furnished with
snugs E, E', E", through which three strong iron rods B, B', B", B', are

page_text: passed. The tops of these three rods receive three chains D, D', D", which
unite in a common link attached to the main chain G, G. A windlass (not
represented in the Drawing) enables one man to draw this chain and to
raise the vessel in the socket Y in which its pivot Z rests. During its sus-
pension a man can give it a sufficient oscillatory motion. The aphrophorus
may also be made to receive any other necessary motion.
R, J, (Fig. 2,) is a small contrivance which operates as follows:-R is a
cock, which opens or shuts the communication of the aphrophorus with the
looking hole J. The latter is a transverse tube, rather short, whose two
extremities B, B', are exactly alike; C is a leather ring; 9, a silver-plated
copper grating laid on a piece of plate glass v; T is a plug with a screw
silvered inside, intended to shut in case of a rupture of the glass. To observe
the wine, the cock R is shut, the two plugs are unscrewed, and a light being.
placed. at T, the workman by looking through T' may see the wine between-
the two glasses.
We can also (Fig. 1) put a bottle V in a frame resembling that of the
garde mousse, of which we shall speak presently. The wine may be examined
in a bottle, and the bottle may even be removed.
m, m', m", are openings for receiving the garde mousse according to the
depth of the déposite. To draw off the wine it is necessary to establish a
communication of gas between the aphrophorus and the garde mousse; the
cock is destined to establish this communication means of a tube with
two branches, one of which goes to the garde mousse, the other to the con-
denser. The deposite which remains in the aphrophorus is added to that in
the others, and all are conducted in the same aphrophorus. The decanting is
effected by the tube T", which is adapted to the vessel into which the deposite
is to be constructed, the cock X is opened, and by effecting the pressure in
the interior by means of the condenser already joined to the cock r, the wine
and the deposit are rapidly driven off. The deposits are allowed to settle
some days, when the wine is again drawn off clear. The wine can be dosed
in the aphrophorus before being bottled; this can easily be understood from
what has already been said.
Garde mousse (froth retainer).-We have given a complete representation
of it in Fig. 3, applicable to the decanting of wine already bottled.
S is the sphere; B, the bottle, which has just been dégorgée (deprived of
its sediment) and placed upon the sockie a in a frame c, c, c', c', in which it is
engaged and held firmly by the springs r, r'. The bottle is made to enter
the frame by placing the foot upon the treadle p, which lowers the rod f, 7,
notwithstanding the spring f, and lowers also the plate d, d. By lifting the

page_text: foot the bottle is caught. The frame is drawn towards the operator; it is
easily disengaged at h, and the bottle is thus elevated. When the latter is in
a vertical position the wine runs out by the silver tube t, t,-into the sphere.
The swipe is represented in detail (Fig. 4), and the section of this swipe,
which is drawn full size (Fig. 5), alone requires a word of explanation.. The
key of the swipe cock is fixed; it is formed of a long tube T, T', T", (Fig. 4,)
and its conical part from D to E presents 4 holes; the first, i, terminates the
tube m, m', for the introduction of carbonic acid gas; the second, G, com-
mences the tube G, H, which lets the wine run into the sphere. These two.
holes or mouths are both placed in the same vertical plane Ti, T'; the two
others are at 45° from this plane, and from the centre of the cock m' the
one u (Fig. 5) gives passage to the carbonic acid gas brought by m, m', of
which m' is a lateral branch pushed out in front of the mean plane of the
apparatus; the other, y, is the entrance of another lateral branch y, i, of a
second tube o, o, opened in the same key, 3 or 4 millimetres behind m, m' ;
this tube terminates by a second lateral branch o, y', (a little to the right of
the point T), and the mouth of y corresponds with a tube y' stoped by an
ordinary cock N. The tube m', m', has a cock O, R, between T' and T";
this cock has three channels (see the horizontal section underneath), the
tube T" is united to the tube X", which brings the gas directly from the
regulator or from the condenser, the perpendicular tube T" is likewise.
adapted to the tube X', which communicates with the sphere. This dis-
position permits us to operate with rapidity, the dégorgée bottle being put into
its place, the tubes and are closed, the wine is in a closed bottle.; by
raising up the frame the position in which is in front of u (in Fig. 5) is
obtained, all may be done without stopping; the time which elapses during
the passage is not too short to permit of the carbonic acid gas strongly-com-
pressed in m, m', u, (4 to 6 atmospheres) rushing into the tube r, "", and
establishing in the bottle the same pressure as in the sphere, which is a very
important point. Whilst passing the bottle backwards is put in communi-
cation with y. Then the gas which has replaced the wine in the bottle, and
which is at a pressure of from 4 to 6 atmospheres, rushes into the tube
y, o, y', and flows first into the jar F (Fig. 3), where a small quantity of
wine is deposited, and thence into the gas holder.
The wine is drawn at the tap R', R", (Fig. 3), the tap R' is represented
at Fig. 6. The gas passes by the small tube d, c, the wine arrives by a,
which is the extremity of tube V, R', (Fig. 3,) and. descends into the bottle
by oblique opening 7.
The disc b, b', which presses the india-rubber e, e', has six snugs each

page_text: pierced with a hole; a pin g, b, is lodged in one of these to prevent the vaci-
lation of the disc during the work; the workman turning a sheild (m, Fig. 3,)
to shelter himself in case the bottle should explode. During these opera-
tions it is necessary that the carbonic acid gas in the sphere be kept at the
same pressure as the wine in the bottles which is to be decanted. This is
done as follows:-First of all the pressure in the bottle is found by means
of the instrument represented in Fig. 7, called an aphrometer. A hollow
screw V, t', in the interior of which the rod t, t', terminated below by the
point or hollow cone V is lodged. This point may be shifted father or nearer by
turning the knob B, which is fixed on the rod at t by a screw z. The knob
screws into the nut E. By screwing, the rod, and consequently V' descend;
by unscrewing V', ascends and closes the extremity t' of the hollow screw;
V' is then forced into the cork of the bottle, and the screwing is continued
until V' arrives at the gas chamber, the hollow screw is kept free by making
V descend a little, by screwing B the gas shows its pressure by its action
upon the water in the tube t', l, h, G, and in the Bourdon's manometer
A, O, X. It is necessary now to establish the same pressure in the garde
mousse, and to preserve it throughout notwithstanding the variety of the work.
The carbonic acid gas prepared with proper care, and by known methods,
arrives in the gasholder (Fig. 3). It is taken off by means of a forcing
pump P', P", moved by turning the pinion p, which acts upon the wheels
P', p", p p. The axles of p" and p" have cranks which act upon the
connecting rods V2, V3, and draw or push the pump pistons. The gas sucked
up by the pipe Z passes through valves placed in S2, S3, and when it is forced
it passes through other valves situated above the former ones.
It then passes
into the basin Q, whence it arrives at the condenser by the tube 2* i.
The condenser is a large cylinder of tinned copper, above which is a Bour-
don's manometer M, the gas escapes from it by the tube i', t".
Before coming to the garde mousse, the gas meets with the regulator
destined to keep it always at the same pressure.
Gas regulator. A bronze plate W is fixed on a plate of wood or metal U', U³.
Under this plate a cylinder of very thick india-rubber is attached, surrounded
by a spring made of thick steel wire, the convolutions of which nearly touch.
one another. At the bottom of the cylinder is another bronze plate W', which
is moveable, and carries at its center an iron rod, which passes through a
small spring (a carriage spring) Z, and a guide u fixed to the plate U, U.
The rod is fixed to a rack y', at the bottom of which there is another guide u;
the rack gears with a quadrant, which forms the head of the key of the cock,
placed on the passage of the gas going to the garde mousse.

page_text: The following is the manner in which the regulator acts:-The gas of the
sphere communicates with the india-rubber cylinder by the tube V', V", the
cock r being open; the gas of the condenser enters into the sphere by the branch
X', V', the pressure immediately acts upon the india-rubber, the plate W'
desends in spite of the spiral spring, and in spite of the carriage spring Z, the
rack descends likewise, causes the key of the cock r to turn, and the latter is
soon shut. Hence the gas can only pass up to a certain limit, and in order to
fix this limit we tighten more or less the spring Z, by means of a screw placed
on the guide u, and which we have not represented in the Drawing, in order
to prevent complication. When the pressure diminishes in the sphere, the
plate W rises by the elasticity of the india-rubber, by that of the spiral
spring, and by that of the carriage spring; the cock r re-opens, and the gas
of the condenser passes anew.
We possess other regulators, and amongst others that of Fig. 8, r, is still the
introduction cock, t' is the tube, V', V", of Fig. 3. The gas of the garde
mousse comes into a copper cylinder A nearly full of water, it forces out this
water into another cylinder A' nearly full of air, the latter being thus com-
pressed, its resistance becomes greater and greater.
When the water lowers
in A, is causes a float F, p, K, to descend; this float carries with it the rack c,
and causes m to turn and shut r. Then when the pressure diminishes in the
garde mousse, the compressed air in A' forces the water into A, raises the
float, and opens r.
The other pieces of the garde moose are easily distinguished; H, is an
opening large enough to allow of the arm of a man to pass, and closed by a
lid with three screws; m² is a Bourdon's manometer; t³, t, is a guage glass.
In the working it is necessary to dose the wine with sweet liquor, we have
invented many instruments to effect this, we have called them doseuses
(mixers), the following is in our opinion the best.
Doseuses (mixers), Fig. 9.-A is a glass jar cemented to a ring of silvered
copper d, c, which screws into the piece B x, on a ring of india-rubber, in
the center there is a silver plated tube m, s, sustained by the stuffing box z.
The jar can be made to slide at will upon the tube by means of the clamp
v, x, which is fastened on the rod t by means of the screw v.
The liquor
brought by the tube g rises in m, and fills the jar; m, h, represents a given
capacity. This filling takes place by putting the cock in the position repre-
sented in Fig. 10, where h is the handle. If this handle is placed horizontally
the liquor ceases to flow, if it be lowered into the position Fig. 11, the liquor
can flow, the whole of the contents of m, h, fall with that m, s, o, the desired

page_text: dose is thus given, We mark previously on t the position in wich the jar
must be for each dose.
We utilize the gas of the aphrophoruses (that which fermentation evolves),
by turning it into the garde mousse. This gas is conducted to the gasholder,
. instead of that generally prepared from marble or pure carbonates.