IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING ALE, BEER, WINE, AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Beresford Bennett, of King's Heath, in
the County of Worcester, Science Master, and James Herd, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, and Bernard Peard Walker, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Consulting Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING ALE, BEER, WINE,
AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Beresford
Bennett and James Herd and Bernard Peard Walker at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1881.
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, Science Master, and JAMES HERD, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
RAISING ALE, BEER, WINE, AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Our Invention relates principally to the raising of ale, beer, and wine, from the
casks or vessels containing them to a higher level by the pressure of carbonic acid
gas, but our Invention may also be applied to the raising of other liquids.
Our Invention consists further of the apparatus hereinafter described for
generating the required carbonic acid gas and maintaining the required
pressure.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the raising of ale from the cask
containing it. In the cask, and preferably at the highest part of the cask, we fix a pipe
connected with an apparatus for generating carbonic acid gas. The said apparatus
is constructed as follows:-A closed vessel, which we will call the generator,
contains carbonate of lime or other carbonate. A pipe from another closed vessel,
which we will call the acid reservoir, connects the upper part of the said reservoir
with the lower part of the generator. The pipe fixed in the cask opens into the
upper part of the generator. A cistern of mercury situated three or four feet

page_text: above the top of the acid reservoir communicates by means of a pipe with the
bottom of the acid reservoir. The generator and acid reservoir have openings for
charging and discharging them and the pipe connecting the mercury cistern with
the acid reservoir has a stopcock. The cask may have a tap in its lower part, from
which ale can be drawn, and a pipe communicating with the lower part of the cask
is carried up to the point to which it may be required to raise the ale. The last
named pipe terminates in a tap or valve.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The cask being full of ale, and the
generator and reservoir and mercury cistern charged respectively with carbonate of
lime, sulphuric or hydrochloric acid and mercury, and the stopcock in the pipe of
the mercury cistern open, the mercurial column maintains a pressure on the ale
sufficient to raise the said ale to a height about twelve times as great as that of
the mercurial column.
If the tap or valve at the top of the ale pipe be opened ale is delivered
therefrom. Mercury descends from the cistern forcing acid from the acid reservoir
into the generator. By the action of the said acid upon the carbonate of lime in
the generator carbonic acid is evolved and by its accumulation restores the pressure
in the barrel and forces the acid back into the acid reservoir and the mercury into
its cistern, the normal state of the apparatus and its contents being thus restored.
When a second quantity of ale is drawn from the cask the diminished pressure
resulting permits of the descent of mercury, the forcing of acid into the generator,
and the production of carbonic acid gas, and thus every time the normal state is
disturbed by the withdrawal of ale the apparatus comes automatically into action,
thus maintaining the required pressure through the medium of a gas identical
with that produced by fermentation and preserving the piquant and sparkling
character of the ale.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Alfred Beresford Bennett and James Herd and Bernard
Peard Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd December 1881.
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT, of King's Heath, in the County of
Worcester, Science Master, and JAMES HERD, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, and BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Consulting Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
RAISING ALE, BEER, WINE, AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Our Invention relates to the raising of ale, beer, wine, and other liquids from
the casks or vessels containing them by the automatically regulated pressure of
carbonic acid gas.
Our Invention consists further of the apparatus hereinafter described for
generating the required carbonic acid gas and maintaining the required
pressure.
When, in this our Specification, we use the word raising as describing the action
of our Invention, as likewise in our claim, we use it to express the forcible
expulsion of liquids from the vessels containing them under an automatically
regulated pressure generated as hereinafter described.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the raising of ale from the cask
containing it. In the cask, and preferably at the highest part of the cask, we fix
a pipe connected with an apparatus for generating carbonic acid gas, which apparatus
we term the acrator.
According to one method of carrying our Invention into effect we construct and
use the said apparatus in the following manner:-A closed vessel, which we will
call the generator, contains carbonate of calcium or other carbonate. A pipe from
another closed vessel, which we will call the acid reservoir, connects the upper part
of the said reservoir with the lower part of the generator; the pipe fixed in the
cask opens into the upper part of the generator. A cistern of mercury situated
three or four feet, or at any other required height above the top of the acid
reservoir, communicates by means of a pipe with the bottom of the acid reservoir.
The generator and acid reservoir have openings for charging and discharging them,
the said openings being capable of being closed by screw caps or otherwise, and
the pipe connecting the mercury cistern with the acid reservoir has a stop cock.
It is also desirable that all the pipes of the apparatus should be furnished with stop
cocks. The cask may have a tap in its lower part from which ale can be drawn,
and a pipe communicating with the lower part of the cask is carried up to the
point to which it may be required to raise the ale. The last named pipe terminates
in a tap or valve.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The cask being full of ale and the
generator and reservoir and mercury cistern charged respectively with carbonate of
calcium or other carbonate, sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, or an aqueous solution
of tartaric acid and mercury, and the stopcock in the pipe of the mercury cistern
open, the mercurial column maintains a pressure on the ale sufficient to raise the
said ale to a height about twelve times as great as that of the mercurial column.
If the tap or valve at the top of the ale pipe be opened ale is delivered therefrom.
The pressure in the interior of the apparatus being thereby diminished, mercury
descends from the cistern, forcing acid from the acid reservoir into the generator.
By the action of the said acid upon the carbonate in the generator, carbonic acid
gas is evolved, and by its accumulation restores the pressure in the barrel and forces
the acid back into the acid reservoir, and the mercury into its cistern, the normal
state of the apparatus and its contents being thus restored. When a second

page_text: quantity of ale is drawn from the cask, the diminished pressure resulting permits
of the descent of mercury, the forcing of acid into the generator, and the pro-
duction of carbonic acid gas, and thus every time the normal state is disturbed
by the withdrawal of ale the apparatus comes automatically into action, thus
maintaining the required pressure through the medium of a gas identical with that
produced by fermentation and preserving the piquant and sparkling character of
the ale.
The hydrochloric and sulphuric acids employed may either be the concentrated
acids of commerce or diluted acids.
In some cases, especially for use with large barrels where the quantity of
mercury required in the arrangement described is considerable, we substitute a
glass plunger working through india rubber collars and weighted with external
weights in place of the column of mercury to obtain the desired pressure, the
action of the machine being in other respects the same as described. We also, in
other instances, replace the short column of mercury with a longer one of acid,
having a reservoir placed sufficiently above the barrel to be emptied to give the
necessary pressure.
A column of water may also be employed for obtaining the required pressure
supplied either from the public service pipes or from a cistern placed sufficiently
high for the purpose. In this case we employ an ordinary air vessel in connection
with the column of water to prevent the entrance of the water into the vessel
containing the, carbonic acid gas.
According to another method of carrying our Invention into effect, we construct
and use the apparatus for generating carbonic acid gas in the manner illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing.
The said apparatus is constructed as follows:-A vessel R, which we term the
reservoir, is fixed by suitable fastenings to another vessel S which we term the
syringe, and which is so fastened to the aforesaid vessel R, that, should the pressure
within the vessels become greater than a certain fixed limit, the two vessels will
separate and allow of an escape of gas and so act as a safety valve.
Within the syringe S is placed a cylindrical piston or plunger P moveable
through the collar C. To the base of this plunger are attached suitable bands
passing over pulleys and connected with a weight W.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The plunger or piston being held in
its lowest position the syringe is filled to a suitable height with either hydrochloric
acid, sulphuric acid, an aqueous solution of tartaric acid, or other acid, and in or on
a stand or vessel X placed in the upper part of the syringe a proper quantity of
either carbonate of calcium, carbonate of sodium, or other carbonate is put; the
reservoir is then fixed in its place and the pipe T attached to the cask containing
the ale; the piston is then liberated from the catch U or other contrivance fixed.
on the frame of the machine for the purpose of holding the piston down while
recharging. The weight W is now liberated and drives the plunger into the acid,
forcing some of the acid onto the carbonate, this generates a quantity of carbonic
acid gas, some of which goes to fill the reservoir and some is dissolved in the ale.
When the pressure due to this carbonic acid gas has attained a certain amount
dependent on the weight W, the piston when equilibrium is attained cannot rise
higher, and so no more acid being forced on to the carbonate the generation of the
gas speedily ceases. Now on withdrawing any of the ale either at the cask itself
or by means of a pipe carried to the height most convenient, the balance of pressure
is disturbed, the piston forces some acid on to the carbonate and more gas is
generated until the pressure on the piston is again balanced, and thus every time
the normal state is disturbed by the withdrawal of ale, the apparatus comes
automatically into action, thus maintaining the required pressure through the medium
or by means of a gas identical with that produced by fermentation, and so
preserving the piquant and sparkling character of the ale.
The acids employed are best of that strength which for the particular acid used
most rapidly attacks the carbonate.

page_text: The carbonate and the acid require in both forms of our Invention renewing
from time to time. The syrings may be emptied of its exhausted contents and
fresh materials introduced.
One gas generating apparatus may be employed for each barrel, or one gas
generating apparatus may be employed for raising the liquid or liquids contained
in several barrels, in the latter case it is only necessary to connect the several
barrels or casks with the gas generating apparatus in the manner herein before
described with respect to one cask.
Vessels and pipes of the gas generating apparatus may be made of earthenware,
glass, or other strong material, not injuriously acted upon by the substances coming
in contact with them.
Although we have described our Invention as applied to the raising of ale, yet
our said Invention may also be applied to the raising of other liquids, and we
believe that our Invention will be fully understood by the description herein given
of its application to ale.
In using an apparatus constructed according to our Invention for raising liquids
it will be observed that in accordance with a well know chemical fact some of the,
carbonic acid gas as a rule will be dissolved by the liquid, so that by increasing the
pressure under or by which the liquid is expelled the amount of carbonic acid gas
so dissolved may be increased proportionately, and so any desired degree of aëration
may be attained.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as
our Invention :
First. Raising ale, beer, wine, water, and other liquids, drinks, and beverages,
by the pressure of carbonic acid gas applied to the liquid contained in a closed
vessel by means of an automatically regulated pressure, substantially as herein
before described.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of apparatus for raising
liquids by automatically regulated pressure of carbonic acid gas, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Peard Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
BERNARD PEARD WALKER. (L.S.)
Birmingham.