ROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING BEER BY THE GENERATION OF CARBONIC ACID GAS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Julius Boult at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October 1883. A communication
from Charles Lauer of Perpignan in the Republic of France
36
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 823 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING BEER BY THE GENERATION OF
CARBONIC ACID GAS" [a communication from Charles Lauer of Perpignan in the
Republic of France]
The object of this invention is to provide means by which carbonic acid gas, can
be substituted for atmosphic air for the purpose of raising beer from the cask to
the tap or cock wherefrom it is to be drawn. In this improved apparatus
carbonic acid gas is produced when required, whilst when the drawing off tap is
closed the production of said gas is interrupted.
The gas is produced from dilute sulphuric acid and bicarbonate of soda. The
following are suitable proportions in which these compounds may be used
1220 grammes of sulphuric acid diluted with 5', litres of water and 1220 grammes
of bicarbonate of soda.
A suitable apparatus for this purpose may be constructed as follows.
A cylindrical vessel is provided containing the dilute sulphuric acid, it may
conveniently consist of cast iron, be enamelled on the inside and be supported on
three legs. Quite at the bottom this vessel has an aperture closed by a plug and
serving to empty it. Within the said vessel is placed a porcelain receiver of
smaller diameter, between the same and the walls of the vessel an air space
formed. The porcelain receiver does not quite reach the bottom of the vessel
Upon the top of the vessel and separated therefrom by an india-rubber washer is
the bottom of another cylinder preferably of copper tinned. The flanges of the
two cylinders are covered by a collar fixed by bolts. The second or upper cylinder
is closed by a lid firmly held down by a bridge fixed by two bolts. Through the
centre of the upper cylinder rises a rod for which a stuffing box is provided in
the lid. The rod is screw-threaded, and carries at the lower end a cone shaped
vessel, which is thus suspended, reaching into the porcelain receiver. The conical
vessel is perforated with holes and contains the bicarbonate of soda. It can be
raised and lowered by the screw thread on the rod.
The parts above described constitute the gas generator.

page_text: A gas receiver is also provided and consists of a divided hollow sphere (say of
bronze) which can be screwed together. A sleove in the lower part thereof is fitted
with a valve admitting the gas delivered by a washing or scrubbing apparatus.
On either side of the gas receiver are two holes into which tubes are fitted.
One tube conducts the gas, after it is washed, to the cask or barrel, a cock
controlling this tube is also provided. The second tube is connected with a
pressure gauge In the top of the sphere a safety valve is fitted.
From the generator the gas passes to the washing apparatus by a tube, whilst
a separate channel leads from the washer to the gas receiver, the washer consisting
of two vessels. A small waste cock in the bottom of the gas receiver serves to
draw off any liquid which may by fermentation of the gas, be driven into the gas
receiver, the sleeve in the latter entirely preventing such liquid arriving into any
other part of the apparatus. The gas washer consists of two vessels, so that from
no cause may water pass into the other parts of the apparatus.