IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS OR APPARATUS FOR CON- TAINING AND PRESERVING ALE, BEER, AND OTHER LIQUORS
Year: 1853

page_text: of keeping the beer or other liquor cool. By this means the beer
will for a considerable time retain its flavor, and will not become
flat or unpleasant, as is sometimes the case even when kept in casks
or closed stone bottles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Matthias Walker in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
MATTHIAS WALKER, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex, Iron-
monger, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Matthias Walker, Her
special license that I, the said Matthias Walker, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthias
Walker, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS OR APPARATUS FOR CON-
TAINING AND PRESERVING ALE, BEER, AND OTHER LIQUORS," upon the con
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthias Walker, by .an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Matthias Walker, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and as-
certained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
It is well known that some fermented liquors, such as ale or beer,
will, if exposed to the action of the air in an open vessel even for a
comparatively short time, become flat and unpleasant to the taste.
Some of the finer kinds of ale will also become deteriorated when
drawn from the cask, even if kept in a closed vessel, unless such
vessel is kept at a low and regular temperature. The present
Invention relates to a means of constructing a convenient appa-
ratus in which the liquor may be placed and kept in good
condition for a moderately long space of time. The apparatus
consists of a closed vessel to contain the liquor, and which vessel is
surrounded with or inclosed in another vessel or jacket, which
entirely envelopes it, and leaves a vacant space between the inner
vessel and the jacket, and this space is supplied with cold water, or
other cooling liquid or substance, such as pounded ice, salt water,
a solution of nitre, or sal ammoniac. By this means the beer or
other liquor will be kept cool, and will for a considerable time
retain its flavor, and will not become flat or unpleasant as is some-
times the case, even when kept in casks or closed stone bottles.
In order, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood,
I have shewn in the accompanying Drawings two views of the im-
proved vessel or apparatus. Fig. 1, is a side or external elevation of
the apparatus complete; and Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical section
of the same, shewing the internal construction. a, a, is the internal
vessel for holding the beer or other liquor, which is poured in
through a hole or aperture b, above, which is closed by the air plug c.
The beer is drawn out of the vessel a, by means of the tap or
cock d, below. The vessel a, may be made of any suitable material,
such as copper, tinned inside and out, or of some other metal or
material not liable to be acted upon by the liquids to which the

page_text: vacant space
vessel will be exposed, such, for instance, as wood, earthenware, stone-
ware, or. glass. The vessel a, is enclosed within an outer case,
jacket, or envelope e, e, which must also be tinned inside or other-
wise coated to prevent corrosion. As the vessel a, is supported on
feet, or otherwise suspended in the jacket or outer case e, there is a
all round, and which when the apparatus is in use is
supplied with cold water, or other cooling liquid or substance as
before mentioned, through the opening f, above. If thought
advisable, the bulb of a thermometer may be made to dip in the
water surrounding the vessel, in order to indicate when the tem
perature of the water has risen above a certain point. When this
happens, as may sometimes be the case in very hot weather, either
the water may be run out of the outer case, through an aperture
conveniently placed below for that purpose, and fresh cold water
may be supplied in its place, or, the temperature of the water may
be reduced by the application of ice, salt, or other artificial means.
The inner vessel should be fitted with self-acting vent pegs con-
taining a small valve, which, when the cock is turned and the
draught commences, immediately rises, and allows the air to enter,
and again closes when the cock is turned back.,
S
Having now described my Invention, and the best means with;
which I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect,
I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not mean to confine myself
rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts herein
shewn, as they may perhaps be varied without departing from the
nature and object, of my Invention; nor do I intend to claim the
exclusive right of placing one vessel in another, containing cold
water for the purpose of keeping the former cool; but that which
I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as, aforesaid, is, the apparatus.
herein shewn and described; or any modification thereof, consisting
of a vessel for containing the beer or other liquor to be preserved,
such vessel being surrounded with an outer jacket, case, or envelope,
leaving between the two vessels a space which is intended to be
filled with cold water, or other cooling fluid or substance as before:

page_text: mentioned, for the purpose of keeping the contents of the inner
vessel cool; the whole apparatus being so constructed and arranged
that the beer or other liquor may be with facility supplied to and
drawn from the inner vessel, as above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthias Walker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of August, in
the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three