An Improved Strainer or "Extractor" for use in Drawing off Beer and other Liquids.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Strainer or "Extractor" for use in Drawing off Beer
and other Liquids.
.
GEORGE LANGLEY SMITH Licensed Victualler 38 Red Lion Street Holborn
London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
diagrams:
Fig. 1. shews outside of apparatus.
Fig. 2. longitudinal section of same.
Fig. 3. horizontal section at E E Fig. 1.
The upper part of my extractor is of the ordinary form. To it attach a metal
cylinder BBCC (Fig. 1.) containing a stop-valve SV as shown in Fig. 2. The
object of this valve is to prevent the backward flow of liquid which took place
in all former extractors and which caused the ale beer or other liquid to be drawn
up thick and cloudy. Attached to this metal cylinder is a perforated horizontal
flange or washer-shaped ring of metal E E shown in section at Fig. 3. The effect
of this is to allow the liquid to flow into the extractor from above the sediment at
the bottom of the cask. Below the perforated flange at F F is screwed a conical-
shaped nut F F G by means of which the extractor can be raised or lowered to suit
the amount of sediment which varies in different ales beers or other liquids.
Surrounding the metal cylinder is placed a fine cylindrical gauze fitting tightly
at D D, E E. This intercepts floating hop-leaves and other light particles, thereby
keeping a clear passage for the liquid to flow through the perforated flange into the
extractor. The arrows in Fig. 2. show the direction of the current.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
arrangement of parts here shewn and described or the particular material of which
they are composed as the same may be varied without departing from the essential
features of my invention.
Dated this 12th day of March 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Strainer or "Extractor" for use in Drawing off Beer
and other Liquids.
I, GEORGE LANGLEY SMITH, Licensed Victualler, of 38, Red Lion Street,
Holborn, London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
"
My invention relates to an improved strainer principally designed to be applied
to the suction pipe of a beer engine but applicable also to other contrivances for
drawing off liquids from casks and other vessels. Such strainers technically
known as extractors are usually attached to the inlet end of the suction pipe
which is inserted through the bung hole and rests on the bottom of the cask, and
are designed to prevent floating hop leaves and other solid particles being drawn
into the suction pipe and so maintain a free passage for the clear liquid whilst
preventing the inlet of the suction pipe being so far immersed as to draw off the
lees or portion of the liquid rendered cloudy by sedimentary deposit. Such
strainers or " extractors as heretofore made, if placed above the level of the
sedimentary portion as is necessary to avoid drawing off the cloudy liquid, allow of
13.0%
"

page_text: air entering the suction pipe before, the whole of the clear liquid has been drawn off,
thus destroying the vacuum so that the stratum of clear liquid lying immediately
above the cloudy portion has consequently been wasted. They have also been
unprovided with any means whereby the height of the inlet could be varied to suit
the depth of the sedimentary or cloudy stratum which varies in different kinds of
beers and other liquids. Such strainers or ແ extractors "have been unprovided
with any means of preventing backward flow of the liquid and the consequence has
been that during the standing idle of the beer engine the leakage of air into the
suction pipe allows the liquid to flow back and disturb the sediment, thus tem-,
porarily rendering cloudy a considerable portion of the supernatant clear liquid.
The object of my invention is to enable the supernatant clear liquid to be drawn
off down almost to the level of the sediment and to avoid the disturbance of the
latter by preventing backward flow of the liquid in the suction or draw-off pipe.
With this object, the strainer is so constructed that whilst its dimensions are not
so far increased as to prevent its introduction through the bung hole of the cask, an
ample area of inlet is provided whilst the inlets are so situated as to draw
constantly from one level, and the strainer is provided with means whereby such
level may be accurately adjusted in relation to the height of the sedimentary deposit
and with a check valve whereby any backward flow is prevented.
Reference is to be had to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specifi-
cation, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 a section, and Figure 3 a
cross-section, of the improved strainer.
The body of-the-strainer is made of two parts B B and C C screwed together,
the upper part being connected to the suction pipe A in the usual way. The
principal part C has a part of reduced-diameter surrounded at the lower end by.a.
horizontal projecting flange E which is perforated or apertured to give passage to.
the liquid. Surrounding this part and the flange E at a distance from the former
equal to the width of the flange, is a cylinder of finely-perforated sheet metal or of
wire gauze whose ends fit closely upon and between rebated shoulders formed
respectively on the part B and around the perforated flange whereby the cylinder
which is the strainer proper is held securely in place and the passage of the liquid,
otherwise than through its perforations, prevented, whilst the strainer is readily
removable for cleaning by unscrewing the parts B, C. The aggregate area of the
perforations in the strainer is more than sufficient for the full supply through the
suction pipe so as to allow for partial clogging of the strainer. The latter is wholly
above the level of the perforated flange but the reduced part of the body portion
being imperforate the liquid will be virtually drawn at the level of the flange, will
continue to be so drawn until the liquid falls to that level, and no air will be admitted,
notwithstanding that the liquid may partly uncover the strainer. To enable the
level of the flange to be accurately adjusted above the level of the sediment, the
part C is provided at bottom with a foot preferably in the form of a screw plug G, F,
giving access to the interior of the body for cleaning and which may be replaced
by another having a longer or a shorter point G which by resting on the bottom of
the cask supports the strainer at the proper height therein. In the upper part of
the body portion C is seated an upwardly opening conical check valve S whose
stem is guided by a bridge piece in the body part C, the valve being removable
along with the latter for cleaning. It might however, but less conveniently, be
fitted within the upper part B of the body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a strainer or so-called "extractor," for the purpose specified, the vertical
strainer enclosing at a distance the imperforate body portion and the apertured
horizontal part, or flange at the lower part thereof, as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. In a strainer or "extractor," the 'strainer formed of a cylinder secured between

page_text: rebated shoulders on the body part and surrounding at a distance the imperforate
body portion and the horizontal apertured flange at the lower part thereof, as
described.
3. The combination, with the herein described strainer or "extractor" comprising
the strainer proper surrounding the imperforate body portion and apertured
Hange at the lower part thereof, as specified, of the adjustable foot for regulating
the height of the strainer in the cask, as described.
4. The combination, with the herein described strainer"
$6
or extractor" com-
prising the strainer proper surrounding the imperforate body portion and the
apertured flange at the lower part thereof, as specified, of an upwardly-opening
check valve for preventing backward flow of the liquid, as set forth.
200
G. L. SMITH.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.