Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 28939A: Improvement In Beer Stills

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Today in 1860, US Patent 28939 A was issued, an invention of Solomon Godfrey, Loren Barnes, Henry Blish and Solomon S. Smith, for their “Improvement in [Beer] Stills.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The nature of our invention consists, first, in the combination of three or more chambers of a still with bent tubes, radiating perforated tubes, and straight tubes, when arranged in relation to each other, as will be set forth in the following specification.

It consists, second, in the combination of the same with the heater and doubler, as herein after specified.

The object of this arrangement is to divide the beer or high wines into different layers, each to be heated separately by steam passing from the bottom upward through the liquid, thereby effecting a more thorough and rapid distillation than by distributing the liquid in one body.

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Patent No. 1718910A: Process Of Manufacturing Yeast

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Today in 1929, US Patent 1718910 A was issued, an invention of Lucien Lavedan, for his “Process of Manufacturing Yeast.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The primary object of my invention is to provide a process in which carbon dioxide is employed to more effectively carry out in the most suitable and efficient manner, the’ continuous process of making yeast with continuous aeration in propagating pure yeast in a pure sugared liquid of a given density in the presence of nutritive salts and air; with the separation of the scum containing the yeast thus propagated Jfrom the main body of the liquid, and subsequent separation of the yeast cells from the associated liquid o the scum, with the addition of sufficient sugared solution to the separated liquid to bring the main sugared solution to its original density when the separated liquid is returned to it, as described in my Letters Patent- No. 1,201,062, on a continuous process with continuous aeration, granted October 10, 1916, the cold carbon dioxide acting as a suitable agent to neutralize an excess of alkalinity, and at the same time operating to reduce the temperature of the Wort.

Another object of`my invention is to provide a process to produce from a given amount of raw materials, the highest possible yield of yeast possessing an increased vitality and strength for baking, fermenting, diet and any other uses, while simultaneously decreasing the production of alcohol.

A further object of my invention is to produce yeast which will keep for a longer period of time than yeast produced by other processes and methods.

A further object of my invention is to produce yeast possessing a higher vitamin E and nutrient value, and far more suitable to be used for eating purposes as it is more adapted to conditions existing in the human stomach, more palatable and of better odor and taste, and possesses a more effective action than any other yeast produced by other processes and methods.

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Patent No. 216884A: Improvement In Apparatus For Refrigerating Air For Cooling Beer

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Today in 1879, US Patent 216884 A was issued, an invention of Franz Pallausoh, for his “Improvement in Apparatus For Refrigerating Air For Cooling Beer and Other Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

My invention consists of a vessel fitted inwardly with strips or plates covered with coarse weavings or other material of great capillary power, maintained in a moist state, and arranged in irregular or zig zag lines, in combination with means for forcing a current of air or any other suitable gas through said vessel, the cooling apparatus being located in an ice-box, and the current of air not coming in contact with the ice, all as more particularly hereinafter described, and whereby the ice melts but slowly, and evaporation is actively maintained. The liquid caused to evaporate may be water, ether, alcohol, or any other volatile substance, or a mixture of such substances.

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Patent No. 2643016A: Carton Taping Apparatus And Method

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Today in 1953, US Patent 2643016 A was issued, an invention of Charles W. Steckling, assigned to the Schlitz Brewing Co., for their “Carton Taping Apparatus and Method.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for sealing with adhesive ‘tape cartons and containers made of corrugated paper board and the like having longitudinally extending closing flaps which meet across the top of the carton.

A primary object of the invention is to apply-a strip of adhesive tape to cartons moving in line in uniformly spaced relationship.

Another object of the invention is to cut the tape between cartons and press down the ends as the cartons continuously move forward in such fashion as to maintain the tape under tension until an adhesive bond is established.

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Patent No. 243297A: Alcohol Still

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Today in 1881, US Patent 243297 A was issued, an invention of Oliver L. Perin, for his “Alcohol Still.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

My invention is in the nature of an improvement upon a continuous still for the manufacture of alcohol for which Letters Patent were granted myself, Daniel Horan, and Dominick McGoen, July 20, 1880, and has for its object the arrangement of the several elements of the vaporizing-chambers in a novel manner, to be hereinafter described, which is calculated to improve the efficiency of the still, and at the same time will materially cheapen the construction thereof; and it consists in constructing the vaporizing-chamber of the usual rectangular form, and providing a bottom or licor of copper or other suitable material, which shall contain a great number of small perforations. Upon this bottom I erect three (or any odd number more than three) partitions, alternately attached to the opposite end timbers of the chamber. The partitions are made as much shorter than the clear length of the chamber as the width of spaces between the partitions and side timbers of the chamber and between adjacent partitions. At the end of one of the spaces between a partition and its corresponding side timber of the chamber I construct a box or bay with a weir or overflow plate of copper, raised two or three inches above the floor or bottom of the chamber. The partition at the bay is raised higher than the edge of the weir, in order that all beer or mash delivered into the bay shall be compelled to pass over the weir in a thin sheet, and be evenly distributed over the bottom of the chamber as it flows along the next connecting channel. From the next chamber above a down-pipe is’ suspended, which dips into the bay below the level of the Weir-plate sufficiently to form a seal against the steam-pressure in the chamber and prevent the steam ascending to the next chamber above through At the opposite side of the chamber a down-pipe is suspended to dip into the bay of the next lower chamber. The upper end of the down-pipe is raised sufficiently above the floor or bottom of the chamber to which it is attached to maintain a thin sheet ot’ liquid over the perforations in the bottom previously mentioned. The beer or mash flows through the down-pipe into the bay, over the weirplate and down one channel. formed by the partitions previously mentioned, and up the next, and down the next, and so on until it reaches the down-pipe at the opposite side of the chamber, through which it descends to the next chamber below, where the same operation is repeated, the direction of the currents of beer, however, being reversed. Meanwhile the beer or mash, passes over the floor, the steam (introduced first into the lowest chamber but one of the still) and the spirituous vapor ascends from chamber to chamber through the perforations in the bottoms of the chambers, these perforations being of such dimensions that no beer or mash can descend through them against the pressure (usually five or six pounds) in the still. The heat in the steam being transmitted to the beer to expel the spirit, it condenses and works back through the down-pipes to the bottom of the still, where it is drawn oft with the residuals of the beer as slop.

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Patent No. 2988820A: Apparatus For Treating Hops

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Today in 1961, US Patent 2988820 A was issued, an invention of Albert Edward Brookes, for his “Apparatus For Treating Hops and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The object of this invention is to provide in a convenient form apparatus for treating hops or the like.

Apparatus according to the invention comprises in combination a chamber, a perforated endless conveyor extending across the upper part of the chamber, means for supplying hot air under pressure to the chamber, adjustable means for determining the proportion of the conveyor through which the hot air can escape from the chamber, and means responsive to the temperature of the air above the conveyor for determining the setting of said adjustable means.

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Patent No. 521650A: Beer Filter

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Today in 1894, US Patent 521650 A was issued, an invention of Carl Hafner, for his “Beer Filter.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to certain improvements vin filters, particularly beer filters. The object of the invention is to provide an improved beer filter exceedingly cheap, simple and durable in construction, and which will thoroughly and economically filter the ,beer 1n an improved manner.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combination of the parts more fully pointed out hereinafter and particularly described in the claim.

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Patent Nos. 3094213A & 3094214A: Fill-Height Inspection Device For Fluid In Bottles/Automatic Container Fill-Height Inspection Machine

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Today in 1895, US Patent 3094213 A and US Patent 3094214 A was issued, both inventions of James H. Wyman, with the second also by Robert G. Husome, for their “Fill-Height Inspection Device For Fluid In Bottles” and “Automatic Container Fill-Height Inspection Machine.” There’s no Abstract for either, though they’re described this way in the application:

This invention relates to inspection apparatus of the type used to deter-mine whether a transparent container, such as a bottle, has been filled to the proper height with a liquid, and, more particularly, to improvements therein.

The requirement that the volume of beverage in a bottle correspond to the volume specified on the label on the bottle is a legal one. Good customer relations also provide more incentive to a bottler of liquids which require him to make sure that the contents of the bottle are as specified. On the other hand, should more than the specified amount of liquid be poured into the bottles, the bottler suffers an economic loss. Thus, a number of different systems have been proposed which inspect translucent containers, such as bottles, to determine whether the fill-height of the bottle is proper. These systems usually apply radiation on one side of the bottle and a detector on the other side of the bottle in the region of the bottle wherein desired fill-height occurs. However, due to various factors, such as the differences in bottle thickness, bottle color, variations in beverage color, as well as the presence of foam in many beverages, none of the heretofore-produced systems have proven consistently satisfactory.

An object of this invention is to provide a fill-height inspection system which is not adversely aifected by variations in bottle thickness or color.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a fill-height inspection system which is not adversely affected by differences in beverage color or the presence of foam.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and unique fill-height inspection system.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by taking advantage of the fact that light is refracted or bent at ‘a unique angle by the liquid and its container. Thus, if a photocell is positioned on one side of a container so that no illumination from a light source can reach that photocell, unless it is refracted by the liquid in the container, a positive arrangement for detecting the fill-height of the liquid in the container may be obtained. The photocell is positioned adjacent the container at a level just below the minimum acceptable level. Similarly, to determine whether a container has been overfilled, a photocell may be positioned adjacent the container just above the maximum desired fill-height level, to be illuminated only by light which is refracted by the liquid in the bottle.

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This invention relates to automatic fill-height inspection machines and, more particularly, to an improved arrangement for determining that a translucent container has been filled to the proper level.

Presently known automatic fill-height machines for photoelectrically inspecting a translucent container are not completely reliable, as a result of difficulties experienced with different colored bottles or bottles of varying opacity, thickness, or even in view of the fact that some liquids which are carbonated, such as beer, will have a foam at the top of the liquid which can provide a false signal as to the actual level to which the container is filled. Another difficulty which arises is that the prior systems are substantially limited to use with only one size of a container. If a production run of a different container size or even different fill-height requirements is desired, a considerable realignment of the fill height inspection apparatus parameters is required. A further limitation of prior systems is that they may be applicable only to translucent liquids.

An object of this invention is the provision of a reliable fill-height inspection apparatus.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel and useful fill-height inspection apparatus.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a fill height inspection apparatus which is easily adjustable for inspecting containers of different sizes.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide fill height inspection capability for opaque liquids, translucent liquids with foam on top, or solid (e.g., granular or powdered) materials in translucent containers.

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Patent No. 857461A: Hop Picker

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Today in 1907, US Patent 857461 A was issued, an invention of Emil Clemens Horst and John Ehrhorn, for their “Hop Picker.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

Our invention relates to a machine by which hops may be picked or separated from the vines upon which they grow. It consists of an endless traveling screen upon which the hop vines are thrown, and through which the hops upon their stems are caused to depend; a means for severing the hops from the stem.

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Patent No. 430526A: Bottle Filling Machine

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Today in 1890, US Patent 430526 A was issued, an invention of Joseph J. De Kinder and Hermann Roemer, for their “Bottle Filling Machine.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

Our invention relates to bottle-filling machines; and it consists of certain improvements, which are fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

While our invention relates to bottle-filling machines in general, it is especially adapted to beer-bottling, in which heretofore great difficulty has been experienced by reason of the great tendency of the beer to foam and of the difficulty of accomplishing the proper feeding of the beer from the barrel and of the loss of carbonic acid by exposure to the atmosphere. It is the object of our invention to overcome these difficulties and to accomplish a regular feeding of the liquid from the reservoir or supply without objectionable foaming in the bottles 0r Overflowing of the liquid.

In carrying out our invention we employ a convenient receptacle or vessel provided With delivery-tubes for delivering the liquid to the bottles, and connect this vessel with the barrel or supply-reservoir, and by means of certain devices, hereinafter more fully described, control the flow of the liquor from the barrel or reservoir by the level of the liquor in the delivery-vessel. By this means the supply of liquor in the delivery-vessel is replenished from the reservoir as the liquor is allowed to flow into the bottles Without the possibility of overflowing, for the moment the liquor in the delivery-vessel reaches a certain height the flowing of the liquor from the reservoir is automatically stopped and cannot begin again until the liquor-level has again fallen. This We accomplish by controlling the supply of air to the barrel or reservoir, as is hereinafter more fully described.

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