US157535A - Improvement in beer-regulators - Google Patents

Description

1. onEcHT.

Beer-Regul-aturs.

` Patented Dec. 8,1`u1874.`

YH! GRAPHIC C0. PHOTD-UTHS #I PARK PLACLWYV Prion.

PATENT JOHN OBBEGHT, OF TELL CITY, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN` BEER-REGULATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l57,535, dated December 8, 1874 applicatlon led October 24, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OBREGHT, of Tell City, in the county of Perry and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Beer-Regulator, of which the following is a speciiication In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a sectional front elevation, and Fig. 2 a top view, of my improved beer-regulating apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for regulating beer, and other fermented liquors in the kegs, in such a manner that not only the carbonio-acid gas liberated during the time of drawing 0E the same is utilized, but also the same kept fresh and sweet for any length of time, and be readily drawn off by the faucet. V

The carbonic-acidgas generators hitherto employed for lsupplying the required vent to the kegs, and keeping the liquid sweet and palatable for longer time, are not only very expensive and cumbersome, but 'necessitate also continuous working expenses for` generating the gas.

For the purpose of providing a simple, readily-operated, and economical apparatus for regulatin g and preserving beer, I provide a larger Water receptacle or tub, with an interior smaller gas-reservoir, and connect the same, by intermediate branch pipes with check-valve and aStop-cock, to the gas-distributing pipes, with stop-cocks and water-indicators, and then to the kegs containing the beer for the action of the gas thereon, connecting, further, the water-tub by a pump with the faucets of the empty kegs, for pumping water therein, and force, by the distributing and reservoir-corr necting pipes, the liberated gas back to the reservoir for being applied to the next keg to be tapped.

In the drawing, A represents a water tub or receptacle, of suitable size, and B a second tub, of smaller size, which is placed bottom upward within the outer tub, to act as reservoir for the carbonio-acid gas, being fastened, by suitable lugs a, to tub A, so as to be prevented from rising. The lower part of tub Or reservoir'B communicates suitably with the outer tub, which is filled with water, compressing thereby the air or acid within the reservoir, and forcing it upward through a pipe, C, screwed tightly into the bottom of reservoir B. Bipe G bends and branches out into ring or square shaped pipes D, of which one is provided with a check-valve, a, the other with a stop-cock, b,tl1c former for the purpose of conducting the gas from pipe C to the kegs, while preventing its return in opposite direction, the latter for forcing the liberated gas from the keg into the reservoir. The continuation C of the branch part D connects by as many distributing-pipes E as there are kegs to be supplied with the same, each pipe E being provided with a stop-cock, d, and water-indicator orbox with glass front e. The lower part of each water-indicator e connects, by the rubber end section of pipe e, with the metallic bung e of a keg, which bung is driven into the keg for taking the place of the common wooden bung on tapping the same. The communication of each keg with the gas-reservoir B is formed through pipe C, check-valve a, continuation C', stopcock d, water-indicator e, and bung e, producing a sufficient supply of air or gas to the keg by the pressure of the water in tub A for giving vent to the liquid therein, and draw it off in easy and uniform manner. The water-receptacle A is also connected by a pipe, f, with a suction and force pump, F, which communicates, by an exit pipe, g, having check-valve g1 and gas or rubber tube g2, with the faucet lr of the keg to be attached thereto when the same is empty, for the purpose of forcing, by the action of the pump, the water from receptacle A into the keg till it rises into the water-indicator e. v

As the ,branch stop-cock h and distributing stop-cock d have previously been opened, the carbonio-acid gas, which has become liberated in the keg during the drawing olf of the contents, is'forced back into the reservoir B, and may then be instantly utilized for the next full keg to be tapped. The distributing stop-cock is then closed, and the empty keg taken away from the support or ice-box, to give place to the next keg, to which the gas is then applied,

as described. The water in the tub has to be renewed frequently, and all the parts kept clean.

The apparatus possesses the advantage of keeping beer fresh so long as there is any in the keg, improving the same in proportion as the quantity of carbonic gas increases by constant use, it being always preserved and made to act on the next keg.

The apparatus, on a larger scale, may also be advantageously used in breweries, and, in case of fire, with proper hose attached to the pump, as a ready extinguisher.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The apparatus for regulating and preserving beer and other malt liquors, composed of a water receptacle or tub, A, with interior gas-reservoir B, connecting main pipe C C', with intermediate branch pipes D, having check-Valve a in one branch, and stop-cock b in the other, and of distributing-pipes E, with stop-cock d and Water-indicators e, in connection with bungs e of the kegs, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the water and gas receptacles, and keg or kegs connected to the gas-receptacle by a pipe or pipes, of the pump F and pipes f g2, substantially as shown and described.

. JOHN OBREGHT. Witnesses:

GABRIEL ScHMoRcK, GEO. F. Bor'r.

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