Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TITLE OF TtlE INVENTTON
DOMESrLC BOTTLING DEVICE FO~ Pr~ESSU~IZED EIQUIDS
FieLd of ehe invent;on
The present invention relate6 to the field of domestic
becr brewing apparatus and more speciEically to a device adapted
to pre~surize the inter;or of the bottle and dispense previou~;1y
pressurized beer or other liquids into the pressurizecl bottle.
BACKG~OUND OF THE INVENTION
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Beer brewing has become increasingly popular over the
last few years. The brewing operation convent;onally requires
two fermentation steps. In order for the first fermentation to
occur, the brewer must allow a mixtu-re oF water, sugar, yeast and
cereal products such as malt to rest in a suitable sterilized
container at room temperature for a period of between one and two
weeks. The first fermentation allows the yeast to transform the
sugar into alchol.
The liquid product resulting from the first fermenta-
tion is then conventionally transferred to sterilized bottles
where the second fermentation will occur. To initiate the second
fermentation, yet more sugar is added. Newly added sugar will be
trans~ormed into carbon dioxide. The second fermentation typi-
cally lasts for a period of approximately one week.
The main object of the second fermentation is thus to
add fizz to the flat tasting product of the first fermentation.
Practically speaking, once the first fermentation is over, the
level of alchol and the ta9te are set and will only be slightly
2~ ;s
altered during the ~econd fermentation.
The present invent;on relates to a device which will be
used to eliminate the ~econd fermentation step by allowing the
user to mechanicalLy carbonize and bottle the product of the
first fermentation. The u~er of the device will first carbonate
the resulting product oE the first fermentat;on using conventio-
nal carbonating mean~ such as carbonating equipment used in
Eountain soda machines. Carbonated beer wilL rest in a pressuri-
zed container and will then be selectively transferred into the
bottLe~ by the device.
One of the main drawbacks encountered during previous
attempts at bottling carbonated beer was that the beer would foam
during the pouring operation into the bottles. To circumvent
this problem~ the device allows the user in a single two step
operation to first internally pressurize the bottle at a pressure
substantially equal to the carbonated mixture and then to
transfer the pressurized mixture directly from the container into
the now pressurized bottle.
Although the methods of pressurizing a bottle prior to
transferring carbonated liquid into it has been extensively used
in industrial soda bottling plants, a search among prior patents
has not revealed any device adapted for domestic use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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The invention is characterized by a device for sequen-
tially pre~surizing a bottle having a top aperture and for
z~
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bottling a previou61y pre~,urized l-iquid inside 8aitl pressur;zed
bottle. The device compriseq a substantially upright rigid post
fixed to a supporting frame and a merging manifold mounted on the
post. The merging manifold has a First inlet valve, a ~econd
inlet valve anc1 an outlet valve hydraulically linked to an
internal channel leading to an outlet aperture in the manifold.
A seaLing means sea]ingly connects the top aperture of the bottle
to the outlet aperture of the manifoLd and a platform is adaptecl
to support the bott]e underneath said merging rnanifold. A
manualLy operable means fixed to the po~t vertically moves the
platform between a -First position wherein the bottle is spaced
from the sealing means and a second position wherein the top
aperture of the bottle is sealed by the sealing m~ans.
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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Figure l is a schematic view of the pneumatic set up
linked to the device embodying the invention,
Figure 2 is a clo6e up side view of the merging
manifold,
F;gure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the manifold
taken along ]ine 3-3 of Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a side view of the device embodying the
invention,
Figure 4a is a partial side view of the invention
illustrating the platform supporting the bottle being lowered,
Figure 5 is a detailed view of a bottle being positio-
ned on the supporting platform,
-4~
Figure 6 is a partial front v:iew tflken along arrows 6-6
of figure 4, and
Figure 7 ;s a cro~ss-sect;onal v;ew taken along arrows
7-7 of figure 4.
DETAILED_DESCRIPTION_OF_T~IE_PREFERRF. D EMBODIMENT
Referr;ng to Figure 4 there i.s shown a bottling
apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 has a substant;al].y upright r;gid
post 12 fixed to a base irame 14. A guiding sleeve l6 i~s
slidably mountecl on the post 12. The sleeve 16 has a spacing
stem 18 extencling ;ntegrall.y from ;ts front face. The stem 18
extends integrally into a vertical cylinder 20.
A supporting platform 22 adapted to vert;cally support
a bottle 24 ;s adjustably connected to the cylinder 20. The
platform 22 is connected to the cylinder 20 by a threaded bolt 26
which extends downwardly from the platform 22. A wing nut 28
allows vertical adjustment of the platform 22 relative to the
cylinder 20.
A toggle arrangement 30 is adapted to allow the user to
manually translate the sleeve 16 along the post 12. The toggle
arrangement 30 compri.ses a lower rod 32 hingedly connected at its
lower end to the base frame 14 and to a pair of higher rods 34 at
its higher end. The h;gher rods 34 are h;ngedly connected at
their upper end to the sleeve 16. A handle 38 rigidly fixed to
higher rods 34 allows the user to move the toggle arrangement 30
between its two extreme first and second positions illustrated in
figures 4 and 4a. With a toggle arrangement, the bottle 24 is
_5_ 2~ 5
Firmly hel.d in its fill.ing position as ghown in figure 4 and can
be qui.ckly lowered to remove the bottle.
Figure 4 ;llu.strates the sleeve 16 in its uppermost
position with the toggle arrangement 30 being releasab].y Locked
in an eccentr;cal relation~hip with an abutment tongue 36.
Figure 4a illustrates the sleeve 16 in its lowermost position.
Stopper prongs 40 are fixed to the ~side of the post 12 for
limiting the downward course of the sleeve l6.
A merging manifold 42 is mounted on the post 12
adjacent its top end. The manifold 42 is fixed to the post 12 by
a set of bolts 44.
Figure I illustrates the pneumatical circuitry which is
connected to the manifold 42. As stated previously, during the
beer bottling operation, the liquid resulting from the Tf;rst
fermentation is pressurized with C02. The pressurized liquid
rests in a pressurized reservoir indicated by the reference
letter R, The reservoir R is pneumatically linked to a C02
bottle 46 by an inlet hose and valve arrangement 48. The
reservoir R is also pneumaticall.y linked to a first inlet valve
arrangement 50 of the maniEold 42 by an outlet hose and valve
arrangement 51. The C02 bottle 46 is pneumatically connected to
a second inlet hose and valve arrangement 54 of the manifold 42,
by a hose 56.
Valves 48 and 51 are also quick disconnect valves
which, when disconnected from the reservoir R, leave the latter
tightly sealed.
;5
An overflow outlet hose and valve arrangement 58
hydraulically l:inks the mani.fold 42 to an overflow reservo;r 60.
As can be seen i.n f;gures 2 and 3, the first hose and
valve arrangement 50 i9 hydraulically corlnected to an internal
tube 52 which extends through a vertical channel 64 of the
manifold 42 and protrudes as an external portion 72 pa.st the
lower surface 54 of the manifold 42 into the bottle 24.
The second inlet hose and valve arrangement 54 is
hydranl;calLy l;nked to a second ;nlet ;nternal cylindrical
channel 60' wh;l.e the overflow outlet hose and valve arrangement
58 i9 hydraulically linked to an outl.et ;nternal cylindr;cal
channel 62. The channels 60 and 62 both mergs ;nto the substan-
tially vert;cal channel 64 wh;ch surrounds the internal tube 52.
A pressure gage 66 ;g connected to a pressure channel 68
hydraul;cally linked to the merging channel 64. A sealing p].ug
i~ mounted ;ns;de a corresponding recess provided ;n the
lower surface 55 of the manifold 42. The seal;ng plug 70 ;s
adapted to provide a releasable sealing connect;on between the
man;fold 42 and the bottle 24.
To prevent foam;ng of the beer dur;ng the pour;ng
operation into the bottle, as can be seen more specifically in
figure 4, when the top aperture 74 of the bottle 24 ;s in contact
with the sealing plug 70, the tube 72 is adapted to extend ins;de
the bottle 24 until ;ts opened lower end 76 reaches a pos;tion
adjacent the bottom wall of the bottle 24.
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rO further reduce the risks of Foaming, the tube 72 is
curved 90 that lts open ]ower end 76 is directed towards the
internal peripheral wall of the bottle 24.
In use, when beer is bottled through the uæe of the
apparatus 10, the liquid product resulting from the first
fermentation step is fiLtered and poured into the reservo;r
illustrated in figure l. With the valves 50, 54 and 58 in
closed position, the liquid inside the reservoir R is then
ca-rbonated by opening the valve 48 and insuring that the C02 gas
sat-rates the liquid.
Once the liquid inside the reservoir is saturated with
carbon dioxide, the valve 51 is opened.
The leve] of the platform 22 is then set according to
the height of the bottle 24 which will be used for a specific set
bottling operations. The level is set by placing a bottle 24 on
the platform 22, raising the platform 22 to its highermost
position illustrated in figure 4 until the top aperture of the
bottle 24 comes into contact with the sealing plug 70. The
platform 22 is raised and lowered re]atively to the sleeve 16 by
using the wingnut 28.
Once the level of the platform 22 is properly adjusted,
the valve 54 is opened. This step pressurizes the interior of the
bottle. The bottle 24 will be pressuFized at a pressure equal to
the pressure inside the reservoir R.
The user then opens the valve 50 linked to the pressure
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reservoi.r R. Since the pressure inside the reservoir R and the
pressure inside the bottle 2~ are now substantially equal, the
liquid inside the reservoir R will not yet pour into the bottle
24. In order for the liquid to pour into the bottle 24, pressure
is relieved from the bottle 24 by opening the overflow outlet
valve arrangement 58. The .speed of flow i9 determined by the
amount of pressure escaping through the valve 58. Once the speed
of flow is set, the valve 58 will not be operated for the
remainder of the bottling operation.
Under normal condit:ions, the operator is not bothered
by the foam. However, as a securi~y measure, an anti-splash
tran~sparent screen 78 is secured to the manifold in front of the
bottle 24.
The device 10 is now set for bottling and the following
steps will be repeated for each bottle 24: position a bottle 24
on the platform 22, use the toggle arrangement 30 to bring the
top aperture of the bott].e 24 sealingly in contact with the
seal;ng pl.ug 70, open the valve 54, open the valve 50 until the
bottle is fil.led, clo~se the valve 50, close the val.ve 54, lower
the platfrom 22 through u.se of the toggle arrangement 30 and
remove the bottle 24 from the plattorm 22 for ulterior capping
operations.
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