FR2616361A1 - Device for the automatic washing, draining and sulphiting of casks on a rotary cask washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the fast and automatic washing, draining and sulphiting of casks on a cask washing machine with no permanent assistance from an operator. It consists of a dirigible mobile chassis, positioned on which are a water compressor 7 and an air compressor 8, respectively kept running, and delayed, by Rest and Work time-delay relays. These relays are energised by a control circuit. An automatic sulphiting unit is fixed to the chassis by a flat support comprising a spring-return 21 single-acting cylinder supplied by a line 19 connected to the output of the air compressor 8, and of two injectors 27 and 28 injecting a sulphurous solution into the line 14 supplying the cask washing machines. The injection is brought about by the action of an adjustable block 23 positioned on the cylinder 21 rod 22; refilling occurs on the return stroke of the cylinder 21 rod by the action of an adjustable block 24 which pulls the injector rods so that the sulphurous solution is drawn up by them through a double line 30 from a tank 31. The position of the block 23 determines the sulphiting delay time. When the cylinder is full and sulphiting completed, the block 24 throws an end-of-stroke contactor 9 which stops the operations. The device according to the invention is intended particularly for the washing, draining and sulphiting of barrels on the occasion of wine decanting.

Description

 The present invention relates to a device for rinsing, draining, sulphiting the barrels on a rotary barrel rinser; automatically.

Rinsing is traditionally carried out on a rotary barrel rinser comprising a batik fixed to the ground on which is arranged a turret on ball bearing having two "vee" between which opens a tube integral with the frame and connected to a water supply
The barrel is positioned with the bottom bung on the "vés" in such a way that the tube opens out inside it. By opening a valve placed on the water inlet, water is projected through the tube and, by imposing a force on the barrel, it is rotated around the tube, by means of the turret.

 When the barrel is rinsed, it is allowed to drip long enough to allow the internal walls to drain the rinsing water which hinders the combustion of sulfur '.

 Sulphiting is carried out by combustion of sulfur, inside the barrel, which gives off sulfur dioxide.

"The sulphiting of a wine by wicking the barrel is imprecise and irregular. The combustion of sulfur is different from one barrel to another, it is generated in wet barrels, but the dissolution of sulfur dioxide in the wine which , during racking, flows into the barrel is even more irregular. Depending on the filling speed and the force of fall, the loss of sulfurous gas escaping through the bung may be 10 or 50 percent. " (Emile
PEYNAUD: Knowledge and Work of Wine.)
When it comes to obtaining a high yield from racking, this method is unattractive because it mobilizes an operator and requires time.

 The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks.

 It comprises, in fact, a tubular frame provided with four rollers, two of which are orientable and a bar making it possible to direct the movement of the device during its storage after use.

 A water compressor is attached to the chassis, to ensure rapid rinsing at high pressure, fitted with a flexible connection pipe adapting to a water tap and a flexible pipe adapting to the frame. a rotary barrel rinser, thus injecting the compressed water into the barrel, provided with a quick connection with non-return.

 An air compressor is also attached to the chassis, for rapid drainage, using a flexible pipe opening into the flexible pipe of the water compressor supplying the barrel rinser.

 The sulphiting station, integral with the chassis, comprising a support on which is fixed a single-acting cylinder with return spring, supplied by the air compressor using a small diameter pipe fitted with a flow regulator d 'air; and a syringe with a large diameter fitted with two lines with non-return, one connected to the air line intended for the barrel rinser, the other connected to a tank of titrated sulfurous solution.

 The syringe is actuated by two adjustable stops arranged on the piston rod of the cylinder. When the cylinder is filled with air, the first stop pushes the syringe rod which introduces a dosage of sulfur dioxide in the air line intended for the barrel rinse. Under the action of the return spring, during the return of the cylinder rod, the syringe rod is pulled by the second stop involving the filling of the syringe.

 A 24-volt voltage control circuit conditions the compressor power-up. It is provided with a contactor which, when actuated, closes the control circuit so as to electrically stimulate two time and work timed relays.

 On the first relay, the duration of power on of the water compressor is displayed.

 On the second, the duration of the air compressor power-up delay is displayed.

 During draining, the air compressor supplies the cylinder. By acting on the air flow regulator of the pipe, one obtains an adjustment of the speed of the piston piston stroke. The piston rod actuates a limit switch, after pushing the syringe rod, which stimulates the second relay and turns off the air compressor.

 Sulphiting occurs in the last seconds of draining because, by moving the first stop away from the syringe rod, by bringing it closer to the body of the jack, we obtain a greater or lesser distance which will be traveled more or less quickly in acting on the air flow regulator placed on the cylinder pipe.

 These two settings condition, on the one hand, choosing the operating time of the air compressor and, on the other hand, the moment of addition of SO2.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the rectangular frame is made of welded steel tubes under which two fixed rollers and two orientable rollers are respectively adapted to the front and to the rear of the device.

 Two other tubes are fixed up and perpandicular to the ground at the rear of the chassis, secured by a bar to guide the movement of the device.

 The flexible pipes are made of reinforced hoses "aviation type" of different diameters according to the importance of the fluids which pass through them.

 Electrical protection is provided by fuses placed respectively upstream of the device supply circuit, upstream of the control circuit, upstream of the compressor power circuits.

 A polyester protective fairing provided with ventilation openings on one of the faces may be adapted on the device to avoid possible projections and to guarantee shocks. I1 can be maintained on the chassis by cylindrical studs, four in number, adjusted in bores drilled in four steel "dice" welded to the chassis.

 FIG. 1 represents the electrical power and control diagram of the device according to the invention.

 FIG. 2 represents the operating diagram of the various operations carried out by this device.

 The electrical diagram shown in Figure 1 includes a protective circuit breaker (10) placed at the input of the circuit. A transformer (3) is placed on a branch of the power circuit (2). The transformer supplies the control circuit (1) comprising a push button (4) which, when activated, closes the circuit (1) and stimulates the time relay (5) putting the water compressor (7) in action, and closes an electrically controlled switch (11) which enables the time relay (6) to be supplied, making it possible to postpone the activation of the air compressor (8) for a fixed period. The relay (6) is supplied by a circuit (lb) independent of the circuit (I).

 The air compressor (8) feeds a cylinder which ends operations when its rod meets a limit switch (9) at a given time of its stroke.

 When the operator actuates the push button (4), the relays (6 and 7) undergo a pulse allowing the automatic activation of the work and rest timers.

 When he releases the pusher, it opens the circuit, which in no way affects the operation of the device.

 The water compressor is switched off at the end of the rest relay time delay.

 The operating diagram shown in Figure 2 includes a water compressor (7) and an air compressor (8). The water compressor (7) feeds a flexible water pipe (12) provided with a non-return valve (13) connected to the pipe (14) for supplying the rotating barrel rinses (17 and 18).

 The air compressor (8) feeds an air line (15) provided with a non-return valve (16) connected to the line (14), and a small diameter flexible pipe provided with a flow regulator d 'air (20) conditioning the speed of the stroke of the piston and the rod (22) of the cylinder (21) single acting return spring.

 The cylinder rod is provided with two adjustable stops (23 and 24). When the air compressor (8) is put into action, the cylinder (21) is filled, allowing the first stop (23) to come into contact with the rods (25 and 26) of the syringes (27 and 28) at at some point. This moment is a function of the distance between the stop (23) of the rods (25 and 26) and the filling speed of the jack (21).

 The syringes (27 and 28), when activated, inject a titrated sulfurous solution, coming from a reservoir (31) by a flexible pipe (29) provided with non-return valves (30).

 Injection takes place in line (14) via two small lines (34 and 35) provided with non-return valves (32 and 33) coming from the syringes (27 and 28).

 When the sulphurous solution is injected, the rod (22) of the jack actuates a limit switch (9) via the second stop (24).

 The contactor (9) opens the control circuit of the relay (6) putting the compressor (8) off, which causes the return of the piston and its rod (22) driving the rods (25 and 26) of the syringes (27 and 28) via the second stop (24), which allows the syringes (27 and 28) to be filled, by suction, with sulfurous solution coming from the reservoir (31). The device is operational for another cycle.

 The device according to the invention is particularly intended for rinsing, draining, automatic sulphiting of the barrels on a rotary barrel rinser at the time of racking.

 The sulphiting practiced in the barrel for the purpose of sterilizing the interior and the atmosphere of the barrel, the sulphiting of the wine is practiced by direct addition of a titrated solution of sulfur dioxide in the liquid at the time of racking.

Claims (10)

F EVENDICATIONS  1) Device for rinsing, draining, automatically sulphiting the barrels, on a rotary barrel rinser, in a very short time, without the permanent presence of an operator characterized in that it comprises a movable frame on which a compressor is arranged of water (7), an air compressor (8), respectively having the function of rinsing and draining barrels arranged on rotary barrel rinsers (17 and 18) connected to the device by a flexible pipe (14) The device also comprises a control circuit (1) provided with time relay (5 and 6) respectively conditioning the duration of the rinsing and the duration of the delay of the drip when the push button (4) is actuated. The device comprises a station sulphiting composed of a single-acting spring return cylinder (21) connected to the air compressor (8) by a small pipe (19) provided with an air flow regulator (20), two syringes (27 and 28) practicing the addition of sulfurous solution in line (14) ac hemmining the compressed air towards the barrel rinsers (17 and 18) after being actuated by an adjustable stop (23) of the piston rod of the jack. The end of operations is conditioned by the action of an adjustable stop (24) of the actuator rod on a limit switch (9). Stopping operations allows the piston of the actuator to return to its initial position , thanks to the return spring which drives the syringe rods to their initial positions by means of the adjustable stop (24) placed on the cylinder rod  2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the movable frame comprises four rollers, two of which are orientable, allowing the movement of the device to be guided.  3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that when the operator presses the push button (4), the control circuit (1) closes, turns on the water compressor and in action, stimulates an electrically controlled switch (11) closing the control circuit (lb) of the relay (6) which causes the start of the drip delay delay. When the operator releases the push button, the control circuit (1) opens allowing the relay (5) to delay the duration of the rinsing which ends at the end of the delay.  4) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that one or more rotary drum rinsers (17 and 18) can be supplied by branches of the pipe (14) provided with quick connections coupled with non-return valve.  5) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the sulphiting syringes (27 and 28) each comprise an inlet pipe (30) of sulfurous solution from a reservoir (31) and an injection pipe (32 and 33) of sulfur solution connected to the branches of the pipe (14).  6) Device according to claim 4 and claim 5 characterized in that the pressurized water pipes (12), pressurized air pipes (15) of the compressors (7 and 8) as well as the intake pipes ( 30) and injection (3l, and 35) syringes (27 and 28) are respectively provided with non-return valves (13 and 16), (29), (32 and 33).  7) Device according to claim 1 and claim 4 characterized in that the non-use of a barrel rinser, if the device comprises several, implies the disconnection of the quick connection coupled with non-return valve thus condemning the derivation of the pipe (14) intended for this rinser-fOts. The stem of the syringe supplying this barrel rinser with a sulfur solution must be removed.  8) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the sulphiting is more or less delayed relative to the draining if the stop (23) is more or less distant from the syringe stems (2S and 26L  9) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the air flow regulator (20) conditions the speed of the stroke of the rod (22) of the cylinder (21) determining the operating time of the compressor air (8) before the adjustable stop (24) actuates the limit switch (9).  10) Device according to claim I characterized in that the reloading of the syringes (27 and 28) is ensured during the return of the rod (22) of the piston of the jack (21).