GB2215230A - Liquid clarifying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for clarifying a liquid containing solids in suspension, such as fermentation apparatus for home wine-making, comprises a settlement vessel 1 having necked top and bottom openings 2, 3 and side walls 8 which slope towards the bottom opening 3, the neck 9 of which is received and sealed in the mouth 13 of a removable sediment collector jar 10. Solids which settle out from the liquid in vessel 1 collect in the jar 10, possibly with the aid of a vibrator 11 which periodically shakes solids down walls 8. When the liquid is clear in the vessel 1 the bottom opening 3 is closed to isolate the vessel from the jar 10 by means of an expandable plug inserted into the vessel through the top opening 2 by an attached support rod (Fig 2). The plug comprises a rubber sleeve into which a frusto-conical wedge is pulled by tightening a nut on the support rod. <IMAGE>

Description

LIQUID CLARIFYING APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for clarifying liquids which contain solids in suspension and which will deposit these solids as a sediment, and is particularly appicable to fermentation apparatus for use in a home wine-making process.

In a conventional home wine-making process the wine liquor is fermented in a fermentation jar, usually of the type known as a demijohn, and when the fermentation is complete and the yeast and other solids have been deposited as a sediment to leave the liquid perfectly clear, the liquid is syphoned from the jar by means of a tube inserted into the jar through the opening at the top. However, no matter how carefully the syphoning is carried out it is virtually impossible to draw off most of the liquid without also withdrawing a small proportion of the sediment since the movement of liquid in the jar caused by the syphoning action causes solids to lift from the surface of the sediment layer.The portion of solids withdrawn with the liquid will cause refermentation and in order to obtain a perfectly clear wine which is free from sediment, it is necessary to repeat the settling process in another demijohn. This repeat process, or racking as it is commonly known, often needs to be repeated several times, which is a repetitive and time consuming task which also takes up considerable space and expenditure because of the additional number of demijohns which are required.

The present invention aims to avoid this problem with a view to simplifying and expediting the home wine-making process, and indeed any other process in which a clarified liquid is to be separated from a sediment layer which has been deposited from the liquid.

To this end, according to the invention, there is provided apparatus for clarifying a liquid containing solids in suspension comprising a settlement vessel having top and bottom openings, and sides of which at least the lower portions slope towards the bottom opening so that solids which settle on the sides are able to slide down the sloping portions and through the bottom opening, a sediment collector connected or connectable to the vessel adjacent the bottom opening for receiving the solids from the settlement vessel and so that leakage of liquid from the vessel and the collector is prevented, and means for closing the bottom opening to isolate the interior of the settlement vessel from the sediment collector.

In operation the apparatus is set up in an upright position with the sediment collector connected to the settlement vessel, and the vessel firmly supported above the sediment collector by a suitable stand or support frame. The liquid/solids suspension to be cleared is then poured into the vessel through its top opening with the bottom opening open so that the liquid also fills the sediment collector, and if the apparatus is being used for making wine the top opening is then sealed by means of a conventional air lock device. For this purpose the top opening of the vessel is preferably defined by a suitably sized neck for receiving the bung of the air lock.

The apparatus is then left to stand to allow the liquid to clear as the solids gradually fall out of suspension. Some solids will fall directly through the bottom opening into the sediment collector, but most will deposit on the sloping portions of the side walls leading to the bottom opening. Provided the slope angle is sufficient, these solids will slide down the sloping wall portions to the bottom opening where they then fall into the sediment collector. The junction between the sloping wall portions and the bottom opening may be radiussed to prevent any accumulation of solids at the junction, although if any deposits do stick at the junction or elsewhere on the side walls a sharp tap on the vessel will usually be sufficient to dislodge them.

As a further precaution, the apparatus may include a vibrator for periodically vibrating the settlement vessel to promote the movement of solids down the sloping portions of the side walls and into the sediment collector. Conveniently the vibrator may be arranged to fit beneath the sediment collector when the vessel is supported on the stand so that the vibrations generated thereby are transmitted to the walls of the vessel through the sediment collector. Preferably the vibrator is electrically driven and is arranged to operate automatically under the control of a timer. Operation at least once a day for a few seconds should be sufficient when making wine, although the frequency and duration of operation may of course be chosen as desired.

When the liquid is totally clear in both the settlement vessel and the sediment collector, and the solids are all collected in the sediment collector, the vibrator (if used) is switched off, the top opening is opened, and the bottom opening is closed to isolate the clear liquid in the vessel from the liquid and solids in the sediment collector. The clear liquid can then be syphoned or poured freely from the vessel through the top opening without any risk of contamination from the solids which are all isolated in the sediment collector. If winemaking, the syphoned or decanted liquid can be bottled and corked immediately without any need to be racked, which will be a great advantage to the home wine-maker.

The means for closing the bottom opening is preferably a plug which is mounted on a rod so that it can be introduced into the settlement vessel through the top opening and then inserted into the bottom opening. The plug may be dimensioned to be a tight sealing fit in the bottom opening, in which case the size of the top opening will need to be slightly greater than that of the bottom opening in order to allow the plug to be passed freely into and out of the vessel, but preferably it is expandable to seal the bottom opening once it has been placed in position.

The settlement vessel, which itself forms an important and novel aspect of the present invention in its own right, is preferably transparent to facilitate monitoring the progress of the liquid clarification and solids separation process, and also the fitting of the closure means in the bottom opening. Usually the vessel will be made of glass, but any suitable clear plastics material may be used.

The sloping portions of the sides of the settlement vessel may be inclined at an angle of up to about 60C to the longitudinal axis of the vessel (i.e. to the vertical when the vessel is in use), particularly when the apparatus includes a vibrator for promoting the sliding movement of the solids. Preferably, however, the slope angle of the sides will be between 25O and 450 to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and usually the vessel will be shaped so that the sloping portions of the sides define a conical funnel leading into the bottom opening. If preferred, however, any other suitable shape for the vessel may be adopted, provided it avoids any internal surfaces which will retain deposited solids despite the combined action of gravity and vibration.

Preferably the sediment collector is separable from the settlement vessel to facilitate removal of the collected solids and cleaning of the apparatus after use. Usually the sediment collector will be formed by a necked jar, and the bottom opening of the settlement vessel will be defined by a tubular neck which is arranged to be fitted and sealed in the neck of the jar. The seal may be formed by making the two necks an interference fit, but preferably it will be formed by a suitable elastomeric sealing ring fitted between them.

A preferred example of the apparatus in accordance with the invention intended for use in a home wine-making process will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the apparatus assembled ready for use; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, to a larger scale, through the upper and lower ends of a device for closing the bottom opening of the settlement vessel after the wine liquor has cleared and the solids have all been collected in the sediment collector, the device being shown in position in the vessel ready to seal the bottom opening.

The apparatus illustrated comprises a glass settlement vessel 1 shaped generally like an inverted conical flask and having a top opening 2 as well as a bottom opening 3. The vessel 1 has a substantially flat, or slightly convex, upper end wall 4 in the centre of which the top opening 2 is defined by a neck 5 in which the bung 6 of a conventional wine-maker's air lock (not shown) can be fitted. The side wall of the vessel 1 comprises a cylindrical upper portion 7 depending from the upper end wall 4 and a conical funnel shaped lower portion 8 extending between the upper portion 7 and a tubular neck 9 at the lower end of the vessel defining the bottom opening 3. The conical lower portion 8 of the side wall slopes at an angle of about 300 to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and merges smoothly with both the upper wall portion 7 and the bottom opening neck 9.The top and bottom openings 2 and 3 are coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and the top opening 2 has a diameter D greater than that d of the bottom opening 3.

The apparatus further comprises a sediment collector jar 10, an electrically (preferably battery) driven automatic timer controlled vibrator 11 for periodically vibrating the vessel 1, and a device 12 for closing the bottom opening 3 of the vessel when desired. In this example the vibrator timer can be adjusted to activate the vibrator for periods of from 1 to 3 seconds at intervals of from 1 to 3 hours, but these values are not critical.

The sediment collector jar 10 is also made of glass, and has a necked mouth 13 with an inner diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the neck 9 at the lower end of the vessel 1 so that the neck 9 can be fitted into the mouth 13 of the jar 10 and a seal formed between them by a sealing ring 14 of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material. The capacity of the jar 10 will generally be relatively small compared to that of the settlement vessel, but will of course depend on the quantity of solids which it is expected to collect.

For wine-making it will be convenient to make the settlement vessel and collector jar with a combined capacity of about one gallon (about 4.5 litres), which is the capacity of a conventional demijohn.

The closure device 12 is shown in Figure 2 inserted into the vessel 1 ready to seal the bottom opening 3. The device comprises a cylindrical hollow stopper 15 of rubber or other similar material fixed at its upper end to the lower end of a tubular support rod 16, and a frusto-conical expander wedge 17 received partially in the open lower end of the stopper 15 and secured to the lower end of a drawbolt 18 which extends longitudinally through the tubular support rod 15 and which has a threaded upper end engaging with an actuator nut 19 arranged to bear on a cap nut 20 screwed onto the upper end of the support rod 16.

When the stopper 15 is unstressed, its outer diameter is slightly less than the diameter d of the bottom opening 3 so that the device 12 can be inserted easily into the vessel 1 through the top opening 2 to position the stopper 15 in the bottom opening 3 as shown in Figure 2 without pressurizing the liquid in the collector jar 10. As shown, the upper end of the tubular support rod 16 is preferably fitted with a locating disc 21 which engages the rim of the top opening neck 5 of the vessel 1 when the stopper 15 is in the correct position in the bottom opening 3 and serves to hold the device 12 in this position while the stopper 15 is expanded to seal the bottom opening 3.This is effected by rotating the actuator nut 19 so that the drawbolt 18 is drawn upwards to pull the expander wedge 17 into the stopper 15 and thereby force the resilient walls of the stopper radially outwards into tight sealing engagement with the neck 9 defining the bottom opening 3.

When the device 12 is to be removed, the actuator nut 19 is rotated in the opposite direction while holding it down on the cap nut 20, thus driving the drawbolt 18 and the expander wedge 17 downwards and allowing the walls of the stopper 15 to relax and move inwards away from the neck 9. The device 12 is then free to be lifted out of the vessel 1. If desired, the device may be provided with a return spring which surrounds the drawbolt 18 within the stopper 15 and acts between the expander wedge 17 and the lower end of the tubular support rod 16 to bias the wedge in a direction away from the stopper 15.

In use the vessel 1, the jar 10 and the vibrator 11 are positioned one above the other as shown in Figure 1 with the vessel supported firmly by a stand (not shown), and the apparatus is used as described earlier.

Any suitable form of stand may be used, but preferably it includes a base having a central recess or other means for receiving and locating the vibrator 12, and preferably it has three legs mounted on or around the base at substantially equiangular intervals. In one example, the lower end of each leg may have a foot which locates securely in a hole in the base outwardly from the central locating means, and the upper end has a sloping support surface on which the conical lower portion 8 of the vessel side wall is supported, the upper ends of the legs being held firmly in the support position by a removable clamping ring which locates in grooves in the legs. In an alternative example the legs may be attached at their upper ends to an inverted frusto-conical support collar in which the lower portion 8 of the vessel 1 is intended to sit.

Claims (17)

1. Apparatus for clarifying a liquid containing solids in suspension comprising a settlement vessel having top and bottom openings, and sides of which at least the lower portions slope towards the bottom opening so that solids which settle on the sides are able to slide down the sloping portions and through the bottom opening, a sediment collector connected or connectable to the vessel adjacent the bottom opening for receiving the solids from the settlement vessel and so that leakage of liquid from the vessel and the collector is prevented, and means for closing the bottom opening to isolate the interior of the settlement vessel from the sediment collector.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the sloping portions of the sides of the settlement vessel are inclined at an angle of up to 60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the sloping portions are at an angle of between 250 and 450 to the longitudinal axis.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the settlement vessel is shaped so that the sloping portions of its sides define a conical funnel leading into the bottom opening.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the junction between the bottom opening and the sloping lower portions of the vessel side walls is radiussed.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the bottom opening is defined by a tubular neck at the lower end of the settlement vessel, and the sediment collector comprises a jar into which the bottom opening neck can be removably fitted and sealed.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for closing the bottom opening comprises a plug which is mounted on a rod so that it can be introduced into the settlement vessel through the top opening and then inserted into the bottom opening.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the plug is expandable to seal the bottom opening once it has been placed in position.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the plug comprises a hollow stopper of rubber or other similar material fixed at its upper end to the lower end of a tubular support rod and expandable by means of a frusto-conical expander wedge which is received partially in the lower end of the stopper and which is secured to the lower end of a drawbolt extending longitudinally through the stopper and the tubular support rod.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the top and bottom openings are coaxially aligned, and the top opening is larger than the bottom opening.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the top opening is necked and has a diameter suitable for receiving a conventional air lock assembly for use in home wine-making.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims including a vibrator for periodically vibrating the settlement vessel to promote the movement of solids down the sloping portions of the vessel's side walls and into the sediment collector.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the vibrator is electrically driven and is arranged to operate automatically under the control of a timer.

14. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, including a stand for firmly supporting the sediment vessel in an upright position above the sediment collector.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 when dependent upon claim 12 or claim 13, in which the vibrator is arranged to be disposed below and in contact with the sediment collector when the settlement vessel is supported by the stand.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, when used for fermentation in a home wine-making process.