US859178A - Process of treating liquors by electricity. - Google Patents

Description

No. 859,178. PATENTED JULY 2, 1907. C. H. C. KOCH. PROCESS 0I' TREATINC LIQUORS BY- ELECTRICITY'.

APPLICATION FILEDv SEPT. 5. 1802.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

CHRISTIAN H. C. KOCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO DISTRIBUTING AND TRADING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF TREATING LIQUORS BY ELECTRICITY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 190?.

Application tiled September 5, 1902. Serial No. 122,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN H. C. KOCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oi Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes for Treating Liquors by Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process for treating liquors by electricity and has for its object to provide a new method and apparatus for this purpose.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l shows a simple apparatus by means of which my invention may be carried out; Fig. 2 is a sectional view therethrough; Fig. 3 is an end view.

Like letters represent like parts throughout all of the figures. v

My present invention relates particularly to the treating of alcoholic beverages or liquors, and has for its object, among other things, to make the liquorbetter and to secure for it the results which, under ordinary conditions it is necessary to secure by age, which necessitates storing the liquor for a comparatively long period after its manufacture and before it can be placed upon the market.

By means of my invention I am able to secure results in a very short period of time, which, without my invention would require storing the material for years.

My invention is applicable to a great variety of materials and it may be carried out in various ways.

As shown in the drawings, I have illustrated a barrel A, which may be of any material, such, for example, as the ordinary wooden barrel in which such liquors as whisky and the like are placed. In such cases. for example, I provide at each end of the barrel a conducting plate B, which is placed on the end or head of the barrel and attached thereto in any desired manner, as, for example, by means of screws or the like, so that it can be readily attached and removed. Each plate is provided with suitable means for connecting it to a conductor, as for example, by means o the binding bolts or screws B1. These conductors B2 and B3 are connected with a source o electric supply C, which may be any suitable source, such as a dynamo, or the mains of any suitable electric circuit or the like. I prefer to use a high voltage. I have found that the ordinary street car voltage gives excellent results. The current used in street car systems is generally in the neighborhood of 500 volts. I have also used a 220 volt current. It is of course evident that any other suitable voltage might be used. When the plates are in position on the heads of tire barrel the current is turned on and the apparatus is left this condition for the proper length of time. The length of time will, of course, depend upon the conditions presented, such as the voltage of the electric current, the size and material of the receptacle, etc. This period of time may, of course, be varied as desired, and may be, for example, a portion of a day, or one or more days. When the current has been on a sufiicient length of time to secure the desired results, the process is stopped and the material is then ready for use. With such material, for example, as whisky, I have found that when new whisky is treated in this man ner the roughness is taken off and it is made mild and of a good taste, although the strength is not changed, the mellowness of age being produced in a very short time.

When the construction as shown in the drawing is used, I may interpose between the plates B and the heads of the barrel a thin piece of material, such as a damp cloth. The plates B are preferably made of a considerable area so as to spread out the current and cause it to pass through substantially the entire body of the liquor. It is of course evident that when a wooden barrel is used, the liquor passes, for example, into the heads of the barrel, and is thus utilized in assisting in obtaining the proper current relations. The heads of the barrel, when made of wood, are more or less saturated with liquor and when the damp cloth is used the outer face becomes wet or dampened. I thus have a non-metallic piece having its pores lled with liquor and I have found that this is suflicicnt to conduct the current, and yet there are no corrosive elec trodes or electrical conductors exposed to the liquor inside of the receptacle, and -hence this liquor remains untarnished. ductor such as copper or iron is exposed on the inner face of the receptacle, electrolytic action takes place and the liquor is destroyed. This must be prevented and with my device is prevented. The metallic plates B are not in contact, therefore, with the liquor in the body of the receptacle. There must be interposed between the parts to which the circuit is connected, a material forming part of the receptacle, which is a poorer' conductor of electricity than the liquor itself. so that the current must come into intimate contact with the liquor itself so as to exert the proper influence thereon. The end pieces, ior example, might be made o different material, butunder no conditions must corrosive material such iron or copper be used in contact with the liquor. v

I have described my process in detail and a particular apparatus or carrying it into effect, but it is of course evident that the apparatus may be varied in many particulars, and I therefore do not limit mysel to 1" cular construction shown.

If, for example, a metallic electric coni It will be noted that by means of my invention I treat the liquor in the original package, that is the original casks or barrels in which the liquor is placed and shipped by the manufacturer, and that I treat the liquor without inserting anything into the barrel or in any manner changing the barrel.

I claim:

1. 'ihe process ot' treating liquors which consists in confining the liquor in a non-metallic receptacle which is a poorer conductor of electricity than the liquor; the interior of the receptacle free from any conducting material so that the liquor makes contact only with the non-con ducting material, then connecting vtwo points of this receptacle with the source of electric supply so that there is no metallic contact with the liquor within the receptacle and permitting the current to i'iow from one to the other through said liquor.

2. The process of treating liquors which consistsA in applying to the cash or barrel in which the liquor is shipped two electrodes, one at each end thereof, and then passing an electric current through said ends and through the said liquor without having anything other than the barrel or Cask in contact with the liquor'.

3. The process of aging liquors which consists in contining the liquorl in u receptacle with its inner surface in contact with the liquor' composed entirely of non-metallic material, then connecting: two separated exterior points of the receptacle in an electric circuit Without allowing said liquor to come into Contact with any metallic electrode,

' esente and causing the current to he spread out as it enters the liquor' so as to pass through the body of the liquor.

4. The process of treating liquors which consists in confining the liquor in a wooden receptacle, the complete interior surface of which is wood so that nothing but the wood comes into contact with the liquor, then applying electrodes at opposite points on the exterior of said rccep tacle, then connecting said electrodes in an electric circuit through which a current is passed and transmitting,r the current to the liquor in the receptacle throughthe wood which is in contact with the liquor, whereby the transmission of the current to the liquor is directly from the wood.

5. The process of treating liquors which consists ln connecting the ends of the original receptacle in which the liquor is kept in an electric current and forcing the current through said ends and said liquor for a predetermined length of time, without bringing anything other than the original receptacle into contact with the liquor so as to treat the liquor in the said original receptacle.

G. The process of treating liquors which consists in con fining the liquor in a wooden receptacle and applying metallic electrodes to the exterior oi the ends of said receptacle, and inter-posing between said metallic electrodes and said ends a sheet of moisture holding material, and applying an electric current to said electrodes and forcing such current through said ends and said liquor.

` CHRISTIAN ll. C. KOCH.

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