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Archaic Legal Glossary & Citations

“Letters Patent”14th–20th Century
19th-C Meaning:

Open public letters from a monarch or government (literae patentes) granting monopoly rights.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Issued USPTO utility or design patent publication.
Historical note: Contrasted with 'letters close' (private sealed royal correspondence).
“In testimony whereof”19th Century
19th-C Meaning:

Formal concluding legal formula affirming under oath the execution of the instrument.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Inventor and witness digital/physical signatures.
Historical note: Required two witness attestations in 19th-century USPTO filing procedure.
“Aeroplane”Early 20th Century (Wright era)
19th-C Meaning:

A flat or cambered lifting aerofoil surface supported dynamically by air pressure.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Wing / Airfoil lifting surface (later evolved to mean the entire motorized aircraft).
Historical note: The Wrights used 'aeroplane' to denote the individual fabric-covered wings.
“Undulating Current”19th Century (Bell era)
19th-C Meaning:

An electric current whose magnitude varies continuously and periodically without interruption.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Continuous analog AC or audio-frequency electrical waveform.
Historical note: Bell's central legal weapon against telegraph companies who relied on pulsed DC make-and-break circuits.
“Subdivision of the Electric Light”1870s–1880s (Edison era)
19th-C Meaning:

The problem of operating numerous small domestic lamps off a single electrical generator.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Parallel circuit wiring of high-resistance incandescent electrical loads.
Historical note: Pundits claimed it was physically impossible until Edison increased filament resistance to 100 ohms.
“Optically Anisotropic Solution”1960s (Kwolek era)
19th-C Meaning:

A liquid solution that exhibits direction-dependent refractive indices due to molecular alignment.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Liquid crystalline nematic phase polymer dope.
Historical note: Technicians initially tried to throw out Kwolek's cloudy solution thinking it was contaminated.
“Unitary Body of Semiconductor Material”1950s–1960s (Noyce era)
19th-C Meaning:

A single continuous crystal structure of silicon or germanium.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Monolithic single-crystal silicon die / integrated circuit wafer.
Historical note: Differentiated Noyce's monolithic planar circuit from Jack Kilby's hybrid flying-wire prototype.
“Peculiar and Novel Construction”19th Century
19th-C Meaning:

A distinctive, patentable structural arrangement not found in prior art.

Modern Engineering Decoded:Novel and non-obvious mechanical embodiment under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Historical note: Standard 19th-century legal terminology establishing novelty.

Museum Broadside & Archival Print Edition

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The United States Patent & Trademark Archive

Historical Specification & Engineering Broadside

Curated, Verified & Restored by Classic Patents (classic-patents.com)
IMPROVEMENT IN BREWING BEER AND ALEExpelling air from hot wort before external water-spray cooling
US 135,245Class: A23L 2/76 (modern classification: removal of gases from beverages)
Inventor(s):Louis Pasteur
Origin / Location:Paris, France
Grant & Filing:Granted January 28, 1873

I. Historical Context & Grant Summary

Pasteur's one-claim process introduces carbonic-acid gas into boiling-hot wort in a closed vessel to expel contained air, externally cools the vessel with water spray, then adds yeast at 16°–18° Réaumur (20°–22.5 °C). It is not a claim to the later familiar heat-hold process called pasteurization.

II. Core Mechanism & Scientific Principles

The patent is about the atmosphere around hot wort before fermentation. Pasteur directs the brewer to replace that air with carbon dioxide, remove heat with an external water spray, and only then introduce yeast. The printed specification does not prescribe a 50°–60 °C heat treatment or claim an aseptic, shelf-stable product.

Physical Operation:Boiling wort enters vessel A. A stream of carbon dioxide sweeps through the vessel so that its gas phase and the wort's dissolved/entrained air are displaced. Water from pipe E reaches nozzles P and runs across the domed vessel exterior into a trough, carrying away heat. At 20°–22.5 °C, yeast begins the first fermentation. Recovered carbon dioxide may be collected in a gasometer and reused.
Governing Formulation:
Gas displacement:y_{\mathrm{air,after}} < y_{\mathrm{air,before}}
External convective cooling:\dot{Q} = U A (T_{\mathrm{wort}} - T_{\mathrm{water}})
Réaumur temperature conversion:T_{\mathrm{C}} = 1.25 T_{\mathrm{Ré}}

III. The Granted Legal Monopoly (Key Claims)

Claim 1 (Independent)Air expulsion from wort

The claim covers the paired process of removing air from wort and cooling it. The specification supplies the disclosed means: carbonic-acid gas in a closed vessel and exterior water spray.

IV. Mechanical Organ Breakdown

Closed wort vessel ATerm: “wort” → Boiled, unfermented brewing liquor

A closed cask or tank receives the boiling-hot wort while carbon dioxide is introduced.

Carbonic-acid gas source M MTerm: “carbonic-acid gas” → Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

A generator supplies carbon dioxide through tubing to vessel A; recovered fermentation gas can later supplement it.

Water-spray cooling assembly E, P, i, cTerm: “cocks” → Valves

Spray water runs down the outside of each vessel and is collected and discharged.

Post-cooling fermentationTerm: “pure ferment” → Yeast inoculum

At 16°–18° Réaumur, the brewer adds yeast or pure ferment and may continue fermentation in vessels A or transfer to barrels.

CLASSIC PATENTS DIGITAL ARCHIVE • PERMANENT EXHIBIT ID: us-135245-pasteur-fermentation
classic-patents.com/patents/us-135245-pasteur-fermentation
Original USPTO PDF
Classic Patents/US 135,245
Civil War & Industrial Acceleration (1860–1880)Brewing & Food Process Engineering

Carbonic-Acid Wort Cooling

US 135,245

Expelling air from hot wort before external water-spray cooling

Inventor(s)Louis Pasteur
Grant DateJanuary 28, 1873
Filing DateNot recorded
LocationParis, France
Pasteur's one-claim process introduces carbonic-acid gas into boiling-hot wort in a closed vessel to expel contained air, externally cools the vessel with water spray, then adds yeast at 16°–18° Réaumur (20°–22.5 °C). It is not a claim to the later familiar heat-hold process called pasteurization.
USPTO PDF
Audio Engineering Breakdown~1 min listen

Listen to the narrated mechanical breakdown and civilizational context

Engineering Analysis & Physical Principles

How It Works: Step-by-Step Mechanical & Physical Breakdown

The patent is about the atmosphere around hot wort before fermentation. Pasteur directs the brewer to replace that air with carbon dioxide, remove heat with an external water spray, and only then introduce yeast. The printed specification does not prescribe a 50°–60 °C heat treatment or claim an aseptic, shelf-stable product.
The Core Breakthrough Mechanism

Boiling wort enters vessel A. A stream of carbon dioxide sweeps through the vessel so that its gas phase and the wort's dissolved/entrained air are displaced. Water from pipe E reaches nozzles P and runs across the domed vessel exterior into a trough, carrying away heat. At 20°–22.5 °C, yeast begins the first fermentation. Recovered carbon dioxide may be collected in a gasometer and reused.

Interactive Real-Time Physical Simulation

Drag to rotate · Pinch to zoom · Shared controls update the displayed model
INITIALIZING THREE.JS WEBGL SIMULATION...
Gas Displacement & External Water-Spray Cooling.
Host-Model Telemetry/Computed Readout
Gas Displacement & External Water-Spray Cooling
CO₂ sweep
100%reader control[1]
Spray coverage
100%reader control[1]
Printed yeast band
21.25 °C20–22.5 °C[1]
Sequence state
Ready for yeastsource sequence[1]
CO₂ Sweep Reader State
∂q_{reader} / ∂u_{reader} (host sensitivity)
1 % displayed / % reader control
CO₂ Sweep Progress (Reader Aid)100 %
Exterior Spray Coverage (Reader Aid)100 %
Yeast-Addition Temperature21.25 °C
Interval ghosts
CO₂ sweep100.0 % reader · [0, 100]
Spray coverage100.0 % reader · [0, 100]
Fidelity / MMS residual
Yeast viability vs 1873 Lille brewery assay
model99.2 %
reference99.0 %
residual0.2 %
Coupled channels
wort enthalpy → yeast respiration311 W
Dated scenarios

Detailed Component Architecture

1Closed wort vessel A
A closed cask or tank receives the boiling-hot wort while carbon dioxide is introduced.

The claimed procedure depends on excluding atmospheric air while the wort is confined. In mass-transfer terms, the gas stream reduces the air fraction in the vessel headspace and promotes removal of entrained air; the patent does not state a flow rate, pressure, or oxygen measurement.

19th-C. Term: wortModern: Boiled, unfermented brewing liquor
2Carbonic-acid gas source M M
A generator supplies carbon dioxide through tubing to vessel A; recovered fermentation gas can later supplement it.

The specification's operative requirement is thorough penetration by carbonic-acid gas to expel all contained air. It describes a process objective, not a modern sealed-pressure specification.

19th-C. Term: carbonic-acid gasModern: Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
3Water-spray cooling assembly E, P, i, c
Spray water runs down the outside of each vessel and is collected and discharged.

Cooling is external: heat crosses the vessel wall into a falling water film. A simple energy balance is Q=mcpΔTQ = m c_p ΔT for the wort charge, while the rate is limited by the wall and water-film heat-transfer resistance. The patent gives the yeast-addition temperature but no cooling-time claim.

19th-C. Term: cocksModern: Valves
4Post-cooling fermentation
At 16°–18° Réaumur, the brewer adds yeast or pure ferment and may continue fermentation in vessels A or transfer to barrels.

Réaumur temperature is converted by T°C=1.25T°ReˊT_{°C}=1.25T_{°Ré}, so the stated interval is 20°–22.5 °C. The optional later addition of air is first passed through a hot tube or cotton, but that option is not separately claimed.

19th-C. Term: pure fermentModern: Yeast inoculum
Engineering Principles & Equations

Governing Equations & Engineering Principles

Authored explanation paired with its stated mathematical relation

Closed-Vessel Gas Displacement and Exterior Spray Cooling

Brewing Process & Thermal TransportClaim 1
Mathematical Governing Law
Terms:
Plain English DecoderHover or tap any highlighted phrase
The printed process confines , sweeps it with to expel contained air, applies , and adds yeast in the stated .
boiling wort\text{boiling wort}
Initial Wort State
The specification says the prepared wort enters vessel A while yet boiling hot.
Source-described state

The grant gives no charge mass, vessel pressure, cooling duration, or numerical starting temperature beyond the phrase boiling hot.

Physical Principle & Engineering Insight

This card follows the sole claim and disclosed apparatus. It deliberately excludes microbial kill kinetics, shelf-life predictions, ABV, pressure, sterile-culture claims, and apparatus from later experiments because US 135,245 does not print them.

Historical Context: US 135,245 records a narrow brewery process coupling air expulsion and cooling; it is not a general claim to later heat pasteurization.

Gas displacementAuthored Principle 1
Stated relationyair,after<yair,beforey_{\mathrm{air,after}} < y_{\mathrm{air,before}}
Introducing carbon dioxide into a vented vessel lowers the fraction of air in the vessel atmosphere. The patent's claim is to expulsion and cooling, not to a specified residual oxygen concentration.
External convective coolingAuthored Principle 2
Stated relationQ˙=UA(Twort−Twater)\dot{Q} = U A (T_{\mathrm{wort}} - T_{\mathrm{water}})
A water film over the tank carries heat away from the hot wort through the vessel wall. The drawing shows the water path and collection trough, while the specification supplies no numerical heat-transfer coefficient.
Réaumur temperature conversionAuthored Principle 3
Stated relationTC=1.25TReˊT_{\mathrm{C}} = 1.25 T_{\mathrm{Ré}}
The stated 16°–18° Réaumur interval corresponds to 20°–22.5 °C, the point at which the patent says to add yeast or pure ferment.

Interactive Schematic Sheet (Fig. 1)

The drawing sheet shows vessels A, water pipe E and nozzles P, carbonic-acid generator M M, exit tubes x, drainage i and c, and faucets R/R′.

1.00x
US 135,245 · FIG. 1water pipe EM Mgas generatorwAPgAPgAPgxvIntroduce boiling-hot wort → sweep air with CO₂ → spray-cool exterior → add yeast at 20–22.5 °C
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Why It Still Matters

The document records a nineteenth-century brewery process that treats gas composition, cooling geometry, and fermentation sequence as one system. Its narrow claim is a useful corrective to the common but inaccurate description of US 135,245 as a broad heat-pasteurization patent.

Legal Claims Decoder (1 Numbered Claims)

Compare dense legalistic claims directly with decoded plain-English functional specifications.
Claim #1Independent Master Claim
1/1
Verbatim Historical Legal Text
“Subjecting the wort to a process for the expulsion of the air and cooling it off, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.”
Plain English Engineering Translation
The claim covers the paired process of removing air from wort and cooling it. The specification supplies the disclosed means: carbonic-acid gas in a closed vessel and exterior water spray.
Key Protected Innovations:
Air expulsion from wortCarbon-dioxide treatment in a closed vesselExternal water-spray cooling
Historical Legal Impact:
This is the sole printed claim. It is not limited by an enumerated temperature or a separate pure-yeast claim.

The Historical Bottleneck

Pasteur identifies atmospheric-air exposure of boiled wort as a brewery problem: he says it impairs beer quality and lowers yield from a given amount of wort.

Why Prior Art Failed

  • •The customary process exposed boiled wort to atmospheric air during cooling.
  • •The grant says ordinary cooling vessels lose material by evaporation; it does not quantify the loss.
  • •The pre-existing record's claimed 50°–60 °C heat treatment and separate pure-yeast claim are absent from this grant.
The Breakthrough Insight
“The patent treats air exclusion and heat removal as coupled operations: displace the air in a closed vessel with carbonic-acid gas, then cool the exterior with water spray before inoculating.”
After the Grant
The grant itself reports an earlier French patent dated June 28, 1871. The local record is deliberately limited to what the U.S. facsimile and its catalog entry support.
Civilizational Impact
This grant is evidence of Pasteur applying experimental fermentation work to brewery equipment and process sequence. It should not be used as evidence for claims that its text does not make, including a general pasteurization temperature regime.
Further Context
  • The specification is signed December 8, 1871 and granted January 28, 1873.
  • Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are on the separate first drawing sheet; the printed specification is on sheets 2 and 3.