AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TAPPING BARRELS, CASKS, AND OTHER VESSELS IN WHICH TAPS OR COCKS ARE USED TO DRAW OFF THE LIQUID CONTENTS THEREOF.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Meiter and Thomas William
Smith, both of 85, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TAPPING BARRELS, CASKS,
AND OTHER VESSELS IN WHICH TAPS OR COCKS ARE USED TO DRAW OFF THE
LIQUID CONTENTS THEREOF.
"
Sealed the 2nd May 1871, and dated the 4th November 1870. -
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Meiter
and Thomas William Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th November 1870.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM MEITER and THOMAS WILLIAM SMITH, both
of 85, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, do hereby, declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TAPPING
BARRELS, CASKS, AND OTHER VESSELS IN WHICH TAPS OR COCKS ARE USED TO DRAW
OFF THE LIQUID CONTENTS THEREOF," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in substituting vulcanized india-rubber in lieu
of brown paper for binding round taps, cock, or spickets when inserting
them into barrels, casks, or other vessels for preventing leakage at the
hole into which the tap or cock is driven. The mode hitherto commonly
practised of tapping barrels or casks has been to wrap or bind brown

page_text: paper round the barrel of the cock at the part that is to fit the hole in
the cask when the cock is driven tightly thereinto. And whereas by
these means it is almost impossible to prevent waste of some of the
liquid in the cask in the act of tapping it, and in course of time the
paper becoming saturated with the liquid is liable to leak, and the paper
becomes mouldy, and moreover each time a cask is tapped fresh paper is
required to be used the air is also more effectually excluded, thereby
preserving the contents from deterioration.
We propose to remedy the above objections and render the binding
material employed permanent or capable of being used over and over
again, and hold the cock more tightly in the cask by the following
means: We propose to pass a short conical-shaped tube of any elastic
material (by preference vulcanized india-rubber) over the stem of the
cock, so that as the cock is driven into the cask, the india-rubber fits
the hole in the casks and prevents leakage at such part during the driving
in of the cock and after it has been driven in. And it is this application
of an elastic tube to cocks in lieu of paper or other absorbent material
that constitutes this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles William Meiter and Thomas William
Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
WILLIAM MEITER and THOMAS WILLIAM SMITH, both of 85, Grace-
church Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors;
give and grant unto us, the said Charles William Meiter and Thomas
William Smith, Her special licence that we, the said Charles William
Meiter and Thomas William Smith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles William Meiter and
Thomas William Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
-

page_text: lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend; within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TAPPING BARRELS,
CASES, AND OTHER VESSELS IN WHICH TAPS OR COCKS ARE USED TO DRAW OFF THE
LIQUID CONTENTS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Charles William Meiter and Thomas William Smith, our execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles William Meiter and
Thomas William Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say:-
This Invention consists in substituting vulcanized india-rubber in lieu
of brown paper for binding round taps, cocks, or spickets, when inserting
them into barrels, casks, or other vessels for preventing leakage at the
hole into which the tap or cock is driven. The mode hitherto commonly
practised of tapping barrels or casks has been to wrap or bind brown
paper round the barrel of the cock at the part that is to fit the hole in
the cask when the cock is driven tightly thereinto, and whereas by these
means it is almost impossible to prevent waste of some of the liquid in
the cask in the act of tapping it, and in course of time the paper
becoming saturated with the liquid is liable to leak, and the paper
becomes mouldy, and moreover each time a cask is tapped fresh paper
is required to be used the air is also more effectually excluded, thereby
preserving the contents from deterioration.
We propose to remedy the above objections and render the binding
material employed permanent or capable of being used over and over again
and hold the cock more tightly in the cask by the following means:-We
propose to pass a short conical-shaped tube of any clastic material (by
preference vulcanized india-rubber) over the stem of the cock, so that
as the cock is driven into the cask the india-rubber fits the hole in the
cask, and prevents leakage at such part during the driving in of the
cock and after it has been driven in. And it is this application of an

page_text: .
elastic tube to cocks in lieu of paper or other absorbent material that
constitutes this Invention.
And in order to explain our said Invention more clearly, we will now
proceed to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical
• effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing accompanying
these Presents and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a spicket shewing our Invention
adapted thereto, Figure 2 shews the conical tube detached from the
spicket. At each of the above Figures similar letters of reference are
employed to denote corresponding parts..
A marks the spicket; B a hollow cone of elastic material, by preference
vulcanized india-rubber shewn on the spicket at Figure 1 ready to be
driven into a cask or other vessel. The cone B is made with a collar C
as represented, so that the cone shall not be driven through or too far
into the hole in the cask, and serves also to make a more perfect water-
tight packing at the front of the hole into which the spicket is driven.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our
said Invention for "An Improved Method of Tapping Barrels, Casks,
and other Vessels in which Taps or Cocks are used to Draw off the
Liquid Contents thereof" together with the means by which it may be
effected, we would remark in conclusion that we hereby declare our
Invention to consist in, and we claim, the use of an elastic conical-shaped
tube in the manner above described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing as a substitute for paper or other materials for tapping barrels,
casks, and other vessels as above stated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles William Meiter and
Thomas William Smith, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
C. W. MEITER. (L.S.)
T. W. SMITH.
(L.S.)