An Improved Device for Use with Beer Barrels or the like, for Preventing the Escape of the Gases whilst Drawing Off the Contents.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Use with Beer Barrels or the like, for
Preventing the Escape of the Gases whilst Drawing Off the
Contents.
I, ROBERT SAMPSON JONES of 55 Stanley Road, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Jeweller and Watch Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to an improved device for use with beer barrels or the like
for preventing the escape of the gases whilst drawing off the contents of the barrel,
and has for its object to provide a device for keeping the liquid contained in the
barrel in good condition.
The invention consists essentially in providing an air pump to replace the
ordinary vent peg and providing means for attaching the pump to the barrel and if
desired means for filtering the inflowing air.
In carrying, out the invention I provide a cylinder with a suitable piston and a
rod with a knob or handle for working the same. Near the bottom of this
cylinder I provide an air inlet communicating with the interior of the cylinder
through a series of small perforations and insert within said inlet filtering material
such as cotton wool. Over the mouth of this air inlet I arrange a cap or cover
having
an air inlet and valve opening only inwards. The cylinder is closed below
said air inlet by means of an air chamber having a valve opening only inwards to
said chamber from the cylinder. This air chamber I close by means of a cover
having externally a nozzle adapted to be inserted in the vent hole of the barrel or
the like, which nozzle is for this purpose preferably screw threaded. Suitable
arms or gripping devices are provided on the nozzle carrying cover to afford a
firm grip for screwing the said nozzle into the barrel. The air chamber is
preferably threaded on its exterior and adapted to be screwed partly into the
cylinder and partly into the nozzle carrying cover and this provides a convenient
form of construction. A leather washer may of course be provided where requisite
to ensure a perfectly tight joint round the vent hole where the nozzle is screwed in.
When the device is fixed in the vent hole of the barrel a little air is pumped into
the barrel through the air inlet by operating the piston and the contents will thus
flow through the draw off tap the same as with an ordinary vent. Any germs or
impurities in the air will be excluded as the inflowing air passes through the cotton
wool or the like in the air inlet. By the present invention air may be pumped into
the barrel from time to time as the contents are gradually drawn off without
allowing any escape of carbonic acid gas thereby keeping the beer or other liquid
contained in the barrel in good condition and ensuring that the whole of the
contents may be drawn off. It will be readily understood that the air inlet need
not be provided with means for filtering the inflowing air although it is preferable
to do so, also that the details of construction of the improved device may be
modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. This invention is
applicable for barrels casks or the like for storing beer and similar liquids and is
particularly applicable for household purposes. It may be also used in connection
with public houses, in which case the piston may be connected to existing apparatus
by suitable levers.
Dated the 23rd day of September 1895.

page_text: An Improved Device for Use with Beer Barrels or the like, for
Preventing the Escape of the Gases whilst Drawing Off the
Contents.
I, ROBERT SAMPSON JONES, of 55 Stanley Road, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Jeweller and Watch Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to an improved device for use with beer barrels or the like
for preventing the escape of the gases whilst drawing off the contents of the barrel,
and has for its object to provide a device for keeping the liquid contained in the
barrel in good condition."
The invention consists essentially in providing an air pump to replace the
ordinary vent peg and providing means for attaching the pump to the barrel and if
desired means for filtering the inflowing air.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation ;
Figure 2 an inverted plan;
Figure 3 an elevation of the air inlet opening;
Figure 4 a sectional elevation of a slight modification.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is a cylinder, B a piston working therein,
C the piston rod with a knob or handle for working the same. Near the bottom of
this cylinder I provide an air inlet device E, communicating with the interior of
the cylinder A through a series of small perforations e and insert within said inlet
filtering material such as cotton wool. Over the mouth of this air inlet I arrange
a cap or cover F having an air inlet and valve f opening only inwards. The
cylinder A is closed below said air inlet by means of an air chamber G having a
valve H opening only inwards to said chamber from the cylinder. This air
chamber GI close by means of a cover having externally a nozzle 1 adapted to be
inserted in the vent hole of the barrel or the like, which nozzle is for this purpose
preferably screw threaded. Suitable arms or gripping devices J are provided on
the nozzle carrying cover to afford a firm grip for screwing the said nozzle into
the barrel. The air chamber G is preferably threaded on its exterior and adapted
to be screwed partly into the cylinder A and partly into the nozzle carrying
cover I and this provides a convenient form of construction. A leather washer
may of course be provided where requisite to ensure a perfectly tight joint round
the vent hole where the nozzle is screwed in. When the device is fixed in the vent
hole of the barrel a little air is pumped into the barrel through the air inlet by
operating the piston B and the contents will thus flow through the draw off tap
the same as with an ordinary vent. Any germs or impurities in the air will be
excluded as the inflowing air passes through the cotton wool or the like in the air
inlet device E. By the present invention air may be pumped into the cask or
barrel from time to time as the contents of the same are gradually drawn off,
without allowing any escape of carbonic acid gas thereby keeping the beer or
other liquid contained in the barrel in good condition, and ensuring that the whole
of the contents may be drawn off. It will be readily understood that the air inlet
need not be provided with means for filtering the inflowing air although it is
preferable to do so, also that the details of construction of the improved device
may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention as for instance
on the lines depicted in Figure 4, in which A is the cylinder as before, B the
piston, C the piston rod and D the handle. The special air inlet E is in this case

page_text: omitted, the air filling the cylinder when the handle is pulled by leaking in
between the piston and the cylinder. G is the air chamber having a valve H
opening inwards from the cylinder, but kept normally closed by the spring h;
A is a screwed cap for keeping the spring pressed on the valve H. I is the nozzle
and nozzle cover and J arms on the nozzle carrying cover 1 to enable the device to
be held while being operated.
may
be
This invention is applicable for barrels, casks or the like for storing beer and
purposes. It
similar liquids and is particularly applicable for household
also used in connection with public houses, in which case the piston may be
connected to existing apparatus by suitable levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An improved device for use with beer barrels or the like for preventing the
escape of gases while drawing off the contents, consisting of an air chamber having
an injecting nozzle adapted to be inserted in the vent hole of the barrel or cask,
and a non-return valve capable of opening inwards and normally retained on its
seat by a spring, in combination with an air pump, or like device, for supplying air
to the said chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The combination with the air chamber G, air cylinder A, piston B and
screwed injection nozzle I for screwing into the vent hole of a beer barrel or the
like, of the air inlet filtering valve E, whereby an intermittent supply of filtered
air can be supplied to a beer barrel without endangering the escape of the gases
therefrom substantially as described.
3. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved device substantially as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.