New or Improved Appliances for Use to Aid and Facilitate the Tapping of Barrels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Appliances for Use to Aid and Facilitate the
Tapping of Barrels.
EMMANUEL BALL Professor of Music 112 Lichfield Street Walsall do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention to aid and facilitate the tapping of barrels containing any kind of
liquid, and also for the better and quicker securing of the tap in the tap hole,
consists of what I may term a tapered ferrule or clasp, which may be made of
paper or any other suitable material. This ferrule may be made any thickness
desired at one end, and tapered down to rather a fine edge at the other end.
The ferrule will of course be of greater circumference and thickness at one end
than the other, so as to fit up the outside taper of any tap, which it is intended
to be slipped on previous to the tapping of any barrel containing liquid. My idea
for having the ferrule tapered to rather fine edge round the end which enters
the tap hole first, is, that it should not catch and blunt up when fixed on the tap
and is being driven in the tap hole during the tapping of the barrel. For a
similar reason also is the other end of the ferrule made to any desirable thickness
so as to allow the tap to wedge itself in the tap hole quickly and securely. From
the explanation given of my invention, it will be clearly seen that the tapered
ferrule (which I have termed it) is intended to substitute and possibly do away
with the tedious, and ofttimes badly performed task of wrapping paper round the
tap (previous to tapping a barrel) to make the tap wedge the tap hole securely.
It is a well known fact, that from having wrapped too much, or not enough paper
round the tap (previous to tapping a barrel) it is often the cause of loosing a
quantity out of a barrel coutaining such liquids as beer or stout. Ousing out of
the liquid round: the tap is often caused by uneven and bad wrapping of the paper
round the tap, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for one to give themselves
an ugly crush or blow on the hand (through having to hold the paper wrapping
on the tap during the process of tapping) if the tap drives in a little farther than
they anticipated, furthermore draymen often have to waste a good amount of time,
waiting whilst customers or their servants find suitable paper to wrap round the
tap. My invention is capable of various modifications, for instance a piece of
paper or other suitable material, may be made a suitable size for fitting taps, and
pressed or rolled any desired thickness at one end, and tapered down to rather a
fine edge at the other end, and cut up in lengths suitable to form a sort of ferrule
when clasped round the tap. The edges of these pieces may be gummed if desired,
or adhesive paper fixed on one side to fasten them together and so form a sort of
ferrule previous to fixing it on the tap. A further: modification may consist of a
ferrule (made of paper or other suitable material) with a flange or rim round its
outside. This ferrule would be made to fit closely round the inside of the tap
hole, and its rim would prevent it being driven inside the barrel, either from driving
the cork in the tap hole after filling the barrel, or from the tap being driven in
the tap hole. This being the case the tap would wedge itself securely in the tap
hole without the aid of paper wrapping.
Dated this 25th day of July 1896.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
New or Improved Appliances for Use to Aid and Facilitate the
Tapping of Barrels.
I, EMMANUEL BALL, of 112 Lichfield Street, Walsall, in the County of
Stafford, Professor of Music do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object improved means for facilitating the tapping of
barrels which is intended to supercede the tedious and ofttimes badly performed
task of wrapping paper around the end of the tap previous to tapping so as to
wedge it in the tap hole, and very often after it has been inserted, the contents of
the barrel leak out and a quantity is wasted in this manner.
these defects are remedied and I also protect the tap hole from enlarging by
Now by my invention
constant use which under the old system often renders the barrel useless.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated examples of the same.
Figure 1, is a sectional view of part of the head or top end of the barrel with
my improved bush applied thereto.
Figure 2, is plan view of the bush.
Figures 3 and 4, are similar views to Figure 1 showing modifications of my
invention.
Figure 5, is an elevation of the head of the tool for burning the tap hole in the
barrel with the handle broken off.
In carrying my invention into practice I burn or bore a hole with the tool A in
the head D of the barrel. I would here observe that I do not limit myself to the
particular shape of tool shown as it may be varied, but in all cases it must
correspond with the external shape of the metal bush B or other bush, which after
the hole has been made is inserted therein, the flange & which may or may not be
flush with the outer surface of the head of the barrel has suitable holes 62 formed
in it for screws to pass through for securing it to the barrel. Inside this metal
bush I fit another bush 63 made of paper or other suitable material which forms a
wedge for the tap when it is driven in. Instead of fixing a metal bush in the tap
hole previous to inserting the paper bush I may use a metal disc or flange 6 only
(see Fig. 3) and insert the paper bush into the hole made in the barrel the metal
disc protecting the tap hole and also helping to hold the paper bush in its place
or I may dispense with the metal flange and form a flange around the top of the
paper bush 6 as shown at Figure 4 in which case I should prefer to countersink
the top of the barrel so as to allow the flange to be flush with the outer surface of
the head of the barrel.
In order to tap the barrel the cork Figure 1 is driven out by the end of the
tap in the ordinary manner when the tap wedges itself against the inner sides of
the paper bush which securely holds it in position, and prevents any liability of
leakage without having to wrap paper around previous to inserting it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
1st. New or improved appliances for use to aid and facilitate the tapping of
barrels substantially as herein before described and shown on the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. Fixing in the tap hole of a barrel a metal bush such as B inside which is

page_text: inserted another bush such as 63 made of paper or other equivalent material for
the purpose substantially as herein before described and shown on the accompanying
drawings at Figure 1.
3rd. Inserting in the tap hole of a barrel a bush such as 63 made of paper or
other equivalent material encompassed by a metal flange such as 64 for the purpose
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying drawings
at Figure 3.
4th. Inserting in the tap hole of a barrel a bush such as 65 made of paper or
other equivalent material for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown on the accompanying drawings at Figure 4.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1896:
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.