IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TAPS OR STOPCOCKS FOR BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Ludlow, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TAPS OR STOPCOCKS FOR BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Ludlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1880.
EDWIN LUDLOW, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TAPS OR STOPCOCKS' FOR BEER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS."
Taps or stopcocks for beer and other liquids are ordinarily cast and finished by
turning and filing.
My Invention consists in manufacturing taps or stopcocks for beer and other
liquids by the process or processes herein after described, whereby great economy
in their manufacture is effected.
In making the body and inlet pipe of the tap or stopcock I take a disc of strong
sheet brass or other ductile metal or alloy, and by means of dies and pressure I
produce from the said disc a tube closed at one end. The closed end of the tube
constitutes the hollow body of the tap or stopcock, and the other portion of the
tube the inlet pipe. A transverse slightly taper hole is drilled in the hollow body
of the tap for the reception of the plug. The hollow body of the tap is filled by
a cork having in it a transverse hole in the body, and also a second hole establishing
a communication between the inlet pipe and the said transverse hole. After the
introduction of the cork the inlet pipe is subjected to a drawing down process,
whereby the cork is secured in its place and the inlet pipe is tapered.
The plug of the tap is made in the same way as the body and inlet pipe, that is,
from a strong metallic disc operated upon by dies and pressure so as to be formed
into a tube closed at one end. The said plug is made slightly taper and accurately
fits the transverse holes in the body, and the cork filling piece in the body. The
said plug has a hole on one side, which hole may be brought by turning the plug
opposite the second hole in the cork, when a communication is established between
the inlet pipe and the interior of the plug, and the tap is fully open. By giving
the plug a semi-rotation the tap is closed. The motion of the plug is effected by

page_text: means of a key, the angular stem of which fits an angular depression mado in the
closed top of the plug. The key may either be fixed to the top of the plug or be
removeable therefrom.
A tap or stopcock made according to my Invention consists mainly of two
tubular parts made by means of dies and pressure. The only additional parts are
the cork filling of the body and the key for turning the plug.
Instead of making the lower projecting part of the tubular plug constitute the
outlet pipe of the tap or stopcock, a separate outlet pipe may be be screwed into the
thick end of the tubular body of the tap or stopcock. In this case the plug is
closed at bottom, and the said plug and the cork filling piece have passages of the
ordinary kind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Ludlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd March
1881.
EDWIN LUDLOW, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TAPS OR STOPCOCKS FOR BEER AND
OTHER LIQUIDS."
Taps or stopcocks for beer and other liquids are ordinarily cast and finished by
turning and filing.
My Invention consists in manufacturing taps or stopcocks for beer and other
liquids by the process or processes hereinafter described, whereby great economy
in their manufacture is effected.
In making the body and inlet pipe of the tap or stopcock I take a disc of strong
sheet brass or other ductile metal or alloy, and by means of dies and pressure I
produce from the said disc a tube closed at one end. The closed end of the tube
constitutes the hollow body of the tap or stopcock, and the other portion of the
tube the inlet pipo.
A transverse slightly taper hole is drilled in the hollow body of the tap for the
reception of the plug. The hollow body of the tap is filled by a cork having in it
a transverse hole and also a second hole, establishing a communication between the
inlet pipe and the said transverse hole. After the introduction of the cork the
inlet pipe is subjected to a drawing down process, whereby the cork is secured in
its place and the inlet pipe is tapered.
The plug of the tap is made in the same way as the body and inlet pipe, that is,
from a strong metallic disc operated upon by dies and pressure so as to be formed
into a tube closed at one end. The said plug is made slightly taper, and
accurately fits the transverse holes in the body, and the cork filling piece in the
body.
'
The said plug has a hole on one side, which hole may be brought by turning
the plug opposite the second hole in the cork when a communication is established
between the inlet pipe and the interior of the plug, and the tap is fully open. By

page_text: giving the plug a semi-rotation, which is effected by means of a key, the angular
stem of which fits an angular depression made in the closed top of the plug. The
key may either be fixed to the top of the plug or be removeable therefroin.
A tap or stopcock made according to my Invention consists mainly of two
tubular parts made by means of dies and pressure. The only additional parts aro
the cork filling of the body and the key for turning the plug.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2, in end elevation; Figure 3, in
longitudinal section, and Figure 4 in cross section a beer or other tap or stopcock
made according to my Invention.
In the said Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, a and a² are the body and inlet pipe of the tap
made in one piece from a strong disc of sheet brass or other ductile sheet metal by
a drawing through process conducted in the ordinary way, the closed end a of the
tube constituting the hollow body of the tap, and the taper part a³ the inlet pipe
of the tap. The closed end of the body a of the tap is left much stronger in metal
than the other parts. By striking the thick end of the tap with a mallet or
hammer the tap may be readily driven into the barrel or cask.
The end of the inlet pipe a is perforated, and a perforated cap c of thin metal
may be placed over the open end of the said inlet pipe, as represented; & is the
plug of the tap, consisting of a drawn taper tube closed at one end and having a
contraction or shoulder at d² near the open end, the part 3 below the said con-
traction constituting the outlet pipe of the tap. The closed upper end of the
plug & has an angular depression d made in it for receiving the angular stem of
the key by which the plug is turned (see Figure 3). The plug & has a hole e made
in it at one side, and a transverse hole is made in the body a for receiving the
hollow plug d. The body a of the tap is filled (or partly filled) with cork for
other packing material having in it a transverse hole, through which the plug d is
passed, and also a second hole g in a line with the axis of the said body a, the
said second axial hole g establishing a communication between the inlet pipe a³
and the transverse hole in the cork filling piece f. It will be seen by an exami-
nation of Figure 3 that the hollow plug & fits watertight in the transverso hole in
the cork filling piece f. After the introduction of the cork f the inlet pipe a is
subjected to a drawing down process whereby the cork filling piece f is secured in
its place and the inlet pipe tapered, as seen in Figure 3.
By turning the plug d by means of the key through a semi-rotation, so that the
hole e in the said plug is brought opposite the hole y in the cork filling piece f, a
communication is established between the inlet pipe a³ and the interior of the
plug, and the tap is open and liquid passes through it. By turning the plug d
through a semi-rotation in the opposite direction the tap is closed, as illustrated in
Figure 3. The semi-rotation of the plug d in either direction is limited by a
stop pin h on the plug coming against a stop pin i on the body (see Figure 1). The
stop pins h, i, may however be dispensed with.
Instead of using a cork filling piece for the plug to work in, a metallic tubular
lining may be fixed across the body for the same purpose, as illustrated in section
in Figure 5, and side elevation in Figure 6, where the separate metallic lining is
marked. Stops are made on the top of the separate lining for the stop pin on
the plug to bear against, and a hole is made in the lining for establishing a
communication between the inlet pipe a² and the hollow plug d, as will be under-
stood by an examination of Figure 5. The hole in the lining may be made either
at the front or back of the lining.
Although I prefer to make the body a and inlet pipe a² of the tap from a tube
closed at one end and produced as described, yet the said body and inlet pipe may
be made from a tube open at both ends, that end which is to be formed into the
body of the tap being afterwards closed by a separate strong cap or closing piece
brazed or otherwise connected to the said tube.
The dies and tools which I use for the production of the tubes a, a³, and d,

page_text: constituting the body and inlet pipe, and the plug and outlet pipe of the tap, from
discs of strong sheet brass, or other ductile metal or alloy, are of the kind commonly
used for making tubes for other purposes, and I therefore do not consider it
necessary either to describe or represent the said dies and tools.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in the manufacture of taps or stopcocks for beer and other
liquids hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that
is to say, making the body and inlet pipe of the tap or stopcock from a solid drawn
taper tube closed at one end, and the plug and outlet pipe from a second and
smaller solid drawa taper tube closed at one end, the said plug working liquid
tight in a cork filling piece or other packing material fixed in the body of the tap
or in a metallic lining crossing the body of the tap, the several parts being made
and combined, substantially as described and illustrated, also the modification
described in which the body and inlet pipe are made from a tube open at both
ends, the body end being closed by a separate cap or closing piece.
-In-witness-whereof,-1,-the-said-Edwin-Ludlow,-have-hereunto-set-my-hand
and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
sight hundred and eighty one.