AN IMPROVED VENT-PEG FOR BARRELS AND OTHER VESSELS CONTAINING Liquids
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Cardinal Payne, of Lewisham, in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED VENT-PEG FOR BARRELS AND
OTHER VESSELS CONTAINING Liquids.”
Sealed the 9th May 1879, and dated the 15th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Cardinal Payne
"
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1878.
FREDERICK CARDINAL PAYNE, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent. AN
IMPROVED VENT PEG FOR BARRELS AND OTHER VESSELS CONTAINING LIQUIDS."
My Invention relates to an improved automatic vent peg to be fixed upon or into
a barrel or other vessel, and by means of which air may be admitted above the
liquid contained in such vessel to facilitate the flow of the said liquid when it
is desired to draw off the same or any portion of it, the said vent peg: preventing
the entry of air to the interior of the vessel excepting when it is required, also the
escape of gases or spirit therefrom.
It is well known that malt liquor, wine, spirits, and many other liquids; become
much deteriorated if the exterior atmosphere is not excluded from the barrel or other
vessel in which they are kept, also that when it is desired to draw off any part of
the liquid some air must be admitted above the same to counterbalance the upward
pressure of the atmosphere exerted at the point where the liquid escapes, and to
allow it to flow readily. It is desirable that just enough air should be admitted
above the liquid to cause the latter to flow readily when required, and that the
vessel should be tightly sealed or closed against the entry of air at all other
times.
A device or apparatus employed for effecting the object above named is usually
called a vent-peg or spile, and with those heretofore in use it has been necessary to
effect two distinct operations in drawing off any liquid, that is to say, the vent peg
has had to be removed or opened to admit air, and then the tap or other outlet of
the barrel opened, and the same operations have both to be repeated inversely for
Price B11

page_text: closing the vessel when sufficient liquid has been drawn off, excepting with such
devices as are provided with a spring or other means for closing the vent.
A vent peg constructed according to my said Invention operates automatically,
and nothing more is required for opening and closing the same than to open or close
the tap from which the liquid is to flow. The vent-peg having been once fixed in
its position upon or into the vessel does not require to be touched by the person
who draws off the liquid as the opening or closing of the tap causes the said vent
peg to operate.
In carrying my said Invention into practice I provide a peg or piece of wood,
metal, or any suitable material, which piece is tapered at its lower end to fit within
the ordinary aperture provided for the purpose in barrels, or it may be made of any
desired shape to fit any vessel with which it may be used. The upper part of this
peg or piece is enlarged and has a small aperture or passage extending from the top
downwards at an angle so as to communicate with the outer atmosphere at one side
of the peg.
At the upper part of the peg this inclined aperture communicates with
the upper end of a passage which extends completely through the centre of the peg
and affords communication with the interior of any vessel to which it may be affixed.
I prefer to make the aforesaid inclined aperture or passage, that is to say, the passage
communicating with the outer atmosphere, of somewhat larger diameter at its
upper end than at its lower end, and within this enlarged portion I place a small
ball of lead or other suitable material which falls by the action of gravity and rests
above the narrow part of the said inclined aperture, the wider part of this aperture
being curved to receive the ball where the narrow part commences, the ball thus
forming a valve whose seat is this curved portion of the said inclined aperture.
The top of the peg or apparatus is closed and made perfectly air tight, so that the
exterior air can only be admitted through the inclined aperture and cannot enter
there so long as the ball is held to its seat. The effect however of opening the tap
in the barrel or other vessel causes some liquid to escape and a partial vacuum to
occur above the surface of the liquid in the vessel, whereupon the exterior atmos-
phere immediately forces the ball up the inclined aperture or passage to the top of
this passage, and the junction of the two passages is so arranged that when the
ball is so raised there will be a space between it and the upper part of the central
passage sufficient to allow air to enter the said passage and pass through the same
into the barrel or other vessel. So long as the tap in the barrel is open and the
liquid is flowing therefrom the external air entering through the inclined aperture
or passage will keep the ball up; but immediately the tap is turned off and the
liquid ceases to flow the pressure on the ball is removed and the latter will fall by
the action of gravity to its seat, thus preventing the entry of the external atmos-
phere or the exit of gases or spirit.
I may if desirable use a cone or other shaped piece instead of the ball, and may use
a cylinder or tube of glass or other material for the same to slide in, and the said
device or vent peg may be constructed of any desirable form or shape. The passage
containing the ball may be arranged in any suitable manner so long as the ball will
operate therein, as above described.
By making use of my said Invention the contents of any barrel or vessel may be
effectually protected from the consequences of neglect or forgetfulness on the part of
the person who draws off the same, and the liquid will always flow readily when
required by simply turning on the ordinary tap in the barrel or other vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Cardinal Payne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1879..
" AN
FREDERICK CARDINAL PAYNE, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent.
IMPROVED VENT-PEG FOR BARRELS AND OTHER VESSELS CONTAINING LIQUIDS."
My Invention relates to an improved automatic vent peg to be fixed upon or
into a barrel or other vessel, and by means of which air may be admitted above the
liquid contained in such vessel to facilitate the flow of the said liquid when it is
desired to draw off the same or any portion of it, the said vent peg preventing the
entry of air to the interior of the vessel excepting when it is required, also the
escape of gases or spirit therefrom.
It is well known that malt liquor, wine, spirits, and many other liquids become
much deteriorated if the exterior atmosphere is not excluded from the barrel or other
vessel in which they are kept, also that when it is desired to draw off any part of
the liquid some air must be admitted above the same to counterbalance the upward
pressure of the atmosphere exerted at the point where the liquid escapes and so
allow it to flow readily. It is desirable that just enough air should be admitted
above the liquid to cause the latter to flow readily when required, and that the said
vessel should be tightly sealed or closed against the entry of air at all other
times.
A device or apparatus employed for effecting the object above named is usually called
a vent-peg or spile, and with those heretofore in use it has been necessary to effect
two distinct operations in drawing off any liquid, that is to say, the vent peg has
had to be removed or opened to adinit air, and then the tap or other outlet of the
barrel opened, and these operations have to be reversed for closing the vessel when
sufficient liquid has been drawn off, excepting with such devices as are provided
with a spring or other means for closing the vent.
A vent peg constructed according to my said Invention operates automatically,
and nothing more is required for opening and closing the same than to open or close
the tap from which the liquid is to flow. The vent peg having been once fixed in
its position upon or in the vessel does not require to be touched by the person
who draws off the liquid, as the opening or closing of the tap causes the said vent
peg to operate.
The manner in which I carry my said Invention into practice is clearly illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawing which I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 is an exterior view of my improved vent peg.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of the same with a portion removed.
Like Jetters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
I provide a peg or piece a of wood, metal, or any suitable material, which piece
is tapered at its lower end to fit within the ordinary aperture provided for the pur-
pose in a barrel or cask, or it may be made of the required shape to fit any vessel
with which it may be used. And it has a central hole or passage b extending
through it, as shewn in Figure 2. The upper or outer end or part a' of this peg or
piece is enlarged and has in it a recess or cavity c, in which is formed a shoulder
d; a small aperture or passage e extends from this cavity c obliquely, or in an
inclined direction to the side of the peg a, where it communicates with the outer
atmosphere, as shewn in Figure 2. The said shoulder d forms a seat for a small
dise or cover f, formed of thin metal or other suitable material. This disc is placed
on the said seat and secured in the cavity c by india rubber or other suitable cement
or composition which will ensure the air and water tight closing of the said cavity.
In Figure 3 the cavity c is shewn with the disc. f removed.
Within this cavity or recess c the oblique air passage communicates with the
passage b, which extends completely through the centre of the peg and affords com-

page_text: munication with the interior of the vessel to which the vent peg may be affixed.
Within this oblique air passage e I place a small valve, preferably a ball g, of lead
or other suitable material, and I prefer to make the said oblique or inclined passage
of somewhat larger diameter at its inner or upper end than at its outer or lower
end, as shewn in Figure 2, the said ball or valve g is free to move within the
enlarged portion e¹ and falls by the action of gravity and rests upon the shoulder
or seat e² above the small portion of the said inclined passage.
The top or outer end of the said peg or apparatus being closed and made perfectly
air tight by the means above described, the exterior air can only be admitted
through the inclined passage c, and can only pass through this passage while the
ball is raised from its seat. While the tap or other device by which the liquid is
drawn from the barrel or other vessel remains closed the said ball will rest on its
scat. But the opening of the said tap in the barrel or other vessel and the conse-
quent discharge of liquid from the same will cause a partial vacuum above the
surface of the liquid in the said vessel, whereupon the pressure of the exterior
atmosphere immediately forces the ball up the inclined aperture or passage e, and
when the ball is so raised the passage e will communicate through the cavity c with
the central passage b, and air will then enter the said passage b, and pass through
the same into the barrel or other vessel. So long as the tap in the barrel is open
and the liquid is flowing therefrom the external air entering through the inclined
aperture or passage e will keep the ball raised from its seat; but immediately the
said tap is turned off or closed and the liquid ceases to flow the preponderance of
external pressure on the ball g will cease, and the latter will fall by the action of
gravity to its seat, thus preventing any further entry of the external atmosphere or
the exit of gases or spirit from the said vessel. I may if desirable use a cone or
other suitably shaped valve instead of the ball g, and may use a cylinder or tube of
glass or other material for the same to slide in, and the said device or vent peg may
be constructed of any desirable external forin or shape.
The passage containing the ball may be arranged in any suitable position which
will permit the ball or valve to operate therein, in the manner and with the effect
above specified.
By the use of my said Invention the contents of any barrel or vessel may be
effectually protected from the consequences of neglect or forgetfulness on the part
of servants or others who draw off the liquid from the same, and the liquid will
always flow readily when required by simply turning on the ordinary tap in the
said barrel or other vessel.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that I
claim,―
The improved vent peg in which a ball or other valve is so arranged that when
the said vent peg is fitted in a barrel or other vessel the drawing or discharge of
liquid therefrom causes the said ball or valve to act in the manner and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Cardinal Payne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
F. C. PAYNE.
(L.S.)