Improved Means for Closing the Tap Holes of Casks and other similar Vessels.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Means for Closing the Tap Holes of Casks and other
similar Vessels.
I JOHN BOSWELL, PENNY of Wash Pits Farm Moston Road Chadderton near
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Cooper do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention is principally applicable to ale and portor barrels or casks which,
when emptied and the tap withdrawn, are liable to become foul and sometimes quite
useless from the admission of rain water, or otherwise, unless the tap hole is closed
immediately after the withdrawal of the tap either by means of a cork or otherwise.
The object of the invention is to provide means for automatically closing the tap
hole on the withdrawal of the tap, so as to obviate the necessity for corking or other-
wise closing the tap hole by hand, and at the same time to ensure the perfect closing
of the same and thus prevent the fouling of the barrel or cask.
Inside the barrel I fix (by screws or otherwise) a plate having a hole therein of a
larger diameter than the tap hole and this plate is fixed in such a position that the
hole therein corresponds with the tap hole.
The hole in the plate is made conical so as to form a kind of valve seating a circular
groove being made round the inside thereof in which is inserted a ring of india
rubber.
Attached to the plate is a short lever working on a pin or pivot and carrying
at its end a rounded or bevilled disc or pad which acts as a valve to close the hole
in the plate bearing against the india rubber ring before mentioned. The lever is
provided with a coiled spring which has a constant tendency to press the valve into the
seating and thus close the tap hole.
When the tap is driven in its end comes against the valve and the spring gives way
allowing the lever and the valve to be forced inwards so as to form no obstruction to
the tap; and as the latter is withdrawn the valve follows it and effectually and auto-
matieally closes the tap hole.

page_text: The apparatus is preferably made of gun metal but it may be made of other metal
turned or coated with a metal which will not affect the flavor of the beer or other
contents of the vessel.
Doted thin 07th - of Man 1000
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for tho Applicant.
Improved Means for Closing the Tap Holes of Casks and other
similar Vessels.
I JOHN BOSWELL PENNY of Wash Pits Farm Moston Road Chadderton near
Manchester in the County of Lancaster Cooper 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 is principally applicable to ale and porter barrels or casks, which 1
when emptied and the tap withdrawn are liable to become foul and sometimes quite
useless from the admission of rain water or otherwise unless the tap hole is closed
immediately after the withdrawal of the tap either by means of a cork or otherwise.
The object of this invention is to provide a self-acting valve for automatically closing
the tap hole on the withdrawal of the tap, so as to obviate the necessity for corking or 2
otherwise closing the tap hole by hand, and at the same time to ensure the perfect
closing of the same, and thus to prevent the fouling of the barrel or cask.
The nature of my said invention will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. is an elevation of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a partial section i
showing the application of the same to the tap hole in the head of a barrel the tap
being removed and the tap hole closed, and Fig. 3. is a similar view with the tap in its
place.
Inside the head a of the barrel I fix (by screws or otherwise) a plate 6 having a hole
therein of a larger diameter than the tap hole c and this. plate 6 is fixed in such a
position that the hole therein is concentric with the tap hole.
The hole in the plate b is made so as to form a kind of valve seating in which is
inserted a ring of india rubber & preferably of the form shown.
Attached to the plate b is a hinged plate e working on a pin or pivot and carrying
on its inner side a rounded bevilled disc or pad f which acts as a valve to close the hole

page_text: in the plate b bearing against the india rubber ring c before mentioned. The plate e
is provided with a coiled spring g which has a constant tendency to press the valve
into the india rubber seating d and thus close the tap hole c.
When the tap h driven in, its end comes against the valve fand the spring g
gives way allowing the valve to be forced inwards so as to form no obstruction to the
tap as seen at Fig. 3; and as the latter is withdrawn the valve ƒ follows it and
effectually and automatically closes the tap hole c as seen at Fig. 2.
The apparatus is preferably made of gun metal, but it may be made of other
metal tinned or coated with a metal which will not affect the flavor of the beer or
other contents of the vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I do not
wish to confine myself to the exact form of the valve or of the seating thereof or
to that of the spring as shown on the drawings but what I claim is the combined
senting and self-closing spring valve applied to the inside of the tap hole of a
cask or other similar vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this 94th dox of Doomben 1900
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.