Improvements in or connected with Taps for Casks or Barrels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1897
PROVIDIUNAL DT MULTICAI
Improvements in or connected with Taps for Casks or Barrels.
We, GEORGE JAMES CHAMBERS, Manager, and ALFRED BASDEN, Traveller, both
of The Fulham Pottery, Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with taps for casks or
barrels.
The tap hole of a beer cask or the like is generally closed by means of a bung,
and the usual method of tapping the same consists in driving in the bung by means
of the tap.
This operation in addition to being troublesome and noisy tends to shake the
beer and render it cloudy, and after a time injures the bung-hole and weakens the
head of the cask necessitating repairs, whilst the bungs are expensive and when
within the cask are liable to injure the contents.
Now the object of the present invention is by a simple device to avoid the
necessity for the heavy hammering required to tap a cask and generally to obviate
the difficulties above pointed out.
In carrying the invention into effect a bracket is employed formed of cast iron
or the like and having a horizontal projection and the back of this bracket is fixed
to the head of the cask over the bung-hole by means of wood screws or other suit-
able means, whilst the back of the bracket is furnished with an annular projecting
V shaped rib having a sharp edge adapted to impinge upon that part of the head
of the cask surrounding the bung-hole and thus make a tight joint therewith, or if
desired suitable packing may be employed in lieu of or in addition to said rib.
The horizontal projecting part of the bracket is formed with a vertical hole
therethrough, and with a horizontal way located within the annular rib and com-
municating with the vertical hole, and within the vertical hole is fitted by the aid
of cork or other suitable bushing or packing an open-ended plug formed with a
lateral way adapted to communicate at the times desired with the horizontal way
so that the contents of the cask may be drawn off therethrough as required.
The vertical hole of the bracket may be provided at the lower part thereof with
a shoulder or seating for a cork or other packing or the hole may be plain and for
the delivery of the cask or the like may be closed by means of a cork or stopper,
whilst on delivery the plug of the tap which in such case would be furnished with
a surrounding bushing or packing of cork or the like may be caused to force out
the closing cork and take up its proper position within the vertical hole of the
bracket.
By the means hereinbefore described casks or barrels may be delivered with the
taps already fixed thereto and secured against tampering by a gum label or other
suitable means and thus the difficulties above pointed out will be obviated and the

page_text: time of the drayman will be economised, or by adopting the method lastly described
the tapping of the cask may be rendered a simple operation and the injury thereof
will be avoided.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents.
We, GEORGE JAMES CHAMBERS, Manager, and ALFRED BASDEN, Traveller, both
of The Fulham Pottery, Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, 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:
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with taps for casks or
barrels.
The tap hole of a beer cask or the like is generally closed by means of a bung,
and the usual method of tapping the same consists in driving in the bung by means
of the tap.
This operation in addition to being troublesome and noisy tends to shake the
beer and render it cloudy and after a time injures the bung-hole and weakens the
head of the cask necessitating repairs whilst the bungs are expensive and when
within the cask are liable to injure the contents.
Now the object of the present invention is by a simple device to avoid the
necessity for the heavy hammering required to tap a cask and generally to obviate
the difficulties above pointed out.
In carrying the invention into effect a bracket is employed formed of cast iron
or the like and having a horizontal projection and the back of this bracket is fixed
to the head of the cask over the bung-hole by means of wood screws or other suit-
able means, whilst the back of the bracket is furnished with an annular projecting
V-shaped rib having a sharp edge adapted to impinge upon that part of the head
of the cask surrounding the bung-hole and thus make a tight joint therewith or if
desired suitable packing may be employed in lieu of or in addition to said rib.
The horizontal projecting part of the bracket is formed with a vertical hole
therethrough, and with a horizontal way located within the annular rib and com-
municating with the vertical hole, and within the vertical hole is fitted by the aid
of cork or other suitable bushing or packing an open-ended plug formed with a
lateral way adapted to communicate at the times desired with the horizontal way
so that the contents of the cask may be drawn off therethrough as required.
The vertical hole of the bracket may be provided at the lower part thereof with
a shoulder or seating for a cork or other packing or the hole may be plain and for
the delivery of the cask or the like may be closed by means of a cork or stopper,
whilst on delivery the plug of the tap which in such case would be furnished with
a surrounding bushing or packing of cork or the like may be caused to force out
the closing cork and take up its proper position within the vertical hole of the
bracket,
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: Figure 1 is a Iront elevation representing a portion of a Сол циц
constructed according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the tap separately.
p
Figure 5 is a front elevation partly in section representing a slightly modified
form of tap fitted with a removable key.
Figure 6 is a plan thereof with the key removed.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the key separately.
Figure 8 is an underside view thereof and
Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 3 representing a further slight modification.
In the several figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similar letters
of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a represents the body of the cask a¹ represents the
head thereof, b represents the back of the bracket which may conveniently be
formed of cast iron, or it might be of other suitable material and b¹ represents the
horizontal projection from the back b.
The back b of the bracket is fixed to the head a¹ of the cask over the bung-hole a³
by means of wood screws b* or it might be by other suitable means and the back b
of the bracket is furnished with an annular projecting V shaped rib b² having a
sharp edge adapted to impinge upon that part of the head a' of the cask surround-
ing the bung-hole a and thus make a tight joint therewith.
Or, if desired suitable packing may be employed in lieu of or in addition to the
annular rib or projection as hereinafter described with respect to Figure 9, and
which is the preferred arrangement.
The horizontal projecting part b¹ of the bracket is formed with a vertical hole 63
therethrough and with a horizontal way b4 located within the annular rib 2 and
communicating with the vertical hole 6 and within the vertical hole 63 is placed a
cork or other suitable bushing or lining c formed with a vertical hole there-
through into which leads a lateral opening c² corresponding with the way b' in the
bracket b.
Within the hole c¹ of the bushing or packing c is fitted an open ended plug d
provided with a handle by which it may be turned and the plug d is formed
with a lateral opening adapted to communicate at the times desired with the
opening in the bushing c and the lateral way in the bracket so that the
contents of the cask a may be drawn off therethrough as required and in order
to enable the tap to be so proportioned as to lie as nearly as possible within the
chime of the cask the latter is provided with an opening a³ therein coincident with
the open ended plug d.
When the horizontal projection is formed with a plain hole bas hereinbefore
shown and described the said hole may before the delivery of the cask be closed
by means of a cork or stopper (not shown) whilst on delivery the plug d
of the tap which should be surrounded by its bushing or packing c of cork or the
like may be caused to force out the closing cork and take up its proper position in
the vertical hole 63 as shown in the drawings.
is
In the example given at Figures 5 to 8 the device is substantially the same as
that hereinbefore shown and described except that the horizontal projection
provided at the lower part thereof with a shoulder or seating 61* for the cork or
other bushing or packing e and which is the preferred form of the device and the
handle of the tap is formed separate from the plug d and furnished with a
hollow projection adapted to fit a corresponding socket de formed in the upper
part of the plug & said projection being provided with a notch or slot * adapted to
engage a corresponding projection de* upon the upper part of the plug d and the
handle thus constitutes a removable key to the tap.
In the example given at Figure 9 the device is substantially the same as that

page_text: represented at Figures 1 to 4 with the exception that the bushing or packing c
of cork or other suitable material is dispensed with and the plug d which is in this
case assumed to be formed of gun metal or other suitable material is ground into a
corresponding hole 63 in the horizontal projection 61 and which arrangement in
addition to making a perfectly tight joint between the parts reduces the length of
the horizontal projection 6' of the bracket and causes it to lie more nearly within
the chime of the cask.
In this arrangement also in addition to or it might be in lieu of the annular
rib or projection 62 for making a tight joint between the back 6 of the bracket
and the head a¹ of the cask the back b of the bracket is furnished with a ring of
india-rubber, cork, or other suitable packing 65 which lies in the recess within the
annular rib or projection 62 and is in the fastening of the bracket 6 to the head a¹
by the screws 6* powerfully compressed against said head so as to make a perfectly
tight joint between the parts.
It will be understood that if desired the construction of the tap may be to some
extent modified that is to say instead of employing an open ended plug d an
ordinary solid plug having a hole therethrough corresponding with the way 64
of the bracket may be employed, and said way may be continued beyond the plug
whilst the horizontal projection 61 may terminate in a bib or spout (not shown)
adapted to communicate with said way as will be readily understood.
By the means herein before described casks or barrels may be delivered with the
taps fixed thereto and secured against tampering by a gum label or other suitable
means and thus the difficulties above pointed out will be obviated and the time of
the drayman will be economised.
Or, by adopting the plan suggested with respect to the latter part of the descrip-
tion of Figures 1 to 4 the tapping of the cask may be rendered a simple operation
and the injury thereof and of the contents of the cask will be avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A tap for casks or barrels comprising a bracket having a back adapted to bo
fastened to the head of a cask over the bung-hole by means of screws or the like,
a horizontal projection having a vertical hole therethrough, a horizontal way
connecting the bung-hole with the vertical hole, a hollow open ended plug
fitting the vertical hole and provided with a lateral opening adapted to communi-
cate with the horizontal way and means for making a tight joint with the barrel
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A tap for casks or barrels comprising a bracket having a back adapted to be
fastened to the head of a cask over the bung-hole by means of screws or the like
a horizontal projection furnished with a vertical hole fitted with a suitable plug,
a horizontal way adapted to connect the vertical hole with the cask and means for
making a tight joint with the cask substantially as herein shown and described.
3. A tap for casks or barrels comprising a back adapted to be fastened to the
head of a cask over the bung-hole by means of screws or the like, a horizontal
projection furnished with a vertical hole fitted with a suitable plug a horizontal
way adapted to connect the vertical hole with the cask and a sharp annular rib or
projection upon the back of the bracket and surrounding said way and adapted to
impinge upon the cask and in combination if desired with a ring of packing make
a tight joint therewith substantially as herein shown and described.
4. A tan for casks or barrels comprising a bracket having a back adapted to
be fastened to the head of a cask over the bung-hole by means of screws or the like,
a horizontal projection having a vertical hole therethrough, a horizontal way con-
necting the bung-hole with the vertical hole, a laterally apertured bushing of
cork or other suitable material in the vertical hole, a hollow open ended and

page_text: laterally apertured plug fitting said bushing and means for making a tight joint
with the barrel substantially as herein shown and described.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents.