A NEW CON- STRUCTION OF TAPPING COCK OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING LIQUIDS FROM CASKS OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Arthur Wiffen, of Romford, in the
County of Essex, Plumber, for the Invention of "A NEW CON-
STRUCTION OF TAPPING COCK OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING LIQUIDS FROM
CASKS OR OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 6th September 1870, and dated the 8th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Arthur
Wiffen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th March 1870.
I, ROBERT ARTHUR WIFFEN, of Romford, in the County of Essex,
Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW CONSTRUCTION OF TAPPING COCK OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING LIQUIDS FROM
CASES OR OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The objects of my Invention are chiefly to prevent leakage and
breakage which frequently occur with the tapping cocks now in general
use, and my Invention consists in constructing a tapping cock or
apparatus as about to be described. The main body of the cock, which
is of tapered form, is divided, and the back portion consisting of, say,

page_text: about one-third of its length has a longitudinal movement upon a tube
which forms an inner back continuation of the remaining portion. This
tube is formed with slots or apertures for the passage of the liquid, and
when the back portion of the main body is moved forward against the
front portion these slots are closed. The rear end of the front portion is !
under cut to receive the front end of the back portion so that a hermetic
joint is obtained. The longitudinal movement is imparted to the back
portion as follows:-Through the rear end thereof I screw or let in a
longitudinal rod, which I fix by a nut at the rear end, this nut being
preferably pointed to facilitate the entrance of the tap into a cask or 1
other vessel. The rod is carried forward within the apparatus and is
furnished at its front end with what I call a "traveller;" this traveller
is threaded externally to fit internal threads on the main body. The
"union" portion which screws into the mouth of the main body consists
of a threaded tube provided with a milled edged flange, and of a "cap” 1
and a 66
lining, the former of which screws upon the threaded tube.
The lining is formed with a collar or circular plate from which a ring
projects, this ring fitting tightly into a groove in the front of the
threaded tube, while the cap is recessed to receive the collar. This
arrangement allows of the cap being revolved, while the lining remains à
stationary. The edge of the cap should be made polygonal in order that
it may be tightened by a spanner when required. When this tapping
cock has been driven into a cask or other vessel in the ordinary manner,
the "union" portion is fitted to it and then the threaded tube is rotated
by means of its milled edge, so that through the intermediation of the
traveller and longitudinal rod the back portion of the main body is
moved backwards, the slots or apertures before described are thereby.
uncovered and the liquid is free to enter the cock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Arthur Wiffen in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 8th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
ARTHUR WIFFEN, of Romford, in the County of Essex, Plumber, send
greeting.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF TAPPING COCK OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING LIQUIDS
FROM CASKS OR OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen, 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 thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
The objects of my Invention are primarily to prevent the leakage and
breakage which frequently occur with the tapping cocks now in general
use by brewers and publicans, and my Invention consists in a novel
construction of such tapping cocks and of other cocks or apparatus for
drawing or giving passage to liquids.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section of
a tapping cock for brewers and publicans as constructed according to my
Invention. The main body of the cock which is of tapered form as usual
is divided into two parts a and b. The back or inner portion a has
a rotary longitudinal movement upon a tube c which forms an inner
back continuation of the front or outer portion b. This tube c is formed
with slots or apertures, as seen in the Figure, for the passage of the liquid,
and when the back portion a is moved forward against the front portion
these apertures are closed. The rear end of the front portion b is undercut

page_text: "
to receive the front end of the back portion a, so that a hermetic joint is
obtained. The longitudinal movement is imparted to the back portion a
as follows:-Through the rear end thereof I screw or let in a longi-
tudinal rod d which I fix by a nut e at the rear end, this nut being pre-
ferably pointed to facilitate the entrance of the tap into a cask or other
vessel. The rod d is carried forward within the apparatus, and is
furnished at its front end with what I call a "traveller" f; this tra-
veller is threaded externally to fit internal threads on the main body. A
piece of U-shape fits loosely into the traveller and is for enabling the
traveller to be rotated by the "union" portion, which is of clutch form
at its front end to enable it to take hold of the piece l. The "union
portion which screws into the mouth of the main body consists of a
threaded tube g provided with a milled edge flange and of
6
a cap "h
and a "lining" i, the former of which screws into the threaded tube g.
The lining is formed with a collar j as usual and has fitted thereon a
loose ring k which has a projection or nib to take into a corresponding
recess or hole in the threaded tube g. This arrangement allows of the
cap being revolved while the lining remains stationary. The edge of the
cap should be made polygonal in order that it may be tightened by a
spanner when required. When this tapping cock has been driven into
a cask or other vessel in the ordinary manner the "union" portion is
fitted to it, and then the threaded tube g is rotated by means of its
milled edge, so that through the intermediation of the piece 7, traveller f.
and longitudinal rod d the back portion a of the main body is moved
backwards, the slots or apertures in the tube c are thereby uncovered,
and the liquid is free to enter the cock; the connection by means of the
union is at the same time completed.
Figure 2 represents my Invention applied to a tap or cock for beer or
other casks, and suitable for household use. The main body is divided
as before into two portions a and b, the inner portion a having a rotary
longitudinal movement on the tube cimparted to it so as to cover and
uncover the slots in this tube as required. This longitudinal movement
is given by a key shown detached at Figure 2, which is applied to a
square or spindle at the front end of the rod d; the rod d is threaded
at f to take into corresponding threads in the head or front of the tap;
m is the outlet for the beer or liquid. To prevent leakage through the
front of the tap the rod d is fitted with collars n which work in a
cylinder o.

page_text: Figure 3 represents my Invention applied to a cock or apparatus
which is operated by a lever p acted on by a float or otherwise. This
lever moves the longitudinal rod & which carries the inner portion a of
the cock, this inner portion being thus made to cover or uncover as
required the slots in the tube c as in the cocks shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The rod d carries collars n working in a cylinder o, as in Figure 2.
Figure 4 represents my Invention applied to bib cocks. The inner
portion a of the cock is fixed to the longitudinal rod d, which by means
of the screw fmoves the portion a up or down the tube c (on a ground
metal seat) so as to cover or uncover the slots therein as required.
The features of novelty in my cock or apparatus are, first, the mode of
opening and closing the cock by means of one tube a being made to
move as described upon another tube c, which is formed with slots or
apertures for the passage of the liquid.
Secondly. The mode of imparting movement to the movable tube a
by means of a longitudinal rod d and other parts, as described.
Thirdly. The internal screw threads in the portion 6 of the tapping
cock, Figure 1.
And, fourthly. The construction of the "union" as shown in Figure 1
and the mode of connecting with the cock.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the
cock or apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Arthur Wiffen, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of September
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
R. A. WIFFEN. (L.s.)