IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING MEASURED QUANTITIES OF LIQUIDS FROM CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS AND FOR INDICATING THE QUANTITIES DRAWN AND THE PERSON WHO HAS DRAWN SAME
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM VAVASOUR of Poultry Chambers in the City of London, Commission
Agent do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS
OR APPARATUS FOR DRAWING MEASURED QUANTITIES OF LIQUIDS FROM CASKS
AND OTHER VESSELS AND FOR INDICATING THE QUANTITIES DRAWN AND THE
PERSON WHO HAS DRAWN SAME" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a tap or apparatus which registers the
number of measures of liquid drawn from a cask or other vessel as well as
the person who draws the same.
According to my invention I employ an apparatus or tap of the following
construction in connection with the barrel or cask plug.
The outlet from the barrel is through the plug which leads to a case containing
a valve below which there is a glass measure for containing the quantity to be
drawn off each time the tap is opened as hereafter described; below the measure
there is a cylinder containing a piston with an aperture through same which latter
can be so moved that it opens or closes the aperture in the bottom of the measure.
This piston works in a cylinder below the measure and has a to and fro motion
imparted to it when required by a spring plunger. Above the cylinder and in
front of the plunger there is a hopper for the reception of a disc bearing any
required mark, name or numbers for showing the person who inserts the disc in the
hopper. The plunger cannot move the piston until the disc falls down in the front
of same, this done a handle at the end of cylinder is pushed or turned thereby
forcing the inserted disc and with it the piston forward and so opening the aperture
for the passage of the contents of the measure to a glass or other receptacle below
the tap. The action may be facilitated by a spring acting on the plunger. The
disc which is pushed forward as before described falls through an aperture on the
[Price 8d.1

page_text: lower side of the cylinder into a box which should be locked to receive same; the
disc having fallen into the receptacle the plunger is free to go back to its normal
position. The forward action of the piston works a jointed lever or levers which
communicate with the valve at top of the measure which it closes when the exit
valve is open and vice versa. The outside levers are or may be covered by a metal
guard partially encircling the measuring vessel. The tap cannot be opened without
the insertion of a disc or telltale into the hopper and this bearing a certain mark
will show the person who drew the liquid and at the same time the number of
discs in the box will show the number of measures drawn. Measures of varying
sizes can be arranged alongside one another all communicating with the same
source.

page_text: I, Sir WILLIAM VAVASOUR Baronet, formerly William Vavasour, of Poultry
Chambers in the City of London 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 object of my invention is to provide a tap or apparatus which registers the
number of measures of liquid drawn from a cask or other vessel as well as
the person who draws the same.
According to my Invention I employ an apparatus or tap of the following
construction in connection with the barrel or cask plug or otherwise attached to
the cask or other vessel.
The outlet from the barrel or other vessel is through the plug which leads to
a case containing a valve, below which there is a measure of glass or other substance
for containing the quantity to be drawn off each time the tap is opened as hereafter
described; below the measure there is a cylinder containing a piston with an
aperture through same which piston can be so moved that it opens or closes the
aperture in the bottom of the measure. This piston works in the cylinder below
the measure and has a to and fro motion imparted to it when required by a spring
or other plunger. Above the cylinder and in front of the plunger there is a hopper
for the reception of a disc or check bearing any required mark, name or numbers
for shewing the person who inserts the disc in the hopper. The plunger cannot
move the piston until the disc falls down in the front of same this done the handle
of the plunger at the end of cylinder is pushed or turned thereby forcing the
inserted disc and with it the piston forward and so opening the aperture for the
passage of the contents of the measure to a glass or other receptacle below the tap.
The action may be varied by a spring acting on the plunger. The disc or check
which is pushed forward as before described falls through an aperture on the lower
side of the cylinder into a box or other receptacle which should be locked, to receive
same; the disc having fallen into the receptacle the plunger is free to go back to its
normal position. The forward action of the piston works a jointed lover or levers
which communicate with the valve at top of the measure which it closes when the
exit passage is open and vice versa. The outside levers are or may be covered by
a metal guard partially encircling the measuring vessel. The tap cannot be opened
without the insertion of a disc or check or telltale into the hopper and this bearing
a certain mark will show the person who drew the liquid and at the same time the
number of discs in the box will show the number of measures. drawn. Measures
of varying sizes can be arranged alongside.one another all communicating with the
same source.

page_text: invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the tap closed.
Figure 3 is also a longitudinal vertical section shewing the tap open for the exit
of the liquid therefrom.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan through the line xy of Figure 2 of a tap or apparatus
constructed according to my invention for drawing measured quantities of liquids
from casks and other vessels and for indicating the quantities drawn and the person
who has drawn same.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of parts in detail to be referred to hereafter.
a is the top or case-containing valve and b the bottom case which cases may be
made of vulcanite ebony or other suitable substance. They are kept at a given
distance apart by for example a glass cylinder c in which case the contents may be
seen and this cylinder forms a measure for the liquid The cylinder may be made
of any suitable material d, d, d, d, are rods or bolts for holding together the upper
and lower cases a b; under the bottom cover b is fixed a hollow cylinder e having
a piston f shown detached and in perspective at Figure 5 working in the cylinder e;
this cylinder e is provided with a hopper g at the top of the cylinder for the entry
and at bottom with a passage or shoot g¹ for the exit of the disc or check label or
coin h which is of such a size or diameter or form that it passes freely through same
while being pushed from the inlet g to the exit g¹. An example of such a disc or
check is shown separately at Figures 8 and 9 in front and side elevation respectively.
The piston is composed of a plunger or pusher i and a piston f; the two are shewa
detached at Figures 5, 6 and 7. The piston f has an aperture f¹ in it for the
passage of the liquid from the measure c through the passage cl in the lower case b
and through outlet tube e. The plunger i slides in a slot f³ in the piston case f
seen at Figure 7 which shews the disc end of the piston case. prefer to make the
portion of the piston f which comes in contact with the liquid of cork or other
non-corrosive material when cork is used for this purpose a new piece of the same
can be casily fitted, m is a handle at the opposite end of piston case f" for closing
the tap, by pushing back the piston which action closes the aperture f¹ and opens
the entrance passage is a lever pivoted onto and enclosed by a metal guard 1
fixed onto the upper and lower cases a and b; the lower end of this lever k projects
through the upper part of cylinder e and through a slot in the piston f" and its
upper end operates a valve X which opens and closes the entrance passage that
is when the plunger i is pushed in forcing the piston f with it the passage closes
and vice versa. is the air valve in the receiver or cylinder c on a spindle 1*
working through an aperture in the top case a and this aperture is in communi-
cation with the passage or passages n leading to the outside of the case as best
seen at Figure 4. The valve spindle 12 is of triangular shape or section or so as
to allow a passage between it and the wall of the seating a whereby air can enter
to the receiver c while the valve is down but when the latter is up to its seating a¹
which latter is adjustable as to height, the air supply is cut off. I prefer to make
the valve of vulcanite. The action of the apparatus is as follows:
When a measure of wine or other liquid is to be drawn the person who draws it
puts in a check h bearing his or her name, number, mark & into the slot g which
check falls into the position shewn by h at Figure 2, then press the plunger handle i
which presses against the metal ticket h which striking against a flange f' in its
turn pushes the piston f along until the metal ticket comes over the exit
passage gl into which it falls and thence to box thus the aperture f¹is brought into
communication with the aperture c¹ in the bottom case b and the aperture c¹ in
cylinder e see Figure 3 thus letting the wine which was in the glass cylinder or
measure c run out at the same time the slot in the piston case f" in which the end
of the lever works, moves with the piston f' thus pushing the lever / which is
pivoted at its centre & thereby pushing the valve IX over the hole thus stopping
the flow of the wine or other liquid from the cask; when the measure of liquid bas

page_text: run out the handle m is pressed in flush with the end of the outer tube thus closing
the outlet f¹ and operating the lever opening aperture ² and thus allowing the
inflow of liquid from cask to the chamber c by the passages 3. During the
admission of the liquid the valve is open allowing the air to escape from
the measure c and in the position shewn at Figure 3 but as soon as the entering
liquid rises to the valve the latter closes and shuts off the air as shewn at
Figure 2.
The size of the tap may vary according to the purpose to which it is to be
applied it may be used in any case where a check to the consumption of the
contents of a cask or other vessel may be required or desired. For measuring off
or bottling wines, spirits or other liquids the tap may be made of dimensions to
correspond with the size of bottle or other receptacle to be filled and in this way
the number of bottles drawn from a cask can be ascertained and the number drawn
off checked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In taps or apparatus for drawing from casks and other vessels a measured
quantity of liquid for registering the number drawn and for indicating the person
who draws same, the employment of a piston or plug operated by the action of
a disc check or telltale in a cylinder the said piston or plug communicating motion
to and opening the inlet valve for liquid from the source of supply when the
delivery exit is closed and closing same when the delivery exit is open the air
entrance to the liquid holding chamber being regulated by an automatically acting
air valve all substantially as set forth.