IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING APPLIANCES FOR DRAW OFF TAP HOLES FOR CASKS to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS WALKER of Tewkesbury in the County of Gloucester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY
CLOSING APPLIANCES FOR DRAW OFF TAP HOLES FOR CASKS to be as follows:
"
My invention has for its object to dispense with a cork or plug to the tap hole of
casks or vessels through which the contents are drawn and to provide an automatic
stopper to close the tap hole when the tap is withdrawn.
In the tap hole in the head of the cask I place a bush made of metal, vulcanite,
rubber or wood and secure it to the cask by screwing or otherwise. The inside of
this bush is formed to receive the tap and behind same is a chamber to receive a
disc, cone or ball valve made of metal, rubber, vulcanite or other suitable material.
In the front part of the bush I form a recess for sealing the hole over where the
tap goes in so as to prevent the cask or vessel when filled from being tampered
with, without breaking this seal. On the back of bush I place a case formed like
an opera glass or double telescope which is secured to the bush by screwing or
otherwise and has two hollow arms or chambers. Inside each of these I place a
helical or other spring made of metal or vulcanite fastened to same at one end and
I provide another case which slides on or in the aforesaid case and to which the
other ends of the springs are fastened so that when the tap is pushed into the bush
against the valve the outside case slides on the inner arms or vice versa. I make
provision for the loose or movable back case not to go too far, by a stud and
groove or slot for same or otherwise. Over the valve I place a perforated cap to
prevent grounds or sediment from getting to valve seat. When the contents have
been tapped off and the tap is pulled out of the bush, the springs will force the.
valve back onto its seat, thus closing the cask and preventing it from getting foul.
Dated this Fifteenth dow of Mar. 1001.

page_text: I, THOMAS WALKER of Tewkesbury in the County of Gloucester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY
CLOSING APPLIANCES FOR DRAW OFF TAP HOLES FOR CASKS " and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to dispense with a cork or plug to the tap hole
of casks or vessels through which the contents are drawn and to provide an
automatic stopper to close the tap hole when the tap is withdrawn. Figure 1 of
the accompanying drawings is a sectional side view and Figure 2 a side view of
the appliance fixed to the head of a cask and with an ordinary tap adapted to be
used therewith. In the tap hole in the head A of the cask I place a bush B made
of metal, vulcanite rubber or wood and secure it to the cask by screwing as shown
or otherwise. The inside of this bush is formed to receive the taper shank of the
tap C and behind same is a chamber to receive a ball valve D (or it might be a
disc valve or cone valve) made of metal, rubber vulcanite, or other suitable
material. In the case here illustrated it is intended to be of rubber by preference
In the front part of the bush I form a recess B¹ for sealing the hole over where the
tap goes in so as to prevent the cask or vessel when filled from being tampered
with, without breaking this seal. On the back of bush I place a case E formed
like an opera glass or double telescope which is secured to the bush by screwing as
here shown or otherwise and has two hollow arms or chambers E¹. Inside each of
these I place a helical or other spring F made of metal or vulcanite fastened to
same at one end and I provide another case G which slides on (or it might be in)
the aforesaid case and to which the other ends of the spring F are fastened so that
when the tap C is pushed into the bush against the valve D the outside case G
slides on the inner arins El or vice versa. The case G is hollowed out to receive
the ball valve D and a screw G₁ may be provided for regulating the action and for
preventing the valve from sticking. I may make provision for the loose or movable
back case not to go too far by a stud and groove or slot for the same or otherwise.
Over the valve I prefer to place a perforated cap H to prevent grounds or
sediments from getting to valve seat. When the contents have been tapped off
and the tap C is pulled out of the bush B the springs F will force the valve back
on to its seat thus closing the cask and preventing it from getting foul.
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
The combination of parts forming the self closing appliance for draw off tap
holes for casks as described and shown.
Dated this Fountranth dan of th
1005