MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER BARRELS AND OTHER BARRELS AND VESSELS AND FOR PREVENTING THE FOULING OF BEER BARRELS AND BLS AND
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Walker and. Alfred Howell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1883.
JOSEPH WALKER'of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer and
ALFRED HOWELL of Aston near Birmingham aforesaid Pattern Maker IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER BARRELS AND OTHER BARRELS AND VESSELS
AND FOR PREVENTING THE FOULING OF BEER BARRELS AND OTHER BARRELS AND
VESSELS
"
"
Our invention consists of the construction and arrangements or combinations of
parts of apparatus hereinafter described to be used for tapping beer barrels and
other barrels and vessels and for preventing the fouling of beer barrels and other
barrels and vessels.
In constructing apparatus according to our invention we form a metallic bush or
tubular socket which is fixed in the tap hole of the barrel either by screwing or
driving it into the tap hole or by a flange at its outer end being screwed against
the outside of the barrel. When the bush or tubular socket is fixed by screwing it
into the tap hole the outer end is furnished with a strong angular piece or collar
for receiving a spanner. The bush or tubular socket is closed at its inner end and
the sides of the said inner end are perforated the liquid in the barrel escaping
through these perforations into the bush or hollow socket. In the interior of the
bush and in advance of the perforations described is a valve seat. In the bush a
valve works the stem of the said valve being hollow and perforated that part of
the stem nearest the valve being furnished with a left handed screw. The part of
the stem in front of this screw is made square or angular externally. In the
interior of the bush or socket and near the valve seat a hollow left handed screw
thread is made for the left handed screw on the valve stem to work in. In the
mouth of the bush or socket and in front of the last described left handed screw
thread is a right handed screw thread for the purpose hereinafter explained.
When the valve is raised from its seat in the manner hereinafter described the
liquid in the barrel can pass through the perforations and open valve seat into the
hollow valve stem and when the valve is forced to its seat the barrel is closed
liquid and air tight.

page_text: The valve described in the bush or tubular socket is opened and closed by the
beer tap which is modified in the following way. The ordinary leg of the beer tap
is shortened and at the end of the shortened leg a right handed. screw is madó.
This right handed screw is of a size proper to take into the right handed screw
thread at the mouth of the bush or tubular socket fixed in the tap hole. The
interior of the screwed part of the leg is made square or angular to-take upon the
square or angular end of the valve stem in the said bush or socket.
In order to tap the barrel the right handed screw on the leg of the tap is screwed
into the screw thread at the mouth of the bush the angular interior of the said
screwed part of the tap taking upon the angular end of the valve stem. By the
rotation of the tap the valve is rotated and in consequence of its left handed screw
working in the left handed screw thread in the socket the said valve is withdrawn
from its seat. Thus the advance of the leg of the tap into the bush or tubular
socket is made simultaneously to withdraw the valve from its seat and put the
barrel into communication with the tap by opening which tap in the ordinary way
liquid may be drawn from the barrel.
The
When the barrel is empty the tap is unscrewed from the bush or socket.
withdrawal of the tap causes the valve to be advanced to and pressed upon its
Beat. The empty barrel is thereby closed air and liquid tight and its fouling
prevented
Instead of using the screwed valve described in the bush or tubular socket a
valve pressed to its seat by a spring may be employed. In this modification the
stem of the closed valve projects into the screwed mouth of the bush or tubular
socket and when the screwed end of the tap is screwed home for tapping the barrel
the flat inner end of the said tap bears against the end of the projecting valve stem
and forces it inwards and opens the valve. The barrel is thereby put into commu-
nication through the tubular socket with the tap. On unscrewing the tap tho
pressure is removed from the valve stem and the valve is forced by its spring to
its scat and the barrel is closed air and liquid tight