A COMPOUND AND EXACT MEASUREMENT TAP, APPLICABLE TO THE MEASURE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Griffiths, Journeyman Joiner, Lower
Broughton, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention
of "A COMPOUND AND EXACT MEASUREMENT TAP, APPLICABLE TO THE MEASURE-
Sealed the 29th April 1856, and dated 'the 31st October .1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Griffiths at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 81st
⚫October 1855.
it. i
I, ROBERT GRIFFITHS, of Lower Broughton, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Journeyman Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A COMPOUND AND EXACT MEASUREMENT TAP, APPLICABLE TO THE
MEASUREMENT OF EVERY KIND OF LIQUOR OR LIQUID," to be as follows:-
ديات
Instead of using a single plug, taper or otherwise, fitting into the barrel or
chamber of the tap or cock, the passage way through such plug when turned
across the direction of the passage or bore of the tap or cock closes it, and
prevents the passing of the fluid behind it. I use two, or more plugs fitting
into properly cored and bored barrels or chambers placed at a certain distance
apart, one above the other in a vertical tap or cock, or one beyond the other
in a horizontal tap or cock. The distance between these two plugs or arrange-
1.
CAL

page_text: ments for closing the passage way forms a liquor chamber, or means of
mensuring the quantity, as well as serving to check the leakage from the
barrel or vessel to which it is attached.
Instead of the ordinary rotating or semi-rotating plug, I propose to apply
in certain cases a sluice-like arrangement, or flat sliding piece, for closing
the apertures or passages between one chamber and the other, or between
one part and another of the same chamber.
I connect together the handles of the plugs or other valves for closing the.
passages and stopping off or turning on the fluid contained within the vessel to
which the tap or cock is attached, and either work them by means of a con-
necting rod or parallel sliding bar, which will open either one, two, or more of
the taps, stops, or valves, and permit of a corresponding. quantity of liquor or
liquid being drawn off with precision, superseding the necessity for measures..
They may be made of various sizes and forms to suit the various purposes for
which they may be intended.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Griffiths in the Great Seal. Patent Office on the
30th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GRIFFITHS, Journeyman Joiner, Lower Broughton, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Griffiths, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Griffiths, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Griffiths, 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 COMPOUND AND EXACT
MEASUREMENT TAP, APPLICABLE TO THE MEASUREMENT OF EVERY KIND OF LIQUOR
OR LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Griffiths, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should

page_text: 5
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 Griffiths, 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 and accompanying Drawing:-
The semi-rotary single plug, cock, or tap in ordinary use for drawing off
fluids is soon found to wear unequally, become leaky, and various contrivances
have from time to time been adopted to remedy such defect; and for the
purpose of measuring fluids run from casks or other vessels, it has been usual,
more especially in retailing spirits, liquors, or other liquids or fluids, to run the
quantity required from the barrel, cask, or other vessel by means of a tap or
cock into the measure, and by repeating the operation so multiply the quantity
as required. By this mode of measuring out a large number of small quan-
tities great loss arises to the retailer through leakage and over, filling. Now,
my Invention consists in combining the two objects, viz, drawing off' and accu-
rately measuring the quantity, in the same instrument, as also the provention of
such waste and loss as just described.
Instead of using a single plug (taper or otherwise) fitting into the barrel or
chamber of the tap or cock, the passage way through such plug when turned
across the direction of the passage or bore of the tap or cock closes it, and
prevents the passing of the fluid behind it. I use two or more plugs fitting
into properly cored and bored barrels or chambers placed at a certain distance
apart, one above the other in a vertical tap or cock, or one beyond the other
in a horizontal tap or cock. The distance between these two plugs or arrange-
ments for closing the passage way formis a liquor chamber or means of
measuring the quantity, as well as serving to check leakage from the barrel or
vessel to which it is attached.
Instead of the ordinary rotating or semi-rotating plug, I apply in certain
cases a sluice-like arrangement, or flat sliding pieces, for closing the apertures
or passages between one chamber and the other, or between one part and
another of the same chamber.
I connect together the handles of the several plugs or other valves for
closing the passage and stopping off or turning on the fluid contained within
the vessel to which the tap or cock is attached, and either work them by
means of a connecting rod or parallel sliding bars, which will open either one,
two, or more of the taps, stops, or valves, and permit of a corresponding

page_text: quantity of liquor or liquid being drawn off with precision, superseding the
necessity for measures: They may be made of various sizes and forms to suit
the various purposes for which they may be intended.
DESCRIPTION OF: DRAWING.
**
In the 'accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a single-measure-
ment' chamber tap or cock constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is
a longitudinal section of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section; a, a, being
the body or barrel; b, the screwed nose piece; c, the inlet-pipe or cored
passage d,' the top chamber; e, the top plug shown open for the passage of
the liquor or liquid; f; the lower plug, shewn closed'; 9, the measurement
chamber; h; the nose piece of tap.
The chamberg is separated from d'and' by two cored divisions, into which
the plugs e andare accurately fitted. These plugs have each a collar i
behind which' and 'the inside of the glands k, k, is a small spiral spring m, for
the purpose of keeping the plug in its place. "n, n, are small washer pieces
for taking the thrust' and wear of the ends of the plugs.
.$.
The instrument described being fitted into the vessel, and the liquor or
liquid having 'flowed through the passage e in the direction of the arrow into
the upper chamber d, through the hole in the upper pluge, and as the lower
plug f is closed, the measurement chamberg becomes filled. Now, to discharge
the contents' the T-headed handlo. of the plug 'e is turned, so that, the hole is
turned across, and closes the 'communication between the upper chamber d'and
the measurement chamber g. The T handle of the upper plug having a lug o
upon it, as shown, a connecting rod p connects a similar lug or projection o¹ion
the handle of the lower plug f, and thus the lower plug is opened' immediately
after the upper passage has been closed, the play of the connecting rod in the slots
of the lugs 'o' and'o being so arranged in every case to effect this. Both plugs
having T-headed' handles, the upper handle is used to open the lower cock
and run off the liquor or liquid, and the lower handle is used when closing its
plug and for opening the upper plug.
Figs: 45; and '6' are views of a three-chambered exact measurement tap or
cock, otherwise similar? in construction to the single instrument shown in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, except that the lugs or projections on the two middle plugs
have'slots open at the end, 'to permit the plug to be turned the reverse way
when certain of the chambers are required to be filled, as one or two only! In
other respects the several parts of this treble-chamber tap is similar to the
single-chamber tap; the measurement chambers being; however, lettered g, g';
and, the plugs e, el; e, and e; the lugs 0, 0, 0, and o; &c. &c. Figs: 7, 8

page_text: and 9 are similar views of a treble-chambered tap, the barrel a and chambers
respectively being the same; but instead of taper plugs working in the
divisions between the chambers, sliding pieces or sluice-like valves are sub-
stituted, and these are pressed in or drawn out by hand, or may be connected
as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are views of a similar tap with two measurement
chambers, and exhibit a variation in the arrangement of the handles and con-
necting rod, and also show an arrangement of air pipes for admitting air to the
chambers. These views, taken in conjunction with the previous explanation,
will be readily understood. The mode of admitting air may be varied. The
bottom plug No. 1 when turned one quarter of a circle will act as a common
tap when the other plugs are also open.
The exact measurement tap is possessed of the following advantages, that is
to say, that it can be applied to any vessel for the measurement of wines,
spirits, beer, and other liquors, and that the exact quantity required can be
drawn without the use of any other measure. No waste by overflow or
neglect can possibly occur. The number of chambers may be more or less
than is shown in the Drawing hereunto annexed, and may be made to any size
and form, with any kind of material to suit the purpose for which it may be
applied. The taps may either be worked singly or by the connecting rod and
levers. This tap or cock is well adapted for hotels, spirit vaults, or other
establishments where frequent measurements are called for.
I claim the combination of two or more plugs or valves, with a measurement
chamber or chambers, as herein described, when used for the purpose of
drawing off and measuring liquors or liquids.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Griffiths, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the (29th) Twenty-ninth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
PETER WALKER.
ROBERT GRIFFITHS. (L.s.)