Improvements in Means for Tapping Casks and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1.92
CUMI LEID DI MULTICA
Improvements in Means for Tapping Casks and the like.
I, MARK ANTHONY, of 801 Greenwich Street, New York City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thimbles and
bushings for barrels or other liquid containing receptacles, which consists in the
details of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully
set forth in the drawings, described and pointed out in the Specification and
claims.
My invention consists, mainly, in providing a thimble for attachment within the
tap hole of barrels free of internal screw-threads throughout, thereby presenting
smooth free inner walls, thus allowing for the bushing fitting freely therein and
obviating liability of the former becoming clogged with dirt, pitch, or the like.
Heretofore it has been customary in some cases to screw the bushing within the
thimble, for which purpose it became necessary to screw-thread the bushing and
internal walls, which not only prevented the liability of clogging, but also had a
tendency to break or damage the threads, consequently making it difficult to insert
the bushing without recutting the screw-threads. The screw-threading of the parts
also adds greatly to the expense of manufacture.
My invention further consists in providing a simpler, less complicated, less
expensive and easier and more effectual valve for the bushing than any heretofore
known to me.
Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, wherein similar
letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the entire Specification
and drawings-
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view in elevation, showing my improved thimble
and bushing applied to the barrel ;
Figure 2 is a top plan of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a detail view of a modified form of bushing partly broken away;
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the valve shown in Figure 3 ;
Figure 5 is a top plan view of the valve shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a top plan view of the locking nut for the bushing;
Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line -x of Figure 6, and
Figure 8 is a detail section of a modified form of the barrel thimble.
The letter A indicates the wall of the barrel and B the thimble secured therein.
Said thimble is provided with the exterior screw-threaded stem, adapted to screw
into the walls of the tap opening. The upper end of the thimble is made some-
what heavier and cut away or bored out interiorally so as to form grooves b, b',
which are oppositely inclined and intersected by the openings a, a'. The lower
shoulder, a, projects slightly in advance of shoulder a³ and forms a seat upon
which rests the annular shoulder e of bushing c, when inserted within the thimble.
In order, however, that a tight joint may be made between the annular bushing
shoulder and bushing seat I locate there between the packing ring c¹. The pressure
or tension upon the bushing is obtained through the medium of lock nut C¹, which
is provided with the projecting lugs d d', which are adapted to pass through the
openings a o formed in the top of the thimble B. These lugs work within the
grooves and are cast or cut upon an incline so that with the turning thereof
within said grooves the nut will move downward and tightly press or cause the
annular flange of the bushing to bear upon the annular packing. By the use of
the lock nut I am enabled to tightly secure the bushing within the thimble, thus
[ Duinn Q.17

page_text: avoiding the necessity of threading the inner and outer surfaces of the thimble
and bushing respectively. By reason of the inclined grooves formed within the
thimble head and inclined shoulders or lugs of the lock nut, it is obvious that the
further said nut is turned, or forced around, within the head of the thimble
the tighter or harder becomes its bearing upon the bushing flange. The inclined
grooves may be cast directly within the thimble or turned after casting of the
same. While I have shown the screw-threaded thimble stem as extending entirely
through the wood of the barrel, it is obvious that the same need only go partially
therethrough, or may merely consist of the enlarged screw-threaded thimble, as
shown in Figure 8. This construction gives equally good results and saves material.
In order to permit the ready turning of the lock nut I provide the openings e³
within the top thereof and by means of any suitable key provided with fingers
adapted to fit therein am enabled to easily turn the same. The stem of the bushing
is formed with smooth walls and fits between the inner walls of the thimble. In
Figure 1, I have shown a bridge E in the lower end of the bushing stem which is
provided with the central screw-threaded opening e', and within which works the
screw-threaded stem e² of valve F. Within the bridge wall I form the exit ports f
through which the liquid flows when the valve is opened. The upper portion of
the bushing is provided with the raised annular projection and inclined grooves f
through which passes and works a faucet. The lower end of the faucet key is
formed triangular and fits upon the triangular valve stem.
As the faucet is screwed.
downward within the bushing the valve is opened by turning inward, while the
same is closed by screwing the faucet upward in order to remove the same from
within the bushing. When the valve is opened the liquid flows between the inner
or upper face thereof and the end of the bushing, through the passageways or ports ƒ
and through the faucet opening.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 show the valve stem e as being screw-threaded and working
similarly to that shown in Figure 1, by working up or down within the screw-
threaded end of the bushing in order to open or close the valve. Within the sides
of the valve, when thus constructed, I form the inlet ports h, and exit ports in
the top thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination of a thimble having an exteriorally threaded stem, the inner
surface of said stem being smooth throughout and the enlarged outer end or head
of the thimble provided with an inner annular shoulder, and with grooves, said
grooves intersected at diametrically opposite points by openings, a bushing having
its exterior surface smooth to register with the smooth bore of the thimble, said
bushing provided at its outer end with an annular outwardly extending flange
adapted to rest on the corresponding shoulder of the thimble, and a locking nut
provided at diametrically opposite points with oppositely inclined lugs fitting the
intersecting openings of the thimble and passing into the grooves thereof,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a thimble provided with an interior annular shoulder, a
bushing fitting in said thimble, with grooves therein, said grooves intersected at
diametrically opposite points by openings, and provided at one extremity with an
annular outwardly extending flange resting upon the shoulder of the thimble and
formed at its opposite or inner extremity with interior screw-threads, a packing
intermediate the shoulder of the thimble and the annular flange of the bushing, a
locking nut provided with oppositely inclined lugs registering with the openings of
the thimble and passing into the grooves thereof, and a valve fitting the valve seat
of the bushing and provided with a threaded stem fitting the threaded inner end of
the bushing and with a triangular extension to receive the faucet, substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination of a thimble provided with an interior annular shoulder and

page_text: grooves therein, said grooves intersected at diametrically opposite points by
openings, a bushing fitting in said thimble and provided at one extremity with an
annular outwardly extending flange resting upon the shoulder of the thimble, and
provided at its opposite end with a transverse partition or bridge having a central
screw-threaded opening and exit openings therein, a locking nut provided with
oppositely inclined lugs registering with the openings of the thimble and passing
into the grooves thereof, and a valve working against the transverse partition or
bridge and provided with a threaded stem passing through the central opening of
said partition or bridge, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a barrel, of the faucet bushing, said bushing having the
inner screw-threaded end, and of the valve provided with the screw-threaded stem,
as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 8th day of January 1908
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.