IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIVES' OR BUNGS AND
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rose of Halesowen in the County of Worcester
Gentleman for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIVES' OR BUNGS AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rose at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROSE of Halesowen in the County of Worcester. Gentleman'
IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIVES OR BUNGS AND VENT PEGS FOR ALE AND OTHER
BARRELS."
In constructing a shive or bung according to my invention I make a bush or
tubular piece screwed within and without of a size suitable to be fixed' by screwing
in the hole in the barrel The said bush has a flange at top and at a short distance
below the top an internal shoulder somewhat similar to a valve seat.. I also
make a cup like plug or stopper screwed externally with a screw thread suitable
for taking into the internal screw in the bush. This plug or stopper has a flange
at top which flange when the stopper is screwed into the bush seats itself on the
shoulder in the bush. A leather or india rubber washer at the underside of the
flange of the stopper makes when the stopper is screwed down a liquid and air
tight joint. In the interior of the cup like stopper are two projections or lugs
with which a key or spanner may engage for screwing and unscrewing the
stopper.
In the middle of the bottom of the cup like stopper is an axial hole tapped with
a:screw thread. A screw plug having a thumb plate at top screws into the said
hole. When the screw plug is screwed home a flange near its top provided with
a washer seats itself on the bottom of the cup like stopper and makes an air tight
joint. One or more notches or grooves are made in the said screw plug the said
grooves being parallel to the axis of the plug. When the screw plug is raised the
flange no longer seating itself on the bottom of the stopper any gas accumulated
in the barrel escapes along the said grooves and under the flange into the
atmosphere or should the pressure in the barrel be less than that of the atmosphere
air enters by the said grooves The rising motion of the said plug is limited by
a stop. The arrangement of parts last described constitute a vent peg which
may be used apart from the shive or bung in connection with which I have
described it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Rose in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th April
1883.
WILLIAM. ROSE of Halesowen in the County of Worcester, Gentleman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIVES OR BUNGS AND VENT PEGS FOR ALE AND OTHER
BARRELS."
In constructing a shive or bung according to my invention I make a bush or
tubular piece screwed within and without of a size suitable to be fixed by serowing
in the hole in the barrel. The said bush has a flange at top and at a short
distance below the top an internal shoulder somewhat similar to a valve seat. I
also make a cup like plug or stopper screwed externally with a screw thread
suitable for taking into the internal screw in the bush. This plug or stopper has
a flange at top which flange when the stopper is screwed into the bush soats itself
on the shoulder in the bush. A leather or india rubber washer at the underside
of the flange of the stopper makes when the stopper is screwed down a liquid and
air tight joint. In the interior of the cup like stopper are two projections or
lugs with which a key or spanner may engage for screwing and unscrewing the
stopper.
In the middle of the bottom of the cup like stopper is an axial hole tapped with
a screw thread. A screw plug having a thumb plate at top screws into the said
hole. When the screw plug is screwed home a flange near its top provided with n
washer seats itself on the bottom of the cup like stopper and makes an air tight
joint. One or more notches or grooves are made, in the said screw plug the said
grooves being parallel to the axis of the plug. When the screw plug is raised the
flange no longer seating itself on the bottom of the stopper any gas accumulated
in the barrel escapes along the said grooves and under the flango into the
atmosphere or should the pressure in the barrel be less than that of the atmosphere
air enters by the said grooves. The rising motion of the said plug is limited by a
stop. The arrangement of parts last described constitute vent peg which
may be used apart from the shive or bung in connection with which I have
described it..
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation (with a portion of the barrel in vertical
section); Figure 2 in plan of upper side and Figure 3 in vertical section a shive
or bung in combination with a vent peg, the said shive or bung and vent peg being
constructed according to my invention; Figure 4 represents the same view as
Figure 3 with the vent peg raised for admitting air into or permitting of the escape
of gas from the barrel; Figure 5 represents in plan and Figure 6 in side elevation
the bush or tubular piece of the shive or bung; Figure 7 represents in side
elevation the said bush screwed into the barrel, the cup like plug or stopper boing.
removed; Figure 8 represents in side elevation the cup like plug or stopper
detached from the bush; Figure 9 represents in side elevation and plan of
underside the vent peg detached from the shive or bung.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 9.
a is the bush or tubular piece of the shive or bung screwed internally and
externally. The said bush or tubular piece.a is screwed by its external screw into
the screwed hole b in the barrel c the flange a² at the top of the bush a seating
itself against the exterior of the barrel c. The said bush a when screwed home
forms a permanent attachment of the barrel; d is an internal shoulder at a short
distance below the top of the bush a for the purpose hereinafter explained; e is the

page_text: cup like plug or stopper of the shive or bung for closing the hole b in the barrel.
This cup like plug or stopper e is screwed externally (see Figure 8) for taking
into the internal screw of the bush a. At the top of the plug or stopper e is a
Bange e2 which when the said plug or stopper is screwed into the bush a seats itself.
on the shoulder d on the said bush a. A leather or india rubber washer is placed
between the shoulder d and flange e² (see Figures 3 and 4) for making a liquid and
air tight joint. The cup like plug or stopper e is screwed into and unscrewed from
the bush a by means of a key spanner or driver made to engage with the pro-
jections or lugs f, f (see Figure 2) at opposite points on the interior of the said plug
or stopper Or the plug or stopper e may be screwed and unscrewed by means of
a key or driver engaging with angles made in the interior of the said plug or
stopper; or by making the key or driver engage with slots in the plug or stopper
but I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular
arrangement for screwing and unscrewing the plug or stopper. To fill the barrel
it is only necessary to unscrew the plug or stopper from the bush a as represented
in Figure 7 when the hole b in the barrel is opened. By screwing home the plug
or stopper e after filling the barrel, the opening b is closed and a liquid and air
tight joint made between the bush and the plug or stopper as seen in Figures 3
and 4.
When my improved vent peg is combined with a shive or bung constructed
according to my invention an axial screwed hole is made in the plug or stopper e'
for the screw plug g of the vent peg to screw into but when my improved shive is
used without a vent peg it has no screwed axial hole. The head of the screw
plug g has a thumb plate g² for turning it. Under the flange of the head of the
vent peg is a washer which when the screw plug g is screwed home seats itself on
the bottom of the cup like stopper e and makes an air tight joint (see Figure 3).
In the screw plug g of the vent peg are two longitudinal notches or grooves i, 1
(see Figure 9). Or a single notch or groove or more than two may be used.
When the screw plug g is raised as represented in Figure 4 the flange h of the:
said plug no longer seating itself on the bottom of the stopper e, the grooves i, & in
the said plug gare open to the external air and any gas accumulated in the barrel c
escapes along the grooves into the atmosphere or should the pressure in the barrel
be less than that of the atmosphere, air enters through the said grooves into the
barrel as indicated by the arrows in figure 4. A stop or cross pink limits the
rising motion of the screw plug g of the vent peg.
The exterior of the cup like plug or stopper e of the shive or bung may be
plain instead of being screwed, the plain or unscrewed plug or stopper being*
fixed in its place in the bush by means of lugs and inclines.
This modification is represented in section in Figure 10; plan of upper side in
Figure 11 and plan of underside in Figure 12 and the plug, or stopper separately
in Figure 10; Figure 13 represents the bush used with this kind of plug or
stopper.
In this modification the plug or stopper e has at opposite sides of its bottom, lugs
or projections and the interior of the bush a is, furnished with vertical grooves
m, m for receiving the said lugs. On the underside of the bush a is a flange n
having inclines p, p upon it for the lugs 1, 7 of the stopper to engage with. The
interior of the plug or stopper c is angular for receiving a key or driver for
turning it.
In connecting the plug or stopper e Figures 10, 11, and 12 with the bush a, the
lugs 1, are passed into the vertical grooves m, m in the bush until the flange of the
plug seats itself on the shoulder of the bush. By now turning the plug or stopper
through about a quadrant the lugs 1, 1 are made to bear on the inclines p, p and.
bind by a wedging action the plug or stopper securely in the bush. In Figure 12
the lugs 1, are represented in the position they occupy before they are made to.
bear upon the inclines p, p but the lugs are represented in their fastening position
in the large shive or bung Figures 18 and 19, the action of the lugs 1, 2 on the;
inclines p. p being essentially the same as that of the screw and screw box.
F
!

page_text: Figure 14 represents in side elevation; Figure 15 in section and Figure 10 in
plan, applied to a barrel, a shive or bung constructed according to my invention,
the vent peg being omitted This form of my invention is fitted for use with largo
barrels but instead of screwing the bush a externally and screwing it into a
screwed bole in the barrel as before described, I prefer to provide the said bush
with a flange a at bottom and fix it around the hole in the barrel by screws passed
through the said flange aas represented; e is the plug or stopper screwed into the
bush avand a is a washer between the flange of the plug and the top of the bush
Figure 17 represents in elevation; Figure 18 in section and Figure 19 in plan the
arrangement shown in Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 slightly modified and fitted for
use with large barrels; This modification differs from that referred to in the respect
that the plain bush a has a flange a at top by which it is fixed to the barrel c by
screws passed through the said flange. By an examination of Figures 17, 18 and
19 the way in which the lugs l, of the plug or stopper are connected to the bush
by bearing on the inclines p, p on the said bush will be readily understood.
Instead of making my improved shive or bung of metal it may be made of wood
or other strong and durable non metallic material, such as vulcanite.
;
Figure 20 represents in side elevation; Figure 21 in plan and Figuro 22 in
section, a wooden or non-metallic shive or bung constructed according to my
invention, a being the bush screwed internally and fixed to the barrel c by pins
or screws passed through it and e is the screwed plug or stopper screwed into the
internal screw of the bush, the said plug or stopper being rotated by a key
introduced into the holes c², c²
Figure 23 represents in elevation and Figure 24 in plan and section, a vent
peg used apart from the shive or bung constructed according to my invention.
The vent peg in this case consists of a conical plug or stopper 9 which is driven
or screwed into the hole in the barrel. The said stopper q has an axial screwed
hole for receiving the screw plug g which is grooved or slotted and constructed.
as hereinbefore described and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters
of reference. I do not limit myself to the position of the grooves or channels
in the vent peg, as a contral groove or channel may be employed. In this case
the central groove or channel communicates with the external air, when the vent
peg is raised from its seat, by a cross channel in the stem under the flange of the
head. Or a plain or unscrewed stem of less diameter than the hole in which it
works may be used, the air or gas, passing between it and the said hole, the plain
stem being locked in its place by means of lugs and inclines of the kind described
with respect to the shive or bung.
The key, spanner or driver which may be used for turning the plug or stopper
of the arrangement represented in Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 is shown in side and front:
elevation in Figure 25. It consists of a ring a with a handle 82 for turning it.
The ring has cut away parts: 8³, 8 at opposite sides for engaging with the lugs or
projections on the plug or stopper Or instead of the lugs or projections, ƒ
on the plug or stopper corresponding depressions may be used. In this case I use
a key or driver of the kind represented in Figure 26. The ring t of this driver
has a vertical strap or handle with a hole at its head for turning it by means
of a rod or lever. The ring part t has lugs or projections. at opposite sides,
one only marked 3 being shown, for engaging with the depressions in the plug
or stopper.
..
For turning the plug, or stopper of the arrangement represented in Figures
10. 11. 12. 13. 17. 18 and 19, the ring t Figure 26 of the key or driver is inade
angular. Or the angular driver ụ represented in Figure 27 may be used for
turning the angular plug or stopper.
When a shive or bung of large size is used as shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16,
a key or driver of the kind represented in Figure 28 may be used, the 'keys v, v
at one end of the driver engaging with the projections f. f on the plug or
stannian

page_text: I do not however limit myself to the use of any particular construction of
key or driver for rotating the plugs or stoppers of my improved shives or bungs.
Having now described the nature of my invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
invention:-
First The improvements in shives or bungs for ale and other barrels herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to say,
making the said shives or bungs essentially of two parts, namely, of a bush or
tubular piece which is fixed in or around a hole in the barrel and of a plug or
stopper which is capable of being fixed in and removed from the said bush so as
thereby to close or open the hole in the barrel, whether the said bush be fixed
in the barrel by screwing it into a screwed hole in the barrel or be fixed by screws
or nails in or around a plain or unscrewed hole in the barrel, and whether the plug
or stopper be fixed in the bush by screwing or by means of lugs and inclines and
whether provided with a central hole and vent peg, or made without the said
central hole and vent peg, the several parts being constructed and combined
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly The improvements in vent pegs for ale and other barrels hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, a vent peg
consisting essentially of a screw plug g with a shoulder h and thumb piece g² and
provided with one or more longitudinal grooves or notches ¿ for the purposes
described, the grooved or notched plug being carried by a stopper which is driven
or screwed into the hole in the barrel or combined with the plug or stopper of the
shive or bung substantially as described and illustrated. Also the modifications
of the said vent peg hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said William Rose have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham.
WILLIAM ROSE. (L.S.)