Improvements in Bushes, Plugs, and Fittings for Barrels, Casks, and other Vessels.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bushes, Plugs, and Fittings for Barrels, Casks,
and other Vessels.
I, JOHN PATRICK RICHARDSON of High Street, Harborne in the County of Stafford
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct and apply bushes, plugs
and the fittings for the same for use in barrels, casks and other vessels whereby I
am enabled to readily attach a tap to the bush without having to use any special
tool or appliance to remove the bung or plug from the bush.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a bush or socket for attaching
to any ordinary barrel cask or vessel out of metal or other suitable material and I
form the bush with a circular part or body having its central internal part screwed
with a thread to receive the corresponding thread formed upon the bung or plug
which is to be caused to enter it. The central or body part I sometimes form
with a flange having holes for attaching it to the barrel or other vessel by means
of ordinary screws which enter these holes.
Instead of attaching the bush by means of small screws in the flange I some-
times form the outer part of the body of the bush with a threaded or screwed
surface so that it may be attached to the barrel direct without the aid of a flange
for carrying screws; and in order to ensure that the outer screwed surface shall
securely connect to the barrel, I sometimes form it with a conical or tapered
body; instead of screws to enter the hole within the flange I sometimes arrange
projecting pins or spikes roughened or plain to engage with the material of the
barrel or vessel and thus to prevent the bush from being turned round when the
plug or tap is entering it.
The plug or bung for securing the contents of the barrel or vessel I form out
of metal or any other suitable material, having its outer surface screwed to suit so
that it may fit and enter the internal part of the bush. This bush or bung may
be either solid or hollow and in order that it may be readily attached or removed,
or screwed in to or out of the bush, I place a recess or cut along its upper
surface to receive a key projection or screwdriver form of head which I attach
to or form upon the end of the tap which is to be screwed into the bush or
socket.
The bung or plug I use in one arrangement with a leather, rubber or other
washer attached to it for the purpose of the more securely preventing the escape
of the liquid from the barrel or other vessel.
The tap that is to be used in connection with my improved bush or socket I
construct with a projection in the form of a key or screw driver upon its end
which is to enter the bush so that when the projecting key or driver engages with
the holes or cut formed upon the head or end of the bung or plug it will cause
the bung or plug to become unscrewed and to be thus removed from the bush or
socket when the tap is entering.
By this my improved arrangement when the tap is quite securely screwed into
the bush or socket, the plug or bung has been removed by it and has fallen into
the interior of the barrel or vessel, ready for use again when the barrel or vessel
is to be re-filled.
I do not always employ a socket or bush with my improved plug, but sometines
screw the material of the barrel or vessel so that the bung or plug enters lirect
into the vessel or barrel itself.
Dated this 19th day of November 1880

page_text: "
.
COMP LUID SEDOITIATION.
Improvements in Bushes, Plugs, and Fittings for Barrels, Casks,
and other Vessels.
4
I, JOHN PATRICK RICHARDSON of High Street Harborne, in the County of Stafford
Gentleman, do bereby 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 the manner in which I construct and apply bushes, plugs
and the fittings for the same for use in barrels, casks and other vessels whereby 1
am enabled to readily attach a tap to the bush without having to use any special
tool or appliance to remove the bung or plug from the bush.
.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a bush or socket for attaching
to any ordinary barrel, cask or vessel out of metal or other suitable material and I
form the bush with a circular part or body having its central internal part screwed
with a thread to receive the corresponding thread formed upon the bung or plug
which is to be caused to enter it. The central or body part I sometimes form with
a flange having holes for attaching it to the barrel or other vessel itself by means
of ordinary screws which enter these holes. Instead of attaching the bush by means
of small screws in the flange I sometimes form the outer part of the body of the
bush with a threaded or screwed surface so that it may be attached to the barrel
direct without the aid of a flange for carrying screws; and in order to ensure
that the outer screwed surface shall securely connect to the barrel, I sometimes
form it with a conical or tapered body. Instead of screws to enter the hole within
the flange I sometimes arrange projecting pins or spikes roughened or plain to
engage with the material of the barrel or vessel and then to prevent the bush from
being turned round when the plug or tap is entering it.
The plug or bung for securing the contents of the barrel or vessel I form out
of metal or any other suitable material, having its outer surface screwed to suit so
that it may fit and enter the internal part of the bush. This bush or bung may
be either solid or hollow and in order that it may be readily attached or removed, or
screwed in to or out of the bush, I place a recess or cut along its upper surface to
receive a key projection or screwdriver form of head which I attach to or form upon
..the end of the tap which is to be screwed into the bush or socket. The bung or plug
I use in one arrangement with a leather, rubber or other washer attached to it for the
purpose of the more securely preventing the escape of the liquid from the barrel or
other vessel.
The tap that is to be used in connection with my improved bush or socket I
construct with a projection in the form of a key or screw driver upon its end
which is to enter the bush so that when the projecting key or driver engages with
the holes or cut formed upon the head or end of the bung or plug it will cause
the bung or plug to become unscrewed and to be thus removed from the bush or
I socket when the tap is entering.
By this my improved arrangement when the tap is quite securely screwed into the
bush or socket, the plug or bung has been removed by it and has fallen into the
,interior of the barrel or vessel ready for use again when the barrel or vessel is to be
re-filled.
I do not always employ a socket or bush with my improved plug but sometimes
screw, the material of the barrel or vessel so that the bung or plug enters direct
into the vessel or barrel itself.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved bush
& Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the bush showing the plug in position.
Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional elevation of the end of the tap showing the projecting
horn or one of the key lugs; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 5 is a section of the plug showing the spring fastening I sometimes employ

page_text: for preventing the plug from being withdrawn ; and showing also the bung or cork
for preventing the escape of the liquid. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 7 is a general part sectional elevation showing my improved tap and bush in
position.
In the illustrations A is the outer flange of my bush having holes a a¹ for permitting
A¹ is the
of a turnscrew or lever being employed to screw the same into the barrel
body of the bush having coarse external thread A2 for engaging with the material of
the barrel, and having an internal thread A³ for receiving the central plug B. The
end of the internal thread nearest the flange I chamber out or undercut at A* to form
a recess or groove into which the lips C or projecting ears of the spring catches or
clips C, may enter when the plug is screwed in an outward direction; thereby
preventing the plug B from being withdrawn from the barrel, but at the same time
not interfering with its free movement when turned in the opposite direction, towards
and into the interior of the barrel. The plug BI sometimes make in the form of a
cone instead of employing the springs (, so that when turned in the direction tending
to screw the plug out of the barrel the conical surfaces will cause a wedging action to
occur and thus prevent withdrawal.
When employing a hollow plug as at Figure 5 and Figure 6 I insert a bung or
central core G to prevent the escape of the liquid, either through the central part of
the plug, or through the thread surface of the plug & bush to seal the springs C in
position.
The body E and handle or plug bib H of the tap that I construct for use with my
improved bush, I form in the usual or any ordinary manner; but the end E
which enters or screws into the central hole of bush I construct with lugs or
projections E2 formed thereon for serving as a turnkey or lever for unscrewing and
The
removing the plug B from the bush at the same time that the tap enters into it.
lugs or horns E2 enter into corresponding recesses or channels B' B² formed within
the plug outer end or surface. The end of the tap bore I sometimes close with a cap
or disc F, and I form a number of holes therein for allowing the liquid to escape.
Instead of employing a screwed surface upon the body portion A² of my bush I
sometimes construct the same as a cone which can tightly wedge into the material of
the barrel, while ordinary screws engage the flange A by means of holes such as a²;
the barrel and thus prevent its withdrawal by accident or inadvertence.
The action of my improved tap and bush is as follows.
to
The bush with its central plug is securely fitted to the barrel when sent out from the
brewery or manufactory with the liquid within, and the consumer having a special tap
constructed in accordance with iny present invention with projections to fit into the
central plug, has no vent bung or difficult fitting to perform when desiring to apply
his own tap to the barrel, but has simply to screw in the tap and thus displace the plug
which falls into the interior of the barrel, and is ready again for use when the barrel
is returned to the brewery or manufactory.
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
1st. The construction of bushes such as A A¹ for receiving a central plug such as B,
as and for the purposes herein before described and substantially as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of central filling or sealing plugs such as B having recesses or
holes formed upon the outer surface for receiving projections formed upon the tap
which displaces the plug from the bush, as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and as set forth.
3. The construction of taps such as E with ends such as E', having projections formed
thereon such as E2, or attached thereto in the form of pins, for entering into corre-
sponding holes formed within the plug such as B, as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 4. The improvements in fittings for barrels and other vessels as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and substantially as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1900
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.