Improvements in Spile or Vent Pegs...
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896:
Improvements in Spile or Vent Pegs...
We, WALTER CATHCART and THOMAS CATHCART, both of 2 Mill Place,.
Camphill, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, Brass Moulders, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to spile or vent pegs for casks, barrels, and the like to be.
used for both "drawing off" and "working off" liquors.
In carrying out our invention we make the spile of metal and with a hollow
tapered screw pin which is inserted into the barrel. Surmounting the screw is an
oval chamber closed on top by a flat lid to a jaw in the under side of which is..
pinned a lever having a weight at one end and a valve at the other provided
with a rubber-washer face. This valve, by the action of the weight, is normally
made to bear against and close up a hole in the top of the plate. In this hole a
thumb screw is fitted provided with a vent hole or passage down its centre and
with cuts or projections at its lower end.
With this construction of vent peg when beer or other liquor in the barrel is.
being withdrawn the suction overcomes the weight of the lever and automatically
opens the valve thereby allowing air to pass in at the valve opening. When.
the suction ceases the valve by the action of the weight automatically closes.
The thumb screw is used when "working off" beer, porter, and such like, and,
by its means, the valve can be opened to any desired extent so as to regulate the
escape of gas from the barrel.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1895.
We, WALTER CATHCART and THOMAS CATHCART, both of 2 Mill Place,.
Camphill, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, Brass Moulders, 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:-
This invention relates to spile or vent pegs for casks, barrels and the like to be
used for both "drawing off" and "working off" liquors.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have.
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the spile.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the valve closed.
Fig. 3 is a like section showing the valve open.
Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the thumb screw i.
In carrying out our invention we make the spile of a hollow metal body a,
preferably of oval shape, which is provided with a downwardly extending taper
screw pin b, made with a channel through it, for insertion in the barrel. The

page_text: body a is closed at top by a flat lid or cover d screwed by means of screws e to
the external flange c of the body. Packing is inserted between the cover and
the flange c.
Projecting downwards from the underside of the cover d is a jaw h
in which is fulcrumed, by means of a pin, a lever g, having a weight g¹ at one
end and a valve g², preferably provided with a countersunk rubber face, at the
other end. This valve g2 by the action of the weight g¹ is normally made to
bear against a ring edge n and close up a hole m iu the cover d. In this hole m
a thumb screw i is inserted which is provided with a vent hole or passage j down
its centre and with cross cuts k, k¹, (Fig. 4) or projections at its lower end.
With this construction of vent peg when beer or other liquor in the barrel is
withdrawn the suction overcomes the weight of the lever g and automatically
opens the valve 9 thereby allowing air to pass down the holej in the screw i and
in at the valve opening. When the suction ceases, the valve by the action of the
weight automatically closes as shown at Fig. 2.
The thumb screw i is specially serviceable when "working off" beer, porter
and such like as by its means the valve g' can be opened to any desired extent,
in the manner shown at Fig. 3, so as to regulate the escape of gas from the
barrel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
A spile or vent peg constructed, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 27th day of December 1895.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.