An Improved Vent Bung for Casks or Barrels.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 27th July, 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Vent Bung for Casks or Barrels.
We JOSEPH BURRELL of 43 Brown Street Burnley in the County of Lancaster,
Grocer, and JOHN BURRELL of Burnley, Potatoe Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for admitting air to allow the contained liquid in
barrels to be drawn; or for permitting gases generated during the process of
fermentation to escape before attaining a dangerous degree of pressure.
For this purpose a seating is formed in the bung for an india rubber ball which is
weighted or screwed down upon the seating to resist undue pressure so that when the
ball becomes compressed as to partially leave the seating the carbonic acid is allowed
to escape.
The bung is also provided with one or more holes having an india-rubber or leather
clack which opens by the weight of atmosphere whilst the liquid is being drawn, but
closes the instant the liquid ceases to flow from the barrel.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1888
THOS. RICHMOND,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Vent Bung for Casks or Barrels.
We, JOSEPH BURRELL of 43 Brown Street, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Grocer, and JOHN BURRELL, of Burnley, Potatoe Merchant 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 means for permitting gases, generated in casks during the
process of fermentation, to escape before attaining a dangerous degree of pressure;
as also for admitting air to allow the contained liquids in barrels and other casks to be
drawn off. For this purpose a seating is formed in the bung for an india rubber
ball, which is weighted or screwed down upon the seating to resist undue pressure;
so that, when the ball becomes compressed (i.e., expanded outwards, so as to partially
The bung is also provided
leave the seating) the carbonic acid is allowed to escape.
with one or more holes having an india rubber or leather clack which opens by the
weight of atmosphere whilst the liquid is being drawn off, but closes the instant the
liquid ceases to flow from the barrel or other cask or vessel. Although we have
hereinbefore stated that our improvements, in their primary application, are devised
for employment in connection with casks, the same may also with equal facility be
adapted for use with bottles, jars, kegs, or other vessels containing fluids or liquids from
which gases or vapours may be generated.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational
view, and Figures 2 and 3 respectively sectional and plan views of bungs constructed
in accordance with our Invention. Figure 4 is a transverse section of a modified form
of bung; and Figures 5 and 6 illustrate our improvements as employed in connection
with bottles, jars, and the like. Figures 2, 3, and 4 representing bungs fitted with a
combined air or gas escape outlet and clack arrangement combined, Figures 1, 5, and 6
showing bungs unprovided with clacks for admitting external air.
In accordance with our Invention we employ a metallic socket A forming the
seating of an india rubber ball B which is screwed down as shown in Figure 1 by the
nut a and T shaped bolt b, or otherwise weighted so as to retain said ball against
the seating to resist undue pressure of the contained vapours in the barrel or other

page_text: cask so that, when the ball becomes compressed it partially leaves the seating, the
generated gases thus being allowed to escape. In the device illustrated Figures 2 and 3
a removeable bung C (together with the clack" arrangement aforesaid) screws or is
otherwise received in the socket A. In this bung is formed a recess or cavity in which
the ball B is screwed down upon its seating by a plate D the pressure being regulated
by screws c. A hole d is formed through the diameter of the elastic ball through
which passes preferably an india rubber band e or equivalent flexible contrivance
secured at the end in any suitable manner, the opposite extremity thereof being
attached to a clack E which latter is thus brought to bear upon a seating formed by a
recess or chamfered portion on the face of said india rubber ball. By this arrange-
ment the escape of the internally generated gases or vapors is ensured, (passing out
at Figure 3,) and, in addition, on the withdrawal of the liquid from the vessel, a
vacuum is created, thus causing the clack E to leave its seating and allow sufficient
air to enter at g through d, to enable the fluid contents of the vessel to be drawn off
with greater facility than obtains with casks in which the ordinary method of
admitting air to the interior of the vessel is employed. In the device, Figure 4, we
still employ the removeable socket C and clack E, previously described in reference to
Figures 2, and 3; but, as an equivalent and less cumbersome means for permitting
the gaseous vapours generated in the cask to escape, we form a circumferential
groove i in the face of C in which fits an india rubber or other flexible ring or
annulus B the contained vapours escaping from the cask to the atmosphere through
the apertures or openings h.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the application of our improvements to bottles, jars, or
the like. The rubber ball B, Figure 5, (through which passes the syphon tube F) is
held down upon the mouth of the bottle-which forms the seating-by clastic or
flexible bands j, a metallic cover G supplying the pressure to said ball through the
medium of the olastic bands aforesaid, which latter are connected from the depending
hooks of the cap G to corresponding hooks or fastenings surrounding the bottle
neck. In lieu of the of the ball Figure 5 we may employ a washer or annulus B¹
Figure 6, intervening between the cap G and mouth of the bottle, jar, or the like;
said washer or annulus B', which is preferably of india rubber, being retained in its
seating in the same manner as that which applies in the case of the arrangement
shown and described in reference to Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The method of and means employed for permitting the internally generated gases
or vapours contained in casks or other vessels to escape, as also the means employed
for ensuring the admission of atmospheric air into the vessels to facilitate the drawing
of the liquid therefrom, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1880
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.