Improvements in Taps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps.
I, EDWARD HAZLEHURST, of St. Thomas Street North, Werneth, Oldham, in
the County of Lancaster, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of tap in which a hollow
key is used to open the tap and draw off the liquid (such as described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me 9948 of 1890) and is designed with
the object of giving a better and more control over the liquid than in the tap as at
present constructed and of preventing the tap being tampered with by unauthorized
persons.
It consists essentially in the combination with the tap of a diaphragm or seal
which must be removed before the hollow key can be inserted and an auxiliary
Screw valve which keeps the inner end of the hollow key closed and prevents
any flow of liquid into or through the hollow key after the tap is open until the
auxiliary valve has also been opened.
The inner end of the hollow key is formed internally with a screw thread and
through its centre passes a screwed spindle which carries at the end a valve. The
screw thread on the spindle corresponds with and engages with the internal screw
thread of the hollow key. The valve on the end of the spindle has a seat on the
end of the hollow key and is brought to or from its seat by turning the screwed
spindle. The other end of the spindle passes out through a gland or stuffing box
formed at the other end of the hollow key and is provided with a knob or handle
by which it is turned.
The outer end of the hollow barrel or casing has formed in it a groove or cavity
with inclined sides to form a dovetail groove, or groove of other shape of greater
diameter at the back than at the front. This groove is formed to receive a metallic
seal or diaphragm. The seal is dish-shaped with turned up edges fitting into
the groove.
When placed therein the edges of the seal are expanded by driving
them inwards until they completely fill the groove. The seal is thus held in
position so that it cannot be removed without damaging it or rendering it unfit
for further use.
The tap forming the subject of the invention may in addition to casks be applied
to any vessel or structure containing gas or liquid such as steam boilers street
mains or the like and check feed valves, gauge glasses or other fittings be affixed
thereto.
In operation the hollow case or barrel with the plug fitted in it is connected to
the vessel the tap remaining closed until the hollow key is inserted. The sealing
disc is fitted into the groove in the outer case which prevents the tap being open
until the seal is removed and as the seal must be damaged or destroyed on being
removed any tampering with tap or contents of the vessel is at once detected. When
the liquid is required to be withdrawn the hollow key is inserted a pin on its end
engaging with a slot in the hollow plug and a bent groove with a pin on the fixed
outer casing so that when the key is turned the plug is turned with it to open the
tap and the key cannot be withdrawn without turning it back again and closing
the tap. The valve at the end of the hollow key is then opened by turning the
screwed spindle. The flow of liquor can at any time be stopped without with-
drawing the hollow key by closing the valve.
Dated this 7th day of October 1891
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps.
I, EDWARD HAZLEHURST, of St. Thomas Street North, Werneth, Oldham in
the County of Lancaster, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates primarily to improvements in that class of tap in which a
hollow key is used to open the tap and draw off the liquid (such as described in the
Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me 9948 of 1890 and 4497 of 1891) and
is designed with the object of giving a better control over the contents of the vessel
than by the tap as at present constructed by preventing the same being tampered
with by unauthorized persons.
It consists essentially in the use with the tap, of a diaphragm or seal, which must
be removed before the hollow key can be inserted, which fits into a dovetail groove
or recess in the front of bush of the tap in the vessel.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. Longitudinal sectional elevation of tap showing recess for diaphragm or
Beal.
Fig. 2. Transverse sectional elevation of the tap.
Fig. 3. Sectional elevation of part of barrel head showing seal covering the tap
hole.
Fig. 4. Sectional elevation of flanged sealing disc, before being inserted in position
in groove or recess.
Fig. 5. Sectional elevation of flanged sealing disc showing expanded form the
flange or rim takes when forced into the groove or recess provided for it in the
front of the tap or tap hole.
Fig. 6. Front elevation of the sealing disc or diaphragm.
The hollow casing or bush A of the tap which fits into the vessel or structure to
which the tap is applied and the hollow plug B which fits into the casing or bush A
and with it forms the tap I prefer to construct as shown and described in the
Specifications of my former Patents.
The outer end of the hollow bush or casing A has formed in it a groove or
recess a with inclined sides to form a dovetail groove or groove of other shape of
greater diameter at the back than at the front. The groove a is formed to receive
a metallic seal or diaphragm G as shown the turned up flange or rim fitting into
the groove a.
When placed in the groove the edges of the seal G are expanded
by driving them inwards until they completely fill the groove a which holds the
seal G in position so that it cannot be removed without damaging it or rendering it
unfit for further use.
The sealing disc G may also be applied to the tap hole of the barrel before the
tap A or other tap is inserted. In this case I insert a metallic ring H (see Fig: (3)
into the head of the barrel surrounding the tap hole but of larger diameter to
allow of the cork being inserted in the usual way. The inner edge of the ring H
is inclined inwards (as shown at a Fig 1) and the sealing disc G is driven in over
the end of the cork which fills the hole h and covers the cork.
The invention may be applied to or used with any vessel containing gas or liquid
which is required to be drawn off at intervals.
In use the hollow case or bush A with the plug B fitted in it is connected to the
vessel the tap remaining closed until the hollow key is inserted. When the cask.is
-filled the sealing disc G is fitted into the groove a in the outer case A which
prevents the insertion of the hollow key and the opening of the tap until the
seal G is removed and as the seal must be damaged or destroyed before it can
be removed any tampering with the tap or contents of the vessel is at once
detected. When the liquid is required to be withdrawn, the disc G is removed

page_text: from the tap by a piercer or other instrument which will extract it the hollow
key can then be inserted and the liquor drawn off as described in the Specifi-
cations of my former Patents.
In the same way the disc G can be removed from the tap hole
tap then driven in or inserted in the usual way.
Fig. 3 and the
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
(1) A tap in which the contents of a vessel are drawn off through a hollow key
having a disc or diaphragm to seal or cover the opening into which the hollow key
fits substantially as and for the purpose described.
(2) In a tap by which liquids are drawn off through a hollow key the com-
bination with the tapered plug B, and hollow casing or bush A, provided with a
groove or recess a at its outer edge, of a flanged sealing disc G which fits into the
groove and covers the entrance to the tap substantially as described.
(3) The combination with the tap of a barrel or other vessel for containing
liquids of a metallic disc or diaphragm with flanged edges which fit into an
inclined ring or groove to form a seal or cover therefor substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.