Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
We LUIS DE MORAES GOMES-FERREIRA, Telegraph Engineer, of Olinda House,
Ealing in the County of Middlesex, and WILLIAM WINFIELD, Licensed Victualler's
Manager of 52 Friar Street in the Borough of Southwark, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to provide means for checking the amount
of liquids drawn from casks and other receptacles, and particularly for checking the
sale of beer, spirits, and other liquors in public houses.
In carrying our invention into effect, we introduce into the draw-off pipe of the
vessel from which the liquid is to be drawn, an instrument which is acted upon by
the flow of the liquid in the pipe as soon as the tap is turned on, so as to cause an
electric current from a battery to pass through and operate a recording apparatus
situated in the proprietor's private room or other place of safety.
One recording apparatus will be sufficient to check several taps.
The recording is effected by traversing a web of paper beneath a number of pencils
or other markers (as many as there are taps), which are held in contact therewith
only when the turning on of their respective liquid taps puts the electric battery in
action. The traverse of the paper is intermittent, being drawn along by milled
wheels or rolls operated by a ratchet wheel and pawl in connection with the armature
of an electro magnet. A clock is in connection with the apparatus, which, in addition
to giving, by means of a contact spring carried by the pendulum, the pulsations
necessary for operating the ratchet wheel above mentioned, one tooth at a time causes,
at intervals, say every hour, a pencil to make a transverse mark upon the record
paper to show how far has been the traverse in that time. In addition to, or in some
cases instead of, the paper record, there may be a bell to be thrown into circuit
when required, for the purpose of giving an audible signal when a tap is turned on.
[Price 8d1

page_text: Thus, it will be seen that it will not be possible to withdraw any liquid without
having the fact duly recorded. The length and number of the lines upon the paper
will show how long, and how often, the tap or taps have been turned on, and the
calibre of the taps being known, it will be easy to determine the amount of liquid
which has to be accounted for.
We may here mention that in some cases, instead of introducing the instrument
hereinbefore referred to into the draw-off pipe for the purpose of setting in action the
electric current, we may employ a tap, the turning of the plug of which will close
circuit, and operate the recording apparatus in the manner already described.
In the case of beer engines or other pumps, we propose to employ a contact spring in
connection with the piston, which will bear against a series of contact plates as the
piston is raised, and cause a series of electric impulses to operate the recording
apparatus.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Checking and Recording the Drawing of
Liquids.
We LUIS DE MORAES GOMES FERREIRA, Telegraph Engineer, of Olinda House, Ealing,
in the County of Middlesex, and WILLIAM WINFIELD, Licensed Victualler's Manager
of 52 Friar Street in the Borough of Southwark 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 :—
The object of the present invention is to provide means for recording and checking
the amount of liquids drawn from casks and other receptacles, and particularly for
checking the sale of beer, spirits and other liquors in public houses.
In carrying our invention into effect, we introduce into the draw-off pipe of the
vessel from which the liquid is to be drawn, an instrument which is acted upon by the
flow of the liquid in the pipe as soon as the tap is turned on, so as to cause an electric
current from a battery to pass through and operate a suitably placed apparatus which
will record how often, and for how long, the tap of known calibre is open.
One recording apparatus will be sufficient to check several taps.
The recording is effected by traversing a web of paper beneath a number of
markers (as many as there are taps), which are held in contact therewith only when
the turning on of their respective liquid taps puts the electric battery in action.-
The travel of the paper is intermittent, it being drawn along by milled wheels or
rolls operated by a ratchet wheel and pawl in connection with the armature of an
electro-magnet.-A clock is in connection with the apparatus, which, in addition to
giving, by means of a contact spring carried by the pendulum, the pulsations necessary
for operating the ratchet wheel above mentioned one tooth at a time, causes at intervals,
say every hour, a marker to make a transverse mark upon the record paper to show
how far has been the traverse in that time. In addition to, or in some cases instead
of, the paper record, there may be a bell to be thrown into circuit when required for
the purpose of giving an audible signal when a tap is turned on.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a front view of the recording apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an inside view of the apparatus from the front.
Fig. 3 is a plan view.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the electrical contact arrangement to be placed in
the draw-off pipes of the spirit or other casks.
Fig. 5 similarly shows the same arrangement in a modified form.
Fig. 6 is a diagram of the whole arrangement of apparatus, shewing the electric
battery, the course of the currents, and the clock.
Fig. 7 is a detail view of the make and break arrangement applied to the
pendulum of the clock, for giving pulsations to the ratchet wheel for advancing the
paper.
Fig. 8 is a fragment of the paper web having the record lines thereon.

page_text: A is a box or case containing the recording apparatus. B is a horizontally rotating
drum mounted in bearings therein. C is a paper roll mounted in any convenient
position, from whence the paper web passes over the drum B to the milled drawing
rollers D.-
-e are siphon inkers overlying the drum B, and dipping into the ink troughs et.
-These siphon inkers e are carried by the spring armatures of a number of vertically
placed electro magnets E.-F is an electro magnet having a pivotted armature f, the
motion of which gives, through a vertical rod fi, a side way movement to the marker f*
carried by the rod for the purpose of making periodically a transverse mark upon
the paper web. -G is an electro magnet placed outside the box A, the spring
armature g of which is provided with a pawl g₁ for engaging with, and operating, tooth
by tooth, the ratchet wheel d, fixed upon the axle of one of the milled drawing
rolls D.-H is an electro magnet, also placed outside the case A.- is a contact
pillar through which, and the armature h of the magnet H, the clock K is brought
into electric circuit, for the purpose of giving its pulsations to the armature of the
magnet G. is a contact spring upon the upper end of the pendulum of the clock K,
which comes into contact with the terminals alternately at every beat of the clock.
L is the electric battery.-M is the instrument placed in the draw-off pipes of the
spirit or other casks, which automatically completes the circuit, and causes electrical
action to be set up throughout the whole apparatus.
The circuit closing instrument is constructed in such a manner that the pressure
of the liquid within it acts upon a piston or a flexible diaphragm so arranged
as to govern the movement of a contact spring or plate. The pressure of the liquid
upon the piston or diaphragm holds the plate from contact, and thereby the battery
from action. The reduction of pressure beneath the flexible diaphragm, or the flow
of the liquid in the pipe brought about by turning on the draw off tap, causes a
collapse or an inward movement of the diaphragm or piston, and an instant closing
of the circuit by the contact plate governed thereby.
The circuit closing instrument we prefer to employ is shewn at Fig. 4.-It consists
of a hollow casting M* having, besides openings at top and botton, a side opening
which, with the chamber m*, forms a passage interposed in the draw off pipe. The
chamber mis closed with a flexible diaphragm m of india rubber or other suitable
material (or if preferred, a stuffing box may be employed) through which passes the
rod m² of the piston m*1. The diaphragm m is secured with a collar M' of vulcanite
or other suitable insulating material, upon which are situated the terminals m³ m³.
m³ is a contact plate carried by the piston rod m³, and so adjusted thereon by screw
nuts, that it is held clear of the terminals m³ m³ when the piston m*1 is in its normal
position. The piston m*1, in its normal position, fits somewhat closely the chamber m",
and forms a valve therein.-The chamber m is however flared out beyond the seat
of the piston, so as to allow free passage for the liquid when the piston is depressed.-
A crosshead is provided upon the collar M¹, as a guide for the piston rod m³, and a
compression spring is provided between the crosshead and the contact plate m³, to
insure prompt and firm contact with the terminals m³ m³.-The strength of the spring
and the area of the piston are so proportioned, that while there is no flow of liquid in
the pipe, the piston is balanced and remains quiescent upon its seat, but as soon as
the liquid begins to flow, and the pressure is reduced within the pipe below the piston,
by opening the draw off tap, the piston will be forced from its seat, to allow the
passage of the liquid, and electrical contact will be at once established.
In Fig. 5 we have shewn the instrument M_constructed in a somewhat modified
manner. In this case we rely solely upon the flexible diaphragm m, without the aid
of a piston, for obtaining the electrical contact. The diaphragm is of larger diameter 5
in this case, but is secured upon the casing by means of a ring or collar M'. The
pressure of the liquor beneath the diaphragm holds it normally in the slightly convex
position shewn in the drawing. When however the opening of the tap in the draw
off pipe reduces the pressure therein, the diaphragm m will take a somewhat concave
position, as indicated by dots in Fig. 5.
Upon the upper side of the diaphragm m rests the base of a rod m', which controls
the contact spring m³ lying between the terminals m' on the collar M

page_text: The length of the rod m¹ between the diaphragm m and the contact spring or
plate m³, is so adjusted by means of screw nuts, that the contact plate is held clear
of the terminals m³ as long as the diaphragm is in its normal position, but when the
latter assumes a concave position, connection will be immediately established between
the terminals m³ m³.-For ordinary purposes, the spring contact shewn in Fig. 5 may
be employed, but we generally prefer to employ that form shewn in Fig. 4, as it is more
certain for heavy work, and is particularly applicable to beer engines and other
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
pumps.
When the turning on of one of the draw off taps has collapsed the diaphragm, or
depressed the piston, and thereby caused the contact plate m³ to be drawn down upon
the terminals m³, the electric circuit is completed from the battery L, through the
instrument M, to one of the electro magnets E, and from thence, through the magnet H,
back to the battery.--The passage of the electric current excites the magnet E, and
causes the attraction of its armature, which presses the siphon marker e upon the paper
as it passes over the drum B.-The magnet H, which is also called into action by the
passage of the electric current, is a relay magnet, and serves, by bringing its armature /¹
into contact with the terminal h, to complete an electric circuit, and enable an inter-
mittent current to pass from the battery through the clock K, contact spring k, and
terminals k¹ k', to the electro magnet G, thus imparting to the armature 9 thereof a
backward and forward movement, which causes the pawl g¹ to rack round the ratchet
wheel d, and thereby rotate the milled rolls D D, which draw the paper web over the
drum B.
Thus it will be understood that whenever, and so long as the tap of a draw-off pipe
is open, the marker in connection therewith will come into and be maintained. in
contact with the paper web, which will be advanced step by step at a uniform rate.
of speed in the manner just described.-The calibre of the tap being ascertained, it is
easily determined what amount of liquor is represented by the length of the lines
upon the paper. It is sometimes desirable to have an audible signal in addition to
the paper record.-We have therefore indicated in the diagram, Fig. 6, an electric
bell capable of being switched into or out of circuit when desired. To indicate the
periods or times during which the liquors were drawn, we bave provided for the
marking of the paper web with a transverse mark at intervals, say every hour. Upon
the face of the clock K is a contact plate in connection with the battery through the
magnet F. As the minute hand of the clock passes the contact plate, a complete
circuit is formed through the clock and the magnet F, and the armature f is attracted
to the latter, by which means the maker f is caused to mark transversely the
paper web. At the same time the magnet G is momentarily called into action, as
the magnet F is preferably connected therewith, and the paper is caused to advance
a single step.-The reason for thus advancing the paper, is this :-should there be no
liquor drawn during a whole hour, the transverse marks would cover one another,
and would appear as one mark, if no advance was made.
It may here be well to mention a similar arrangement whereby a small space
between the beginning of a new line and the end of an old line is provided, and the
continuous running on of lines is avoided. The core of the relay magnet H we make
of steel, whereas the cores of the magnets E operating the markers are of softer
material; the magnets E, therefore, cease to operate more promptly after pressure
is restored in the draw off pipe and the electric circuit is interrupted, than the magnet H,
with the result, that the paper continues to travel a short distance after the markers
are lifted therefrom.
The paper web, after being passed through the recording apparatus, will present
somewhat the appearance shewn at Fig. 8. Each amount of liquor drawn from every
tap is indicated by a separate line of a determinate length. Thus, there will appear
in the record the quantities, in pints or half pints, of ale, or in quarterns, or what not,
of spirits that have been drawn, and the periods during which such quantities were
taken.
The siphon markers we prefer to
therefore need no special description.
employ are of a type well understood, and
The ink is drawn up from the tanks by capillary

page_text: attraction as soon as the point of the siphon touches the paper; there is therefore no
waste of ink when the inkers are held up. Other markers, such as pencils, may be
employed, if more convenient.
It will be understood that the recording apparatus hereinbefore described may be
employed with electrical contact devices other than those which we have described and
shown in Figs. 4 and 5, for instance, a contact arrangement adapted to the draw off taps,
such as that described in specification of a patent granted to J. C. Tanner dated
7th December 1886 No. 15986, may be used. We prefer, however, to set the battery
in action automatically by means of the flow of the liquid in the draw off pipes in the
manner we have indicated.
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
claim is :-
-
1. Automatically recording the several quantities of liquid drawn from casks and
other vessels, and the periods during which such quantities are drawn, substantially as
shown and described.
2. In electrical recording and checking apparatus for liquids drawn from casks
and other vessels, the employment of a contact device having a diaphragm or piston
acted upon by the liquid in the draw off pipes, and controlling a contact plate or
spring, substantially as described with reference to the drawings, and for the purpose
set forth.
3. The apparatus herein shown and described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7
and 8, for electrically recording the quantity of liquid drawn from casks and other
vessels.