Improvements in Means for Tapping Barrels and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 24th Aug. 1892-Accepted. 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Tapping Barrels and the like.
I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN MAYHEW of Delta Villa Walmer in the County of
Kent Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a permanent socket which may be fixed in barrels, casks,
vats, tanks, or similar vessels into which a tap or connection is to be inserted, and
it is designed to facilitate the tapping of the cask or vessel, to re-close the orifice
automatically when withdrawing the tap, and to afford a permanent cork hole and
thus to do away with the usually required new corks and new cant pieces.
The tap employed with my improved socket may be the ordinary tap with taper
perforated shank as at present used.
My socket consists of a bush with an end flange which is fitted into the cork
hole of the cask and secured there permanently by wood screws or rivets through
the flange.
At the inner end of the bush is a trough recess carrying a ring of india-rubber or
other suitable material.
Or alternatively the inner end of the bush may be simply a plain turned cylindrical
face and the india-rubber ring may be carried in a suitable recess upon the tube
passing through the bush as hereinafter described.
Within this bush I insert a tube closed at the inner end and terminating at the
outer open end with a circular trough recess of larger diameter, into which recess is
placed a packing ring of india-rubber or suitable material, backed by sectional
segments of a metal ring provided with short round headed studs, passing through
and projecting slightly beyond the exterior surface of the large end of the tube.
If under the above alternative form of bush no india-rubber or other packing
ring is fitted in the bush; this packing ring, to make a joint between the tube and
bush, will also be carried on the tube in a suitable recess about the middle of, the
said tube.
The tube has also perforations about midway of its length communicating with
the interior of the tube.
This tube is forced through the cylindrical orifice or the india-rubber or other
packing ring of the bush socket, so that a water-tight joint is made between them.
When now the tube is in its outermost position in the bush as it would be when
delivered without a tap, the perforations through the tube are on the outer side of
the water-tight packing ring of the bush or socket, and the cask is closed or.
corked.
In this position also the projecting ends of the studs pressing against the ring
elastic packing of the inner tube are resting in a half round recess turned in the
inner face of the surrounding bush or socket, and there is no pressure upon the
said packing.
To tap the cask an ordinary taper tap may be inserted into the ring packing of
the inner tube, and then pressure or force be to drive the tap and tube home. This
force serves to drive the inner tube further into the bush or socket, forcing the studs
as they come out of the recess in the bush, into the ring elastic packing thus clamp-
ing the tap with a thorough water tight joint, and also bringing the perforations of
the inner tube beyond the ring joint of the bush into the liquid within the cask,
and thus opening communication with the tap. Or where the inner joint ring is
situated on the tube, the said ring is forced beyond the cylindrical orifice of the bush
and the perforations of the tube are placed in communication with the contents of
the barrel.
Upon attempting to withdraw the tap, the tube will first draw outwards in the

page_text: bush, thus closing communication with the interior of the cask, until the joint com-
pressing studs have fallen into the before mentioned recess when the pressure on
the tap-joint being relieved the tap will leave the tube and the cask is re-closed or
re-corked...
The inner tube can easily be taken out of the bush or socket by the brewer thus
giving him a clear way through the bush into the cask, which is a great importance.
It is obvious that in my device I avoid the use of springs, which have been-found
of great detriment to such an appliance.
Dated this 24th day of November 1891.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Tapping Barrels and the like.
I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN MAYHEW, of 5 Delta Villas, Walmer, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, 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 a permanent socket which may be fixed in barrels,
casks, vats, tanks or similar vessels, into which it may be desired to insert a tap or
connection, and it is designed to facilitate the insertion of an ordinary tap, without
risk of waste or leakage, to reclose the orifice automatically when withdrawing the
tap, and to, afford a permanent cork-hole, and thus do away with the usually
required new corks, and new cant pieces.
Figure 1 is a section through my improved tapping socket closed before the tap
is inserted.
Figure 2 is a section through my improved tapping socket, the tap being
inserted, and pushed home so as to open communication with the contents of
the barrel.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the outer bush of my socket.'
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the inner tube of my socket.
Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views of a modified construction of my invention.
The tap A used with my socket is the ordinary tap with the taper perforated
shank, as at present used.
My socket consists of a bush B with an end flange which is fitted into the cork-
hole of the cask and secured there permanently by wood screws C or rivets through
the flange.
At the inner end of the bush is a trough recess D, carrying a ring d of india-
rubber or other suitable material.
Within this bush I insert a tube E closed at the inner end, and terminating at the
outer open end with a circular trough recess of larger diameter, into which recess is
placed a packing ring of india rubber or suitable material backed by sectional
segments of a metal ring G provided with short round headed studs 9 passing
through and projecting slightly beyond the exterior surface of the large end of
the tube.
The tube has also perforations H about midway of its length communicating with
the interior of the tube.
This tube is forced through the cylindrical orifice of the india-rubber or other
packing ring d of the bush socket B so that a water-tight joint is made between
them. When now the tube is in its outermost position in the bush B as it would
be when delivered without a tap (as shown in Figure 1) the perforations through the
tube are covered by or are on the outer side of the watertight packing ring of
the bush or socket B'and the cask is thus closed or corked.
In this position also the projecting ends of the studs y pressing against the ring
elastic packing of the inner tube E are resting in a half-round recess K turned

page_text: in the inner face of the surrounding bush or socket B and there is no pressure upon
the said packing.
To tap the cask an ordinary taper tap ▲ may be inserted into the ring packing f
of the inner tube E and then pressure or force be applied to drive the tap and tube
home. The force serves to drive the inner tube further into the bush or socket B
forcing the studs as they come out of the recess in the bush into the ring
elastic packing, thus clamping the tap with a thorough watertight joint before
bringing the perforations H of the inner tube beyond the ring joint d of the bush
into the liquid within the cask and thus opening communication with the tap.
Upon attempting to withdraw the tap the tube E will first draw outwards in the
bush B thus closing communication with the interior of the cask until the joint
compressing studs have fallen into the before mentioned recess K when the
pressure on the tap joint being released the tap will leave the tube, and the cask is
thus reclosed or recorked.
The inner tube E can easily be taken out of the bush or socket B by the brewer
thus giving him a clear way through the bush into the cask which is of great
importance.
I show a modified construction in Figures 5 and 6 in which the elastic ring d
instead of being fixed to the trough recess D of the bush B is fixed on to the
exterior of the sliding tube E on that side of the holes H that is towards the closed
end of the said tube E.
As with this arrangement further packing is required to prevent the liquor
passing between the joint of the bush and the tube, when the tube is pushed in or in
its innermost position I provide an extra packing ring M upon the exterior of the
tube E.
It is obvious that in my device I avoid the use of springs which have been found
of great detriment to such an appliance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is :-
1st. A permanent tap socket without metallic spring consisting of a tube closed at
its inner end and with perforations at about its centre and carrying a rubber joint to
suit an ordinary taper tap in combination with a liquid tight rubber joint in an
external bush or socket fixed to the cork hole of a cask, barrel or similar vessel.
2nd. In a tap socket the inner sliding tube provided with a rubber joint for the
tap and segmental plates behind the said rubber, and studs projecting beyond the
periphery of the said tube substantially as described.
3rd. In such a tap socket the external bush carrying a rubber joint on its inner
end for the external sliding tube and a circular groove within its upper end into
which the joint studs of the inner tube engage to release the tap joint after the
communication to the contents of the barrel or vessel has been closed by the move-
ment of the sliding tube substantially as described.
4th. In such a tap socket a sliding perforated tube acting as a valve for the
opening and closing of the communication with the interior of the cask or barrel and
so constructed that it can be pulled out from the exterior of the barrel or cask to
give a clear open way into the cask or barrel when removed substantially as
described.
5th. The arrangement and construction of a tap socket substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of August 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.