Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
I ANTONIN BONNEFOND of 1 Rue de Condé, Paris, France Doctor of Medicine,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of cock or tap for drawing off
liquid from a cask, barrel, or other closed vessel without the necessity of making a
vent hole in the upper portion thereof or of removing the bung or stopping device
from its hole to permit of the entrance of air into the vessel.
I will hereinafter refer to the vessel to which the cock or tap is applied as a "barrel."
By means of the improved cock or tap the air enters the barrel in the same proportion
as the liquid flows out (on the principle of Mariottes vase), that is to say, the same
amount of time is required to draw off a certain quantity of liquid when the barrel is
nearly empty as when it is quite full. In a cock or tap constructed according to this
invention the body of the tap is provided, in addition to the usual passage for drawing
off the liquid, with a hole or passage serving to allow of air to enter into the barrel to
which the tap is fitted. This air passage is capable of being controlled by the plug of
the tap in such a manner that when the plug is turned so as to allow of the outflow
of the liquid contained in the barrel, the outer air will be able to pass through the
said air passage into the barrel and thus, by establishing atmospheric pressure within
the same, allow the liquid to flow out through the tap. When the plug is turned
so as to stop the outflow of liquid, the air hole is also closed, so that if the internal
pressure increases as the result of an elevation in temperature or by a decrease in
the external pressure, there will be no outflow of liquid. According to one mode of
construction of the improved tap, the passage for the outflow of the liquid follows the
inclination of the taper of the under side of the body of the tap; it is flared out
slightly at its rear end in order to avoid contraction of the entering stream of liquid.
The air passage is arranged above the passage for the liquid and is inclined slightly
in a downward direction from the plug. These passages open into the hole or seat
for the plug this hole may be provided with a cork tube or lining which receives and
serves as a seat for the plug. The plug may be conical or cylindrical or of any
suitable form, and is provided according to one modification with an air passage and

page_text: a passage for the outflow of liquid, said passages being arranged so that when the tap
is open, they form continuations or prolongations of the respective passages in the
body of the tap. The air passage in the plug may consist merely of an open groove
cut or otherwise formed in its surface. The air passage may be arranged in such a
manner that if from any cause, it allows a small quantity of liquid to flow out, the
latter will fall together with the main outflow into the receiving vessel. Some
constructions of cock or tap according to this invention are such as to allow of the
adaptation upon the inlet of the air passage, of a filtering cap for arresting microbes,
dust and other bodies in suspension. The tap may be made of wood, or of suitable
metal such as brass, tin or white metal.
When the tap is open, the air enters the barrel in the form of bubbles which rise
to the surface of the liquid and establish above the latter the atmospheric pressure
requisite for the outflow.
When the tap is of wood, the formation of fibres that might project into the
passages and thus decrease their calibre may be prevented by passing a red hot metal
wire quickly through the passages the walls of which are thus rendered more smooth
and the friction is diminished. The air outlet opening may be advantageously coated
with melted paraffin, care being taken to leave intact the outlet orifice for the liquid.
Dated this 4th day of October 1888.

page_text: I, ANTONIN BONNEFOND, of 1 Rue du Condé, Paris France, Doctor of Medicine,
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 an improved construction of cock or tap for drawing off
liquid from a barrel or other closed vessel (hereinafter called a barrel) without the use
of a vent hole in the upper portion of the barrel or the removal of the bung or
stopping device from its hole to permit of the entrance of air into the said barrel.
By means of the improved cock or tap the air enters the barrel in the same
proportion as the liquid flows out that is to say the same time is required to draw off
a given quantity of liquid when the barrel is nearly empty as when it is quite full.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a tap in wood according to this invention arranged
for the emission of liquid.
Fig. 2 is a modification of the same..
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the faucet.
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 shew modifications of the plug.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a tap of metal according to this invention.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the plug of this tap.
A is the body of the tap; B is the plug; Ca tube of cork fitted in the hole or bore
of the tap for the reception of the plug: D the inlet channel for air; E the outlet
channel for the liquid; F the inlet for air through the plug.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that when the plug is turned so as to stop
the outflow of the liquid the air hole is also closed so that if the internal pressure
increases by an elevation in temperature or by a decrease of the external pressure
there will be no outflow. The channel E follows the inclination of the lower side of
the body A; it is flared out slightly at the end c in order to avoid the contraction of
the vein of liquid. The channel D which is above the former is on the contrary
inclined slightly in a downward direction from the plug. These two channels open
into the cork tube C which serves as a seat for the plug B. This plug of which four
different modifications are shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 is provided with channels
which when the tap is open are the prolongations of the channels of the body A.
Figs. 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 the inlet channel for air is arranged in such a manner that if
from any cause it allows a small quantity of liquid to flow out the latter will fall into
the receiving vessel together with the main outflow. The arrangement shewn in
Figs. 2 and 6 allows of the adaptation to the air inlet tube of a filtering cap for
arresting microbes, dust and other bodies in suspension. In Fig. 7 the air inlet
channel consists of a mere groove cut in the plug B. When the tap is open the air
enters the barrel in the form of bubbles which rise to the surface of the liquid and
produce above the latter the atmospheric pressure requisite for the outflow. In the
In

page_text: wooden tap the swelling of the fibres which may project into the channels and decrease
their calibre may be prevented by passing an iron wire heated red hot through the
channels the walls are thus rendered more smooth and the friction is diminished. It
is also advantageous to coat the air outlet opening e with melted paraffin which is
applied by means of a small brush care being taken to leave intact the outlet orifice c
for the liquid.
The metal tap Figs. 8 and 9 may be of any convenient shape and its plug-may be
similar to those shewn in Figs. 1 to 7.
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 1
claim is
In cocks or taps for drawing liquid from barrels and other closed vessels.
1. A plug having on it or within it two passages or channels one of which serves
for the outflow of liquid while air enters the barrel or other vessel through the other
substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
2. In combination with a plug of the kind referred to in the preceding claim a
faucet or body A having an air inlet passage D and liquid outlet passage E, the two
being inclined in opposite directions substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
I also claim
3. The improved cock or tap substantially as described with reference respectively
to and shewn in Fig. 1 in Fig. 2 and in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.