IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTING CASKS, AND IN PRESERVING THEM FROM BURSTING BY THE ACTION OP THE LIQUORS CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Joseph Daly, of Tuckey Street, Cork, in the
County of Cork, Ireland, Brewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VENTING CASKS, AND IN PRESERVING THEM FROM BURSTING BY THE ACTION
OP THE LIQUORS CONTAINED THEREIN."
Sealed the 8th December 1857, and dated the 11th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Joseph
Daly at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th June 1857.
I, DANIEL JOSEPH DALY, of. Tuckey Street, Cork, in the County of Cork,
Ireland, Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTING CASES, AND IN PRESERVING THEM FROM BURSTING BY
THE ACTION OF THE LIQUORS CONTAINED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the adaptation of a self-acting safety valve of a
peculiar construction to casks, whereby, during the process of fermentation of
the liquor contained therein, the carbonic acid gas will be able to find an exit
when the pressure becomes too great. This valve will also serve as a vent for
casks on draught, thereby avoiding the practice of making spile holes for
that purpose.
The form of valve which I propose to adopt consists of a mitre valve
contained in a cylindrical flanged cap or case, which is let into the wood of

page_text: the cask so as to be flush both outside and inside. The stalk or stem
of the valve is guided by passing through a correspondingly sized hole in
the bottom of the cup, whilst its upper end above the valve is surrounded
by a helical spring, which is pressed down on to the valve by means of a
screwed plug fitted into the open end of the cup or cylinder outside the cask.
The upper stem or stalk of the valve passes through a hole in the centre of
the plug or cap of the cylinder, so as to rise sufficiently above the surface
when screwed down to admit one prong of a key to go through the eye-hole
made at its extremity for the purpose of raising the valves from the outside,
by pressing one end of the key, which acts as a lever resting on a shoulder
made on the edge of the cap or cylinder; on the pressure being removed the
spring forces back the valve, excluding all external air; two apertures are
made in the plug to admit the escape of the carbonic acid gas, or to let in air
when the cask is on draught..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Joseph Daly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
JOSEPH DALY, of Tuckey Street, Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Brewer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Daniel Joseph Daly, Her special license that I, the said Daniel Joseph Daly,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel
Joseph Daly, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, au Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTING
CASES, AND IN PRESERVING THEM FROM BURSTING BY THE ACTION OF THE LIQUORS
CONTAINED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Daniel Joseph Daly, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be

page_text: filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Joseph Daly, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the adaptation of a self-acting safety valve of
a peculiar construction to casks, whereby, during the process of fermentation
of the liquor contained therein, the carbonic acid gas will be able to find an
exit when the pressure becomes too great. This valve will also serve as a
vent for casks on draught, thereby avoiding the practice of making spile
holes for that purpose.
The form of valve which I propose to adopt consists of a mitre valve con-
tained in a cylindrical flanged cup or case, which is let into the wood of the
cask so as to be flush both outside and inside. The stalk or stem of the
valve is guided by passing through a correspondingly sized hole in the
bottom of the cup, whilst its upper end above the valve is surrounded by
a helical spring, which is pressed down on to the valve by means of a
screwed plug fitted into the open end of the cup or cylinder outside the cask.
A pin in the upper stem or stalk of the valvo passes through a hole in the
centre of the plug or cap of the cup, so as to rise sufficiently above the surfaco
when the cap is screwed down to admit one prong of a key to go through the
eye-hole made at the extremity of the pin for the purpose of raising the valve
from the outside. On the pin being released the spring forces back tho
valve, excluding all external air; two apertures are made in the plug or cap
to admit the escape of the carbonic acid gas, or to let in air when the cask
is on draught. Suitable openings are also made in the bottom of the cup.
so as to leave a communication between the valve and the interior of
the cask.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto, annexed; the
same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a vertical section of the apparatus
complete and in action.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the same, with the cap or plug clevated or
raised above the cup; Figure 3 is a plan of the top side of the apparatus;

page_text: Figure 4 is a similar view of the under side of the same; and Figure 5 is
an elevation of the key used for the adjusting or working the valve.
A is the cup or cylinder, which is formed with a flange a, a, and inserted
into the wood B of the cask, so as to be flush therewith both outside and
inside.
a
In this cup or cylinder works a mitre valve C fitted closely on to the
seating c, c, and guided by the lower stem D, which passes through a cor-
respondingly sized aperture in the centre of the under side of the cup; whilst
pin E, screwed into the upper stem of the valve, also serves to guide the
same by passing through a screwed plug or cap F fitted into the cup or
cylinder. Or, in place of having a pin attached to the upper stem of the
valve, the stem itself may be carried up through the plug or cap. This
arrangement admits of the valve being elevated or opened when requisite
from the outside, by simply inserting one of the prongs of the key G
(used for turning the cap) into a suitable hole or notch in the protruding end
of the stem or pin E, and thereby lifting the valve for the purpose either of
letting air into the cask or allowing carbonic acid to escape, suitable apertures
ff, and g, g. being made through the plug or cap F and the bottom of the
cylinder A for that purpose. The helical spring I serves to keep the valve
loaded to any desired pressure, which pressure is adjusted by turning the
plug or cap, and thereby compressing more or less the spring.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; nor do I
claim any of the mechanical elements of which the said apparatus and parts of
apparatus are respectively composed, as being separately or apart from the use
or application of such elements, to form the combination constituting such.
apparatus and parts of apparatus respectively, as being any part of my said
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
to be applied to casks, for the purpose of venting them and preserving them
from bursting by the action of the liquors contained therein, as herein-before
described.
Second, the application and use to and in casks of a safety valve, acted

page_text: upon by a spring for the purpose of allowing the escape of any gases or
fixed air produced therein, when the pressure becomes so great as to endanger
the cask.
Third, the system or mode of venting casks without the aid of the ordinary
spile holes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Joseph Daly, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the 9th day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
DANIEL JOSEPH DALY. (L.S.)