IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Maxwell, of No. 4, Carlton Terrace North,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 15th August 1856, and dated the 20th May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Maxwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
May 1856.
I, RICHARD MAXWELL, of No. 4, Carlton Terrace North, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in so constructing taps employed for drawing
off liquids as to enable them to be connected with a vent peg for admitting air
into the vessel containing the liquid' to be drawn off. For the purposes of this
Invention it is necessary to form the vent peg hollow instead of solid, as here-
tofore, said vent peg being connected by a piece of elastic tubing with the
aforesaid tap by an orifice formed across the plug thereof, at about right angles
to and independent of the orifice, by which the liquid to be drawn off passes.
This Invention is designed for obviating the objection attending the ordinary.
solid vent peg, consequent upon leaving it out of the cask or barrel to which it
is applied, or only loosely placing it therein, and. by which the liquid contents:

page_text: of said cask become injured by the action of the air thereon, added to which
the vent peg frequently becomes lost.
By these improvements the above objections are entirely obviated. In the
first place, by connecting the tap with the vent peg, so that when the tap is
turned to allow the liquid to pass out, the other before-mentioned orifice in the
plug allows air to pass into the cask or barrel by the elastic tubing and hollow
vent peg during the drawing off the liquid; but the closing or turning off of the
tap also shuts off the communication with the external air, and thus preserves
the liquid uninjured; moreover, as the vent peg does not even require to be
removed, it may be driven or screwed tight into the cask or barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Maxwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; RICHARD
MAXWELL, of No. 4, Carlton Terrace North, Brixton, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One:
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Maxwell, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Maxwell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Maxwell, my executors, administrators, and assignis, should at any time agree
with, and no others, froin 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, an Invention. for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE. CONSTRUC
TION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," upon the conditión (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard. Maxwell, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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
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 Richard Maxwell, do.hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:
My Invention consists, firstly, in so constructing taps employed for drawing
off liquids as to enable them to be readily connected with a vent peg for
admitting air into the vessel containing the liquid to be drawn off. For the
purposes of this Invention it is necessary to form the vent peg hollow instead
of solid, as heretofore commonly practised, said vent peg being connected by a
piece of elastic tubing with the aforesaid tap, by an orifice formed across the
plug thereof, at about right angles to and independent of the orifice by which
the liquid to be drawn off passes. My Invention is designed for obviating
the objection attending the ordinary solid vent peg, consequent upon leaving it
out of the cask or barrel to which it is applied, or only loosely placing it
therein, and by which the liquid contents of said cask become injured by the
action of the air thereon, added to which, the vent peg frequently becomes
Iost.
pre-
By these improvements the above objections are entirely obviated. In the
first place, by connecting the tap with the vent peg, so that when the tap is
turned to allow the liquid to pass out, the other before-mentioned orifice in the
plug allows air to pass into the cask or barrel by the elastic tubing and hollow
vent peg during the drawing off of the liquid; but the closing or turning off of
the tap also shuts off the communication with the external air, and thus:
serves the liquid uninjured; moreover, as the vent peg does not ever require to
be removed, it may be driven or screwed tight into the cask or barrel. I also
propose to employ an annular piece of cork in combination with the metal tap,
as a seat for the metal plug to work in, thereby preventing setting or fixing of
the plug in its seat by corrosion of the metal, and forming a more perfect
air-tight joint than if such seat were of metal.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now pro-
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 exhibits a side clevation of my improved tap, shewing the adap-
tation thereof to a cask or barrel shewn partly in section; Figure 2 is a
similar section of the tap, drawn to an enlarged scale.

page_text: understood by reference to Figure 2, where it will be seen that said tap has
small holes a, b, formed therein, corresponding with openings c, d, formed in the
plug C, when said plug is so turned as to establish a communication between
'the inside of the barrel and the external atmosphere, the effect of which is to
admit atmospheric air into the upper part of the barrel by the openings a and b
and the elastic tubing D, the ends whereof are respectively fixed to the open-
ing b'in the tap B, and to the hollow vent peg. E, which should be fixed
air-tight in the barrel, and simultaneously with such admission of air. The
liquid flows out of the barrel by the opening e in the tap B, but upon shutting
off the tap, the openings a and b are also closed, and the communication with
the atmospheric air cut off, thus préserving the contents of the barrel there-
from in a simple, efficient, and unerring manner. In order to prevent setting
of the plug in the tap, and to ensure as near as may be perfect contact of
such parts, I insert a cork lining or annular piece of cork thereinto, as at
Figure 2.
By thus constructing taps and connecting them with hollow vent pegs by
means of elastic tubing, I render them more durable, and in all respects better
adapted for drawing off fermenting and other liquids than taps as heretofore
constructed.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
"Improvements in the Construction of Taps for Drawing off Liquids," together
with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to
consist in and I claim the constructing of taps in the manner above described,
and more particularly the connecting of the same with a hollow vent peg by
means of elastic tubing, as above stated, and represented by the Drawing
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Maxwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE, Agent for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square.
RICHARD MAXWELL. (L.S.)