INSURING SAFETY FROM COLLAPSE THROUGH A VACUUM FORMED BY THE ADMISSION OF COLD LIQUOR INTO STILLS OR OTHER CLOSE VESSELS WHILE IN A HEATED CONDITION
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ROBERT MELVIN MCDOUGALL 142 Pollok Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Renfrew, Coppersmith, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for INSURING
SAFETY FROM COLLAPSE THROUGH A VACUUM FORMED BY THE ADMISSION OF COLD
LIQUOR INTO STILLS OR OTHER CLOSE VESSELS WHILE IN A HEATED CONDITION
to be as follows:-
I construct an ordinary Stop Cock, of Gun Metal, Brass, or other suitable Alloy,
of an approved pattern, with barrel long enough to admit of two tails or branches
being placed either directly above each other, or at any angle.
The lower portion of this combined Cock I term the Charging Cock.
The upper portion I term the Air Cock.
By a contrivance which I shall hereafter proceed to describe the Keys or plugs
of these two seperate and distinct Cocks are so connected that the Charging Cock
can never be opened to admit Liquor into the Still, or other close vessel, without
at the same time opening the Air Cock, and as the apperture of the Air Cock is
much wider (being round) than the apperture of of the Charging Cock (which is
oblong) the Air Cock is always open in advance of the Charging Cock. To allow
the Spent Wash, Lees, or other Spent Liquor being run off quickly, the Air Cock
may be opened full way without opening the Charging Cock in the smallest degree,
I introduce a stop in each Cock to prevent their being turned in any other than
the direction in which they are set to work in perfect safety, these stops prevent
the Cocks being turned more than one quarter of their circumference, both Cocks
are opened and shut by Lever handles fixed in their respective places by cotter, or
nut and washer, the Lever handle of Charging Cock has a projecting pin welded
on its back edge and crossing the Lever handle of Air Cock, so that it cannot pass
to open the Charging Cock without carrying the Lever handle of Air Cock along
with it, and so opening the Air Cock also.
hunded and night five

page_text: Close Vessels.
I, ROBERT MELVIN MODOUGALL 142.Pollok Street Glasgow County of Renfrew
Coppersmith do hereby declare the nature of my invention for INSURING SAFETY
FROM COLLAPSE THROUGH A VACUUM FORMED BY THE ADMISSION OF COLD LIQUOR
INTO STILLS AND OTHER CLOSE VESSELS WHILE IN A HEATED CONDITION, to be
as follows and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
I construct an ordinary Stop-cock of Gun Metal, Brass, or other suitable Alloy,
of an approved pattern with barrel long enough to admit of two branches or tails
being placed either directly above one another or at any angle; into this long barrel
I fit two keys or plugs each separate from the other.
The lower portion of this Cock with water-way straight through I term the
Charging Cock.
The upper part with air passage at right angles I term the Air Cock.
By a contrivance which I shall hereafter proceed to describe the keys or plugs
of these two cocks are so connected that the charging Cock can never be opened
to admit liquor into the Still or other close vessel without at the same time opening
the Air Cock and as the aperture of the Air Cock is much wider (being perfectly
round) than the aperture of the Charging Cock (which is oval or oblong), the Air
Cock is always open in advance of the Charging Cock. To allow the spent Wash,
Lees or other spent liquor being run quickly off the Air Cock may be opened full
way without opening the charging Cock in the smallest degree. I introduce a stop
in each cock to prevent their being turned in any other than the direction in which
they are set to work in perfect safety; these stops prevent the Cock being turned
more than one quarter of their circumference.
Both Cocks are opened & shut by lever handles fixed in their respective places
by cotter or nut & washer, the lever handle of charging cock has a projecting pin
cast or welded on its back edge and crossing the lever handle of Air Cock, so that
it cannot pass to open the Charging Cock without carrying the lever handle of Air
Cock along with it & so opening the Air Cock also.
Having now described the purpose and nature of my invention for securing
safety from collapse through a vacuum formed by the admission of cold liquor
into Stills or other close vessels while in a heated condition and in order that my
said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed more particularly to
describe the same, and for that purpose refer to the sheet of drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 of my drawings represents a sectional elevation of my Safety Combined
Air & Charging Cock.
The key or plug A of Charging Cock B B has a long solid spindle C, passing
upwards through Air-cock, this spindle is square at upper end and fitted with a
lever handle b for turning.
The key or plug D of Air Cock E. has a hollow spindle d d. fitting easily over
the solid spindle C of charging Cock, this hollow spindle d. d. is also square at
upper end and fitted with a lever handle c for turning.

page_text: On side of lever handle b at d I form a catch or pin projecting downwards and
crossing lever handle c and thereby forming a stop which prevents the charging
Cock being opened unless the Air Cock is opened also.
The stop to prevent the Charging Cock being turned in any other than the
direction it is set to work in perfect safety, is shewn in lower end of barrel of
charging cock at e, it consists of a Pin fixed into Cock working in a groove in the
form of a quadrant in washer F.
The stop in Air Cock I form by cutting a quadrant out of the upper edge of
barrel of Air Cock and screwing a pin into the key or plug, when necessary to
conform to the requirements of the Board of Inland Revenue I provide a Dome-
shaped cover G with perforated diaphram i. i to prevent anything being run into
or abstracted from the Still through the Air passage; this cover I secure with
plate and cotter H or by screwed nut and washer I & J. as shewn on accompanying
drawing Fig. 1.-Fig. 2 is a plan of my Safety Combined Air and Charging
Cock.
Having now fully described my invention for securing safety from collapse
through a vacuum formed by the admission of cold liquor into Stills or other close
vessels while in a heated condition, and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid the apparatus above shewn and described or any mere modification
thereof in which the Air and the Charging Cocks are constructed within one
common barrel and so interlocked that the Charging Cock cannot be opened
without opening the Air Cock also.
In witness whereof I the said Robert Melvin M.Dougall have hereunto set
my hand and seal this 14th day of December in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty five,
ROBERT MELVIN MCDOUGALL.