Liquor Check.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 7th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 7th Dec., 1887
Publican's Liquor Check.
I JOHN CHARLES TANNER of 40 Rosenau Road Battersea in the county of Surrey
Surveyor & Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
An electric and other attachment is fixed to each pull or pump of a beer engine or
other pumps in circuit with a battery and indicating dials in such manner that the
quantity of liquor drawn at each stroke half or quarter stroke of the pump shall be
duly registered on the dials; an electric and other attachment is fixed to each spirit
cock in circuit with a battery and electro magnet &c. in such manner that the quantity
of liquid passed through the cock shall be duly registered; the indicators can be
enclosed in a suitable case and be accessible to the proprietor only, can be fixed in
any part of the house, requires very little attention.

page_text: I, JOHN CHARLES TANNER of 40 Rosenau Road Battersea in the County of Surrey
Surveyor and Electrician 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 :-
According to this invention and for the purpose chiefly of protecting publicans
against dishonest employés I automatically check or indicate and record on dials the
amount of beer drawn from a beer engine or other pump at each stroke, half stroke or
quarter stroke of the pump by means of electric and other appliances fixed thereto.
Another part of my invention consists in appliances for similarly recording the quantity
of spirits passed through a spirit tap. My invention is applicable to existing beer
pulls and spirit taps.
And in order that the first part of my invention may be fully understood I will
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a
sectional end view of a beer engine fitted or constructed according to my invention,
Figure 2 an end view of part of the apparatus drawn to a larger scale and Figure 3
a side view of such part and Figure 4 a plan. Figure 5 is an end view and Figure 6
a side view of a detail. Figure 7 is elevation of a dial indicator or counter appliance
adapted for and used in connection with the invention. Figure 8 vertical longitudinal
section of same showing also the electro magnet part for actuating it, and Figure 9
a plan.
To the fulcrum pin A of the pull lever A¹ of the pull B I fix a toothed sector
wheel C (which may be of the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 for conveniently
attaching it to a boss on such fulcrum pin A. This sector wheel C gears with another
tooth wheel sector D to which is fixed a spring pawl D'. This latter gears with a
pawl wheel E which is fixed to a disc or wheel F made of ebonite or other suitable
nonconductor of electricity and provided at regulated intervals all round with brass or
other metal strips G which may as here shewn form part of a brass ring put all round
the disc F, or may be dovetail sectioned pins driven into corresponding dovetail
notches formed in the circumference of the ebonite disc F or the contact may be
arranged in any other suitable and well known manner for such purpose. H H are
two metallic contact springs one connected to the positive and the other to the negative
pole of a battery circuit. The distance between the contacts G corresponds to a
delivery of say one eighth of a pint. Instead of the two springs H being arranged
side by side on a wide disc F I may use two such springs arranged on opposite sides
of a disc half the thickness.
Referring next to Figures 7, 8 and 9 the electro magnet I is by wires connected to
the battery. Its keeper K is at one end of a double armed lever L fixed to a double
pallet escapement L' which gears with an escapement wheel in the usual manner, this
wheel being fitted to an ordinary counter appliance with say four dials as shown here
which are divided and marked as shown.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows:--when the pull B is worked the lover A
is raised whereby the sector wheel C turns the sector wheel D which by its spring
pawl D' turns the pawl wheel E and thereby also the contact wheel F round a part of
a revolution. For every eighth of a pint drawn by the pull a contact G of the contact
wheel F will pass the contact springs H once, hence if say three eighths of a pint be
drawn (about enough to fill an ordinary glass tumbler) the contact springs will make
three contacts, and the keeper K be attracted three times, and the hand on the one
gallon dial be moved three times or in all traverse a distance of three eighths of a
division on the 1 gallon dial, and so on for any other longth of pull.
Figure 2 is an end view of a modified arrangement of the contact wheel F in
cases where it is not convenient to place it in the position shown in Figure 1 owing to .
the fulcrum of the lever A¹ being too close up to the counter top. In such case I
make the pin U Figure 1 of the pump somewhat longer and fit thereon the lower eye
of the connecting rod V Figure 24 and provide the upper end of said rod with a lever D
having a spring pawl D which works with the contact wheel in the same manner
as above described. Or instead of this arrangement I sometimes fit to the said
prolonged joint pin U a toothed rod or rack which is guided at its upper end and
gears with a sector tooth wheel such as D Figure 2 from which then by the spring
pawl D' motion is communicated to the pawl wheel E and contact disc F.
The second part of my invention relating to the recording of spirits drawn by a
spirit tap is illustrated by Figures 10 to 16. Figure 10 is a side view and Figure 11
underside view of a spirit tap fitted according to my invention, and Figures 12 and 13
are respectively vertical section and front view of an indicator or counter appliance
connected thereto and to an electric battery. Figures 14, 15 and 16 show another
form of counter.
Referring first to Figures 10 to 13 the plug M of the spirit tap has fixed to it an
oblong metallic washer N which for every half turn of the cock forms contact on both
sides with contact springs O and O¹. These latter are by wires connected to the two
poles of an electric battery and with the terminals P P¹ of the counter shown in
Figures 12 and 13. I is an electro magnet and K the armature therefor which is
fixed on a two armed lever L having its fulcrum in the bracket L'. The other or
upper end of the lever L acts as a stop to pull out of gear a pawl or pallet escapement
which gears with a pawl wheel in the usual manner; this wheel is fitted to counter
tooth wheel gear of any suitable well known form impelled by clockwork and provided
with pointer spindles with pointers or hands Q and R which indicate on two corre-
sponding graduated scales on a dial S as shown.
The action of this apparatus is as follows. When the spirit tap is closed the pawl L'
holds fast its pawl wheel and thus prevents the clock work from going. But when the
spirit tap is in the open position shown its washer N comes in contact with the
springs and 0 thus establishing the electrical circuit with the battery and
magnetizing the electromagnet I which attracts the keeper K and releases the pawl L¹
so that the clock work is set going and the hands Q and R also, and indicating the
quantity of spirits drawn off as regulated in exact accordance with the time consumed.
When turning off the spirit cock the action of the apparatus ceases again.
Figures 14, 15 and 16 show in vertical longitudinal section plan and side view an
apparatus for registering by graduations on a paper ribbon the quantity of liquor
passed through the cock, the graduations or indications corresponding to certain
quantities of liquor drawn off. The paper ribbon S is drawn off a reel I and passes
out of the indicating apparatus between the rollers S1 and S2 one of them at least
being flanged and made of or covered with yielding material such for instance as
india-rubber. The outer side or flange of the roller T is by preference removable to
facilitate placing on the body of the roller a roll of tape. The roller S³ is loose, but
the roller S' is fast on its spindle which by gearing is connected to any suitable clock-
work dial indicator arranged for instance as here shown. The escapement is however.
adapted to my invention by means of a stop Lx on the lever L of the armature K.
The lever W figure 16' serves to wind up the clock work.
The action as follows. When the spirit tap is open, the circuit is established and

page_text: the keep K is attracted. The opposite end of the armature lever L will thus be
raised and the stop Lx will release the pallet or pawl from the escapement wheel
whereby the clock work is set going and thereby also the roller S' which thus draws
off the reel T a corresponding length of paper ribbon to the extent of one or more
indications or graduations thereon in accordance with the quantity of spirits drawn.
When the cock is shut the action ceases.
Instead of electromagnets I may use solenoids. The indicators should be enclosed
in a case of wood or other suitable material and be accessible only to the proprietor.
It may be fixed in any part of the house, so also the battery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :--
First The application to the pull or lever of a beer engine or the like of appliances
for turning in accordance with the length of stroke of pull or lever and quantity of
liquor drawn off a contact wheel having a number of electric contacts in such a
manner that when the pull is worked the circuit of an electrical battery shall be
thereby closed and the armature of an electromagnet thereby be attracted once for
each contact made such armature being arranged to turn a pawl wheel which is in
connection with a dial indicator for indicating or recording the amount of liquor
drawn substantially as set forth.
Second-The application to the plug of a spirit tap or the like of a part or parts
which when and as long as the tap is open closes by means of contacts the circuit of
an electric battery whereby the keeper of an electro magnet is held attracted such
armature being arranged so as to then release the escapement of a clock work
indicator with dial and to stop the escapement and thus also the action of the clock
work and indicator when the plug of the spirit tap is closed substantially as set
forth.
Third The application to the plug of a spirit tap or the like of a part or parts
which when and as long as the tap is open closes by means of contacts the circuit of
an electric battery whereby the armature of an electro-magnet is held attracted, such
armature being arranged so as to then release the escapement of a clock work
indicator which works a graduated paper ribbon and to stop the escapement and thus
also the action of the clock work and paper ribbon when the plug of the spirit is
closed substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The constructions of apparatus or combinations and adaptations of parts
forming the apparatus for automatically recording the amount of liquor drawn off by
a beer engine or spirit tap or like appliances as described and shown on the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of October 1887.
JOHN CHARLES TANNER.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.