A New or Improved Device for Preventing the Fouling of Beer or other Barrels.
Year: 1887

page_text: A New or Improved Device for Preventing the Fouling of Beer
or other Barrels.
I ALFRED DICKINSON of Tramway Depot Darlaston in the County of Stafford
Tramway Manager do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
My invention has for its object a new or improved device for preventing the fouling
of beer or other barrels by which the hole for receiving the tap is automatically kept
constantly closed and airtight until the tap is inserted when it is opened and again
closed when the tap is withdrawn. Much expense is caused to Brewers by the fouling
of beer barrels, and the stock of such barrels has to be much larger as a good deal of
time is occupied in sweetening them.
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood and easily carried into
practice I have appended hereunto a double sheet of drawings upon which the same is
illustrated as applied to the front of a beer barrel.
Figure 1 is a side view of the device complete and ready to apply to a barrel.
Figure 2 is a front view of the device before the tap is applied.
Figure 3 is a back view of the device.
Figure 4 is a broken off section of the end C of a beer barrel and also a section on
line A. B. of the device applied thereto.
Figure 5 is practically the same view as the previous Figure but with the tap shown
as applied thereto.
The device consists so far as the general outside appearance is concerned, of the tube
or cylinder E having the perforations e¹ and the circular flange D with the back
sealing end K. The tube or cylinder E may be made slightly taper so as to drive
into the hole in the end of the barrel or I may depend entirely upon the junction
between the under face of the flange D and the barrel end C for a tight joint but I
prefer a slight taper at the root of E which when turned would meet the hole in the
end C if bored with a special tool which would greatly assist in making the device
solid with the end. The screws d³, d³, d keep the device in position against the face
of C. The cylinder or tube E has mounted therein a valve M with say three

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legs m³, m³, m³ and having an india rubber or other face m to make a joint with the
inward shoulder of the tube E and this valve M is kept up to the face by the
spring R which is with the valve inserted from the back end after which the end K is
screwed therein by means of a spiral tube inserted in the holes and ³ or other
suitable provision may be made for sealing the end or for screwing in the part K.
The front flange D is provided with a screwed hole d' which receives the tap S which
has a corresponding thread and as the tap is screwed home it faces the valve M away
from its seat or face e which allows the beer or liquid to flow and it will be evident
that when the tap is withdrawn the the valve M will automatically close by the action
of the spring R thereon and thus the barrel will be kept tight in all conditions.
These valve casings may be galvanized or coated in any known manner to prevent
injury to the contents of the vessel.
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 :-
The new or improved device for preventing the fouling of beer or other barrels
consisting of the cylinder or tube. E containing the spring valve M for automatically
closing the whole being mounted upon the front flange D so as to be removeable bodily
from the outside substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1887.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.