IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TAPPING OF BEER CASKS AND OTHER CASKS OR BARRELS AND VESSELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Seager Dackus of Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Tool Maker and Walter Alfred Dackus of Birmingham aforosaid
Tool Maker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
FACILITATING THE TAPPING OF BEER CASKS AND OTHER CASKS OR BARRELS
AND VESSELS
"3
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Seager Dackus
and Walter Alfred Dackus at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 30th July 1883.
-
WILLIAM SEAGER DACKUS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Tool
Maker and WALTER ALFRED DACKUS of Birmingham aforesaid Tool Maker
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TAPPING OF BEER CASKS
AND OTHER CASKS OR BARRELS AND VESSELS
"
Our invention consists of the construction and combination of parts of
apparatus hereinafter described for facilitating the tapping of beer casks and
other casks or barrels and vessels.
On the outside of the cask or barrel and around the ordinary tap hole we fix
by screwing a circular plate. We will hereinafter call this plate the seat plate.
In the seat plate is a hole which is fixed over and coincides with the tap hole in
the cask. The outer face of the seat plate is covered with leather or other
packing material. Working in the scat plate is a circular plate constituting a
valve or closer the edge of the said valve or closer working within a rim or raised
edge on the seat plate. In the said valve or closer is a screwed hole into which
the screwed end of the leg of the tap may be screwed. Over the said seat plate
and the valve or closer a case or cap is fixed by screws passed through its flange
and made to take into the cask or barrel. When the said case or cap is secured
in its place on the cask or barrel the valve or closer is pressed forcibly against the
leather or other packing of the fixed seat plate so that the said valve or closer
works air and liquid tight against the said seat plate and can only be moved upon
the said seat plate by the application of considerable force. Around the screwed
tap hole in the valve or closer is a projecting collar which works in a curved slot
or opening in the fixed case or cap described the motion of the valve or closer

page_text: upon the seat plate being limited by the ends of the said slot or opening in the
case or cap. The projecting collar is screwed and serves as a socket for receiving
the tap. When the screwed collar or socket on the valve or closer is at the
bottom of the slot or opening in the cap or cover the hole in the valve or closer
is coincident with the holes in the seat plate and cask and liquid can be drawn
from the said cask. When the valve or closer is turned so that its screwed collar
or socket is brought to the top of the slot or opening in the cap the holes in the
seat plate and cask are closed air and liquid tight by a solid part of the valve or
closer being brought over the said holes.
In order to tap the cask or barrel when the valve or closer is in the last
described position the leg of the tap is screwed into the screwed collar or socket
in the valve or closer so as to connect the tap with the said valve or closer. By
means of a spanner applied to an angular part near the screwed end of the leg of
the tap the valve is turned upon its seat plate so as to bring the tap to the lowest
part of the slot or opening in the cap. The hole in the cask is thereby uncovered
or opened and the tap brought opposite the said uncovered hole and liquid can bo
drawn from the cask by opening the tap in the usual way.
-
The cask or barrel is thus tapped without the loss of any of its contents. When
the cask is empty the valve or closer is turned upon the seat plate in the manner
before described until the screwed collar in which the tap is screwed is brought to
the top of the curved slot or opening in the cap. The cask is thereby closed and
the tap way be removed. The tap hole in the empty cask is thus closed air and
-liquid tight and the fouling of the empty cask is thereby prevented.
Instead of turning the valve or closer by applying a spanner to the tap as
described a stem on the valve or closer may be made to pass to the outside of the
cap and be furnished with a head or nut to be gripped by a spanner and although
we prefer to give the valvo or closor a circular motion yet it may have a sliding
-motion with the same or nearly the same-effect.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Seager Dackus and Walter Alfred Dackus in the Patent
Office on the 25th January 1884.
WILLIAM SEAGER DACKUS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Tool
Maker and WALTER ALFRED DACKUS of Birmingham aforesaid Tool Maker
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TAPPING OF BEER CASKS
AND OTHER CASKS OR BARRELS AND VESSELS
"
Our invention consists of the construction and combination of parts of apparatus
horein after described for facilitating the tapping of beer casks and other casks or
barrels and vessels.
On the outside of the cask or barrel and around the ordinary tap hole we fix
by screwing a circular plate. We will herein after call this plate the seat plate.
In the seat plate is a hole which is fixed over and coincides with the tap hole in
the cask.
Or the seat plate carries a perforated tube which fits the tap hole. The outer
face of the seat plate is covered with leather or other packing inaterial. Working
in the seat plate is a circular plate constituting a valve or closer, the edge of the
said valve or closer working within a rim or raised edge on the seat plate. In
the said valve or closer is a screwed hole into which the screwed end of the leg of
the tap may be screwed. Over the said seat plate and the valve or closer, a case
or cap is fixed by screws or rivets passed through its flange and made to tako
into the cask or barrel. When the said case or cap is secured in its place the
valve or closer is pressed forcibly against the leather or other packing of the fixed
seat plate so that the said valve or closer works air and liquid tight against the
said seat plate and can only be moved upon the said seat plate by the application
of considerable force. Around the screwed tap hole in the valve or closer is a
projecting collar which works in a curved slot or opening in the fixed case or
cap described, the motion of the valve or closer upon the seat plate being limited
by the ends of the said slot or opening in the case or cap. The projecting collar
is screwed and serves as a socket for receiving the tap. When the screwed collar
or socket on the valve or closer is at the bottom of the slot or opening in the
cap or cover the hole in the valve or closer is coincident with the holes in the
seat plate and cask, and liquid can be drawn from the said cask. When the valve
or closer is turned so that its screwed collar or socket is brought to the top of
the slot or opening in the cap the holes in the seat plate and cask are closed air
and liquid tight by a solid part of the valve or closer being brought over the
suid holes.
•
In order to tap the cask or barrel when the valve or closer is in the last
described position, the leg of the tap is screwed into the screwed collar or socket
in the valve or closer so as to connect the tap with the said valve or closer. By
means of a spanner applied to an angular part near the screwed end of the leg of
the tap the valve is turned upon its seat plate so as to bring the tap to the lowest
part of the slot or opening in the cap. The hole in the cask is thereby uncovered
or opened and the tap brought opposite the said uncovered hole and liquid can be
drawn from the cask by opening the tap in the usual way.
The cask or barrel is thus tapped without the loss of any of its contents.
When the cask is empty the valve or closer is turned upon the seat plate in the
manner before described until the screwed collar in which the tap is screwed is
brought to the top of the curved slot or opening in the cap. The cask is thereby
closed and the tap may be removed. The tap hole in the empty cask is thus

page_text: closed air and liquid tight and the fouling of the empty cask is thereby
prevented.
Instead of turning the valve or closer by applying a spanner to the tap as
described, a stem on the valve or closer may be made to pass to the outside of the
cap and be furnished with a head or nut to be gripped by a spanner, and although
we prefer to give the valve or closer a circular motion yet it may have a sliding
motion with the same or nearly the same effect.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in front elevation our
improved apparatus applied to a portion of a cask or barrel, the said cask or
barrel being represented tapped; Figure 3 represents a vertical section and Figure
4 n front elevation of Figure 1 without the tap and Figure 5 represents a vertical
section and Figure 6a front elevation of the same with the parts of the apparatus
in position for closing the cask or barrel; Figure 7 represents in side elevation and
Figure 8 in vertical section the apparatus in combination with a union joint or
connection for use when the cask or barrel is to be connected with a beer machine;
Figures 9, 10 and 11 represent parts of the apparatus detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the cask or barrel and b is the tap hole therein; c is the seat plate of the
apparatus in a hole in which the open end of the perforated tube d is fixed, the
said tube & resembling the leg of an ordinary beer tap. The said tubo d is passed
through the tap hole b in the cask in applying the apparatus. The seat plate c is
represented separately in Figure 11. On the outer face of the seat plate c is a
concentric flange or raised rim e and within the said rim is a seating or covering
of leather or other packing material; f is the valve or closer consisting of a
disc or circular plate working closely within the flange or rim e of the seat plato
C. In the said valve or closer f is a hole around which is a short collar or socket
g screwed externally for receiving the beer tap h Figures 1 and 2, or the connection
Figures 7 and 8 for the beer machine. The valve or closer f is shown
separately in Figure 10. Over the seat plate c and the valve or closer f, a case or
cap k (shown separately in Figure 9) is fixed by rivetting its flange to the flange
of the scat plate cas represented. In the front of the cap k is the curved opening
with shoulders at top and bottom and at the back of the said cap is a washer
of leather or other packing m for ensuring a tight joint between it and the valve
or closer. When the case or cap k is secured to the seat plate the valve or
closer enclosed between them is pressed forcibly against the leather or other
packing in the seat plate so that the said valve or closer works air and liquid
tight against the seat plate and can only be moved upon the said plate by
considerable force. The screwed collar or socket g on the closer f works in a circular
opening in the cap k, the motion of the closer upon the seat plate being
limited by the ends or shoulders 12, of the said opening . When the scrowed
collar or socket g is at the bottom of the slot or opening 1, that is, bears against the
shoulder, the said collar or socket is coincident with the perforated tube d on the
seat plate cand liquid can be drawn from the cask as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3
and 4. When the valve or closer is turned so that its screwed collar or socket g is
brought to the top of the slot and made to bear against the shoulder 1, a solid
part of the said valve or closer is brought over the perforated tube & and the cask
is closed air and liquid tight as seen in Figures 5 and 6.
The apparatus is fixed to the empty cask or barrel by screws passed through the
flanges of the cap and seat plate c the perforated tube d at the back of the scat
plate c occupying the tap hole b and projecting into the cask. The barrel or cask
is filled with liquid after the valve or closer has been brought to the position
Figure 5.
In order to tap the cask or barrel, a beer tap h without the ordinary leg, repre-
sented in Figures 1 and 2, or when the cask or barrel is to be connected to a beer

page_text: machine, the pipe i represented in Figures 7 and 8, is screwed by its union joint n
onto the screwed socket g of the closer the details of the connecting joint whether
of the tap or pipe of the beer machine being best shown in Figure 8. By means
of a spanner applied to the union joint n for tightening it, the valve or closer f can
be turned upon its seat plate c and brought into the position shown in Figures 12.
3. 4 and 7. The collar or socket g is thereby brought opposite to the perforated
tube d attached to the seat plate and projecting into the cask and the said cask is
tapped and liquid can be drawn from it by opening the tap h or working the beer
machine to which the pipe i is connected. The cask or barrel is thereby tapped
without the loss of any of its contents. When the cask is empty the valve or
closer is turned by a spanner applied to the union joint n into the position repre-
sented in Figures 5 and 8, and the tap or connection is then removed. The cask
or barrel is thereby closed air and liquid tight and the fouling of the empty cask
prevented.
Figure 12 represents in side elevation; Figure 13 in end elevation and Figures
14 and 15 in front elevation closed and open, our improved tapping apparatus in
which the valve or closer has a sliding motion instead of a motion through part of
a circle. In this modified apparatus, c is the seat plate covered on its outer faco
with a packing ƒ and carrying at its back the perforated pipe & for passing
through the tap hole b in the cask or barrel a; k is the cap formed of side cheeks
rivetted to the seat plate c. In a dovetail in the cap or checks k the sliding valve
or closer fworks; g is the screwed socket in which the tap or pipe is screwed. The
seat plate c is screwed to the cask or barrel. In Figures 12, 13 and 14, the valvo
or closer f is represented in position for tapping the barrel and in Figure 15 the
valve or closer is represented raised upon the seat plate for closing the cask. Stops
limit the sliding motion of the valve or closer in either direction to tap or open the
cask.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which tho
same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that we claim as our invention
of "Improvements in apparatus for facilitating the tapping of beer casks and other
casks or barrels and vessols;
Apparatus for the purpose described consisting essentially of the scat plato c
faced with leather or other packing material, and the cap or case or checks k
between which said seat plato and cap or case or cheeks the valve or closer f, g
works, air and liquid tight, the several parts of the apparatus being constructed
and combined and used substantially as heroin before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof we the said William Seager Dackus and Walter Alfred
Dackus have hereunto set our hands and seals this Eighteenth day of January in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
AUTET TAKE SELGED
DIARA