IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF'LIQUIDS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Martineau, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, and Brooke Smith, of Birmingham, aforesaid;
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS FOR DRAWING
OFF'LIQUIDS!""
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Martineau and
Brooke Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th July 1856.
We,
ROBERT MARTINEAU, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,"
Manufacturer, and BROOKE SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, of a tap for. drawing off liquids, through the
tail of which tap a passage is provided for the admission of air into casks.to
permit of the flow of the liquid, and the barrel of which tap is lined with cork.
The novelty consists in lining such taps with cork...
Our Invention consists, secondly, of a tap for drawing off liquids, in which
tap a passage is provided. for the admission of air into casks to permit of the
flow of the liquid, and which tap also has a passage for the admission of air
into the tap when the stream is. stopped, so as to obviate that pressure of the
atmosphere on the mouth of the tap which frequently prevents the complete.
discharge of the liquid from the mouth of the tap, whether such taps have cork
linings or not.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Martineau and Brooke Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
MARTINEAU, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
BROOKE SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Robert Martineau and Brooke Smith, Her special licence that we, the said
Robert Martineau and Brooke Smith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Martineau and Brooke Smith,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from 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 TAPS FOR DRAWING OFF
LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert
Martineau and Brooke Smith, our. executors. or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, 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 Brooke Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, of a tap constructed in the manner herein-
after explained, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, for drawing off
liquids, through the tail of which said tap a passage is made for the admission'
of air into casks to permit of the flow of the liquid, and the barrel of which
said tap is lined with cork. The novelty of this part of our Invention consists
in lining such taps with cork.
Our Invention consists, secondly, of a tap constructed in the manner herein-
after explained, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, for drawing off
liquids, in which said tap a passage is made for the admission of air into casks

page_text: to permit of the flow of the liquid, and which said tap also has a passage for
the admission of air into the tap when the stream is stopped, so as to obviate
that pressure of the atmosphere on the mouth of the tap which frequently
prevents the complete discharge of the liquid from the mouth of the tap,
whether such taps have cork linings or not.
b
Figures 1, 2, and 3 severally represent in. vertical section taps or cocks
constructed according to our 'Invention. à represents in each Figure. the tail
of the cock; and 6 represents in each Figure the plug of the cock, the lower.
part of each plug being hollow, and marked c; e is a tube-like lining of cork,
inserted between the plug b and the body of the tap, in which the plug. turns;
g in the several Figures is a tube extending along the tail of the tap a; and
opening at one end into the barrel or vessel in which the tap is inserted, and
at the other end into the body of the tap at h. The cork lining e is perforated
at à point opposite to the tube g, so as to continue the tubular opening through.
the said cork lining. A hole is formed in the plug 6 opposite to and in con-
tinuation of the tube 9. This hole is marked i in Figure 1, & in Figure 2,
and in Figure 3. The said hole may be made to communicate in various
ways with the external air when the plug 6 is in such a position that liquid is
being discharged through the water way d from the tap. The hole i, Figure 1,
opens into the air by making a right angle, or by pursuing a' course in a direc-
tion perpendicular to the plane in which the section, Figure 1, is taken. The
hole k, Figure 2, communicates with the air by means of the hole m in the
peg 9 of the tap and the hole l. Figure 3 communicates with the air by
means of the oblique communication n.
The second part of our Invention is also illustrated in the several Figures.
This part of our Invention consists in making a hole o through the body ƒ of
the tap, and also through the cork lining e, the effect of which hole o is to
discharge completely the liquor from the spout p of the tap. When the plug b
of the tap is turned so as to shut off the flow of the liquid, the water way dis
brought opposite to the hole o, and air entering through the said water way
from the hole o permits of the complete discharge of the liquid from the
spout p.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of our said Invention; but
we claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, the improvements in taps for drawing off liquids, herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, lining

page_text: with cork such. taps or cocks for drawing off liquids as are provided with a
passage through the tail thereof for the admission of air into the cask. or vessel
to promote the flow of the liquid from the said cask.or vessel.
Secondly, the improvements; in taps for drawing off liquids, herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making
a passage for the admission. of air into the spout. of. suchitaps or cocks as are
provided with a passage for the admission (of air into the cask or vessel; the
said:admission of air into the spout permitting of the complete discharge of the
liquid from the said spout:
In witness whereof, I; the said Brooke Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
BROOKE SMITH. (L.B.)