IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS FOR CONTAINING VOLATILE OILS AND SPIRITS AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Funck, of Fenchurch Street, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
APPLICABLE TO VESSELS FOR CONTAINING VOLATILE OILS AND SPIRITS AND
OTHER LIQUIDS.” . - A communication from abroad by Messieurs
Meissner, Ackermann, and Company, of New York, in the United
States of America.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Henry Funck at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 30th January 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY FUNCK, of Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
T
m in noccossion of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: AND OTHER LIQUIDS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
and my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by Messieurs Meissner, Ackermann,
and Company, of New York, in the United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Henry Funck, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the annexed Drawings, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :--
This Invention consists in certain improved arrangements of mechanism
applicable to vessels for containing petroleum and other volatile oils and
spirits, and also liquids generally, and by means of which such vessels
are rendered perfectly air and vapour tight, whilst a ready mode of
withdrawing the liquid is afforded.
One modification of the apparatus which forms the subject of this
Invention consists in a valve or tap for opening and closing the aperture
of the vessel to which it is applied, the same being operated by a spring
or screw, or both combined, which serves or serve to press or draw the
valve up against the inner or outer surface of a disc, which disc is
provided with a discharge spout or tubular nipple in such a manner that
by forcing the valve back from its seat the liquid contained in the vessel
is free to be discharged through the spout or nipple without being liable
to run down on the outside of the vessel, whilst at the same time a tap
is obtained which does not materially project beyond the exterior surface
of the vessel, and consequently does not interfere with the operation of
packing several of such vessels close together.
A further part of this Invention consists in the arrangement of a
vent hole and a discharge opening in the disc or cup which, or a portion
of which, forms the valve seat, the said valve being drawn or pressed up
against its seat by a screw or spring in such a manner that, when the
valve is opened, the liquid will flow freely from the vessel, the interior
of which is in communication with the external air through the vent
hole. For the purpose of keeping the valve open a wire with a crook
capable of being introduced through the spout or vent hole of the tap is
employed.

page_text: Another modification of this Invention consists in the arrangement
of an intermediate air chamber in combination with a vent hole and
discharge pipe, and with a valve which is pressed up against its seat by
a spring or screw in such a manner that by means of the said air chamber
the liquid in being discharged from the vessel is relieved from bubbling.
A further modification of this Invention consists in the arrangement
of a disc forming an internal valve seat to receive a valve, which is
pressed up against it by means of a spring in combination with a
discharge spout, and with a bung, in such a manner that a contrivance
is obtained which combines the advantages of an ordinary bung with
those of a tap, and by securing of such bungs in a barrel the contents
thereof can be drawn off without the necessity of opening a special hole
for the tap.
Instead of the arrangement last described the following may be
advantageously used:-A disc is secured to the barrel head and provided
on its inner surface with a seat to receive a valve which is pressed up
thereon by a spring and on its outer surface, with a discharge spout in
such a manner that by forcing back the valve the contents of the barrel
to the head of which the apparatus is attached can be readily drawn off.
A tubular elbow is employed in combination with the spring valve, disc,
and barrel head, and attached to the said disc by a spring catch to
facilitate the discharge of the liquid contents of the barrel. This
arrangement may be modified as follows:-A pin extends through the
tubular elbow and acts on the valve, which is pressed up against the seat
on the inner surface of a disc secured in a barrel head in such a manner
that by means of the pin the valve can be readily forced back from its
seat and the operation of withdrawing the liquid from the barrel greatly
facilitated.
A further portion of this Invention consists in an attachment to the
discharge spout which serves to turn the current of liquid discharging
from the spout in the required direction, and which also acts as the
vent.
I will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, from which the
nature and details of the said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal central section of the tap when the
valve is closed by a spring; Figure 2 is a face view of the same;
Figure 2* is a detached plan of the discharge attachment; Figure 3 is a

page_text: section of a tap in which the valve is closed by a screw; Figure 4 is a
section of the same when the tap is open; Figure 5 is an end view of
the same; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a spring valve, shewing
a simple method of keeping the same open, Figure 7 being a face view
of the same; Figure 8 is a section of a tap in which the valve is
subjected to the action of a spring and a screw, the valve being closed-;
Figure 9 is a similar section of the same when the valve is open;
Figure 10 is a section of a tap in which the valve is drawn in against its
seat by a spring, the valve being closed, Figure 11 being a similar section
of the same when the valve is open; Figure 12 is a similar section of the
same tap, the plane of section being at right angles to that of the
previous Figure; Figure 13 is a section of a similar tap slightly modified;
Figure 14 is an inside view of the same; Figure 15 is a section of a tap
in which the valve is pressed up against its scat by a screw from the
outside against the action of a spring which serves to open the valve, the
latter being closed; Figure 16 is a similar section of the same when
the valve is open; Figure 17 is a section of the tap as applied to a bung,
Figure 18 being an inside view of the same; Figure 19 is a section of
the tap when applied to a barrel head, Figure 20 being a front view of
the same; Figure 21 is a side view of the discharge spout; and
Figure 22 is a transverse section of the same; Figure 23 is a section of
a tap shewing a modification of the manner in which it can be attached
to a barrel head. In these several Figures similar letters indicate

page_text: made cup-shaped or depressed, as shewn, and the spout d¹ projects
slightly beyond the surface of the disc, so that the liquid in flowing out
is not liable to run down over the side of the can, and at the same time
the spout does not interfere with the operation of packing the cans close
together.
Instead of using a spring for pressing up the valve against the seat a
screw which turns freely in the disc b may be used, the same being
prevented from moving therein in the direction of its axis either by a
pink (see Figure 4) or by other suitable means, the said screw being
tapped into the body of the valve. In this case the spout d¹ is made on
one side of the screw, and the vent hole i on the opposite side thereof.
As before stated, a chamber 7, situated between the valve seat and the
discharge spout, may be combined with the valve and disc. This
chamber may be formed in the inner surface of the disc b, as shewn in
Figure 4, or it may be formed on the outside of the said disc by means
of a cap m covering the disc, as shewn in Figures 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15,
and 16. By means of this intermediate chamber the bubbling of the
liquid while discharging is prevented.
For the purpose of keeping the valve open when the same is pressed
up against its seat from the inside I employ a wire n (see Figure 6),
which is provided with a shoulder o, so that when it is inserted through
the vent hole the valve can be pressed back from its seat and kept open.
When the tap is constructed as shewn in Figure 1 the wire n may be
inserted through the spout d'.
If the tap is constructed with a cap m, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9,
a screw p may be used in addition to the spring f, the said screw being
tapped into the body of the valve, so that by its action the valve can be
drawn up against its seat, and if the screw is turned back to the position
shewn in Figure 9 it serves as a finger picce to open the valve against
the force of the spring. The valve may also be made to close against a
seat on the outer surface of the disc b, and in this case I use either a
spring or screw to keep the valve up against its seat. The spring used
for this purpose may be applied, as shewn in Figures 10, 11, and 12, or
it may be arranged as shewn in Figures 13 and 14. In either of these
cases the valve is opened by means of a wire q, which is made to pass
through a loop and then placed across the cap m, as seen in Figure 12;
or the valve may be kept open by any other suitable means.
When a

page_text: screw is used to press the valve up against a seat on the outer surface of
the disc & the said screw is tapped in the cap m (see Figures: 15 and 16),
and a spring may be applied to force the valve off from its seat whenever
the screw is turned back.
When the tap is to be connected to a bung B (see Figures 17 and 18)
I use a flange 8, which takes over the disc b, to which the valve
chamber d is secured, and which is secured to the inner surface of the
bung by means of screws. The spout & extends into the bung, and an
elbow pipe t may be inserted into the outer end of the bung to conduct
the liquid flowing from the spout d in the requisite direction.
In applying the tap to a barrel head C (see Figures 19 to 23 inclusive)
I provide the said head with a cavity u to receive the dise 6 of the tap,
and by placing a suitable packing under the said disc and pressing it
down upon the said packing by a flange a tight joint is produced
between the tap and the barrel head. In order to facilitate the
discharge of the liquid through the tap I apply an elbow pipe w, which
fits over the spout d and is provided at its inner end with a lug x to
engage with a retaining spring y (see Figures 19 and 20). This spring
is fastened to the face of the head, and it is provided with a hole of such
a shape that the lugs x can be introduced when the elbow is placed in
the proper position, and by turning the said elbow the lugs catch under
the spring, and the inner edge of the elbow is pressed up tight against a
seat formed round the spout d. Through the elbow works a pin z, which
serves to force the valve back from its seat.
Instead of making the flange v which serves to fasten the disc 6 of the
tap to the barrel head in the form shown in Figure 19 it can be made in
the form shown in Figure 23, so that it can be screwed into the barrel
head, the joint between the head and the flange being rendered tight by
a suitable packing.
In Figures 1 and 2 is also shown an attachment 65 to the tubular
nipple or discharge spout d. This attachment consists of a slotted semi-
cylindrical trough, which is inserted into the nipple d, as shown in
Figure 1. By this attachment the current of the liquid discharging
from the nipple is turned down, and at the same time the slot in the
said attachment acts as the vent hole, so that the vent i can be
omitted.

page_text: Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as con-
stituting the said Invention, are, the combinations and arrangements of
parts, mechanism, and apparatus substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Funck, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
0
Witness,
GEORGE HENRY FUNCK. (L.S.)
R. S. MORDAUNT VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane.