AN IMPROVED BARREL PLUG AND COUPLING
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 13th July, 1888
United States of America.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED BARREL PLUG AND COUPLING," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of an improved plug to be inserted into casks and barrels,
especially ale barrels, and a coupling to be used with said plug, whereby the liquor
may be conveniently drawn from the barrel.
Of the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of one form of my combined plug and coupling.
Fig. 2 shows in section the plug portion alone.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the coupling.
Fig. 4 a similar view of a modified form of coupling attached to the same plug, the
section being taken on ca, Fig. 6.
Fig. 5 is a front view of the plug portion alone. And
Fig. 6 a side view of the form of coupling shown in Fig. 4.
The plug is intended to be inserted permanently in the barrel head and
the coupling is screwed therein whenever it is desired to draw the liquor from the
barrel.
When only one burrel at a time is required to be tapped one coupling portion only
may be used for any number of barrels furnished with the plugs.
A is the plug proper provided with the flange d and the screw thread 6 by which it is
secured in the barrel head. oo are notches to receive a wrench for screwing the
plug. The plug is bored out to receive the hollow valve stem E of the conical

page_text: valve E, communication with the interior of the valve stem being had by means of a
number of openings h near the valve. To the rear of the portion A is screwed the
chamber B, which projects backward into the barrel and which contains a number of
holes a.
The chamber B contains the stiff spring S which tends to keep the conical
valvo E firmly pressed against its seat, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position, the
holes being closed, no liquor can escape from the barrel. When, however,
the valve is pressed sufficiently back against the springs to uncover the holes h
the ale enters the hollow valve stem through the said holes h and thus escapes.
The form of coupling device shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is intended to open the
valve E by simply screwing the coupling into the plug. This coupling consists of a
sleeve C, the end of which is threaded at f to screw into the hole tapped in the
outer end of the flanged plug A. D is a pipe fitting the sleeve and provided with
a collar t which bears against a recess in the rear end of the sleeve.. The rear end of
the pipe D is made conical, as at k, to fit a corresponding seat in the front of the
valve stem E, and projects for sufficient distance back of the sleeve to open the
valve E, when the sleeve is screwed into the plug. m is a groove in the pipe D into
which projects the screw, thereby enabling the pipe to turn freely in the sleeve,
but preventing any motion of the same back and forth. H H are handles
by which the sleeve is screwed into the plug e is a flange of the sleeve bearing
against the plug, when the sleeve is in place therein, and p is a soft packing
washer.
The sleeve C is screwed for some distance into the plug before the pipe D comes in
contact with the valve stem, against which it accurately fits, after which any further
screwing opens the valve E by pressing it back from the seat. When the said valve is
open a continuous passage is formed through the valve stem and pipe-through which
the liquor flows out.
In Fig. 4 is shown a form of coupling device adapted to screw into the same plug,
but so constructed that the mere screwing of the sleeve into the plug does not open
the valve, a separate motion being required. To this end the pipe D, while provided
with the groove m has no collar, but is adapted to slide back and forth in the sleeve.
The sleeve is faced off, as shown at I in Fig. 6, and is provided with the lug i,
between which and the surface I is pivoted the lever T. The lower end of the lever T
is bent at right angles forming a square shouldered end u, which works in the
groove m. The lever T being at right angles to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6,
the pipe D is in such a position that when the sleeve is screwed into the plug, the
conical scat is just in contact with the valve stem E, the valve E being on its seat.
When it is desired to open the valve it is necessary to press down the lever into the
position shown in Figs. 4 and 6, when the plug D is forced backward, thereby pressing
the valve E back from its seat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A barrel plug consisting of the combination of the part A, the perforated
chamber B, the spring S and the valve E provided with a perforated tubular stem E',
substantially as described.
2: A barrel plug provided with a spring seated valve, having a perforated valve
stem in combination with a coupling consisting of a sleeve having a screw threaded
end, and a tube rotatively held in said sleeve and accurately fitting against said valve
stem, whereby when the sleeve is screwed into the plug, the valve is opened by said
tube, substantially as described.
3. A barrel coupling consisting of a sleeve Chaving the screw threaded end fin
combination with a tube D rotatively held in said sleeve and projecting rearwardly
therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. A barrel coupling consisting of a sleeve C provided with the screw threaded end f
in combination with a screw nand a tube D, having a collar t and a groove m whereby,

page_text: when the said coupling is screwed to a plug having a spring seated valve, the said
valve is opened, substantially as described.
5. A barrel plug consisting of the part A, the perforated chamber B, the spring S
and the valve E, having the perforated tubular stem E' in combination with a coupling
consisting of the sleeve C, the screw n, the packing and the tube D accurately
fitting against said valve stem and provided with the collar t and the groove m,
substantially as described.
6. A barrel coupling consisting of a sleeve having a screw threaded end in
combination with a tube D and suitable means whereby, when the said sleeve is
screwed to a plug having a spring seated valve, the said tube D may be moved back
and forth in said sleeve, thereby opening and closing said valve at will, substantially as
described.
7. A barrel coupling consisting of a sleeve C having a screw threaded end f, in
combination with a lever T having a square shouldered end and a tube D provided
with the slot m arranged, whereby the said tube is moved back and forth in said sleeve,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
8. A barrel coupling consisting of the sleeve C having the lug i and the surface I,
in combination with the lever T pivotted at and having the square shouldered
portion at right angles to the said lever, and the tube D provided with the slot m,
whereby the tube is moved back and forth in said sleeve by the action of the said lever,
substantially as described.