Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Off and Measuring Liquids, and Indicating or Recording the Amount of Liquid so Drawn Off, or the Number of Times the Apparatus has been Operated.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept., 1897
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Off and Measuring Liquids,
and Indicating or Recording the Amount of Liquid so Drawn Off,
or the Number of Times the Apparatus has been Operated.
I, JOHN MILLS of Tipton in the County of Stafford, Accountant, do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide an apparatus for use by retailers of
liquors or in other cases where it is desired to draw off liquids in measured
quantities and to indicate or record the number of times the liquid has been so
drawn off during any given period thereby preventing fraud and waste of liquid.
According to my Invention I employ a measuring tap which contains a hollow
plug or receptacle for the amount which is to be measured and drawn off at each
operation of the apparatus. The said hollow plug or receptacle is capable of being
moved in a casing with an opening therein for the entrance of the liquid from
the vat or receptacle from which it is to be drawn off to the said hollow plug or
receptacle within the casing and with an outlet for the escape of the liquid from
the said hollow plug or receptacle into the glass or other receiver therefor.
The hollow plug or receptacle is so shaped and the openings therein which
respectively are to coincide with the inlet and outlet passages in the casing are
so arranged that the inlet passage for liquid to the hollow plug or receptacle is
fully closed before the outlet passage f.: the liquid commences to open. In con-
nection with the hollow plug or receptacle so that it is operated by each movement
thereof is a counter by which the number of times the tap is operated is indicated
or recorded. The counter is enclosed in a box or casing so that it cannot be
tampered with and it is operated by means of a pawl and ratchet wheel arrange-
ment and counting wheels within the box or casing, the said pawl being operated
by being connected with or formed as a continuation of a rod connected with and
operated by the hollow plug or receptacle so that liquid cannot be drawn off
without the counter being operated also. A convenient arrangement, if the tap
be worked by a rotary movement, is to work the rod of the pawl by an eccentric
on the hollow plug or receptacle. If the said hollow plug or receptacle be
operated by a reciprocating movement and the counting arrangement be mounted
above it the rod which actuates the pawl of the counter may be bent into D-shape
and be connected with the hollow plug or receptacle so that one end operates the
hollow plug or receptacle whilst the other end operates the counter the loop
forming a convenient handle to be grasped by the operator.
In applying my invention to what are known as beer engines in which several
operating handles are provided for drawing off different kinds of liquor I provide
in connection with the engine a receptacle preferably of glass or partly of glass
and divided into compartments in number according to the number of pulls in
the beer engine. Each compartment communicates with one of the outlets from
the engine and I connect to each of these compartments an apparatus such as

page_text: hereinbefore described so that the liquid admitted into the compartment may be
drawn therefrom in measured quantities as described. The compartments are
made air tight so that any liquid that may remain therein will not be deteriorated.
Dated this 7th day of November 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Off and Measuring Liquids,
and Indicating or Recording the Amount of Liquid so Drawn Off,
or the Number of Times the Apparatus has been Operated.
I, JOHN MILLS, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Accountant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for use by retailers of
liquors or in other cases when it is desired to draw off liquids in measured
quantities, and to indicate or record the number of times the liquid has been
so drawn off during any given period thereby preventing fraud and waste of liquid.
I will describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2a front end elevation of one form of
my improved apparatus and
Figures 3 and 4 are similar longitudinal central sections shewing the device
in respectively its closed position in which it receives the liquid from the source
of supply and its open position in which its contents are discharged into the
receptacle intended to receive it.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
According to my invention I employ a measuring tap which contains a hollow
plug or receptacle A for the amount which is to be measured and drawn off at
each operation of the apparatus.
The said hollow plug or receptacle is capable of being moved in a casing B
with an opening b therein for the entrance of the liquid from the vat or receptacle
from which it is to be drawn off, to the said hollow plug or receptacle A within
the casing B, and with an outlet 61 for the escape of the liquid from the said
hollow plug or receptacle into the glass or other receiver therefor. The hollow
plug or receptacle is suitably packed as at a to prevent the passage of liquid
between it and the casing B. The vat or other source of supply is not shewn
in the drawings but C represents the pipe or connection leading from the vat
to the casing B, and C represents a cock for opening and closing this
communication.
The hollow plug or receptacle A has ports or openings a and a¹, which respec-
tively are to coincide with the inlet passage b and outlet passage b' in the casing B,
and are so arranged that the inlet passage for liquid to the hollow plug or
receptacle A is fully closed before the outlet passage for the liquid, commences
to open, as will be readily understood by referring to Figures 3 and 4. In
connection with the hollow plug or receptacle A, so that it is operated by each
movement thereof, is a counter D by which the number of times the tap is operated
is indicated or recorded. The counter is enclosed in a box or casing so that it
cannot be tampered with and it is operated by means of a pinion, or a pawl and
ratchet wheel arrangement, and counting wheels within the box or casing the
said pinion or pawl being operated by being formed as a continuation of or

page_text: W
preferably connected through a lever arm d with a rod E connected and operated
the hollow plug or receptacle A so that liquid cannot be drawn off without
the counter being operated. A convenient arrangement, if the tap be worked
by a rotary movement, is to work the rod of the pawl by an eccentric on the
hollow plug or receptacle. If the said hollow plug or receptacle be operated by a
reciprocating movement and the counting arrangement be mounted above it as
indicated in the drawings the rod E which actuates the pawl of the counter may
be bent into > -shape and be connected as shewn, to the end disc e of the hollow
plug or receptacle A so that one end operates the hollow plug or receptacle whilst
the other end operates the counter D the loop e forming a convenient handle to
be grasped by the operator,.
F is a pipe communicating at its lower part 2 with the casing B and at its
upper end with the atmosphere. This pipe extends above the vat or other sourco
of supply connected with the before described pipe C to ensure that the liquid
may not flow out through the open end of the pipe F, or the liquid be obtained
without registration by the counter D. The port in the hollow plug or
receptacle A communicates with the lower end of the pipe F when the interior
of the said receptacle is in communication with the inlet pipe C and out of com-
munication with the outlet passage or orifice b₁ as shewn in Figure 3. The pipe F
is provided with a sight-glass by which it can be readily ascertained whether
the receptacle A is full or not. The pipe F may be provided with a cock (not
shewn in the drawings) for closing it at such times as the apparatus may be out
of use to prevent access of air to the liquid remaining in the said pipe and thereby
prevent the deterioration of the said liquid. 2 is an air inlet port with which
either the before described port a, as shewn in Figure 4, or a special port in the
receptacle A registers, when the apparatus is in its open position for the liquid to
be withdrawn.
G is a screw adjustable in the end or disc a³ of the hollow plug or receptacle A;
by causing the screw G to project more or less through the disc the internal
capacity of the said hollow plug may be varied to compensate for the additional
space provided by the ports a a¹ or for any other excess or deficiency. ³ are
openings in the ends of the casing 13 for the escape of air when operating the
plug or receptacle A.
The operation of the before described apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming the apparatus to be empty with the receptacle A in the position in
which it is shewn in Figure 3, the operator turns-on the cock and keeps it
open until the liquid, entering the receptacle A through the pipe C, ascends in
the pipe F sufficiently to be visible within the sight-glass fat which juncture
he may turn off the said cock, but this latter operation is not absolutely necessary,
as the cock C¹ may be retained open continuously. The operator then places the
necessary glass or other desired receiver beneath the outlet b' and draws forward
the rod E so as to bring the receptacle A into the position in which it is shewn
in Figure 4 whereupon the liquid flows out through the outlet 61, the air necessary
for replacing the liquid in the receptacle A entering the latter through the
ports and a, the further admission of the liquid from the pipe C and the return
of the overflow liquid from the pipe F being at that time prevented by the wall
of the receptacle A closing the opening b:
When the liquid is discharged from A as last described and the receptacle A
is pushed back to the position shewn in Figure 3, the overflow liquid in the pipe F
and the liquid remaining between 6 and C is allowed to pass into the receptacle A
through the then unobstructed opening b before the cock C is opened again to
admit a further supply from the vat. Ech time the apparatus is thus operated
the counter is caused to indicate such eration and as the capacity of the
receptacle A is known the total quantity of the liquid drawn off or the amount
that should be received for the sale of the liquid can at all times be readily
ascertained.
In applying my invention to what are known as beer engines in which several

page_text: operating handles are provided for drawing off different kinds of liquor, I may
provide in connection with the engine a receptacle preferably of glass or partly of
glass and divided into compartments in number according to the number of pulls
in the beer engine. Each compartment communicates with one of the outlets
from the engine and I connect to each of these compartments an apparatus such
as hereinbefore described.so that the liquid admitted into the compartment may
be drawn therefrom in measured quantities as described.
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:
1. In apparatus for drawing off and measuring liquids the combination of a
measuring chamber arranged to slide longitudinally in a casing: ports or passages
in the casing and in the measuring chamber for the admission of liquid to and
discharge of liquid from the measuring chamber; a counter or registering device
operated by the movement of the measuring chamber and means for operating the
measuring chamber substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus for
drawing off and measuring liquids and indicating or recording the amount of
liquid so drawn off or the number of times the apparatus has been operated,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 9th day of August 1897
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.