Improvements in Stoppers or Closing Devices for Effecting a Fluid Tight Joint between Taps and Casks or other Receptacles Containing Liquor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers or Closing Devices for Effecting a Fluid
Tight Joint between Taps and Casks or other Receptacles
Containing Liquor.
I, ARTHUR EDGar Dainton, of 40 Navarino Road, Hackney, in the County
of Middlesex, Architect's Pupil, 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 :—
For effecting a fluid tight joint between a tap and a cask or other receptacle
containing liquor say beer, it has heretofore been usual to employ paper wrapped
around the taper atom of the tap preparatory to the tapping operation. In order
boweror to save time and enable the packing material to be reused for successive
tapping operations, it has been proposed to employ a closing device consisting of a
short conical tube or sleeve of elastic material such as india rubber adapted to fit
the exterior of the taper stem of the tap and to enter the tap hole of the cask
into which the said stem is to be driven, so that when the tap is in place the tube
or sleeve (hereinafter called the alcove) will be tightly compressed between the
stem and the wall of the hole and will thereby form a fluid tight joint at this part.
Such a sleeve however is very liable, when it and the stem of the tap on which it
is placed become wetted during the tapping of a cask of liquor, to slip along the
stem and to enter the small annular part or recess usually formed at the larger ond
thereof, thereby rendering it very difficult, and in some cases practically impossible,
to effect a fluid tight closure of the cask.
Now this invention has for object to obviate this disadvantage for which purpose
I provide the conical sleeve of elastic material with a ring of practically inextensible
material as for example iron or brass, the inner diameter of which is such as to
limit the extent to which the sleeve when wetted can slide along the taper stem of
the tap as I will now more particularly explain by aid of the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a tap fitted with a conical
sleeve of india rubber provided with a metal ring according to this invention, the
parte being shown applied to the tap hole of a cask a part only of which is
illustrated.
Figs. 2 and 3 are side and end elevations of the combined sleeve and ring detached
from the tap.
1 is a conical sleeve of india rubber, the internal dimensions of which are such
as to fit the taper stem 2 of the tap, and the external dimensions of which are such
as to enter the tap hole 3 in the cask 4. This sleeve is formed at its larger end
with an annular groove 5 in which is placed a metal ring 6, the internal diameter
of which is less than the external diameter of the taper stem 2 at its largest part
so that should the sleeve become wetted it can only slide a short distance along
the stem of the tap whereon it will then become effectually fixed, so that during
the tapping operation it will be forced to enter the tap hole 8 in the cask and form
a fluid tight joint at this part. To prevent any tendency of the forward end of the
sleeve to buckle up upon contact with the wall of the hole 3 auch end of the sleeve
may have embedded therein a supplementary metal ring or band as indicated in
dotted lines at 7 in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-

page_text: the wall of a tap hole in a cask or other receptacle into which the stem is forced, a
stopper or closing device comprising a conical sleeve of elastic material such as
india rubber adapted to fit the stem of the tap and to enter the tap hole in the cask
or other receptacle and provided with a ring of practically non-elastic material
such as metal substantially as herein before described for the purpose specified.
2. My improved stopper or closing device for use with taps for casks or other
receptacles comprising a conical sleeve of elastic material formed with an external
annular groove in its larger end, and a metal ring located within such groove sub-
stantially as described and shown for the purpose specified.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1893.
A. E. DAINTON,
By L. W., per F. B.