Casks, and other like Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1888
Specification Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
Casks, and other like Purposes.
We JOHN HENRY SWIFT, of Cloth Hall Street, Huddersfield in the County of
York, Auctioneer, and THOMAS GRISDALE, of New Street, Huddersfield aforesaid
Solicitor 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 :-
This our invention has reference to a new form of bung and tap to be used for
barrels and other vessels containing beer, spirituous and other liquids.
In carrying out our invention we dispense with the usual cork or bung put into the
end of a barrel or other vessel, and in place thereof we insert into the hole where the
cork or bung has heretofore been placed a flanged metal tube or socket having two
different internal diameters each having screw threads formed thereon such inwardly
screwed tube being attached to the end of the barrel by screws or other suitable
means. Into this screwed tube we insert a plug, having screw threads of different
diameters formed thereon to fit within the tube, such plug being inserted previous to
the flanged tube being attached to the barrel. One end of the screwed plug is formed
with a slit or key bed, and the tap to be employed must have the end open and a short
flat projection thereto behind which is a screw thread, and on the tap being pushed
into the flanged tube, the flattened end or projection of such tap enters the keybed in
the plug, and on the top being turned round it acts like a screw driver, causing the
screwed plug to traverse inwards into the barrel whilst the screwed end of the tap is
becoming screwed into the flanged tube; by which means openings in the screwed
tube are presented to the liquid, which immediately enters therein, and passes through
openings made at and near the end of the tap and finally passes out through the plug.
When the barrel is emptied and the tap is to be removed, the screwing out of the tap
causes the plug to be screwed back into the flanged tube, thereby closing the outlet
holes in the flanged tube through which the liquor flows, consequently the barrel is
airtight, and prevented from fouling, as is the case when a barrel.is left without cork
or bung.
In order that our invention may be better understood, we will now make reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a section
of our improved apparatus, a being the end of the barrel, and the tube, made fast to
the end of the barrel by screws c. It will be observed that the inner part of the
tube 6 is formed with screw threads of two diameters for the reception of the plug d,
CD Cl

page_text: which is made of two diameters to fit as shewn in the drawing. Fig. 2 is a detail of
the plug, and Fig. 3 an end view thereof. The tap is indicated at e, which may be of
ordinary construction, but one end thereof is formed with a screwthread, and the
projecting flat piece or key f (see Fig. 4) which enters a key bed g formed formed in
the end of the plug d.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
:-
Previous to the insertion into the barrel the plug d is screwed into the end of the
flanged tube b, which is afterwards made secure in the end of the barrel as the
drawing illustrates; and when it is required to "tap" the barrel, the end of the tap
is inserted into the open end of the tube b, and the key f placed into the keybed of
the plug d, so that on the said tap being turned around or screwed inwardly, the tap
becomes a screw driver, turning the plug around until the shoulder of the plug is
removed from shoulder in the tube, so that there is formed or established an annular
space between the smaller part of the plug and the larger part of the tube, con-
sequently the beer or other liquor in the barrel would immediately rush through and
enter the openings ; formed in the screwed tube, such liquor passing through
openings and m³ formed in the tap and shewn in Fig..5, therefore when the tap is
ronce inserted, the liquor will be always prepared to run through the tap on the tap
being "opened."
By the application of this form of apparatus to barrels or other vessels they can
always be easily tapped, and without any of the liquor being spilled, as would be the
case with ripe beer, inasmuch as before the openings are exposed, the screwed end
of the tap will already have entered the mouth of the tube b. This form of apparatus
will also be found of great advantage when the barrel is emptied, as on the tap being
screwed out, the plug is screwed in, so that such barrels will be airtight and prevent
fouling, which now happens when corks are left out of the barrel ends.
Although we have shown that the flanged tube bis secured to the end of the
barrel a by detached screws c, we would observe that screw threads may be formed
on the outside of the tube for the purpose of screwing the said tube in the end of
the barrel. This outwardly screwed tube may be used alone, or in combination with
the screws c.
The several parts may be made of wood, porcelain, or other suitable material, and
if made of metal they may be coated with enamel, or tinned, galvanized,, electroplated,
or vitrified for the purpose of keeping the parts clean and avoiding corrosion and
fouling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
-
Firstly. The employment of a screwed plug, which can be operated by the end of a
tap, for the purpose of permitting the escape of fluids, substantially as herein shewn
and described.
Secondly. The employment of a tap, the end of which operates on the end of the
screwed plug for the purpose of permitting the escape of fluids substantially as herein
shewn and described.
Thirdly. In a barrel, cask or other vessel containing tube b, plug d, and tap e, all
substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1888.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents. .