An Improvement in Cask or Barrel Taps.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improvement in Cask or Barrel Taps.
I, JOHN WATKINS, of Pomona Farm, Hereford, Cider and Perry Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction and fixing of a tap for a cask or barrel
in such a manner that it can remain permanently fixed without presenting any pro-
jecting parts liable to injury during transport. For this purpose, I fix on the end of
the cask or barrel a piece of metal having in it an internally tapered sleeve, preferably
made of cork. and projecting into a hole bored in the end of the barrel. This
sleeve forms the shell of the stop-cock which is fitted with a taper plug having
at one side a slot, which, in one position of the plug, coincides with a passage
through the metal piece and cork, in which passage is a tube that passes through
a hole near the end of one of the staves. The plug is covered by a plate having
through it a setting screw the point of which bears on the centre of the plug.
By means of this screw the plug can be pressed into the cork shell so as to ensure
tightness. Between the piece which holds the cork and the plate which covers
the plug there is formed a chase into which a lever key can be inserted to enter
a notch in the plug and turn the plug, the chase and the key being so formed
that the key cannot be withdrawn unless the cock is closed. By forming a by-pass
in the metal piece which, when the cock is open, coincides with a lateral hole
leading to a central passage in the plug, air can enter and pass through the plug
and up through the liquid in the cask or barrel. Instead of allowing the air
to bubble up through the liquid, it may be conducted to the upper part of the
cask or barrel by an inclined or curved tube, which is attached to the plug in
such a way that when the plug is withdrawn the tube is taken with it. Instead
of employing a rigid tube, may use a flexible tube having its lower end attached
to the plug and its upper end to a float.
Dated thin 28th dox of Tule 1897
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, JOHN WATKINS, of Pomona Farm, Hereford, Cider and Perry Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
Price 8d.1

page_text: be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to the construction of a tap for a cask such that it can
always remain in place without projecting beyond the boundary of the cask, in
such a way as to be injured by transport or handling of the cask.
I shall describe a tap according to my invention referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 is a front view with the cover removed, Fig. 3 is
a section with the plug and part of the draw off pipe shewn in elevation.
Fig. 4 is a section of a modification, Fig. 5 is a section of the casing and cover
made in one piece.
On the end B of the barrel I fix a casing A, and within this casing and a hole
bored through the end of the barrel place a taper sleeve C of cork or like
material, having through it a taper hole in which I fit a plug 1). A tubular or
semi-tubular part of the casing is passed through a hole bored through the
hoop H and stave S, and when the part is semi-tubular as in Figs. 3 and 5 there
is inserted a draw off pipe E. This enters a hole in the cork sleeve, which when
the plug is turned to open position, coincides with a lateral hole d of the plug
leading from a longitudinal hole d¹ which has near its end a number of lateral
perforations. There is another longitudinal hole d in the plug with a lateral
opening, which when the cock is open coincides with a hole c through the sleeve
this hole opening from an annular space around the base of the casing to which
air can get access around the draw off pipe E, so that while liquor runs out of the
cask air can enter as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4.
After the plug 1) has been inserted in the sleeve C a cover F is fixed over tho
plug, this cover having a central screw f which bears upon the top of the plug
serving to tighten it in the sleeve.
The cover may be made in one piece with the casing as shewn in Fig. 5.
In
For turning the plug a key K is inserted from above into a space under the
cover between it and the outer edge of the casing A. The key has a forked end,
the gap of which fits a rectangular projection k on the end of the plug.
order to prevent the key from being withdrawn when the tap is open, the key has
a stud which can pass through a slot cut in the upper edge of the casing, so
that when the tap is closed as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 the key K can be introduced
or removed, but should the plug be turned so as to open the tap then the stud k¹
being within the edge of the casing A prevents the key from being withdrawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A tap for a cask comprising a casing fixed on the end of the cask, a taper
sleeve of cork fitted with a taper plug, a draw off pipe passed through the hoop
and stave near the end of the cask, a cover fixed on the casing, and a forked key,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 27th day of Annil 1900