IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRAWING-OFF LIQUIDS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Rimmer, of Crowe Hall, near Ipswich, in
the County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
DRAWING-OFF LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 2nd May 1865, and dated the 8th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Rimmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th November 1864.
I, RICHARD RIMMER, of Crowe Hall, near Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS.
POE DRAWING-OFF LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed specially for the purpose of
drawing off sparkling wines or aërated waters from bottles without removing
the cork, but it is also equally applicable for drawing off "still" wines or
other liquids where it may be desired to draw off the contents or part of the
contents of a bottle without drawing the cork. It may also be used instead
of an ordinary tap for drawing off wines, beer, or other liquids in wood, and
will obviate the necessity of driving in the bung or of having a vent peg.

page_text: sharpened, and provided at its upper end with a valve or tap of any ordinary
construction, the said-metallic tube having also two holes formed in the side
thereof, one being for the admission of air into the bottle or barrel and the
other for egress of the liquid therefrom. The distance of the lowest hole from
the bottom of the tube should be rather more than the length of the largest
wine cork. The other hole should be a little higher up, and above this and
between it and the valve or tap there should be a length of tube about equal
to that below the holes. In using this instrument or apparatus the tube is
forced by a screwing motion of the hand through the cork and pressed down
until both holes are below the cork, the valve or tap may then be opened and
the contents drawn off. It will be observed that as the lower edge of the
tube is sharpened it will in its progress cut a cylindrical piece out of the
cork and carry it down with it, and therefore there will be no escape what-
ever either of gas or liquid from the bottle or barrel till the valve or tap is
opened. This piece of cork is forced out of the tube by means of a stick or
wire after the tube is withdrawn from the bottle or barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Rimmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
RIMMER, of Crowe Hall, near Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Rimmer, Her special license that I, the said Richard Rimmer, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Rimmer, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRAWING-
OFF LIQUIDS," upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the said Richard

page_text: Rimmer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should par
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Rimmer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed specially for the purpose of
drawing off sparkling wines or aërated. waters from bottles without removing
the cork, but it is also equally applicable for drawing off "still" wines or
other liquids where it may be desired to draw off the contents or part of the
contents of a bottle without drawing the cork. It may also be used instead
of an ordinary tap for drawing off wines, beer, or other liquids in wood, and
will obviate the necessity of driving in the bung or of having a vent peg.
The apparatus consists principally of a metallic tube having its lower edge
sharpened, and provided at its upper end with a valvo or tap of any ordinary
construction, the said metallic tube having also two holes formed in the side
thereof, one being for the admission of air into the bottle or barrel and the
other for egress of the liquid therefrom. The distance of the lowest hole from
the bottom of the tube should be rather more than the length of the longest
wine cork. The other hole should be a little higher up, and above this and
between it and the valve or tap there should be a length of tube about
equal to that below the holes. In using this instrument or apparatus: the
tube is forced by a screwing motion of the hand through the cork and
pressed down until both holes are below the cork, the valve or tap may then
be opened and the contents drawn off. To facilitate the forcing of the tube
through the cork the outside of the tube may (if preferred) be furnished with
a projecting spiral thread or worm. It will be observed that as the lower
edge of the tube is sharpened it will in its progress cut a cylindrical piece
out of the cork and carry.it down with it, and therefore there will be no
escape whatever either of gas or liquid from the bottle or barrel till the valve
or tap is opened. This piece of cork is forced out of the tube by means of a
piece of stick, whalebone, or wire after the tube is withdrawn from the bottle
or barrel.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for " Improved
Apparatus for Drawing-off Liquids," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect. And in order that the same may be distinctly understood,
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have !
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:―
In the annexed Drawing are represented two applications of my Invention,
the one to a valve for drawing off wine or other liquid from a bottle, and the
other to a tap for drawing off beer or other liquid from a barrel or other
similar vessel.
.
Figure 1 represents an exterior view of the first modification of my Inven-
tion, and Figure 2 a similar view, on a smaller scale, showing the same as
applied to a bottle and ready for use.
a, a, represents a metallic tube sharpened at its lower extremity to a cutting
edge, and having at its upper end a cap b, b, somewhat similar to that of a
claret jug with a spring valve or lid c, c. The tube a, a, is furnished with a
spiral thread or worm d, d, to facilitate its introduction through the cork, and
is provided with two holes e, e, one for the exit of the wine or other liquid,
and the other for the admission of air to supply its place in the bottle.
Figure 8 is an exterior view, and Figure 4 a section, showing the appli-
cation of my Invention to a tap.
a, a, is the metallic tube sharpened to a cutting edge at one extremity, and
having at the other the tap b, b; c, c, are the two holes in the tube, the spiral
tbread or worm being in this case dispensed with; d, d, shows the portion of
the bung e, e, which is cut out and carried forward by the sharpened end of
the tube a, a.
It will be evident that although I have represented the whole of the appa-
ratus in the Drawing as constructed of metal, yet all that it is absolutely
necessary should be made of metal is the tube with its cutting edge, and that
the tap or valve (which forms no part of my Invention) may be made of
wood, glass, or any other suitable material.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improved Apparatus for Drawing-off Liquids," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention a metallic tube
having one end sharpened to a cutting. edge, and provided at the other end
with a tap or valve of any ordinary construction, such tube having holes in

page_text: the side as above described, and being either smooth and parallel at the
exterior, as shown at Figure 3, or provided with a worm, as represented at
Figures 1 and 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Rimmer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
RICHARD RIMMER. (L.B.)