IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart, both of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND
MEASURING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 9th July 1866, and dated the 11th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Cook Angus and
George Stuart at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th January 1866.
WE, JOSEPH Cooк ANGUS and GEORGE STUART, both of Newcastle-on-
Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DRAWING OFF AND MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drawing
off and measuring liquids. For these purposes apparatus is used which is
partly in the form of an ordinary tap, which has at its upper part an enlarged
cylindrical chamber, which where it joins the body of the tap is conical.
On the upper end of this chamber is fixed another chamber in which there.

page_text: is a train of wheels with graduated dials, such as are used in other meters
to count and indicate the quantities of liquid drawn off. Within the
cylindrical chamber is a measuring vessel which fits the cylindrical chamber
in like manner to the plug of an ordinary tap. The measuring vessel is by
preference divided vertically into two compartments, each capable of con-
taining a definite proportion of a gallon. The lower conical end of this
measuring vessel is closed, but there is an opening on each side corre-
sponding with the passage through the body or barrel of the tap. The
upper end of the measuring vessel is covered by a valve plate suitably
arranged for receiving two floating valves, one for each compartment of
the measuring vessel. Above the valve plate is fixed a cover to the
measuring vessel, leaving a space for air between such cover and the valve
plate. The cover is fixed to a spindle, which has at its upper end a handle
by which the measuring vessel is turned in one direction only, there being
a spring stop to prevent its being turned in the opposite direction. The
spindle of the cover is hollow, to admit of the air in the compartments of
the measuring vessel flowing away as such compartments become full of
liquor, and the floating valves will prevent the liquid flowing through the
valve plate. Each time the measuring vessel is turned it acts on and gives
motion to the counting apparatus, which by the dials indicates the quantity
of liquid drawn off.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 11th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
COOK ANGUS and GEORGE STUART, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart, Her
special licence that we, the said Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as we, the said
Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart, our executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DRAWING OFF AND MEASURING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Joseph Cook Angus and George Stuart, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 we, the said Joseph Cook Angus and George,
Stuart, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement.
This Invention is intended to meet the requirements of dealers in liquors
and retailers of spirits and other liquids, by enabling them to check to the
fraction of a gallon the quantity drawn from casks or other vessels where,
pressure metres are inadmissible. The general form of the improved.
apparatus is similar to that of the spirit tap. now in use, except that the:
plug is made hollow with a centre diaphgram dividing it into fore and aft
measuring compartments, and measure a certain quantity of the liquor.
The improved metre tap is also turned by hand the same as an ordinary.
tap, but instead of the flow of the liquor being continuous, the quantity
contained in one of the compartments of the hollow plug only is delivered
at each half turn of the tap. The quantity thus delivered is determined,
by the size of the compartments, and the number of times the tap is turned.
and the respective compartments are emptied is registered upon an index.
at the top of the tap.
The form of the apparatus together with the details of construction are
fully illustrated upon the accompanying Drawing, to which the following.
explanation applies.

page_text: from of a pint to 10 gallons; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the:
line A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is a
sectional plan view at the line C, D, Fig. 2. The detail parts of the
apparatus are lettered with similar letters in each Fig., so that the following
index applies to the whole.
a is the enlarged body of the tap of a cylindrical or cone form; b, the
hollow double-chamber measuring plug with a cone bottom; c, à cork seat
fitted into the bottom of the cylinder; d, inlet and outlet orifices in the
bottom of the measuring plug; e, e¹, cork or other floats, which are so fitted
that they rise and fall as the liquor in their respective chambers ascends.
and descends. These floats are fitted with small guide pins in the centre
and with metal or other valve closers at the top, and immediately. over
these valves small apertures are made in the top or closing plate of the.
chambers, which apertures s are closed and opened alternately by the rising
and falling of the floats as the compartments are filled and discharged and.
the surface of the liquor rises and falls therein. f is a closing plate which
forms the top of the plug; is a disc or washer of leather, cork, or other:
suitable material, placed under the closing plate for making the top of the
chambers liquid-tight; g, the stem which is screwed down on top of
the plate; this stem terminates with an enlargement at the bottom in-s
the form of an inverted shallow cylindrical cup h, h, in the hollow of
which a small rocking lever i is fitted. As the centre pins of the floats e
and e¹ rise and fall they elevate and depress alternately the opposite ends
of the said lever, so that as one of the valves is closed the other is opened
thereby, and thus it is impossible for both of the valves to be closed at the
same time. jj, are two small perforations in the cup to allow for the
passage of the air; k, the index chamber, which is fitted with a train of
clock wheelwork turned by the motion of the cross head I, which also
turns the stem g. In drawing out the liquor this stem is constantly
turned in the same direction, and where the plug is divided into two
compartments, as in the tap here shewn, the stem is turned through a half.
revolution at each draw. The quantity delivered and measured will of
course depend upon the size of the hollow plug; in the Drawing the tap.
is shewn full size for delivering and measuring the half-glass common
to the North of England, and the operation of the apparatus is as 3
follows: The cross head 1, the shank of which is made hollow, encloses
the stem g (of the plug), and is fitted thereto by the pin 1. When this
pin is inserted both the cross head and the stem of the plug turn together,

page_text: but when the pin is withdrawn the cross head can be turned without
imparting any motion to the plug; the object of this is to enable the
retailer to set or re-adjust the index hands to their respective zero points,-
when, the pin being inserted and the aperture closed and sealed, the tap
cannot be moved nor liquor withdrawn thereby without breaking the seal,
and detection in one case or the quantity being indicated in the other.
As the tap is turned in the direction shewn by the arrow at Fig. 4 the
teeth m, m, which project from the side of the hollow stem at the
bottom thereof, gear with notches or teeth on the periphery n of the single
glass indicating wheel No. 1, on the axis of which a small toothed pinion o..
is fixed; this pinion gears with the periphery of the pint indicating wheel
No. 2, on, the axis of which there is a second small pinion g, which gears
with and turns the wheel No. 3 at r for indicating gallons. The number
of glasses, pints, and gallons respectively are registered and indicated
upon the graduated dials by the hands or pointers fixed to the axes of the
respective wheels, as shewn at Fig. 1. The dial chamber is enclosed by a
glass u, through which the dial and pointers can be seen and re-adjusted
when necessary. 5, 8, are two studs fixed in the top of the closing plate, and
which come in contact with the spring pawl if any any attempt is made
to turn the tap backwards, but at the same time allow it to turn freely in
the proper direction for the drawing operation. The index chamber is
made separate from and screws into the head or top of the body part of
the tap at o; between the bottom of this screw and a flange on the outside
of the hollow plug a spiral spring w is inserted, for keeping the bottom of
the plug down upon the cork seat. x, x, is a small channel for allowing
the air to pass and for any liquor which might get into the chamber k to
be discharged. For measuring and indicating larger quantities we propose
to dispense with the dividing diaphgram in the hollow plug, so that its
entire contents may be the quantity to be measured and indicated; in this
case there would be only one aperture "d," and the plug would be turned
half round to receive the liquor from the cask, and when filled the other
half revolution to discharge the same, the number of revolutions being
indicated by means of wheelwork moved as above described would give
the entire quantity drawn out by the tap from time to time. For small
fractional quantities we propose to make the outer parts of the said taps of
brass and the measuring plugs of block tin; any other metals or materials
may, however, be used which may be found suitable for the purpose, such
as glass, earthenware, and the like.

page_text: Without restricting ourselves to the precise form and details of the tap
shewn upon the Drawing, we claim the hollow measuring plug fitted,
operated, and indicating as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Cook Angus and George
Stuart, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
JOSEPH COOK ANGUS. (L.S.)
GEORGE STUART.
(L.S.)