AUTOMATIC CLOSING APPARATUS FOR WHAT ARE KNOWN AS TREACLE COCKS to be as follows
Year: 1884

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PROVISIONAL DIEULFICATION.
We, GEORGE MARLEY and ROBERT MARLEY both of No 49 Side in the City
and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Confectioners, do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "AUTOMATIC CLOSING APPARATUS FOR WHAT ARE KNOWN AS
TREACLE COCKS to be as follows :-
"
The cocks used for running off "treacle" or "molasses," "glucose" and similar
very thick and viscous substances are constructed to cut off the discharge by a
hinged knife like slide which falls over the aperture. When a portion of the treacle
or similar substance is required to be drawn off this hinged slide is raised and
generally left so till the vessel is filled but as this takes a considerable time, owing
to the sluggish flowing, it is frequently forgotten and great waste occurs.
The apparatus we have designed is simple in construction, cannot get out of
order, requires no attention and automatically closes the cock the moment the vessel
is full, or at any point when a required quantity has been drawn off, and it is
readily transferred from one barrel to another. In one form of the apparatus the
can or vessel to receive the treacle stands on one side of a fulcrum on the floor or
shelf, the opposite side carrying a vertical rod having on its upper end a short
wiper" arm against which rests a heavily weighted lever, carried on a fulcrum
fixed to the cask by a pin or screw bolt. When the cock is open this weighted
lever stands vertical and the handle of the hinged slide rests against it and when
the can is full, or so full as required, its weight overbalances that on the other side
of fulcrum, the vertical rod by the short "wiper" arm upsets the weighted lever
which falls over taking with it the hinged slide which instantly closes the cock.
By a fixed weight moved further from or nearer to the fulcrum on side opposite the
can or vessel the latter can be made to overbalance at any fixed quantity and close
the cock, or by a graduated scale any fixed weight of treacle or similar substance
may be drawn off and the cock then instantly closed.
In another form we construct the apparatus as follows:-The can or vessel is
carried on a frame suspended from the cask and fitted with a spiral or other spring
which is acted upon by the weight of the contents of the can to operate a catch pin
D

page_text: (adjustable according to the weight at which the cock is to be closed) a spanner or
wiper acted upon by a strong coiled or other spring and held open by a trigger
lever is set free by contact of the latter with this catch pin and closes the cock by
forcing over the hinged slide. A scale on any convenient part of the suspended
frame, graduated to suit the strength of the spiral spring, will indicate the weight
of the contents of the can.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.
We GEORGE MARLEY and ROBERT MARLEY both of N° 49 Side in the City and
County of Newcastle upon Tyne Confectioners, do hereby declare the nature of
said Invention for "AUTOMATIC CLOSING APPARATUS FOR WHAT ARE KNOWN AS
TREACLE COCKS" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
The cocks used for running off " treacle" or " molasses "glucose" and similar
very thick and viscous substances are constructed to cut off the discharge by a
binged knife like slide which falls over the aperture. When a portion of the treacle
or similar substance is required to be drawn off this hinged slide is raised and
generally left so till the vessel is filled but as this takes a considerable time owing
to the sluggish flowing, it is frequently forgotten and great waste occurs.
"
The apparatus we have designed is simple in construction, cannot get out of
order, requires no attention and automatically closes the cock the moment the vessel
is full, or at any point when a required quantity has been drawn off, and it is
readily transferred from one barrel to another. In one form of the apparatus the
can or vessel to receive the treacle stands on one side of a fulcrum on the floor or
shelf the opposite side carrying a vertical rod having on its upper end a short
wiper" arm against which rests a heavily weighted lever, carried on a fulcrum,
fixed to the cask by a pin or screw bolt. When the cock is open this weighted
lever stands vertical and the handle of the hinged slide rests against it and when
the can is full, or so full as required, its weight overbalances that on the other side
of fulcrum, the vertical rod by the short "wiper" arm upsets the weighted lever
which falls over taking with it the hinged slide which instantly closes the cock.
In order to dispense with the heavy weight on end of lever we propose preferably
to cause it to be acted upon by a spring released by a trigger catch acted upon by
the vertical rod when the can is full or so full as required. This spring acts in
forcing over the hinged slide and ensures the closing of the cock.
By a fixed weight moved farther from or nearer to the fulcrum on side opposite
the can or vessel the latter can be made to overbalance at any fixed quantity and
close the cock, or by a graduated scale any fixed weight of treacle or similar
substance may be drawn off and the cock then instantly closed.
In another form we construct the apparatus as follows:-The can or vessel is
carried on a frame suspended from the cask and fitted with a spiral or other spring
which is acted upon by the weight of the contents of the can to operate a catch pin
(adjustable according to the weight at which the cock is to be closed) a spanner or

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. Shews the apparatus fitted to the end of a Cask, the full lines indicating
the positions of working parts when the cock is open and the dotted lines their
position when it has been closed by the automatic action.
A is the cock the orifice of which is closed by the hinged slide B, C C are the
frames secured by screws to end of cask, D is a curved arm keyed upon a hollow
spindle E which works upon a pin between the frames. The hollow spindle E also
carries a strong coiled spring F the tail of which is fixed by a pin to frame. When
the curved arm D is in the position shewn by full lines, the hinged slide B resting
against its free end and the cock upon the spring F is coiled tight around E and
tending by its resistance to uncoil and carry the arm D, and with it the hinged
slide B, into the position shewn by dotted lines and this tendency is resisted by a
stud G on arm D engaging in the catch of a trigger arm H.
K is the can or vessel to receive the treacle or similar liquor as it flows from the
cock standing on one table of a balance L the other table of which is weighted in
proportion to the weight of liquor required to be drawn off and also carries the
lower end of a vertical rod M, the upper end of which passes through a stud N on
end of an arm O working freely on the same centre as arm D and is adjusted by a
set bolt therein.
When the can or vessel K. is full or has received so much of the liquor as is
required to be drawn off, the weight on opposite table of balance having been
adjusted accordingly, the can with its contents depresses one scale and elevates that
to which the vertical rod M is attached, which latter raises the arm O and releases
the trigger catch H the spring F instantly forcing over the arm D and with it the
hinged slide B into the position indicated by dotted lines thus closing the cock.
Figure 2 Shews another forin of the apparatus in which the can or vessel K is
supported in a frame C suspended from a spiral spring S attached to a rod R fixed
in a saddle which rests upon the neck of the cock A and has a screw at top into the
Cask. The full lines indicate the positions of working parts when the cock is open
and the dotted lines the positions of same when the cock is closed.
B is the hinged slide D the curved arm working on the centre pin E: F is the
coiled spring the tail end of which is secured to an arm which carries the trigger
lever H the short end of which engages in a catch G in curved arm D. When the
can or vessel K is full, or so full as required the spiral spring S extends by the increase
of weight on the frame C which descends causing an adjustable tappit T to come in
contact with the longer end of trigger lever H and releases the curved arm D the
coiled spring F instantly forcing it and the hinged slide B into the position
indicated by the dotted lines thus closing the cock.
The adjustment of the tappit T may be made to cause the trigger lever H to
release the spring F and close the cock at any point of extension of the spiral
spring S either when the can or vessel K is full or when any required quantity of
liquor has been drawn off. A graduated scale on the rod R under the top cross bar
of frame C may be made to indicate the quantity of liquor contained in the can K
at the various points of extension of the spiral spring S in the manner of an
ordinary spring.balance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is —
An apparatus for automatically closing cocks, such as used for drawing off treacle

page_text: of the liquor being drawn off, closing the cock by the action of a falling weight or
by the release of a spring; the automatic action being caused to operate, when any
fixed weight, or quantity, of liquor has been drawn off, by adjustment of weights or
by tappits substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the 7th day of Ja
1000.
Witness:
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Consulting Engineer,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
GEORGE MARLEY.
ROBERT MARLEY.