AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FININGS OR OTHER LIQUIDS TO CASES OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mills Dix, of Shelton, in the
County of Stafford, Brewer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FININGS OR OTHER LIQUIDS TO
CASES OR OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 28th July 1868, and dated 11th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mills Dix
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th May 1868.
-I, ALEXANDER MILLS DIX, of Shelton, in the County of Stafford,
Brower, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ar
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FININGS OR OTHER LIQUIDS
TO CASES OR OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The chief object of my Invention is a better mode of supplying
isinglass or other finings to casks, but the Invention also applies to
supplying or filling up casks or other vessels with other liquids. The
ordinary mode of supplying finings to casks is to take out the shive or
bung and pour the finings through the shive or bung hole, or to pour

page_text: in the finings before the shive is inserted; but this mode is inconvenient,
some of the contents of the cask being often lost, the best time for
inserting the finings being just prior to delivery and stillaging.
Now my Invention consists in forcing in the finings through a hole
made for the purpose by a gimlet or otherwise in the shive or other
part of the cask, and in the employment for effecting the introduction
of a three-way tap and a force pump or other mode of obtaining the
required pressure. The force pump is fitted in a tub or vessel into
which the finings are placed and is in communication with the tap by
a pipe, flexible or otherwise. The tap has two nozzles or outlets, one of
which is screwed or inserted through the hole before mentioned, while
the second nozzle or outlet remains outside the cask. Should it be
required to introduce finings when the cask is full of beer I force in
a small quantity through the nozzle, then turn the tap so as to open
the way to the second nozzle to allow some of the beer to run out; I
again turn the tap and force in more finings, then again let out some of
the beer, and so on until the required amount of finings has been
introduced. In the same way I can force in finings or beer to fill the
cask when the same is not properly filled or after any leakage, and let
out any froth or gas there may be in the cask, the escape from the outer
nozzle indicating when the cask is full of liquid. When the tap is
withdrawn the hole is quickly closed by a peg or otherwise. In case
any of the liquid should escape past the packing in the pump barrel
I form a small outlet in the upper or other convenient part of the
barrel to lead such escapement down or through a pipe or channel
therefrom in order that the liquid may be returned to the vessel in
which the pump is fitted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Mills Dix in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MILLS DIX, of Shelton, in the County of Stafford, Brewer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Mills Dix, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Mills Dix, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others, as I, the said Alexander Mills Dix,
my executors, administrators, 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
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FININGS OR OTHER
LIQUIDS TO CASES OR OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Mills Dix, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Alexander Mills Dix, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The chief object of my Invention is a better mode of supplying
isinglass or other finings to casks, but the Invention also applies to
supplying or filling up casks or other vessels with other liquids. The
ordinary mode of supplying finings to casks is to take out the shive or
bung, and pour the finings through the shive or bung hole, or to pour
in the finings before the shive is inserted; but this mode is in-"
convenient, some of the contents of the cask being often lost, the best'
time for inserting the finings being just prior to delivery and stillaging.
Now my Invention consists in forcing in the finings through a hole
made for the purpose by a gimlet or otherwise in the shive or other
part of the cask and in the employment for effecting the introduction of
a three-way tap and a force pump or other mode of obtaining the
required pressure. The force pump is fitted in a tub or vessel into
which the finings are placed and is in communication with the tap by

page_text: a pipe, flexible or otherwise. The tap has two nozzles or outlets, one
of which is screwed or inserted through the hole before mentioned
while the second nozzle or outlet remains outside the cask.
The Invention will be fully understood on reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus
complete with the three-way tap A inserted into the shive or bung of
a cask B, the hole into which it is screwed having been previously made
with a gimlet or otherwise. The tap has two nozzles a, b, as seen in
the detached sectional view, Figure 2, the nozzle a being screw-threaded
for the purpose of screwing into the shive or bung, as shown in Figure 1;
the second nozzle 6 remains outside the cask and allows liquid or gas
to escape
until the cask is quite full or when the cask is completely full.
The tap is in connection by a flexible tube or pipe C with a force
pump D; this pump is fitted in a tub E in which the finings are placed
and is held firmly therein by two cross bars or rails c, d, which also
serve as handles for lifting or moving the tub or vessel from place to
place. The force pump D is of the ordinary construction and is fitted
with spherical valves e, f. Should it be required to introduce finings
when the cask is full of beer I force in a small quantity through the
nozzle a, then turn the tap so as to open the way to the second nozzle b
to allow some of the beer to run out; I again turn the tap and force in
more finings, then again let out some of the beer, and so on until t
required amount of finings has been introduced. In the same way I
can force in finings or beer to fill the cask when the same is not
properly filled or after any leakage, and let out any froth or gas there
may be in the cask, the escape from the outer nozzle 6 indicating when
the cask is full of liquid. When the tap is withdrawn the hole is
quickly closed by a peg or otherwise. In case any of the liquid should
escape past the packing in the pump barrel I form a small outlet g in
the upper or other convenient part of the barrel to lead such escape-
ment down or through a pipe or channel h therefrom in order that the
liquid may be returned to the vessel E in which the pump is fitted.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Supplying finings or other liquids to casks and other vessels
substantially in the manner and by the means herein-before described
Second. The general arrangement of the three-way tap A, the flexible
tube C, the force pump D, and the tub E acting in combination,

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The three-way tap A provided with two nozzles a, b, con-
structed substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mills Dix, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight.
ALEXANDER MILLS (L.s.) DIX.