Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1896
2000
We, SYDNEY MYER and HORACE WILLIAM JOYCE, both of Hop Market, Broad Street,
Hereford, in the County of Hereford, Hop Factors, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to draw-off locking taps for casks and the like adapted for
operation only by a special key which cannot be withdrawn unless the tap is in closed
position.
The object of our invention is to provide a strong, efficient, and inexpensive locking
tap having few parts and not liable to derangement.
The body of our tap may be in one piece adapted to be fixed permanently to the
cask, from inside and to project through same; or it may be in two parts to facilitate
cleaning out, one part permanently fixed to the cask from inside and the other
secured to the first from outside.
In both cases the body of the tap is hored longitudinally with a liquid and an air
passage and fitted with a vertical rotary plug having corresponding passages registering
with the body passages when the tap is open. The plug can be operated only by a
special key, and this key and the body, or equivalently a flange upon the body, are
mutually so arranged that the key can only be inserted and withdrawn when the tap
is quite closed; thus the tap cannot be left partially open and hence no waste can
occur.
In a one-part body tap the body is coned and screwed externally and has a rear
flange adapted for fixing inside the casks. In the top of the plug is cut a keyway
preferably of dovetail section into which fits a correspondingly shaped downwardly
projecting enlargement on the end of the key. The upper part of the screwed body
of the tap is recessed with a flat surface and suitably flared or formed for the angular
operation of the key. At the closed position a sunk keyway is cut in the flat recessed
surface of the tap body of a depth equal to the depth of the keyway on the plug and
the projecting enlargement of the key, so that only when the plug keyway is lineable
with the body keyway can the enlarged part of the key be inserted, and when once
the key is moved to operate the plug the inner end of the projecting part engages
the inner circular wall of the flat surface on the body and the key cannot be withdrawn
until the plug is returned to closed position.
In a two-part tap the body and the securing flanges may be separate and adapted
for fixing together, one being secured within the cask. In this case instead of a flat
surface with sunk keyway as above described a flange is cast on the front end of the
tap body and adapted to be counter-sunk into the face of the cask; this flange has a
slot in every way equivalent to the above described keyway arrangement, for the
insertion, operation, and retention of the key. This slot is cut at the closed position
to a depth corresponding to the base of the plug keyway and the projection on the

page_text: key and for a distance equal to the width of the key, the higher part of the slot being
parallel-sided. When the deeper part of the key is inserted and the plug turned the
lower surface of the key moves over the higher part of the slot and the key projection
moves behind the flange so that the key cannot be withdrawn except when the tap is
closed.
With both arrangements we may combine a liquor strainer fixed to the inlet end of
the body and a spout for facilitating delivery, or a union joint may be provided for
connecting up a beer pump or such like appliance. We also provide an upwardly
projecting air inlet which may be arranged to admit air or relieve internal pressure
either on partial turning of the tap without allowing the escape of the liquid or only
when the tap is fully open.
Dated this 26th day of September 1896.
We, SYDNEY MYER, and HORACE WILLIAM JOYCE, of Hop Market, Broad Street,
Hereford, in the County of Hereford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to draw-off locking taps for casks and the like adapted for
operation only by a special key which cannot be withdrawn unless the tap is in closed
position.
The object of our invention is to provide a strong, efficient and inexpensive locking
tap having few parts and not liable to derangement.
The body of our tap may be in one piece adapted to be fixed permanently to the
cask from inside and to project through same; or it may be in two parts to facilitate
cleaning out, one part permanently fixed to the cask from inside and the other
secured to the first from outside.
In both cases the body of the tap is bored longitudinally with a liquid and an air
passage and fitted with a vertical rotary plug having corresponding passages registering
with the body passages when the tap is open. The plug can be operated only by a
special key, and this key and the body, or equivalently a flange or bush upon or
attached to the body, are mutually so arranged that the key can only be inserted and
withdrawn when the tap is quite closed, thus the tap cannot be left partly open and
hence no waste can occur.
We find it also advantageous to provide means for ensuring that the tap shall not
be tampered with in transit or otherwise until it is required for use.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a front elevation
and Fig. 3 a vertical section of our improved one-part-body tap, Fig. 4 is an elevation,
Fig. 5 a plan of key. Fig. 6 a section on line a-b of Fig. 4 showing top of plug and
its keyway. Fig. 7 is a plan, Fig. 8 a front elevation, and Fig. 9 a vertical section of
our improved two-part-body tap. Fig. 10 is a sectional plan on the line C D Fig. 11,
Fig. 11 is a front elevation and Fig. 12 a vertical section of a modification. Similar
letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6 the body A of the tap is coned and screwed externally
and has a rear flange A adapted for fixing inside the cask B as shown. C is the liquid
way and D an air way bored straight through the body. P is the rotary coned plug
working vertically in the body A and secured at its base by a washer and spring as
shown, or otherwise suitably. The plug is provided with liquid and air ways C¹ D¹

page_text: registering with C and D only when the tap is open. Across one end, usually the top
end of the plug, is cut a keyway as at p, Figure 6, preferably of dovetail section into
which fits a correspondingly shaped downwardly projecting enlargement or shoulder k
on the end of the key K. The upper part of the screwed body A is recessed with a
flat surface a' level with the top of the keyway p of the plug and appropriately flared
or formed to accommodate the angular operation of the key. At the closed position
(which in the drawing is shown as on the left side) a sunk keyway a is cut in the
flat at of a depth equal to the depth of the keyway.p in the plug P and the
projection k below the key K, so that only when the plug-keyway p is lineable with
the body-keyway a can the enlarged part I of the key K be inserted, and when once
the key is moved (to the right) to turn the plug its projecting shoulder & engages the
inner circular wall of the flat surface al and the key cannot be withdrawn until the
plug is returned to closed position; the flat or hreist of the key during operation
moving over the flat surface a',
Instead of this permanently fixed tap it may in some cases be desired to have a
removable body and for this purpose we have designed the two-part tap illustrated in
Figs. 7 to 9. The body A of the tap and the securing flange A are separate and the
rear flange A is internally screwed and adapted for fixing within the cask B, the
body A is turned plain externally and is screwed or otherwise fixed to the said
flange A. The plug and internal liquid and air ways are arranged as in the first
described arrangement, but in this case instead of a flat surface al with sunk keyway a
a flange F is cast on the front end of the body part A. The flange has a slot fin
every way equivalent to the above described keyway arrangement and of the form
shown in Fig. 8, for the insertion, operation, and retention of the key K. The slot
is cut at its left hand end f to a depth corresponding with the base of the plug
keyway p, and for a distance equal to the width of the key; the other part of the
slot is parallel. When the shoulder k of the end of the key is inserted and the
plug turned to the right the lower surface k of the key moves over the higher part of
the slot, and the shoulder k moved behind the flange, so that the key cannot be
withdrawn except when the tap is closed.
An alternative construction of the two-part tap is illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12.
The body A of the tap is constructed substantially as in the last example, excepting
that the flange F is dispensed with and for it is substituted a bush F1 having its
outer end flush with the front of the tap and cask head and screwed externally as
shown in Fig. 10 and 12 for fixing into the cask head from inside. This bush has cut
in its outer end slots ff, the bases of which are continuations of the flat surface al as
shown in Figs. 10 and 11. At the left hand the slot is cut at f to a depth
corresponding with the base of the plug keyway p, but the rest of the slotted part is
narrower, the arrangement being adapted for the insertion, operation and retention of
the key K as before. At the rear end of the bush F1 internal screw threads are
provided to engage the threads on the rear end of the tap body A, when screwed in
the same manner as at flange A¹ in the last example.
With any of the above arrangements we may combine a liquor strainer S fixed to
the inlet end of the body and a detachable spout. T for delivery, secured to the body A
of the tap by screwing as shown in Fig. 9 or provided with a taper plug adapted to
fit a corresponding recess in the front of the tap body as shown in Fig. 12; or a union
joint may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3, for connecting up to a beer pump or such
like appliance. We also provide an air inlet pipe V projecting upwardly in such a
manner as to open above the liquid inside of the cask so as to admit air or relieve
internal pressure either on partial turning of the tap without allowing the escape of
the liquid or only when the tap is fully open.
For the purpose of protecting the taps above described during transit of the cask we
find it advantageous to provide a disc O shown dotted in Figs. 11 and 12 attached to
the said cask by a pin q about which it can oscillate when the contents of the cask are
to be tapped. A hook r is formed at the lower part of the dise adapted to engage
with a stud or pin & fixed in the cask head and before sending out the cask for
delivery the hook is sealed to the studs with sealing wax or in other manner

page_text: such that the disc cannot be swung open without detection, In this case, of course
the spout T will be arranged as shown in Figs. 9 or 12 so as to be inserted only after
the disc has been swung back when the cask is required for use, and in any case the
spout or the like is removed during transit.
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:
1. A draw-off locking tap for casks and the like comprising the combination of a
body part, and a rotary plug extending transversely through same and liquid and air
ways arranged as specified, the plug having a keyway cut across its end, adapted to fit
a key having a projecting shoulder, and a wall or shoulder on the tap body for
engaging the said key shoulder to prevent withdrawal of the key when the plug is
moved from closed position, substantially as described.
2. A draw-off locking tap for permanently fixing to a cask head from within
comprising a solid coned screwed body bored with liquid and air-ways, a vertical rotary
plug having corresponding ways and a keyway in its top, registering with a similar
keyway cut in a flat formed on the tap body only when the tap is closed, a key adapted
to be horizontally inseated and withdrawn only when the plug is in closed position and
to engage an inner wall on the tap body when the plug is not in closed position
substantially as described in reference to Figs. 1 to 6.
3. A draw-off locking tap comprising one part adapted to be permanently fixed from
inside the cask, another part secured to it from outside the cask a rotary plug, air and
liquid ways as described and a front flauge with specially-formed key-slot and keyway
in same adapted to admit a special key horizontally, only when the tap is in closed
position and preventing its withdrawal except when in that position, substantially as
above described in reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9.
4. A locking tap for cocks having a body part extending through the side or end of
the cask, a rotary plug extending vertically through the said body part, said plug
being in the vertical plane of the cask side or head so that its ends will be covered by
the material of the cask, the keyway in the plug, the shoulder on the tap and the key
having a shoulder to engage therewith, both the said keyway and key extending at
right angles to the plug and to the cask head or side, substantially as described.
5. The several arrangements of our improved draw-off locking taps substantially as
herein described and shown respectively in Figs. 1 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12 of the
Drawings.
Dated bits on day or
i
For the Applicants,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70 Chancery Lane, London, W.C. Chartered Patent Agent.