Improvements in Valves and Taps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
Improvements in Valves and Taps.
I, ANDREW HOWAT, of The Firm of Andrew Howat and Sons, of 423 Liverpool
Road, Patricroft, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founders, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in valves and taps particularly to valves
and taps employed for drawing ale, stout, and other liquids from barrels, and the
chief object of my invention is to prevent the admission of air to such barrels when
when empty.
In my improved valve for ale and other barrels, I employ a hollow boss which is
let into the end of the barrel and is secured to it by screws which pass through
holes in its flange, the inner end of the boss is provided with say two holes through
which the beer can be drawn, and over the holes is preferably fitted a finely
perforated cap to prevent the passage of hops or the like into the valve. Fitted
inside the boss and resting against the end is a disc of cork or other suitable
material, in which are cut two holes corresponding with those in the end of the
boss; this disc fits over a screwed stem carried by the boss and a metal disc
provided with points which enter the cork is also passed over the stem and secured
to it by a nut or otherwise. The valve spindle has a flange on one end which is so
arranged that it can only be put in position in the boss when the valve is closed ;
two holes in the flange pass over two pins on the metal disc and two small pins on
the flange of the spindle act upon and are stopped by a projection inside the boss
when the valve spindle is turned to open or close the valve. Both the metal disc
and the flange have two holes to correspond with the holes in the end of the boss
for the discharge of liquor and the parts are so arranged that the valve spindle
cannot be placed in position or removed unless the cork disc covers the holes in the
boss, thus effectually preventing the loss of liquor or the admission of air into the
barrel when empty. The valve spindle is covered by a suitable stuffing box which
screws upon the boss outside the barrel and when the barrel is empty the stuffing
box and valve spindle are removed, the boss with the valve which is necessarily
closed remain in the barrel, and a cap can then be screwed into the boss to protect
the valve parts from dirt and injury.
In an alternative arrangement I employ the flanged boss as before but the inner
end is prolonged and bored out taper, to receive a taper plug holes being drilled
through the boss and plug for the passage of liquid from the barrel, the outer
portion of the plug is provided with notches to receive a key on the end of the
valve spindle, which spindle has a perforated flange to allow liquor to pass, and as
before described the spindle can only be put into its position and removed from the
boss when the valve is closed.
If necessary the boss and valve can be removed when the barrel is empty to be
cleaned and examined.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Valves and Taps.
I, ANDREW Howar, of the Firm of Andrew Howat and Sons, of 423 Liverpool
Road, Patricroft, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founders, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in valves and taps particularly to valves
and taps employed for drawing ale, stout and other liquids from barrels, and the
chief object of my invention is to prevent the admission of air to such barrels
when empty.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of my improved valve or tap, shown
in two parts in order that its construction may be more easily understood, Figs. 2
and 3 are detached views of parts of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 1, of a slightly modified form of valve, and
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are three detailed views of parts of the same.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In Figs. 1 to 3,-a designates the casing of the valve spindle b, and c a flanged
boss, which is secured by screws to the end of a barrel, see Figs. 1 and 4; the
interior of the boss c which projects into the barrel is bored out conical and has
two slots c¹ cut through it; a hollow taper plug d is fitted into this recess and
has two slots d' cut in it to correspond with the slots c'. The plug d is held in
position by a nut and washer e and two transverse slots d' are cut across its large
end and near these slots is a pin 2 secured to the boss c.
The spindle carries a key at the end, which is hollow, opposite to the
handle and near this key is a groove b³ and passage b. Fitted on the outer
portion of the casing a is a screwed nut f which bears against a collar a¹ on the
casing a. In order to prevent the spindle from being moved lengthwise a
groove is cut in it into which projects the end of a screw g which is fitted in
the casing a which is provided with a stuffing box a³.
The spindle and its casing can only be pushed into the boss c when the
passage comes opposite the pin c², at which time the key b' can enter the
slots d² in the plug d because the valve is closed, the nut is then turned so
that its thread screws into the thread in the boss e a tight joint being made by
a leather or other suitable washer e, then by turning the handle the slots d¹
in the plug d are brought opposite the slots e' so that the liquor can flow from
the barrel through the slots and hollow plug d through the hollow end of the
spindle band holes into the casing a and so be drawn off through the mouth a²
of the tap.
To prevent hops or other substances passing into the tap a perforated cap h
is screwed on to the boss c.
The casing a and valve spindle can be removed at any time when the valve
is closed by simply unscrewing the nut and withdrawing the parts specified.
The boss c remains in the barrel and the valve being closed no air can enter
through it; and a cap i, see Fig. 2, can be screwed into the boss to protect
the valve parts from dirt and injury, or in place of the cap ia piece of cork
may be employed.
It will thus be readily understood that the valve spindle cannot be placed in
position or removed unless the valve is closed thus effectually preventing the

page_text: loss of liquor or the admission of air into the barrel when empty thereby keeping
the barrel sweet.
In the modified form of valve shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 in place of the
hollow plug, Fig. 1, a disc plug d with a cork leather or other suitable face d³
attached to it by a stud and nut is employed; on the face of the plug d are
two projections d³ and in the plug and cork face are holes d', see Figs. 5 and 6,
which when the valve is open correspond in position with holes in the boss c ;
the hollow end of the spindle b is provided with a groove 63 and passage b* to
allow it to pass over the pin c² and with slots 65 which pass over the projections d³
on the disc plug d when the valve spindle is placed in position in a manner
similar to that described in reference to Figs. 1 to 3. The valve can be opened
and closed by the handle as in the previous arrangement.
Fig. 4 shows a pipe k coupled by a union to a thread on the mouth a² of
the casing in order that the liquor may be drawn off by a pump. This arrange-
ment may also be applied to Fig. 1, or vice versa, a plain mouth could be applied
to Fig 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a casing or boss fixed or to be fixed in a barrel and
containing a valve plug, of a valve spindle contained in a casing, and which can
only be placed in position to serve as a key and to withdraw the liquid contents of
the barrel, or be removed, when the valve is closed substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
1
2. The combination of parts consisting essentially of a boss fixed or to be fixed
in a barrel and containing a taper valve plug, a valve spindle formed as a key, and
a casing with a passage and mouth or nozzle for the withdrawal of the liquor from
the barrel all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
3. The combination of parts consisting essentially of a boss fixed or to be fixed
in a barrel and containing a disc valve, a valve spindle formed as a key and a
casing with a passage and mouth or nozzle for the withdrawal of liquor from the
barrel all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as illustrated by Figs. 4 to 7.
Dated this 17th day of May 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.