Improvements in Taps for Beer Casks and other Receptacles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps for Beer Casks and other Receptacles.
I, ALFRED WATKINS, of Imperial Flour Mills, Hereford, in the County of
Hereford, Master Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows.
My invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of taps, more
particularly applicable to beer cask-, whereby the tap cau be permanently fixed to
the cask and can be opened and closed without requiring the use of a separate key
For this purpose I construct the tap so that the discharge nozzle thereof is formed
In one with or fixed to the moveable plug of the tap, the turning of the plug from
one position into another for opening or closing it being effected by turning the
nozzle, and I so arrange the said nozzle and plug that when in the closed position
the nozzle lies close against the head of the cask or wall of the vessel in which
the tap is fixed, while when it is turned into the open position the nozzle projects
away from the head or wall in order to clear the chine of the cask or to direct the
streau of liquid into the mouth of a vessel.
The tap can be constructed and anauged in various ways for carrying out the
above described mode of operating.
Thus according to oue arrangement 1 construct the tap with a barrel and plug
of any ordinary construction, but with the nozzle formed in one with the plug and
projecting at a certain angle therefiom, by preference in the form of a straight
tube. The barrel is fixed in the bead of the cask in such a position that the plug,
instead of extending into the cask at right angles to the head, lies at a certain
augle thereto, so that when the plug and nozzle are turned into the closed position
the nozzle will he flat against the head of the cask, in which position it can be
secured by a padlock or sealed fastening passing through an eye on the nozzle and
through a staple on the bariel. When turned into the open position on the other
hand, the nozzle will project at such an angle from the cask-head that its extremity
will clear the chine of the cask, or in other applicatious, will project sufficiently to
direct the stream of liquid into a vessel. When in the closed position, the oponing
of the nozzle may be made to fit against a plate projecting from the cask, so as to
prevent dut &c. from entering the nozzle.
According to another modification, the plug and bariel of the tap me arranged
with then axis parallel to the head of the cask, the barrel having a spigot passing
through the cask, the nozzle, which projects at a right or other angle from the
plug, being in this case turned in the direction to and from the head for opening
and closing.
Dated this 9th day of May 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Taps for Beer Casks and other Receptacles.
I, ALFRED WATKINS, of Imperial Flour Mills, Hereford, in the County of
Hereford, Master Miller, 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 an improved construction and arrangement of taps,
more particularly applicable to beer casks, whereby the tap can be permanently
fixed to the cash and can be opened and closed without requing the use of n
separate key. For this purpose I construct the tap so that the discharge nozzlo
thereof is formed in one with or fixed to the moveable plug of the tap, the tuning
of the plug from one position into another for opening or closing it being effected
by turning the nozzle, and I so arrange the said nozzle and plug that when in the
closed position the nozzle lies close against the head of the cask or wall of the
vessel in which the tap is fixed, while, when it is turned into the open position,
the nozzle projects away from the head or wall in order to clean the chine of the
cask or to direct the stream of liquid into the mouth of a vessel
The tap can be constructed and arranged in various ways for carrying out the
above described mode of operating.
Thus according to one mangement shewn respectively m longitudinal section
and cross section at Figs 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, the tap is
composed of a barrel or shell A which is provided with an external screw thread
for screwing into the head D of a cusk, and a conical plug B fitting the bairel
like the plug of an ordinary cock, and formed in one with a discharge nozzle C,
which forms an angle of about 105° with the axis of the plug and barrel, the latter
being in its turn, fixed at an angle of about 105° to the surface of the head D.
The plug and nozzle are secured in the barel A by means of a threaded pin B
on the plug, passing through a perforated washer É fitting on the hollowed end
of the barrel, and secured by a nut F.
The hollow A' in the inner end of the barrel communicates by a side passage A'
with a port A', which when the plug and discharge nozzle is turned into the
position shewn in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, communicates with the
side opening B of the plug leading to the passage of the discharge nozzle, so
that when the parts are in this position liquid will be discharged from the cask
through the perforated washer E and spaces A' A' and nozzle C. It will be
seen that, owing to the above mentioned angular positions of the barrel A relatively
to the cask head, and of the nozzle C relatively to the barrel A, when the nozzle
Is tuned into the above described discharge position it will project at such an
angle from the plane of the cask-head (about 30°) as to be well clear of the
chine of the cask, while when the nozzle and plug are turned into the opposite
position, as shewn in full lines at Fig. 1, in which consequently the communication
with the interior of the cask is closed, the nozzle C lies close against the surface
of the cask-head.
If it be deaned to protect the opening of the piug when in this position, and
also to secure it in such position, I fix upon the cask-head an angular shield II,
shewn separately at Fige. 4 and 5, which covers the opening of the nozzle, and
I provide this shield with a lateral eye H', and I also fix or form a corresponding
lateral eye I on the nozzle, as shewn at Figs. 3 and 5, so that the nozzle oan be
secured to this shield by a padlock or scal.
Fig. 6 shews a modification of the above described construction in which the
barrel A of the plug B is fixed at an angle of about 105° in a cylindrical brass
case K, which can thus be screwed at a right angle into the cask-head instead of
at an angle of 105°.

page_text: Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show another modification of my invention In this case the
barrel A and plug B are outside the cask-head, and from the barrel A projects a
screwed hollow stom A' for screwing into the cask head.
The nozzle C in this case projects at about right angles from the plug.
When the nozzle is turned up against the cask head as in the full position at
Fig. 9, the tap is closed; when it is turned down into the dotted position, the
tap open.
Fig. 7 shews a section on line X X Fig 8, which shews a section on line Y Y
Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of this invet
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A tap for permanent use with beer casks and other receptacles consisting
of a banel on shell adapted to be fixed into the head of the cask so as to
communicate with the interior the cof and a plug combined with a discharge
nozzle and so arranged that the nozzle can be turned either so as to lie close
against the cask-head, in which case the tap is closed, or to project over the chine
or rim of the cask or vessel, in which case the tap is opeu, substantially as
described.
2. In a tap for permanent use with beer casks and other receptacles, a plug
having a discharge nozzle combined therewith, the plug being arranged to lio at
an angle to the face of the cask-head somewhat greater than 90% preferably
about 105°, and the nozzle being attached to the plug at the same augle, substantially
as described with reference to Figs 1 to 6 of the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of Feluuary 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.