IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING APPARATUS FOR CLOSING TAP OR OTHER HOLES IN BEER CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1885

page_text: VA
Holes in Beer Casks and other Vessels.
I, JOHN TENWICK Loan Moulder Spittlegate Grantham Lincolnshire do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
APPARATUS FOR CLOSING TAP OR OTHER HOLES IN BEER CASKS AND OTHER
VESSELS to be as follows:-
A sphere or oblong round plug with round hole through the centre through,
which I place a steel or other suitable spring for the sphere or plug to revolve on
when the tap is withdrawn from the cask, and allso when the tap is inserted in
the cask it rolls off the end of the tap and remains stationary on the side of the
tap untill withdrawn from the cask, the spring with sphere attached at one end
the other end being secured to inside end of cask causes the sphere to roll in the
hole from which the tap has been withdrawn and the pressure of spring causes the
sphere to fill the tap hole, and exclude the atmospheric air, such being the object
my invention is intended to attain, and to prevent what is commonly called by
brewers stinkers. I do not confine to any particular materiael as to what I make
my sphere or plug with. It may be made with any elastic body, or cased with
elastic casing or glass slate or other suitable materiael that will effect the end that
is required of it. But I prefer a glass sphere, as it keeps clean longer than other
softer materiael and is not so easily injured in working My spring I prefer to make
of steel, or other metal or wood or materiael that will give the required elasticity
to keep the sphere in its proper possition and I allso place a guide, made either of
wood or metal rigedly fixed to inside end of cask to prevent the sphere being put
out of its proper possition when the tap is inserted in the cask which will be
shown in the drawings sent with complete specification and I allso propose to have
the metal springs &c nicoll plated or galvanized or otherwise coated to prevent rust
or injury to the liquor that it may come in contact with.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self Acting Apparatus for Closing Tap or other
Holes in Beer Casks and other Vessels.
I JOHN TENWICK, Loam moulder of Spittle Gate Grantham Lincolnshire do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
APPARATUS FOR CLOSING TAP OR OTHER HOLES IN BEER CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in mounting a sphere, segment oblong or rounded plug so
that it may roll or pass on or off a seating over the tap or other hole in beer or
other casks or receptacles and so, when the tap is withdrawn prevent the fouling of
the cask or receptacle, the sphere, segment oblong or rounded plug being shut on
the seating by a spring and so preventing the ingress of air fouling the cask.
I provide a seating secured in or outside the cask or other receptacle and which
may be bushed with cork rubber or other suitable material.
I mount on the end of a spring rod a sphere segment, oblong or rounded surface
which may be arranged to roll thereon, the other end of the spring I coil round a
pin or stud, or otherwise attach the same to a pin stud or bracket.
I also provide a suitable guide stop to prevent the spring rod being pushed out
of position. If the apparatus is placed inside the cask the spring rod with its
sphere, segment oblong or rounded surface is pushed, and the latter rolled aside by
inserting the tap and returned to the seating on withdrawing the same.
If placed outside the rod must be pushed or raised to remove the sphere or
surface from the seating when inserting the tap.
I advantageously plate or coat the inetallic substances to avoid corrosion.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and carried into
practical effect I have caused to be annexed to this specification the accompanying
sheet of drawings and to the figures and letters of reference thereon I now call
attention.
Fig. 1. is an elevation of part of the inside of a cask (or other receptacle) having
my invention applied thereto. As shewn A is a ball or sphere preferably of hard
wood such as lignum vitæ mounted on the end of a spring rod B of steel or other
resilient metal.
This spring rod has its end C coiled round a stud D projecting from a bracket E
to which the end of the spring rod B is secured in any suitable manner such as by
wire lashing solder or otherwise.
Fig. 2. is a vertical section through the tap hole closed by my ball or valve.
Fig. 3 a similar view with a tap inserted. F is a seating secured to the inside of
the cask or receptacle by screw or otherwise and advantageously fitted with a
cork or other bushing G. H is a stop on the seating F and may be cast integral
therewith for the purpose of limiting the motion in one direction of the spring
rod B.
The section Fig. 2 shews the normal position of the apparatus the ball A being
shut on the seating F. G. by the action of the spring rod B and so closing the tap
hole. Fig. 1 in elevation also shews this. Fig. 3 shows the tap inserted and the

page_text: ball A pushed away. Fig. 1 shews in dotted lines the corresponding position in
elevation of the spring-rod B and the ball A.
Removing the tap causes the ball to shut on the seating as in Fig. 2.
It will be readily understood that the ball A may be exchanged for hemisphere
or other rounded surface and the seating may be made to conform to the same.
It will also be perceived that the apparatus may be fitted outside a cask or like
receptacle and the spring rod B be pushed aside by hand to insert a tap or to
uncover a hole or orifice as for instance if the apparatus were used for a spill or
air vent.
I might dispense with the coiled end C of the spring rod B and secure it
directly to the bracket E or other equivalent device but I prefer the form shewn.
The spring rod B might instead of twisting at its end C as a spring be a rigid
rod mounted on a pivot and provided with a coiled or other spring to return the
rod to the normal position if pushed aside to open or close the orifice but these
plans are merely mechanical equivalents of the other and the form shewn is.
probably the cheapest, the most convenient to make and effective.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A closer for the tap or other orifices of casks or like receptacles having a rod
arranged to spring or twist from a fixed point or fulcrum and so allow a ball or
rounded surface mounted on the free end of the rod to roll or twist on or off a
seating by the action of pushing the ball or rounded surface, or moving the rod, as
described.
2. The combination of ball or rounded surface A, spring rod B, having its end C
coiled round the stud or fulcrum D. E, with the seating F and stop H, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.