ements in Measuring Taps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov.. 1896
ements in Measuring Taps.
We, ALICE SMITH of 116 Manor Road, Leyton, in the County of Essex, and
JOHN KING, of 95 Hatton Garden, in the City of London, Hardware Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to measuring taps especially for use in drawing spirits,
though it may be used for other purposes.
The tap consists of a body adapted to screw into the cask or other receptacle, and
having a passage through it forming a connection or conduit between the interior
of the cask or receptacle, and a vessel preferably of glass, upon which lines may
be marked to indicate the amount of liquor contained in it at different levels.
The opening of the passage into this vessel may be coned or otherwise arranged to
form a seating for a valve conveniently conical, and carried upon a spindle, one
end of which carries another valve preferably similar. At the lower end the glass
or other vessel carries a seating with which the valve at the end of the spindle
may engage to form a liquor-tight joint. The upper end of the spindle passes
through the body, and may be provided with a suitable head or button by ineans
of which the spindle can be operated, a spring, preferably helical, being suitably
placed, say for convenience, in a casing on top of the body, so as to bear at one
end upon the body, and at the other upon a collar ou the spindle, so as to maintain
the spindle normally in its raised position with the upper valve in engagement
with its seat. In this position no liquor can pass from the cask, but should the
spindle be depressed against the pressure of the spring, the upper valve is opened,
and the lower valve closed, and the liquor then enters the glass vessel, and when
it has reached the requisite height, the pressure upon the spindle is removed, the
spring promptly raising it, and returning the upper valve into engagement with its
seat, and thus cutting off the further supply of liquor. At the same time the lower
valve has been opened, and the liquor precipitated into the glass or vessel intended
to receive it.
Any suitable provision may be made for allowing the escape of the air from the
glass vessel; one arrangement is to make the upper portion of the spindle hollow,
and connect this with two outlets, one outside the body or vessel and the other
side the vessel, so that the air can escape. Or instead of providing the air vent
he spindle, a tube or equivalent may be provided in connection with the vessel
its fittings.
In a modification where it is desired to operate the two valves separately, the
pper valve may be carried upon a tube sliding upon the upper part of the spindle,
and operated by a head or equivalent independent of the spindle, one or more
springs being employed according to requirement to keep the two valves on their
seats, unless intentionally opened. In this case it would be preferable to have the
cones of the valves both in the same direction so that the pressure for opening both
would be in the same direction.
Dated this 17th day of January 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Measuring Taps.
We, ALICE SMITH of 116 Manor Road, Leyton, in the County of Essex, and
JOHN KING of 95 Hatton Garden, in the City of London, Hardware Merchant,
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:-
This invention relates to measuring-taps especially advantageous for use in
drawing spirits, though they may be used for other purposes.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation and
о
Figure 2 a vertical central section, of one construction of measuring-device
according to this invention;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of an alternative construction of measuring-
device, also according to this invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, the tap consists of a body A adapted by
the provision of screw threads A¹ upon it, to screw into the cask or other
receptacle; from which the liquid is to be drawn in measured quantities, and
having a passage A through it forming a connection or conduit between the
interior of the cask or receptacle, and a vessel B preferably of glass upon which
lines B may be marked to indicate the amount of liquor contained in it at
different levels, or the vessel may be made exactly of the desired internal capacity
and be fully charged each time it is used. In the present instance the vessel B is
provided with a metal neck B2 by which it is attached to the body A, being
screw-threaded at B³ to engage with a corresponding screw-threaded socket A³ in
the body.
C is the operating-spindle; D is a guide for the same, screwed into the body A.
E is a packing-gland to prevent leakage upward past the spindle. The opening A
of the passage A2 into the vessel B may be coned as at A' or otherwise arranged
to form a seating for a valve C' conveniently conical as shown, and carried upon
the operating-spindle C, the lower end of which carries another valve C³ preferably
similar except that it is reversely tapered. At the lower end, the glass or other
vessel B has a portion B serving as a seating with which the valve C³ at the end
of the spindle engages to form a liquor-tight joint; below this seating is the
outlet B. The upper end of the spindle is provided with a suitable head or
button C by means of which the spindle can be operated, a spring F being
placed, in the guide D on top of the body, so as to bear at one end upon the body
and at the other upon a collar C¹ on the spindle, to maintain the spindle normal
in its raised position with the upper valve C³ in engagement with its seat A.
this position no liquor can pass from the cask, but should the spindle C b
depressed against the pressure of the spring F, the upper valve C is opened, and
the lower valve C³ closed, and the liquor then enters the vessel B; when it has
reached the requisite height, the pressure upon the spindle C is removed, the
spring F promptly raising it, and returning the upper valve C2 into engagement
with its seat A, and thus cutting off the further supply of liquor. At the same
time (the spindle having assumed its normal position i.e., that in which it is shown
in Figure 2) the lower valve C³ has been opened, and the liquor precipitated into
the glass or vessel intended to receive it.
Any suitable provision may be made for allowing the escape of the air from the
vessel B; one arrangement is to make the upper portion of the spindle C hollow
by providing it with an air-way C, and connecting this with two outlets C, one
outside the body or vessel and the other inside the vessel, so that air can enter or

page_text: escape as desired, in order that it may not impede the filling or emptying of the
vessel B. Or instead of providing the air vent in the spindle, a tube or equivalent
may be provided in connection with the vessel or its fittings; a vent tube C' for
air may be applied to the neck B' as shown in chain lines in Figure 2 instead of
the passage C; or a pipe C³ may be arranged as shown also in chain lines to vent
the vessel B into the interior of the cask or the like to which the measuring-tap
is connected.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 3 the spindle C and spring F are so
arranged in relation to each other that the normal position of the spindle is at the
lower limit of its travel as shown, so that the valve C³ closes the outlet B5 of the
vessel B. G is a lever pivotted at G¹ to a bracket A secured to the body A;
one end of the lever engages with an eye formed at the head of the spindle Cand
the other end is provided with a head or button C by means of which the lever G
can be tilted to operate the spindle C. In this modification the vessel B is
normally full, and a quantity measured by its full contents is discharged from it
by raising the spindle C, which thereupon opens the outlet at B closing the inlet A³
until the outlet is re-closed, whereupon the inlet is re-opened and the vessel B.
re-filled in readiness for the next discharge.
Instead of the spring F a counterweighted lever for a like purpose could be
applied to the spindle C.
In a further modification where it is desired to operate the two valves separately,
the upper valve may be carried upon a tube sliding upon the upper part of the
spindle, and operated by a head or equivalent independent of the spindle, one or
more springs being employed according to requirement to keep the two valves on
their seats, unless intentionally opened. In this case it would be preferable to
have the cones of the valves both in the same direction so that the pressure for
opening both would be in the same direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a measuring-tap the combination of a spindle C movable endwise two
coned valves C2 C3 fixed upon it, and a spring to maintain the spindle normally
at one end of its travel substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete measuring-
tap substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of October 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.