IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS AND IN APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING TAPS TO BEER AND OTHER BARRELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Atherton Todd of Folkingham Lincolnshire for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS AND IN APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING
TAPS TO BEER AND OTHER BARRELS "
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Atherton Todd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1883.
WILLIAM ATHERTON TODD of Folkingham Lincolnshire
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
TAPS AND IN APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING TAPS TO BEER AND OTHER BARRELS
"
This invention has for its object improvements in taps and in apparatus for
adapting taps to beer and other barrels.
The intent is in the first place to save the immense damage caused to barrels by
air water and dirt getting into them through neglecting the proper corking of the
tap hole when the barrel becomes empty and also to save labour to Brewers in the
cleansing of barrels when dirty and the ultimate loss of fusty barrels and to obviate
the necessity of corks and labels. Also to afford a great saving to consumers by
preventing loss of liquid in tapping.
For these purposes a metal bush with a thread on the outside is applied to the
cask. This bush is screwed into the tap hole at the head of the barrel and secured
inside by means of an octagonal metal nut screwed over a thin leather washer. The
bush is secured on the outside by screws.
The inside of the bush is fitted with a female screw into which the tap and plug
(hereinafter described) are inserted. The plug consists of a solid piece of metal
into half the length of which a channel is bored with perforations at the end of such
channel to enable the liquid to pass from the barrel into the tap.
The plug is fitted with a cork washer which washer is prevented from leaving
the plug owing to such plug being enlarged at the end remaining inside the barrel,

page_text: At the outside end of the plug there is on either side of the channel a niche cut
to receive the two fangs at the end of the tap as subsequently described.
The stem of the tap will have a metal projecting rim upon it and a thread cut
upon it up to the rim to screw into the inner thread of the bush.
The metal fangs at the end of the tap are made to engage with the niches of the
plug. The tap being so applied and turned round the plug is thereby screwed
inwards whilst the tap at the same time enters and becomes fixed in the bush.
The rim on the stem of the tap stops it when it has entered the bush sufficiently
far and a leather washer renders the joint tight.
The head of the tap into which the key is inserted resembles the ordinary
beer tap.
It will be seen that the effect of the act of screwing the tap into the barrel will
be to force the plug for such a distance as to enable the liquid to pass into the tap
and when the barrel is empty the act of unscrewing the tap will on the same
principle, draw the end of the plug tightly against the inside of the head of the
barrel and so render it completely air and liquid tight.-When the tap is finally
withdrawn the channel in the plug comes up flush with the outside of the head of
the barrel and might become choked with dirt; to avoid this, a metal escutcheon
may be fixed on the outside of the bush to fall into place on the absolute removal
of the tap from the barrel.