Fluids from Vessels Closed with a Cork.
Year: 1886

page_text: Fluids from Vessels Closed with a Cork.
I EDWARD REYNOLDS, Clerk in Holy Orders of Beighton Vicarage near Sheffield
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BEER AND
OTHER TAPS to be as follows:-
Applicable to that kind of tap which cuts a hole for itself thro' the cork by
cutting a cylindrical setion out of the cork; and my improvements consist, first,
in surrounding the cutting end of the spigot of the tap, on the outside of it, with
a cork-screw or spiral worm to facilitate cutting the hole through the cork by
screwing the cutter into the cork instead of impelling it in by simultaneously
pressing & turning as at present the practice. By the "cutting end" of the spigot,
or the "cutter" I mean so much of the spigot as extends beyond the holes thro'
which the beer flows into the tap.
Secondly, in making the cutter free to slide or screw on a rod or piston, which
piston projects from the end of the tap proper; so that the piece of cork which is
retained in the cutter after the hole has been cut through the cork can be forced
out of it by screwing or pushing the piston into the cutter I prefer to make the
cutter screw on the piston by a lefthanded worm, that on the outside of the cutter
being righthanded, and to limit the distance through which the cutter can be screwed
to a length somewhat less than that of the corks thro' which it is designed to cut
its way; so that, the section of cork may not be pushed quite out of the cutter
when the piston is screwed home after the hole is cut through the cork, whilst the
cutter is still in the hole, but may remain protruding from the end of the cutter
until the tap is withdrawn when it will stick in and close the taphole with the
great advantage of keeping the vessel sweet.
Dated this Eleventh den of Fahmo 1986

page_text: improvements in Beer-taps and other Taps Used for Drawing
Fluids from Vessels Closed with a Cork.
I EDWARD REYNOLDS, of Beighton Vicarage, near Sheffield, Clerk in Holy Orders
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BEER TAPS
AND OTHER TAPS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Applicable to that kind of tap, which cuts a hole for itself through the cork, by
cutting a cylindrical section out of the cork-And my improvement consists, first
in surrounding the cutting end of the tap on the outside of it with a spiral worm
or screw thread of about the same pitch as a corkscrew is usually made. This may
be done either by soldering an independent worm on to the tube, which forms the
cutter, or by cutting or impressing the thread on the cutter itself. By the cutting
end of the tap or by the cutter, I mean that part of the tap which extends beyond
the holes through which the liquid flows into the tap, and which same part receives
the cylindrical section which is cut out of the cork by the ingress of the tap.
I am aware that taps are cominonly made to screw their way into corks, as for
instance the well known champagne tap, but my invention is novel in its application
to the kind of tap which cuts a cylindrical section out of the cork in making its
way through the same. It is also useful in greatly facilitating the ingress of the
tap. It is sometimes convenient to continue the worm or thread round the straight
part of the tap i.e. the faucet as far as it is designed to enter the cork, but this is
no part of my invention.
Secondly my improvements consist in making the cutter to screw or slide on a
rod or piston for a length about the same as that of the corks through which the
tap is designed to cut its way The piston is made to project from the end of the
tap proper and has its axis in the same straight line as that of the faucet. In
the case when the cutter screws along the rod, I make it screw by means of a left
handed thread on the piston, and a left handed nut in the end of the cutter, if the
thread on the cutter be right handed and vice versa. In the case when the cutter
slides along the piston I prevent it from freely revolving round the piston by
means of a stud on the cutter working in a groove on the piston or in some such
manner, and I further keep it extended when cutting its way into the cork by
means of a notch or bay in one side of the groove which receives the stud on the
cutter when at full extension, and on withdrawing the tap I keep it from extending
by means of a similar notch to receive the stud on the other side of the groove at
the tap end of the piston.
In carrying out my improvements I employ the same material of which taps of
the same class are made, as for instance, brass, brass tube or phosphor bronze tube
- I proceed to show how my invention is to be used. There are three cases First
when the cutter is simply an extension of the faucet and not independently move-
able Secondly when the cutter screws on the piston, Thirdly when the cutter
slides on the piston. In the first case the tap is screwed through the cork into its
place after the manner of a cork screw with great facility. Secondly the cutter

page_text: being extended to full length it is screwed just through the cork and then the tap
is turned round to the left, which causes the piston to enter the cutter (which is
now buried in the cork) and more or less to expel the section of the cork contained
in it: the tap is then again turned to the right & so screwed home. In the third
case the process is the same only the piston is pushed into the cutter instead of
being screwed into it. In both the last two cases if the distance the cutter ranges
along the piston be about a quarter of an inch less than the length of the cork the
section of the cork will be left in the hole when the tap is withdrawn with the
advantage of closing the same.
being extended to full length it is screwed just through the cork and then the tap
is turned round to the left, which causes the piston to enter the cutter (which is
now buried in the cork) and more or less to expel the section of the cork contained
in it: the tap is then again turned to the right & so screwed home. In the third
case the process is the same only the piston is pushed into the cutter instead of
being screwed into it. In both the last two cases if the distance the cutter ranges
along the piston be about a quarter of an inch less than the length of the cork the
section of the cork will be left in the hole when the tap is withdrawn with the
advantage of closing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. illustrates the case in which the cutter is simply an extension of the
faucet F.
A A shows the cutter with the worm round it.
Fig. 2. illustrates the case when the cutter A A screws on a piston CC projecting
from the faucet F, with a left handed thread round it.
Fig. 3 shews a section of the same; B B of the cutter, D D D of the piston F of
the faucet.
Fig. 4. illustrates the case of the cutter sliding on the piston, projecting from
faucet F. A A is the cutter, and CC the piston, with groove G G and notch N.
Fig. 5 shews a section of same B B of cutter and D D D of piston the stud S.
shewing in the groove at S.
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. The combination of a corkscrew and cylindrical cork cutter at the end of the
faucet.
2. Making the cylindrical cork cutter to travel along a piston projecting from
the end of the faucet.
Dated this 5th day of November 1886.