An Improved Device for Tapping and Stoppering or Closing Barrels, Casks, Bottles, and other Vessels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 13th June, 1394-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Tapping and Stoppering or Closing
Barrels, Casks, Bottles, and other Vessels.
We, SAM TAYLOR LINDLEY, and TINSLEY LINDLEY, both of 19 Mapperley
Road, in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, 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 aud by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
This invention relates to an improved device, valve, or the like, for topping,
and stoppering or closing barrels, casks, bottles, and other vessels, whereby
the same can be tapped with ease, without hammering or shaking, and whereby
also the tap-hole of the vessel is closed or stoppered on the withdrawal of the
tap, without the use of a cork or bung, and remains closed so long as the tap is
removed, thereby preventing the entrance of air to the empty vessel and, in the
case of beer barrels or casks, obviating, or greatly diminishing, the formation of
mildew inside the same, as now frequently occurs.
For the purpose of our invention we provide the outlet aperture of the vessel,
with a screw threaded socket adapted to receive the stem of the tap, or mouthpiece,
and said socket is furnished, at its inner end, with a screw cap or stopper which
serves to close it. The tap screws into the socket and has a narrowed extension
which is screw-threaded to engage a corresponding internal thread in the cap of
the socket, so that when the tap is screwed into the socket, the extension first
engages in the cap of the said socket, and the cap then turus with the tap and is
unscrewed from the socket, thereby allowing the liquid to flow through orifices
formed in the narrowed part of the tap or mouthpiece. So long as the tap or
mouthpiece is in the outlet aperture of the vessel, the cap remains on the narrowed
extension thereof, but when said tap or mouthpiece is withdrawn the cap again
enters and engages the socket owing to it being screwed thereinto by the act of
unscrewing the tap or mouthpiece.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood, we will describe the
same fully with reference to the annexed drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a part sectional view of our improved tapping and stoppering or closing
device, shown as applied to a cask or barrel, and with the cap or stopper removed
from the socket.
Fig. 2 is a view of the cap or stopper and socket in a cask or barrel, the tap
proper having been removed, and the cap or stopper screwed into the socket.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the tap; and
Fig. 4 is a front view of the cap or stopper and socket together.
Fig. 5 is a part sectional view of the cap or stopper.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the socket.
Fig. 7 is an end view, and Fig. 8 a part section, of a modified construction of cap
or stopper.
Fig. 9 is a part sectional view showing the invention applied to a bottle.
In all the figures like letters of reference indicate similar parts.
a is the tap (or cock) having its stem provided with a screw-threaded portion a',
preferably tapered, and a narrowed extension a provided with orifices a', and
terminating in a screw-threaded extremity a. b is the socket which is screw-
threaded internally to receive the stem, and is formed with a flange b', through
which, in the case of barrels or casks, screws may be passed to fix the socket in
position. c is the screw cap or stopper with which the said socket is provided.

page_text: This
cap or stopper is screw-threaded, both externally and internally, and has a
flange e adapted to bear against the end of the socket, when the cap is screwed
into the same, and form a tight joint therewith, a washer being interposed
if necessary. are sawgates formed in the edge of the cap to enable it
to be turned about its axis by a screw-driver inserted through the socket.
The internal thread of the cap is preferably of different pitch to the external
thread, and corresponds with and is adapted to receive the screw-threaded
extremity at of the tap. This cap c is screwed into the socket b prior to said
socket being fitted in the tap-hole of the barrel, or in the outlet of the vessel, and,
as shown in Fig. 2, serves to close the same, thereby preventing leakage of liquid
from the barrel, in case the latter is full, or preventing access of air thereto in case
it is empty.
When the tap is screwed into the socket, the screw-threaded
portion a, of the extension a², passes through the socket, and first engages the
cap c, so that, in the continued screwing in of the tap, the cap c is rotated there-
with and is screwed out of the end of the socket, leaving a clear passage for the
liquid through the orifices a³. The cape remains on the extension a² so long as
the tap is in position, but when the tap is withdrawn the said cap re-enters the
end of the socket, being screwed into the same again during the unscrewing of
the tap.
The cap or stopper c may however (as shown in Figs. 7 and 8), be provided with
a projecting portion having a sawgate c', which serves the same purpose as the
sawgates in the construction just described. A slot or channel c' is also formed
in one side of the cap or stopper as indicated in Fig. 8, so that when the same is
applied to a bottle or vessel in which it is, or may be, subject to a pressure of gas,
such gas can escape through the slot in case of the pressure increasing unduly.
"
A perforated cover or strainer d, may be secured, in any convenient way, to the
end of the socket, to prevent hops, malt, or sediment, when drawing off beer, getting
into the screw-threads.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 9, in which the invention is applied to a bottle,
the socket bis secured in the mouth of the bottle by means of cement, or in other
suitable manner, the cap or stopper c having been previously screwed into the
socket. The bottle is provided with a mouthpiece a, which takes the place of the
tap described in the previous arrangement, and has, like the tap, a stem with
screw threaded portion a³ and a narrowed extension a² with orifices a³, and a screw-
threaded extremity a'. In order to fill the bottle the mouth-piece is screwed into
the socket, whereby the cap c is unscrewed, as in the case of the previous
arrangement, and liquid can then be poured into the bottle through the mouthpiece
and the orifices a*. When the bottle is filled, the mouthpiece is screwed backward
into the position shown in the figure, or it may be entirely removed from the bottle
until it is required to tap or draw off liquid therefrom. This arrangement is
especially suitable for beer and effervescing liquids, and the mouthpiece may be
curved or shaped as desired.
A device or valve constructed according to our invention, and having a tube or
mouthpiece as shown in Fig. 9, or similar thereto, may be used instead of the tap
(or cock) shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for withdrawing liquid from beer, wine, and other
casks and barrels, the tube or mouthpiece being inserted when it is desired to
draw liquor from the vessel, and being removed after the withdrawal of such
liquor.
Our improved tapping and stoppering, or closing, device, or valve, may be made
of any suitable material which will not corrode when in contact with the liquid.
For ordinary purposes, we may use gun-metal, brass, or aluminium alloy, which
may be either tinned or plated with non-corroding metal, such as platinum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
. 1. A device for tapping and stoppering, or closing, barrels, casks, bottles, and

page_text: other vessels, so constructed that on screwing the tap, or mouthpiece, into the
vessel, it engages with and removes a screw-threaded cap from a socket secured to
such vessel, and thereby opens the socket and permits the liquid to pass through
the tap, or mouthpiece, but on unscrewing the tap, or mouthpiece, to remove it, the
said screw-threaded cap is returned to the socket thereby closing the same and
preventing outflow of liquid, or entry of air, substantially as set forth.
2. In a device of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, a tap, or mouthpiece,
formed with a screw-threaded portion adapted to engage in a screw-threaded
socket secured to the vessel and provided with a narrowed extension having
orifices, and a screw-threaded extremity adapted to engage an internally and
externally screw-threaded cap or stopper detachably connected with the said socket,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. Our improved device for tapping and stoppering or closing barrels, casks,
bottles, and other vessels, substantially as herein before described and shown with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
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ليود
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2004
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.