IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Atherton Todd of Stamford in the County of
Lincoln Gentleman for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF TAPS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS AND APPLIANCES USED IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Atherton Todd
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th September 1883.
WILLIAM ATHERTON TODD of Stamford in the County of Lincoln Gentleman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
"
The object of my invention is to afford improved facilities and more simple
means of tapping casks and analogous articles than have been hitherto available
and more particularly to prevent barrels from becoming fusty when empty by
making a certainty of their always been plugged.
The means whereby I carry out my invention are as follows:-I fit a cylindrical
or tapered collar or bush into the barrel. This bush has an outside flange which is
secured to the barrel by two or more screws and a flexible washer (if necessary).
The cylindrical portion of this bush enters the barrel for about an inch (more or
less) of its length. That part which enters the barrel has one, two, three. or any
other number of groups of small holes (by preference about one sixteenth of an inch
in diameter). The inside end may be closed or open (by preference open). Into
this collar I place a hollow plug, ground in to a water tight fit. This plug has as
many slots or openings as there are groups of holes in the bush, and the plug is
capable of being rotated in the bush so as to cover or uncover the perforations.
The inside end of the bush is solid and an inside shoulder is provided therein
against which an india rubber or other annular elastic cushion, is placed. The
outer end of the plug is faced up, and has a notch or detent cut therein at one
point of its circumference.
When the bush has been fitted to the barrel, and the plug placed in the bush, a
face plate, with a hole in the centre corresponding to that in the bush, is screwed
to the flange of the bush. This face plate keeps the plug in its place. The face
plate has a notch cut therein corresponding to the notch in the plug, and when
[Price 6d1

page_text: the two notches are coincident the slots in the plug are in contact with the
unperforated, or solid portions of the bush, and in this position the barral may
be transported full of liquor without any leakage.
The taps which I use and which are made in accordance with my invention, are
provided with a plain cylindrical or tapered portion which fits, water tight, into
the plug. The inner end of the tap comes into contact with the annular elastic
collar, which assists in making the junction perfectly water tight.
A radial pin is inserted in the barrel of the tap. When the tap is inserted this
pin passes through the notch in the face plate and into that in the plug behind
the face plate. Then, by turning the tap through a portion of a circle the plug
is thereby rotated in a similar manner, until the slots or openings in the plug
coincide with the groups of holes in the bush. The liquid can then gain access
to the tap, and the liquid can be drawn from the barrel as usual. The pin in
the tap being then behind the face plate, the tap is held in its place, and tho
tap cannot be taken away without shutting off the respective openings, and thus
all loss of liquor is prevented. The taps aro in other respects, of an ordinary
kind.
Indicator marks are placed upon the tap and face plate to indicate when the
slots in the plug coincide with the groups of holes in the bush.
It is obvious that my said invention is applicable to many purposes where
liquids are required to be drawn from casks or other vessels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Atherton Todd in the Patent Office on the 8th March
1884.
WILLIAM ATHERTON TODD. of Stamford in the County of Lincoln Gentleman
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAPS FOR DRAWING BEER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ".
The object of my Invention is to afford improved facilities and more simple
means of tapping casks and analogous articles than have been hitherto available
and more particularly to prevent barrels from. becoming fusty, when empty, by
making a certainty of their always being plugged-The means whereby I carry
out my Invention are as follows. I fit a cylindrical.or tapered collar or bush into
the Barrel-This bush has an outside flange which is secured to the Barrel by two
or more screws and a flexible washer (if necessary) The cylindrical portion of this
bush enters the barrel for about an inch (more or less) of its length-That part
which enters the barrel has one, two, three, or any other number of groups of small
holes (by preference) about one sixteenth of an inch in diameter). The inside end
may be closed or open (by preference open) Into this Collar I place a hollow
plug, ground into a watertight fit This Plug has as many slots or openings as
there are groups of holes in the bush, and the plug is capable of being rotated in
the bush, so as to cover or uncover the perforations-The inside end of the bush is
solid, and an inside shoulder is provided therein against which an india rubber or
other annular elastic cushion, is placed-The outer end of the plug is faced up, and
has a notch or detent cut therein at one point of its circumference. When the
bush has been fitted to the Barrel, and the plug placed in the bush, a face plate,
with a hole in the centre, corresponding to that in the bush, is screwed to the
flange of the bush. This face plate keeps the plug in its place. The face plate
has a notch cut therein corresponding to the notch in the plug, and when the two
notches are coincident the slots in the plug are in contact with the unperforated, or
solid portions of the bush, and in this position the barrel may be transported full
of liquor without any leakage.
The taps which I use and which are made in accordance with my invention, are
provided with a plain cylindrical or tapered portion which fits, watertight, into
the plug. The inner end of the tap comes into contact with the annular elastic
collar, which assists in making the junction perfectly watertight
A radial pin is inserted in the barrel of the tap. When the tap is inserted this
pin passes through the notch in the face plate and into that in the plug behind the
face plate. Then, by turning the tap through a portion of a circle the plug is
thereby rotated in a similar manner, until the slots or openings in the plug
coincide with the groups of holes in the bush. The liquid can then gain access to
the tap and the liquid can be drawn from the barrel as usual. The pin in the tap
being then behind the face plate, the tap is held in its place, and the tap cannot be
taken away without shutting off the respective openings, and thus all loss of liquor
is prevented. The taps are, in other respects, of an ordinary kind
Indicator marks are placed upon the tap and face plate to indicate when the
slots in the plug coincide with the groups of holes in the bush
"
It is obvious that my said Invention is applicable to many purposes where
liquids are required to be drawn from casks or other Vessels
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly ascertained, reference
is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts

page_text: Fig 1 is a face view of the collar inserted into the barrel. Fig 2 is a section of
the same on the line of Fig 1. and Fig 3 is a section, on the line y y of Fig 1.
a is a portion of the barrel. bis the collar 61 61 are groups of holes, which screen
the liquor entering the tap, c is a short groove to accommodate the pin d of the
plug shewn in Figs 4 and 5.; Fig 4 being an external view and Fig 5 a section of
the plug
The conical collar bis inserted into the Barrol, as abewn; any suitable elástic
material being used, when necessary, to make a water tight joint. The plug is
then inserted into the Collar and a face plate secured outside the collar flange.
The shoulder e is provided in the plug, against which rings, collars or springs are
made to impinge in order to keep the plug in close contact with the collar and
prevent leakage
1:
•
The slots in the plug are for the passage of the liquor from the holes b to
the interior of the plug, when the holes and slots are coincident in position.
When, however, the plug is rotated a certain distance, so that the solid unperforated
portions of the collar are opposite to and in contact with the slots ff of the plug,
no leakage of the liquor can arise, and the barrel may be transported in that state
without endangering the loss of the contents; and, if the barrel is empty the
access of the air is prevented. One or more notches is or are cut in the outer face
plate, and corresponding pins are inserted in the tap or cock. When tho latter is
inserted into the plug it is slightly rotated so as to bring the pin or pins behind
the outer face plate, and thus firmly hold the tap in its place. But this rotation of
the tap is made to similarly actuate the plug, which action brings the slots in line
with the holes in the collar or bush. The liquor thus gains access to the tap, and
it may then be drawn off in the usual manner
The face plates, pins, plug and tap are so arranged that the tap cannot be
withdrawn from the plug without first shutting off the liquor from the inside of
the plug by a sufficient amount of rotation of the latter
Figs 6 and 7 illustrate another form of bush or collar which is made flush with
the inside of the barrel, the liquor gaining access to the plug by the grooves b² b³.
Fig 6 is a section of this form of collar, and Fig 7 a back view
Fig 8. shews a face plate in position with indicator marks as guides for inserting
the tap and Fig 9 shews the barrel g and flange h of the tap in position, the latter
being turned to on
"
"
Fig 10 shews another mode of admitting the liquor to the tap by the openings b
a is the inside face of a portion of the barrel, b is the collar, which in this case bas
a solid end, inside, as shewn in section in Fig 14. Fig 11 is a back view of this
collar and flange Fig 12 is a side elevation, Fig 13 a face view, and Fig 15 a side
view with the tap in position. Fig 16 is a side view of the Plug and Fig 17 is a
front view of the same
A circular tapered hole is made in the barrel. The collar has three ribs or
distance pieces pp which fit the hole in the barrel, as shewn in Fig 10, leaving the
openings bs before referred to. The inner end of the collar has a square boss k
tapped to receive a screw and nut-The nut has a radial stop m. Fig 17 and
the inner end of the plug r is cut, as shown in the same figure, so as to be capable
of rotating to the extent shewn by dotted lines in the same figure. The object of
this arrangement being to govern the amount of rotary movement of the plug, in
turning the same on and off
On reference to Figs 13. 14. 16 and 17.it will be seen that the plug is held in
position by means of a bayonet point with dove tail faces 88 and the tap n is
held in the same manner-Such faces are some times cut as portions of screws to
ensure tightness of joint and prevent leakage
The various modifications and arrangements herein before described are inter-
changeable, and rubber or other washers are inserted where necessary (as at o Fig 15)
although not specially mentioned
"

page_text: 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 manufacture use and construction of the Plug and moveable tap shewn in
Figs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8 and 9 for the purposes herein before described
2 The several and respective modifications of the same, substantially as herein
before described and shewn in Figs 6, 7, 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16 and 17 of the
drawings
3 The combination of the several and respective parts, together forming my
improvements in the construction of taps for drawing beer and other liquids and
appliances used in connection- therewith, herein-before described and shewn on the
drawings or any mere modification thereof
In witness whereof I the said William Atherton Todd have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
WTT TTAME
ARETRTON TODD
TTT TTAME
TODD.
(3.6.)