An Improved Tap for Casks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tap for Casks.
EDWARD HAZLEHURST 22 St. Thomas Street North Oldham in the County of
Lancaster Brewer's Traveller. I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
In the first place my invention relates to having what is termed a plug tap with
the taper plug projecting about of an inch through its barrel at the outer end which
is recessed out to allow of a spiral spring round the end of the plug which comes in
contact with the end of its barrel and by that means always keeps the plug in its
position by its constant pressure on the end of the plug and barrel. So allowing for
any wear that might take place. On the front portion of the tap I leave the plug
about one inch shorter than the barrel. And about half way between that space I
have an aperture about of an inch deep and a quarter of an inch wide and from the
said aperture at one side of the barrel I cut a slot from the front side of the aperture
to the front end of its barrel this slot and aperture is put in the said barrel to allow
a key which key has on its outer side a peg which fits in the said slot and turns in
its aperture thereby causing the key to lock and which compels the parties so using
The
to turn it back to the same position it started from before the key is released.
bottom end of the said key fits in a peg which runs through the plug of the tap.
The aforesaid key having at the other end a thread to fit on the unions which are
ordinarily used in tapping casks.
Dated this 97th dor of Tune 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tap for Casks.
I EDWARD HAZLEHURST of 22 St. Thomas Street, North, Werneth Oldham in the
County of Lancaster Commercial Traveller 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 and accompanying
drawings
My said invention relates to taps for withdrawing liquids from casks and other
vessels and will be best understood from a description of the annexed sheet of
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the tap complete and shown in connection with the end
of a cask.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the tap.
Fig. 3 is a separate view of the internal taper plug.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of the tap at the line A B Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a front view of the plug shell which is secured by screws through the
flange of the cask end.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the end of the hollow key by which the taper plug is
turned.
Fig. 7 shows the hollow key combined with an ordinary spring presser valve to
prevent waste.
The complete tap consists of two separate parts viz.: the hollow plug tap proper a
and the hollow key b. The plug portion a is inserted from the outside through a
hole in the end c of the cask and is secured thereto by screws passing through holes
in the flange al of the part a. The flange a' might be recessed into the end of the
cask. The plug shell a thus projects into the liquid in the cask or vessel. The outer
ΓΥ

page_text: plug shell a is tapered as shown and has two ports a² a² cut in its circumference.
The shell a contains an inner hollow tapered plug d capable of being rotated in the
shell a.
The tail d of the inner plug d is screwed and furnished with a nut and
washer d¹ d² whereby it can be sufficiently & firmly held and adjusted in its seat in
the shell a so as to pack the plug d liquid tight at the same time permitting rotation
of the plug. In some cases I might introduce a coiled spring or other elastic body
between the washer d² and the end of the taper shell so as to hold the plug d in its
seat with an elastic pressure. The tapered plug d has also two ports d³ d³ cut in its
circumference and of the same pitch as the ports in the shell a the ports in the shell a
and in the plug d coming opposite to each other when the tap is open as in
Figs. 1 and 2 and as most clearly seen in Fig. 4. By turning the plug d to a
sufficient extent say through a quarter of a turn the ports are closed. The shell a
has a covering e of wire gauze or other suitable pervious material which serves as
a strainer. The screwed tail d' of the plug d is hollow and is stopped by a plug f of
cork or wood which can be driven in from the front when the hollow key b is
removed. It will be seen that the interior of the screwed tail is formed with a series
of annular ridges of a saw tooth section so that when the cork has been driven in
the said saw tooth ridges hold the cork and prevent it from being forced back by the
pressure of liquid in the cask. If it is wished to see into the interior of the cask
the cork can be driven entirely through the tail into the cask thus allowing vision
right through the tap into the cask." The front end of the taper plug d has a
notch d cut in it as clearly seen in Fig. 3 this notch fitting a driving pin or pro-
jection on the hollow key b (see Fig. 6). A shallow stop pin a³ projects from the
interior of the neck of the hollow shell a and when the two parts are together
occupies a groove 63 cut in the neck of the hollow key b (see Fig. 6). The said
hollow key b has a nose b¹ slightly tapered to correspond to the internal taper of the
plug d and on the nose I mount a packing ring 62 of rubber or other suitable elastic
material so that when the key is inserted into the plug and shell and turned the
rubber ring prevents leakage at that point. When the key is withdrawn from the
plug the tap is necessarily closed the tap being so constructed that the key cannot
be withdrawn without closing it. When the tap is again to be used the hollow key b
is inserted so that the stop pin a³ in the shell a shall enter the groove 63. The key
is then pushed home as far as it will go at which time the stop pin a³ will have come
opposite to that portion of the groove 63 which branches off at right angles as clearly
seen at Fig. 6. At the same time the driving pin 66 on the key which lies flush
with the bottom of the groove 63 (see Fig. 6) will have entered and occupied the
notch cut in the taper plug d (see Fig. 3) so that if the key b is now turned
the plug d will also be rotated thus opening the ports and allowing the liquid to flow
into and through the tap. The stop pin a comes against the termination of the
groove 63 and arrests the rotation of the key. The tap is then
open the parts being
in the relative position shown in section at Fig. 2. The stop a limits the rotation
of the plug to fall open or closed and permits such rotation in one direction only.
It will be seen that as long as the stop pin a³ occupies the branch portion of the
groove the key b cannot possibly be withdrawn. To withdraw the key it is
absolutely necessary to turn it back (thus closing the tap) so as to bring the straight
portion of the groove b³ in line with the stop pin a³ whereupon the key can be
withdrawn leaving the plug closed. The delivery end of the hollow key may be
fashioned to suit any requirement. In the drawings I have shown it with two
delivering nozzles 64 and 66. When used for drawing the liquid into vessels as for
example in home use the branch 6 would be used, the nozzle 6 being then plugged
as shown. If the tap were connected to a pump as for use in a public house or
the like the branch would be plugged and the nozzle 66 connected by a union of
any suitable description to the pipe leading to the pump. In practice I have found
that in the case of drawing off taps for domestic use and the like a careless operator
might cause some slight waste by omitting to pour the liquid contained in the hollow
key when removed from the tap into the jug or vessel. To prevent such possible
waste I might apply to the hollow key an ordinary spring presser valve as shown

page_text: in Fig. 7. The disc g is mounted on a central presser rod having a knob at the
end as shown. A spring keeps the disc g against the end of the key b. When
in use the key is inserted and turned. The knob i is then pressed and the liquid
allowed to flow. To stop the flow the knob is released. When the key is removed
any liquid which may be in it is retained by the valve disc g. In steaming and
cleansing casks having my improved tap fitting the plugs can be opened by a special
pick lock key so made that it can be withdrawn without closing the tap one key
serving to open any number of cask plugs. It will be seen that my improved tap
presents advantages not hitherto obtained in taps of this class. The hollow key for
opening the tap is expeditiously and easily applied and is itself a component part of
the tap instead of being a mere tool or adjunct for operating the same as in most
cases. The key cannot be withdrawn without shutting off the liquid so that waste
by escape is impossibe. It can be applied used and withdrawn in the dark. There
is no projection from the cask ends so that nothing is liable to accident or injury.
The casks being always returned closed when empty, air currents are not admitted
to the casks and they are prevented from becoming musty. For domestic use they
operate as a check on consumption as the key can be kept in personal possession
and handel to a servant when a portion of the beer or liquid is required. The
improved tap can be made cheaply and being so simple cannot easily get out of
order.
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 general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising my
improved tap substantially as described and shown.
2. In a tap of the indicated nature a hollow tapered plug capable of being rotated
in a hollow tapered shell so as to open and close ports which admit the liquid to the
interior of the plug and thence to the point of delivery through a removable hollow
key capable of being applied for the purpose of opening and closing the tap substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown.
3. In a tap of the indicated nature a removable hollow key the interior of which
communicates with a hollow plug and furnished with a packing ring to prevent
leakage, a driving pin or projection to engage with and rotate the plug and a groove
to receive a stop pin projecting from the plug shell so as to limit the rotation of
the key and prevent the withdrawal of the same until after the closing of the tap
substantially as described and shown.
4. In a tap of the indicated construction stopping the inner end or tail of the
movable tapered plug by a stopper of cork wood or other suitable material which
can be driven into position in a ribbed or saw toothed seat in the interior of the tail
from the outside of the cask and afterwards forced completely through when it is
desired to view the interior of the cask substantially as described and shown.
5. The hollow key fitted with a string pressure valve to prevent the escape of the
contents of the key when removed from the tap substantially as described and
shown.
Dated this 9th day of October 1800
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.