A New or Improved Spile or Vent Peg for Casks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Spile or Vent Peg for Casks.
1, THOMAS HASELL, of 74, Redcliffe Hill, Bristol, Provision Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved vent peg or spile for casks, and has
for its object to provide a means whereby vent may be supplied to casks as required
in the most efficacious and simple manner.
My invention consists in making the spile of the usual taper shape with a tubular
opening from the extremity of the small end to the head, and making a chase or
groove in the periphery of the head, in which a number of holes is made from the
outside to the central aperture, forming an air communication from the periphery
of the head to the small end of the spile when placed within the cask; round the
circular chase in the head, a small ring of round rubber is placed, which normally
covers the holes in the periphery and excludes the air; when vent is required in
the cask, the ring is slightly raised or lowered, which uncovers one or more of the
holes, and when vent is required for any considerable time, the ring can be pressed
over the surrounding flange to the lower part of the spile, where it rests until it is
required to stop the vent, when the ring is restored to its place and air excluded as
before.
Dated this 27th dor of Fahruary 1806
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
A New or Improved Spile or Vent Peg for Casks.
1, THOMAS HASELL, of 74, Redcliffe Hill, Bristol, Provision Merchant, 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:-
My invention relates to a new or improved vent peg or spile for casks, and has
for its object to provide an appliance whereby vent may be supplied as and when
required in the most simple and efficacious manner.
The nature of my invention and the means by which it is carried into effect will
be readily understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a view of a bare spile as it is turned and bored; Fig. 2 is a section of
the same;
Fig. 3 is a view of a spile complete, with a rubber ring inserted in the groove
provided therefor, and
Fig. 4 is a similar view with the ring slightly raised by a finger or thumb, giving
rent to the cask.
The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is the spile, made from a piece of wood or any other suitable material, with a
groove a in the periphery as shewn; B is a vertical perforation made from the base
or point of the spile, extending to the head as shewn in Fig. 2; transverse holes C,

page_text: conveniently four, are made from the groovo a to the central perforation B; on the
periphery a round rubber ring D is strained, fitting tightly in the groove a to exclude
the passage of air through the holes C, except when the ring is raised, as shown in
Fig. 4 or otherwise removed.
A spile formed and fitted as described being inserted in the top of a cask in
the usual manner, its operation is as follows:-When the liquor ceases to flow
freely through the tap, the rubber ring is slightly raised for a moment, which
will admit auflicient air for the purpose of vent, and when the ring is released
and replaced in the groove, no more air can enter to cause the liquor to get
stale and flat, as is frequently the case with automatic spiles; and if the ferment
is very great, the gas will of its own accord raise the ring and perinit the super-
fluous air to escape. If vent is required for any considerable time, the ring is
removed from the groove a and passed over the lower part of the spile until auflicient
air is admitted, when the ring is restored to its place, and air excluded as before.
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 construction of a vent peg or spile with a central channel or perforation
from the base to the head, with transverse channels therefrom to the periphery,
substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the drawings.
2. The construction of a vent peg or spile with a circular groove formed in its
periphery, (from which the transverse channels are made to the central one), and a
rubber ring inserted in this circular groove to cover the apertures of the channels
and exclude air, substantially as set forth and described.
3. The construction of a vent peg or spile with a perforated channel or channels
from the base to the exterior for the admission of air, and a rubber ring fitting in a
groove round the periphery to exclude air except when vent is required, substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein set forth and described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1896.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2 John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.