IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS AND FOR INDICATING THE QUANTITY DRAWN OFF
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We JOHN BECK of 30 Leipsic Road, Camberwell in the County of Surrey
Designer and General Engineer and FRANCIS MICHAEL TRUELOVE of the same
place and of the "Hanover Arms" Rye Lane Peckham in the County of Surrey
Licensed Victualler and Inventor do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS AND FOR
INDICATING THE QUANTITY DRAWN OFF," to be as follows :—
This invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of combined
indicator or "tell-tale" draw off measuring apparatus for liquids whereby the
amount of liquid drawn off from any source of supply is measured and is also
indicated on a dial by a counter worked from the apparatus itself thus preventing
fraud or dishonesty on the part of those in charge of the said apparatus.
Our combined.apparatus consists essentially of two closed measuring chambers or
vessels of equal capacities mounted on the main body of the draw-off apparatus and
provided with self closing and opening vents and if desired with glass guages. These
chambers are connected with a peculiar distributing cock or valve in the body of the
apparatus the plug of which is formed with passages or thoroughfares so disposed as
by a partial revolution to bring one of the two chambers into direct communication
with the main source of supply in order that it may be filled whilst at the same
time shutting off therefrom the other or previously filled chamber and establishing
a communication between it and any suitable discharging or draw off nozzle or bib
opened and closed by a separate plug or equivalent arrangement of its own or by
the plug itself of the three way cock. It will thus be seen that whilst one chamber
is being drawn from or emptied the other is being refilled from the cask or other
source of supply and vice versa. The partial rotation to and fro of the plug of the
distributing cock imparts motion to the main or first wheel of a counter connected
therewith through a pinion mounted on a ratchet wheel revolving in a chamber in
the body of the said cock and driven by spring arms or palls on the spindle of the
plug a detent arrangement being employed to prevent the ratchet wheel and pinion
revolving in the reverse direction when the movement of the plug is reversed. The
dial of the indicator is divided into any number of given units of measure represented
by the capacity of the chambers so that each alternate movement of the distributing
plug for the refilling of the empty chamber and the simultaneous connection of the

page_text: full one with the draw off or discharge cock will cause the indicator of the dial to be
advanced one division showing that an amount of liquid equal to the contents of one
of the chambers has been extracted from the main source of supply. Consequently
whenever the state of the indicator is taken the monetary value of the contents of
the till must balance with it and dishonesty on the part of the attendant is thereby
detected.
The dial of the indicator or counter may be made to indicate up to any desired
number by the addition of other indicators driven primarily from the arbour of the
first wheel and suitably geared together as in an ordinary counter for high figures.
The capacity of the chambers may be such as to admit of several small quantities
being drawn from them before they are emptied, or they may each correspond to a
given unit of measure the whole of which in that case is discharged as a ready
measured quantity from the full chamber and the empty chamber refilled the
amount discharged being indicated on the dial by the advance of the indicator each
alternate time the distributing plug is turned.

page_text: We JOHN BECK of 30 Leipsic Road Camberwell in the County of Surrey
Designer and general Engineer and FRANCIS MICHAEL TRUELOVE of the same
place and of the Hanover Arius, Rye Lane Peckham Surrey Licensed Victualler
and Inventor do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TAPS OR VALVES FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS AND FOR INDICATING THE QUANTITY
DRAWN OFF and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
Our invention relates to an improved construction of taps, cocks, (or valves)
in combination with apparatus for measuring and registering the quantity or
quantities of beer, wine, spirits or other liquids drawn off from the casks or other
vessels in which such liquids may be contained wherby the monetary value of the
liquid drawn off can be accurately ascertained and dishonesty on the part of the
attendant immediately detected.
Our invention consists principally of a specially constructed distributing tap,
cock, (or valve) the plug of which by its partial rotation in either direction
establishes communication between the cask or other vessel containing the liquid
to be measured and each of two measuring chambers or vessels and between each
measuring chamber or vessel and a specially constructed auxiliary or "draw off"
tap or cock, alternately, or in such a manner that whilst one measuring chamber or
vessel is being filled from the cask the other measuring chamber or vessel is
discharging its contents through the plug of the distributing cock and through the
auxiliary or "draw off" cock to use and vice versa.
The plug of the distributing cock is caused to actuate suitable counting
apparatus whereby each quantity of liquid filling and representing the capacity
of each measuring chamber or vessel is indicated and registered on a dial or
series of dials.
And in order that our said invention may be well understood we shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same reference being made to the accompanying
sheets of drawings like letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in the
respective figures.
Figures, 1, 2, 3 and 4 sheet 1 are sectional views representing and comprising the
whole of our improved apparatus for measuring and registering liquids.
Figures 5 to 9 sheet 1 and figures 10 to 13 sheet 2 illustrate similar apparatus
slightly modified as to the configuration of its parts and figures 14 to 16 sheet 2
are detached views of parts of figures 23 and 4 sheet 1 to an enlarged scale.
Referring to figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 sheet 1.-A represents the supply pipo
or passage which leads from the cask containing the liquid to be measured and
communicates at its outlet with the shell or casing N of a specially constructed.
distributing tap or cock. On the outside of the supply pipe A are mounted
or otherwise combined two measuring chambers or vessels D D of equal capacities
and from the bottoms of which lead outlet passages or vents CC¹ also communi-
cating with the shell or casing N of the distributing cock at equal distances, from,

page_text: the outlet of the supply passage A-In the cylindrical conical surface of the
plug N¹ of the distributing cock is formed a recess E the circumferential length of
which corresponds with the distance between the furthest edges respectively of the
outlet from the supply passage A and of the outlet C (or C¹) from either measuring
chamber or vessel D (or D¹) the vertical extent of the recess E being equivalent to
the vertical depth of the said outlets-In the body of the plug N we form two
radial and oppositely inclined slots or passages I. I' which are closed at their upper
ends on a level with the upper edges of the said outlets A and C (or C¹) but open
out at the bottom of the plug N¹ into the hollow plug S of a specially constructed
auxiliary or "draw off" tap or cock which plug S is stationary and attached to the
shell or casing N (or to a pipe leading therefrom if desired) of the distributing tap
or cock Across the hollow plug S is a partition S¹ above and below which through
opposite parts of the cylindrical wall of the plug S are openings F F Surrounding
and capable of being rotated on the plug S is a bush or casing S which is provided
with handles OO and formed on opposite parts of its internal circumference or
bore where it is fitted to the plug S with recesses G the height and width of which
are sufficient to enclose or cover the upper and lower openings F F¹ respectively
when placed opposite to them as hereafter described.
A similar bush or casing K¹ with handles O¹ (but without recesses G) is fixed to
the spindle K of the plug N¹ of the distributing cock.
At the upper part of each measuring chamber or vessel D. D¹ are openings a for
the escape and admission of air to the chamber on the rising and falling respectively
of the liquid therein the liquid being prevented from overflowing the chamber
when filled by a ball float J which rises with the liquid and closes the upper air
opening a-Glass gauges H (figure 4) may also be fitted to the measuring chambers
or vessels D D¹ for observing the level of the liquid in the latter.
The manner in which that portion of our apparatus above described is caused to
measure the liquid as it is drawn from the cask or other receptacle is as follows:-
On partially rotating the plug N¹ of the distributing tap or cock by the handles
O¹ until its recess E covers the outlet of the supply passage A and the outlet C
from the measuring chamber D or in other words establishes communication
between the latter and the cask (see figure 1) the liquid in the cask flows through
the supply passage A and across the recess É and through the passage C into the
measuring chamber D which it fills—The plug N¹ is then partially rotated in the
opposite direction until the recess E establishes communication between the supply
passage A and the passage C¹ of the other measuring chamber D¹ which is thereby
filled in like manner to D-Meanwhile the slot I in the plug N¹ will have arrived
opposite to, or be in communication with, the outlet C from the measuring
chamber D so that the liquid in the latter which liquid corresponds with the
capacity of the chamber D (or is measured) passes through the slot or passage I
into the upper portion of the plug S of the auxiliary "draw off" tap or cock
whence it is drawn off when required by turning the bush or casing S by its
handles until the recesses G come opposite to or cover the upper and lower
openings F F in the plug S when the liquid will be discharged through the said
openings and through the lower portion of the plug S to use-It is evident
therefore that on each movement of the plug N¹ of the distributing tap or cock to
or fro a quantity of liquid is drawn off from the cask equal in volume or
measurement to the capacity of one of the measuring chambers or vessels D, D¹
neither more nor less.
Or if desired the capacities of the chambers may be such as to admit of several
small quantities being drawn from them before they are emptied in lieu of each
chamber representing a given unit. of measure the whole of which is discharged as
above described.
For registering the quantities of liquid thus measured we fix on the upper
square end Y (seen in detail figures 14 and 15 sheet 2) of the Spindle K of the
distributing tap or cock two spring arms or pawls V which engage with ratchet-
teeth W formed on the internal surface of a cylindrical cap or casing P.-On the

page_text: top of this cap or casing P is cast or attached a bevil pinion R which gears into the
main bevil wheel B of a suitable counting apparatus composed of a train of geared
spur pinions and wheels driven from the main bevil wheel B and carrying index
needles for indicating and registering the quantities of liquid measured, up to any
desired number on a series of dials (figure û sheet 1).
Around the lower part of the circumference of the cap or casing P are ratchet
teeth X (figures 3, 4 and 16) which are taken into by a pawl or ratchet Z attached
to the fixed casing of the counting apparatus surrounding the cap or casing P.
By this arrangement on the partial rotation of the plug N¹ in one direction (or
to that position when one of the measuring chambers or vessels is discharging its
contents) the cap or casing P with its bevil pinion R is rotated to a corresponding
extent thereby turning the main bevil wheel B and causing the index needle of the
latter to move through one division of the first dial-each division of which
represents a quantity of liquid equal to the united capacities of the two measuring
chambers or vessels D D¹
On the partial rotation of the plug N¹ in the reverse direction (or when the
other chamber is discharging its contents) the backward rotation of the bevil
pinion R is prevented by the pawl or ratchet Z taking into one of the ratchet
teeth X which locks the cap or casing P whilst the pawls V return or are released
from the ratchet teeth with which they have been engaged and engage with the
succeeding ratchet teeth ready for repeating the operation.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination and use with the supply pipe or passage from a cask or
other receptacle for liquid and with measuring chambers or vessels of a distributing
tap or cock (or valve) constructed substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination and use with the distributing tap or cock (or valve) of an
auxiliary or "draw off" tap or cock (or valve) constructed substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and use with the distributing tap or cock (or valve) and
with suitable counting apparatus of ratchet mechanism arranged substantially as
and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.