Improvements in Taps.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps.
We JOHN BERNARD CLIVE of No. 358 Summer Lane Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer and EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE of No 97 Islington Row
Birmingham aforesaid Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
==
The said invention has reference to beer taps and such other taps as in being
fixed in the tap hole of the barrel or vessel are made to cut a hole in the cork by which
the tap hole was closed and to seat themselves water tight in the said hole.
The said invention consists of improvements in an invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to one of us namely the said Edmund Squire Norcombe dated
the second day of January 1884 No. 400.
In making a tap according to the present invention we make the body of the tap
by casting. The tube of the tap is formed separate from the body and consists of a
piece of brass or other tubing fixed in the body of the tap by screwing brazing or
otherwise. The extreme or outer end of the tube is made into a cutting edge either by
having serrations or saw teeth formed on it or hy being made into a knife edge. At
a short distance from the end of the tube a cut is made in the said tube the said cut
being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube and extending one half across
the tube. About one half of the portion of the tube thus in part detached from the
end portion is pressed inwards so as to form an inclined trough like channel. This
part of the tube is perforated with several lines of holes to permit of the passage of
the beer or liquid from the cask or vessel into the tap. That part of the body of the
tap into which the tube is fixed is conical tapering from the barrel of the tap to the
tube and a screw thread is formed on the said conical part. In order to give the plug
of the tap any desired tightness in the barrel of the tap we place a ring on the top of
tho plug which ring can be pressed down on the plug with the requisite tightness by
a screw cap which takes on the top of the barrel of the tap. Snugs at opposite
points on the said ring engage in slots in the barrel of the plug to prevent it turning
with the plug.
In tapping a barrel or vessel with a tap made according to the said invention the
serrated or cutting end of the tap is pressed upon the cork in the tap hole and a
rotary motion is given to the tap. A hole is thereby quickly cut in the cork the
greater part of the core cut from the cork being deflected from the axis of the tube
by the inclined trough into which it enters. After a hole is cut through the cork and
the tube pushed in the said hole the screwed conical part in which the tube is fixed
comes against the cork. By continuing to press and maintain the rotary motion of
the tap the screw in the said conical part cuts into the cork with a screwing motion
and the tap may thus be fixed in the cork with any desired degree of tightness.
On withdrawing the tap from the barrel the core of cork can easily be removed by
hand as the greater part of the said core is deflected out of the axial line of the tube
and is so fully exposed that it is taken hold of without difficulty. Should a portion
of the core be left in the cutting end of the tube it can be easily pressed out or it
may be left in without inconvenience as it will be pressed out when the tap is next
used by the new core which will be cut.
Dated this 6th day of September 1888.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Taps.
We JOHN BERNARD CLIVE of No. 358.Summer Lane Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer and. EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE of No. 97 Islington Row
Birmingham aforesaid Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The said invention has reference to beer taps and such other taps as in being
fixed in the tap hole of the barrel or vessel are-made to cut a hole in the cork by
which the tap hole was closed and to seat themselves water tight in the said hole.
The said invention consists of improvements in an invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to one of us namely the said Edmund Squire Norcombe dated
the second day of January 1884 No. 400.
In making a tap according to the present invention we make the body of the
tap by casting. The tube of the tap is formed soparte from the body and consists
of a piece of brass or other tubing fixed in the body of the tap by screwing,
brazing or otherwise. The extreme or outer end of the tube is made into a cutting
edge either by having serrations or saw teeth formed on it, or by being made into a
knife edge. At a short distance from the end of the tube a cut is made in the said
tube the said cut being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube and extending
one half across the tube. About one half of the portion of the tube thus in part
detached from the end portion is pressed inwards so as to form an inclined trough like
channel. This part of the tube is perforated with several lines of holes to permit of
the passage of the beer or liquid from the cask or vessel into the tap. That part of
the body of the tap into which the tube is fixed is conical, tapering from the barrel
of the tap to the tube and a screw thread is formed on the said conical part.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in side elevation a beer or
liquid tap constructed according to this invention; Figure 2 represents the same
partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section and Figure 3 represents
a cross section of the same taken through the tube of the tap on the dotted line a, a
Figure 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
b is the cast body of the tap of the ordinary kind and c is the separate tube
attached to the body of the tap by screwing brazing or otherwise connecting its end
at c² to the conical screw d at the back of the body of the tap. The outer end of
the tube c is made into a cutter e by making serrations or saw teeth in it; or in
place of serrations or saw teeth a cutter having a knife edge may be used: is
the inclined trough like channel closing the end of the tube of the tap in the manner
seen in Figure 2. Near the said inclined trough like channel f the tube is perforated
with several rows of holes g to permit of the passage of the beer or liquid from the
cask or vessel into the tube of the tap.
The inclined trough like channel is made in one piece with the separate tube c of
the tap and the end of the tube closed in the following way.
At the cutter end e of the tube a cut or incision h is made in a plane perpendicular
to the axis of the tube and extending one half across the tube. By the transverse
cut or incision at a portion of the tube is partly detached from the end on which
the cutter e is made and the partly detached portion of the tube is pressed inwards
and closely against the concave side of the uncut half of the tube so as thereby to
close the end of the tube and form the inclined trough like channel as will be
understood by an examination of the sectional parts of Figures 2 and 3.
In tapping a barrel or vessel with a tap made according to the said invention the
serrated. or cutting, end e of the tap is pressed upon the cork in the tap hole and a
rotary motion is given to the tap.
A hole is thereby quickly cut in the cork, the greater part of the core cut from
the cork being deflected from the axis of the tube by the inclined trough finto which

page_text: it enters. After a hole is cut through the cork and the tube c pushed in the said
hole, the screwed conical part d in which the tube is fixed comes against the cork.
By continuing to press and maintain the rotary motion of the tap the screw in the
said conical part d'enters and screws into the cork and the tap may thus be fixed in
the cork with any desired degree of tightness. On withdrawing the tap from the
barrel the core of cork can easily be removed by hand as the greater part of the said
core is deflected out of the axial line of the tube and is so fully exposed that it is
taken hold of without difficulty. Should a portion of the core be left in the cutting
end of the tube it can be easily pressed out or it may be left in without
inconvenience as it will be pressed out when the tap is next used by the new core which
will be cut.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as the said invention of "Improvements in taps "
:-
The combination with a beer or liquid tap having a cutter at the outer end of the
tube of the tap and a conical screw at the rear of the body of the tap, of an inclined
trough like channel for receiving and deflecting the core of the cork cut by the
cutter of the tap and also for forming the closed end of the tube the said inclined
trough like channel being made from and in one piece with the separate tube of the
tap substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Dated the Twenty second day of May 1889
JOHN BERNARD CLIVE.
EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE.