IMPROVED DEVICES FOR STOPPING AND TAPPING CASKS AND SIMILAR VESSELS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "IMPROVED DEVICES FOR STOPPING AND TAPPING CASKS AND
SIMILAR VESSELS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to means for stopping and tapping casks, barrels and the
like and comprises improvements in the bushes for lining the tap-holes of casks or
the like, in the plugs which close the openings in the said bushes before the taps
are inserted therein, and in taps for use with the said bushes..
Each of the said bushings is provided with a plug, threaded externally, and
screwed into a corresponding screw thread on the interior of the bush. The said
plug is provided at its outer end with an aperture into which the end of the shank
of the tap is adapted to fit. The said shank is also screw-threaded to fit the
screw-thread on the interior of the bushing.
When it is desired to tap a cask, the end of the shank is inserted in the said
aperture, and the tap is turned, thereby screwing the plug forward into the cask,
the shank of the tap at the same time entering the bush. With this arrangement
the plug, when the cask is tapped, lies loosly therein, and when the cask is being
cleaned interferes with the operation. Also the liquid in the cask escapes around
the screw threads and when the cask is being tapped the air in the tap and plug
enters the said cask.
The object of this invention is to obviate these defects, and to this end it
comprises the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described.
According to this invention, the bushing, instead of being screw-threaded
throughout, is screw-threaded for only a portion of its length, the inner portion
being plain. The plug also is provided on its inner end with a disc of flexible
material which fits the plain portion of the bushing and closes the same.
shell of the plug, which is hollow, holes are formed through which liquid can pass
to the tap. When the bushing is closed the flexible disc is in the plain portion of
In the

page_text: the said bushing. To tap the cask the shank of the tap is inserted in the aperture
in the plug as hereinbefore described; the latter is then screwed forward until the
flexible disc leaves the bushing, the liquid can then pass through the holes in the
plug and pass to the tap. It will be understood that with this arrangement
the plug always remains in the bushing, and can be removed from the cask when
required.
To prevent leakage a screw collar having suitable packing is arranged upon the
shank of the tap, which collar is adapted to enter a screw threaded portion on the
end of the bushing.
To prevent the entrance of air into the cask when tapping the same, the barrel
of the tap may be filled with liquid.

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVED DEVICES FOR STOPPING AND TAPPING CASKS AND
SIMILAR VESSELS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
This invention relates to devices for stopping and tapping casks and similar
vessels and comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the various figures of
which are hereinafter referred to.
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing illustrates. a well-known bush, invented
in America, which can be screwed in to the tap-hole, and the rear portion of a cock
adapted to fit the same.
The bush a is provided with a plug 6 which is a hollow cylinder having at one
end two opposite notches c, and at the other end a collar d with a packing ring e,
and two opposite apertures f.. The said cylinder is screwed into the bush a.
When a cask or the like provided with this device is to be tapped the cock his
inserted in the bush a so that the lips i enter the notches c. The cock is then
screwed into the bush by means of the screw-threads, formed thereon, the lips i
engaging with the plug b causing the latter to screw out of the bush.
:
When the plug b has been unscrewed far enough, the apertures fare uncovered,
so that the liquid rushes through the same into the cock. If the cock is screwed
out again, it screws the plug b back into the bush, thus effecting the closing of the
apertures.
In this arrangement several defects are found to exist, that is to say—.
1st It frequently happens that when the cock is inserted the square threads of
the same do not at once engage with those in the bush so that several turns must
be made with the cock before its shank can be inserted properly.
As, however, at every turn of the cock, the plug b also moves so that the joint
at the collar d is not tight, liquid from the cask escapes.
2nd Even if the threads do engage properly, the liquid enters the bush and the
cock, and during the entire operation of inserting the latter, spurts out between the
threads, which must have sufficient play, to enable the cock to move easily in any
bush to which it may be applied.
The escapes above referred to necessitate the insertion of the cock with as much
rapidity as possible; this however frequently causes the threads which have
engaged improperly to be injured.
3rd The air which is in the bush and in the cock, and which is displaced by the
liquid which enters the cock, finds access to the interior of the cask, and this is
very injurious to untapped beer in the cask when it is in a proper state for being
drawn.

page_text: This air ascends in the form of bubbles from the bottom of the cask, agitates
thereby the precipitated particles of barm or yeast and causes a disturbance of the
beer, in consequence of which the particles of barm are moved and mixed with the
beer which therefore becomes dim or cloudy and occasions a slight fermentation.
According to the present invention the defects above stated are entirely obviated,
the cock being secured close to the bush before the plug in the rear is loosened, so
that an escape of beer cannot take place, and the air in the bush and in the cock
being allowed to escape through the opening of the cock, is unable to pass to the
interior of the cask.
For this purpose
arrange upon the threads of the cock, figures 1, 2 and 3, a
collar having internal screw threads adapted to engage with those of the cock
and external threads adapted to engage with the internal threads of the enlarged
part o of the bush. This collar is provided with packing rings m and n so as to
form tight joints at its ends.
If, with this arrangement, a cask is to be tapped the screw collar / upon the
shank, of the cock, as shown in figure 2, is screwed back, the lips i of the cock are
then put in the notches c and the screw-collar is screwed into the bush, so as to
make a tight joint at m Figure 1. The cock is then screwed into the bush, the
plug b, figure 3, moving to the rear out of the bush and exposing the apertures f.
The threads upon the shank of the cock obtain their proper position and are
properly guided relatively to the threads in the bush by means of the threads upon
the screw collar, so that the threads of the cock must engage with certainty.
By properly tightening the screw-cap p, whereby the packing-ring n is pressed
upon the shank of the cock, an escape of liquid between the screw-threads is
prevented.
To allow the air to escape through the orifice of the cock, the latter is inserted
with the orifice q downwards. After the screw-collar is tightened the cock is
moved round half a turn, so that the orifice q stands upwards. In consequence of
this half-turn the plug b is moved slightly and admits a little liquid. As soon as
the bush and the cock are fitted, which will be seen from the orifice of the cock
which is turned upwards, the cock itself is closed again and screwed wholly into
the bush.
The cock can also be inserted open with the orifice upwards. In this case, after
the screw-collar and the packing ring n, are tightened, liquid is poured in through
the orifice q of the cock. When the cock and the bush are filled therewith, the
cock is closed again and then screwed entirely into the bush. In both cases the air
has escaped through the orifice of the cock; the entrance of the same into the cask
is thus obviated.
Another defect in connection with the device first described with reference to
Figure 4. arises from the fact that the plug b can only be moved to the interior of
the cask and does not permit of being screwed forward out of the busb a This
disadvantage is obviated by the use of the modification represented in Figure 5,
wherein the bush is closed by a disc u which fits the interior of the bush, the latter
being smooth at the end for this purpose. The bush before the cask is tapped, is
closed by a screw cap as shown in Figure 6.
.
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
First. The combination with a cock and bush of the class herein after described,
of a screw-collar movable upon the shank of the cock, the said collar being
provided with internal screw-threads corresponding to the external threads of the
cock; with external screw-threads adapted to engage with the internal threads of
an enlarged part o of the bush, and with a screw-cap p for the purpose of forming
Ta tight joint around the cock prior to the movement of the plug.
Second. In combination with the bush, the enlarged part o provided with
internal screw-threads

page_text: Third. The application to the plug of the bush, of a disc or ring of india-rubber
or other suitable material, the diameter of which disc is slightly larger than that of
the opening in which it is located for the purpose specified.
Fourth. To prevent the entrance of air into the interior of a cask or other
receptacle during the operation of tapping, forcing the air forward by filling the
cock with liquid.
D17001