IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Alphaeus Gooding, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 3rd December 1872, and dated the 18th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Alphaeus
Gooding at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th June 1872.
I, RICHARD Alphaeus GoodING, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of measuring liquids when
drawn from barrels or other receptacles, as, for instance, in the retailing
of wine, beer, and spirits, and consists in the use and employment
of a suitably constructed plug tap, connection with a vessel, con-
sisting of glass by preference, or other suitable material, which is
graduated to the different quantities to be measured. The body of the

page_text: tap is provided with the usual thoroughfare, opening at opposite sides
into the conical casing or scat in which the plug turns, but an additional
branch or thoroughfare is formed, placed at right angles to the above-
mentioned main thoroughfare, and opening at one end into the conical
casing, while the other end is connected to and opens into the graduated |
glass vessel. The plug is provided with an angular thoroughfare, so as
to connect as desired the above described glass vessel, either with that
branch of the main thoroughfare which leads to the receptacle containing
the liquid, or with the branch or spirit opening to the outside.
If the plug is turned so as to establish the first-mentioned connection,
the liquid will flow from the receptacle into the graduated vessel, and as
it rises in the same the quantities can be read off on the graduated scale.
When the desired quantity of the liquid has entered the glass vessel,
the plug is turned through about a quarter of a revolution, thereby
cutting off the supply and allowing at the same time the liquid contained
in the graduated vessel to flow out through the spout.
I prefer the above-described plug tap, although other suitably con-
structed valves may be used in connection with the before-described
graduated vessel for the purpose before-mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, a
filed by the said Richard Alphaeus Gooding in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Richard
ALPHAEUS GOODING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Alphaeus Gooding, Her special
license that I, the said Richard Alphaeus Gooding, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Alphaeus
Gooding, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Alphaeus Gooding, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Alphacus Gooding, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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, that is
to say :-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of measuring liquids when
drawn from barrels or other receptacles, as, for instance, in the retailing
of wine, beer, and spirits, and consists in the use and employment
of a suitably constructed plug tap in connection with a vessel, consisting
of glass, by preference, or other suitable material, which is graduated
to the different quantities to be measured. The body of the tap is
provided with the usual thoroughfare, opening at opposite sides into the
conical casing or seat in which the plug turns, but an additional branch
or thoroughfare is formed placed at right angles to the above-mentioned
main thoroughfare, and opening at one end into the conical casing,
while the other end is connected in a suitable manner with the graduated
vessel. The plug is provided with an angular thoroughfare, thus
so as to connect as desired the above-described glass vessel, either with
that branch of the main thoroughfare which leads to the receptacle
containing the liquid, or with the branch or spout opening to the outsido.
If the plug is turned so as to establish the first-mentioned connection
the liquid will flow from the receptacle into the graduated vessel, and as
it rises in the same the quantities can be read off on the graduated scale.
When the desired quantity of the liquid has entered the glass vessel,
the plug is turned through about a quarter of a revolution, thereby

page_text: cutting off the supply and allowing at the same time the liquid contained
in the graduated vessel to flow out through the spout.
I prefer the above-described plug tap, although other suitably con-
structed valves may be used in connection with the before-described
graduated vessel for the purpose before-mentioned.
A suitably constructed registering apparatus may also be added to the
tap and graduated vessel before described.
In order that my Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto annexed one Sheet of Drawings, similar letters
of reference being marked upon corresponding parts in all Figures.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent sectional elevations of the tap and graduated
vessel; Fig. 3 a front view of the same; Fig. 4 another sectional
elevation of the tap and part of the graduated vessel; Fig. 5 represents
the tap and graduated vessel with the addition of a self-registering
apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of part of the self-registering
apparatus.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, a is the body or casing of the tap provided
with a main thoroughfare b, b', opening at opposite sides into the conical
seating of the plug c, in which plug the angular thoroughfare d is formed;
one part of the main thoroughfare is in communication with the
receptacle containing the liquid, while the other portion 6' forms. the
spout or outlet. A third branch or thoroughfare e, placed at right angles
to the main thoroughfare, extends from the seating upwards into a cup
or socket formed on the body or casing of the tap. In this cup or
socket the contracted lower part or neck of the graduated vessel g is
firmly secured so as to retain the latter in a vertical or nearly vertical
position. The graduated vessel g, which I prefer to make of glass, may
be either left open at the top, or in order to prevent any overflow it may
be closed with a cover, having an opening i for the escape and entrance
of air. A valve k is placed on the inner side of the cover, which, on
the fluid rising too high is lifted and closes the opening i. The different
quantities of liquids required to be measured are indicated according to
their respective heights in the vessel g by the marks or graduations I, l.
The tap may be attached directly to the receptacle containing the liquid
or connected to it in the usual manner by a pipe m, as shown in the
Drawing.

page_text: If a quantity of the liquid is to be withdrawn, the plug c is turned
into the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby a communication is established
by means of the angular thoroughfare e between the receptacle and the
graduated vessel g, allowing the liquid to enter the latter. When it has
risen to that mark indicating the quantity of the liquid wanted, the plug
is turned through about a quarter of a revolution into the position shown
in Fig. 2, thereby cutting off the supply, and by opening a commu-
nication between the vessel g and the outlet allowing the liquid to
escape.
In Fig. 4, a modification in the arrangement of the tap is shown, by
which larger quantities of the liquid can be withdrawn from the
receptacle into vessels of known capacity if desired, without measuring
the same in the graduated vessel. For this purpose a groove or cavity "
extending through about a quarter of the circumference of the seating
is formed in the casing, and the plug being turned into the position
shown in Fig. 4, a direct communication between the portion 6 of the
main thoroughfare and the outlet 6' will be opened. The position of the
thoroughfare d, at which the tap is closed entirely, is shown in dotted
lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.
Fig. 5 represents the apparatus before described, with the addition of
an apparatus, whereby the quantities of liquids passing through the
graduated vessel may be registered by self-acting means. For this
purpose I employ a float o inside the graduated vessel; a fine cord P is
attached to the float, from which it passes upwards and over a pulley q
placed in the frame or casing r of the registering apparatus; a weight &
is suspended from the other end of the cord p.
The pulley 9, shown enlarged in Fig. 6, is fixed on a spindle or shaft t,
supported in suitable bearings, and carries a spring pawl u in gear with
a ratchet wheel v. The ratchet wheel turns loosely on the spindle t, and
has attached to its boss a worm or pinion w, from which motion is
transmitted by suitable gearing to the fingers of the registering dials.
When the tap is not used, the float being heavier than the weight rests
on the lower part of the graduated vessel, but when liquid is admitted
in the vessel y causing the float to rise, the weight & descends, thereby
turning the pulley q, and also by means of the spring pawl u the ratchet
wheel in the direction of the arrow, through a part or the whole of a
revolution, according to the height of the quantity of liquid in the vessel,
0

page_text: such quantity being registered at the same time on the dials. When
the liquid is allowed to escape from the graduated vessel, the float again
sinks to its former position, turning the pulley in the opposite direction;
but the ratchet wheel is prevented from turning back by a pawl y, sup-
ported on a stud fixed to the framing, while the spring pawl u is carried
backwards over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, which is made of
sufficient width to allow the pawl u to pass the pawl y.
Instead of the tap and vessel described above, and illustrated in the
Drawings, which I prefer to use, I may employ other suitably constructed
taps or valves, and the shape of the graduated vessel may also be varied
according to circumstances.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood in conclusion that I claim the novel and peculiar
arrangement of suitably constructed taps or valves in combination with
graduated vessels as and for the purpose berein-before described, set
forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my band and seal, this
Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
W. HY. DAWSON,
RICHARD ALPHAEUS GOODING. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.