A New or Improved Combined Tap or Cock and Automatic Tap Hole Closer for Casks and other Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Combined Tap or Cock and Automatic Tap Hole
Closer for Casks and other Vessels.
I JOSEPH BREEDEN of New Mill Works Fazeley Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
My said invention consists of a compound tap or stopcock one part of which is
permanently attached to the cask and the other separate from the cask and
connected to the former part by the act of tapping the cask. The first named or
fixed part is attached to the head of the cask being situated within the cask the flange
by which it is attached to the head of the cask being flush with the head of the cask;
that is there is no projecting external part. The first named fixed part has for its
function to automatically close the cask airtight on the removal of the tap. The
other part or tap proper is so constructed that on being connected to the former
part the said former part is so operated upon that the liquid is permitted to flow
freely into the tap and when the tap is disconnected from the fixed part the tap hole
of the cask is automatically closed air tight.
The part fixed to the cask consists of a plug having a waterway working in a
barrel or body the parts having a general resemblance to the plug and barrel of an
ordinary tap, that is when the plug is in one position liquid can pass through it and
when turned into a position at right angles to that referred to the liquid way is
closed. The head of the plug of the fixed part has two recesses in which when the
separate part or tap proper is connected to the cask two snugs carried by the latter
engage and by the motion of the tap proper in attaching it to the cask the liquid
way is opened. The said fixed part is secured to the head of the cask by a flange
and screws which flange is flush with the head of the cask.
The tap proper may either have the ordinary delivery pipe or may terminate in
a screwed nozzle to which a pipe for delivering the liquid contained in the cask to
a distance is connected. In each case the cask end of the tap is provided with the
two snugs hereinbefore referred to of a size and shape suitable for fitting in the
recesses in the head of the plug of the fixed part. The acting faces of the snugs
and the surfaces against which they bear are so inclined that on inserting the said
snugs into the said recesses and turning the tap through a quadrant the tap is fixed;
the act of turning it opening the liquid way of the fixed part of the apparatus.
washer on the face of the flange of the tap bears against the flange or ring of the
fixed part and makes a tight junction. A movable peg may be inserted in a hole in
the flange of the fixed part which acts as a stop against which a projection on the
flange of the tap bears after the latter has been connected with the cask to prevent
the accidental removal of the tap.
A
When the tap is connected to a pipe by a union joint I make on the screw cap of
the said joint an arm of such a length that when raised in a vertical position it
stands higher than the handle or thumb plate by which the plug of the tap is
turned. I make the said handle of a broad oblong horizontal plate of such a size
that the arm of the union joint can only be turned from its vertical position to
disconnect the union joint when the said thumb plate is in such a position that the
tap is closed.
The fixed part is covered by a perforated covering to strain the liquid as it passes
from the cask.
Dated the 0th
C
1001

page_text: A New or Improved Combined Tap or Cock and Automatic Tap Hole
Closer for Casks and other Vessels.
I JOSEPH BREEDEN of New Mill Works Fazeley Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My said invention consists of a compound tap or stopcock one part of which is
permanently attached to the cask and the other separate from the cask and connected
to the former part by the act of tapping the cask. The first named or fixed part
is attached to the head of the cask, being situated within the cask the flange by
which it is attached to the head of the cask being flush with the head of the cask;
that is, there is no projecting external part. The first named fixed part has for its
function to automatically close the cask air tight on the removal of the tap. The
other part or tap proper is so constructed that on being connected to the former
part the said former part is so operated upon that the liquid is permitted to flow
freely into the tap and when the tap is disconnected from the fixed part the tap
hole of the cask is automatically closed airtight.
The part fixed to the cask consists of a plug having a waterway working in a
barrel or body the parts having a general resemblance to the plug and barrel of an
ordinary tap that is, when the plug is in one position liquid can pass through it
and when turned into a position at right angles to that referred to the liquid way
is closed. The head of the plug of the fixed part has two recesses in which when
the separate part or tap proper is connected to the cask, two snugs carried by the
latter engage and by the motion of the tap proper in attaching it to the cask the
liquid way is opened. The said fixed part is secured to the head of the cask by a
flange and screws which flange is flush with the head of the cask.
The tap proper may either have the ordinary delivery pipe or may terminate in
a screwed nozzle to which a pipe for delivering the liquid contained in the cask to
a distance is connected. In each case the cask end of the tap is provided with the
two snugs hereinbefore referred to of a size and shape suitable for fitting in the
recesses in the head of the plug of the fixed part. The acting faces of the snugs
or the acting surfaces against which they bear are so inclined that on inserting the
said snugs into the said recesses and turning the tap through a quadrant the tap is
fixed; the act of turning it opening the liquid way of the fixed part of the apparatus.
A washer on the face of the flange of the tap bears against the flange or ring of
the fixed part and makes a tight junction.
When the tap is connected to a pipe by a union joint I make on the screw cap of
the said joint an arm of such a length that when raised in a vertical position it
stands higher than the handle or thumb plate by which the plug of the tap is
turned. I make the said handle of a broad oblong horizontal plate of such a size
that the arm of the union joint can only be turned from its vertical position to
disconnect the union joint when the said thumb plate is in such a position that the
tap is closed.
I will now proceed to described with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in front elevation and Figure 3
in cross section taken on the line a Figure 1 the fixed part or part permanently
attached to the cask of my new or improved combined tap or cock and automatic
tap hole closer; Figure 4 represents in side elevation and Figure 5 in end elevation
taken at the fixing end, the tap proper detached from the fixed part which is closed
by which tap part the fixed part in the cask is opened for withdrawing the liquid
and the cask automatically closed air tight on the removal of the said tap part as
hereinafter described.

page_text: Figure 6 represents in longitudinal section the fixed part and removable tap part
connected together the connecting of the tap part with the fixed part opening the
fixed part and permitting the liquid to flow freely into the tap part; Figures 7
and 8 represent cross sections of the same, the section Figure 7 being taken
through the locking parts on the line b and the section Figure 8 being taken
through the barrel and plug on the line c Figure 6.
Figure 9 represents in longitudinal section partly in elevation a portion of the
combined tap and tap hole closer and exhibits the arrangement of parts for locking
the tap part to the fixed part and Figure 10 represents in section a portion of the
fixed part of the apparatus; Figure 11 represents a key which I use for opening
and closing the fixed part after the tap part has been removed.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
e2
d is the head of the cask in which the fixed part e of the apparatus is secured by
the flange being screwed flush with the said head of the cask; is the plug
working in the inner barrel secured to the outer barrel or body e of the fixed
part. In the plug fare ordinary liquid ways h and in the inner barrel g are similar
liquid ways i communicating with the annular space between the perforated outer
body e and the barrel g of the fixed part of the tap. By turning the plug f through
a quadrant in one direction, in the manner hereinafter described, the water ways
in the plug can be made to coincide with those in the barrel as illustrated in
Figures 6 and 8 so that liquid can pass from the cask into the tap part and by
turning the plug through a quadrant in the other direction the liquid ways are
closed as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The head of the plug has two recesses k, k
made in it with which two snugs 1, 1 on the tap part m when introduced into the
fixed part c can be engaged for turning the said plug as illustrated in Figures 6, 7
and 9, where the two snugs 1, 1 on the tap part m are represented engaged with the
two recesses k k in the head of the plug f.
For the purpose of locking the tap proper or detachable part m to the fixed part e
in the cask and opening the liquid ways in the plug and for automatically closing
the said liquid ways on the removal of the tap proper from the cask I make at
opposite points in the flange e² of the fixed part e of the tap two recesses n n which
when the plug f is turned into such a position that its water ways are closed are
situated opposite the two recesses k k in the plug (see Figure 2) so that by passing.
the snugs into the two recesses n, n they enter the recesses k, k in the plug and
the latter can be turned. In the mouth of the body e of the fixed part of the
apparatus is an annular internal shoulder p in which the recesses n, n are made,
the acting or undersurface of which shoulder is inclined as best seen in Figure 10.
When the lugs I, l on the tap part Figure 4 are passed through the recesses n, n
in the plate e and pushed home in the recesses k, k in the plug the tops or
shoulders of the said lugs l, I are situated beyond the inclined annular shoulder p in
the fixed part of the apparatus and by turning the tap proper m through a quadrant
for opening the liquid ways the said shoulders of the lugs engage behind the
inclined shoulder P of the fixed part of the apparatus and lock by a wedging action
Before the tap part m
the tap in the fixed part as represented in Figures 6 and 9.
can be removed from the fixed part e it is necessary that the lugs, should be
brought opposite the recesses n, n. In effecting this the plug with which the lugs
are engaged is turned through a quadrant and the liquid ways closed. Thus, the
act of locking the separable part or tap proper m to the fixed part e in the cask
opens the liquid ways and permits liquid to flow through the tap part m and the act
of unlocking the tap preparatory to its removal closes the liquid ways so that the
cask is closed automatically on the removal of the tap part as will be understood by
an examination of the drawings.
q
A washer q2 on the face of the flange of the tap bears against the flange e² of
the fixed part and forms a tight junction.
A movable peg may be inserted in a hole in the flange e² of the fixed part which

page_text: peg acts as a stop against which a projection on the flange 7 of the tap part bears
(after the latter has been connected with the cask) to prevent the accidental
removal of the tap part, but generally the use of the said movable peg and projection
is unnecessary.
I have represented the tap part m furnished with a screw nozzle or union joint
to which a pipe for delivering the liquid contained in the cask to a distance is
attached but the said union joint may be omitted and the tap provided with an
ordinary delivery pipe and controlling plug.
In order to provide for the opening of the liquid ways in the fixed part e for the
cleaning of the cask after the tap has been removed and for closing the liquid ways
and leaving the cask closed air tight after it has been cleaned, I use the key repre-
sented in Figure 11 the said key consisting of the fork s² 2 for engaging in the
recesses k, k in the plug for turning it and of the tubular part 2 for passing onto the
reduced end of the plug f.
Figures 12 and 14 represent in side elevation and longitudinal section respectively
and Figures 13 and 15 in cross section the tap part of the apparatus provided with
a controlling plug and an arrangement for preventing the disconnection of the union
joint until the tap is closed.
In Figures 12 and 13 the tap is represented open and in Figures 14 and 15
closed.
s is the plug crossing the axis of the tap and being provided with the liquid ways t.
The handle of the plugs consists of the oblong plate u. On the screw nozzle r of
the union joint is an arm ².
When the tap is open as represented in Figures 12 and 13 the plate or handle u
of the plug is situated with its longer direction parallel to the axis of the tap and
one end of the said plate is opposite the arm 2 on the screw nozzle and hence
when the said nozzle is turned the said arm 2 strikes the said plate and the union
joint is thereby prevented from being disconnected so long as the tap is open.
When it is wished to remove the union joint the plugs is turned into the position
represented in Figures 14 and 15 so as to close the tap. The plate or handle u is
by the closing of the tap made to cross the said tap and is no longer within the
range of motion of the arm of the screw nozzle of the union joint and the said
screw nozzle can be turned on and removed from the closed tap as represented in
Figures 14 and 15.
The delivery pipe of the tap m instead of being straight may be so bent at its
middle as to form a liquid trap as represented in Figure 16 and marked m* the said
trap resembling the ordinary D trap. By means of the trap m² in the tap part of
the apparatus air is prevented from passing into the cask through the open fixed
part e should the union joint of the delivery pipe be removed while the tap part is
secured to the cask.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention :-
FirstA new or improved combined tap or cock and automatic tap hole closer
for casks and other vessels consisting essentially of two parts one part being
permanently attached to the cask or vessel and the other part separate from the
cask or vessel and connected to the fixed part by the act of tapping the cask or
vessel the fixed part of the apparatus being so constructed and the rear end of the
tap or separable part being provided with such appliances that the latter on being
connected with the fixed part so operates upon it that liquid is permitted to flow
freely into the tap part and when the tap part is disconnected from the fixed part
the tap hole in the cask or vessel is automatically closed air tight the several parts
being constructed and combined and acting substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 1 to 11 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly-The combination with the tap or separable part of the apparatus of

page_text: the arrangement of parts hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 12, 13, 14
and 15 of the accompanying drawings for preventing the removal of the union joint
while the tap part is open.
:
Thirdly The combination with the tap or separable part of the apparatus of
the liquid trap hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 16 of the accom-
panying drawings for preventing the entrance of air into the cask or vessel through
the open fixed part should the union joint and its delivery pipe be removed from
the tap part while the latter is secured to the fixed part.
Dated the Second day of October 1891.
JOSEPH BREEDEN.