A Cock MADE OF METAL AND WOOD FOR DRAWING LIQUOR FROM CASKS, WHICH PRODUCES A STOP SUPERIOR TO THAT WHICH IS EFFECTED BY COMMON COCKS, AND PREVENTS THE LIQUOR FROM COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL, EXCEPT WHEN THE LIQUOR IS IN THE ACT OF BEING DRAWN AND IS RUNNING FROM THE CASK,
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I WILLIAM
STOCKER, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Gunsmith, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said William Stocker, did by my petition humbly
represent to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third
that I had by much study and expence invented a certain Invention of "A Cock
MADE OF METAL AND WOOD FOR DRAWING LIQUOR FROM CASKS, WHICH PRODUCES A
STOP SUPERIOR TO THAT WHICH IS EFFECTED BY COMMON COCKS, AND PREVENTS THE
LIQUOR FROM COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL, EXCEPT WHEN THE LIQUOR IS IN
THE ACT OF BEING DRAWN AND IS RUNNING FROM THE CASK," and that in regard
I, the said William Stocker, was the first and true Inventor thereof, and
that the same had never been practised by any other person or persons
whomsoever, to the best of my knowledge and belief, I. humbly prayed His
said Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, for
the sole use, benefit, and advantage of my said Invention within that part
of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen
years, pursuant to the Statute in that case made and provided; and His
said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inven-
tions that might be for the public good, was graciously pleased to condescend
to my request, and therefore, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of January, in the fifty-fourth year of His reign,
of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, did give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said William Stocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
William Stocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of us,
by myself and themselves, or by mine or their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said William Stocker, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within
that part of His Majesty's said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
in such manner as to me, the said William Stocker, my exccutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretions seem meet; and
that I, the said William Stocker,. my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity,
and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by
reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein mentioned;
to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, privileges, and
advantages therein-before-granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said
William Stocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, for, and during and
unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said presents
next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended, according
to the Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso, that if I, the said William Stocker, should not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be .inrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages whatsceyer, thereby granted, should utterly
cease, determine, and become void, anything therein-before contained to the
contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as in.and by the said Letters
Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE,' that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Stocker, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are, particularly
described and ascertained as follows, that is to say:-
In the Drawings hereunto annexed are represented my said cock and the
several parts thereof respectively, and the same things are therein represented
everywhere by the same letters of the alphabet.

page_text: Figure 1 shews the cock with all its parts put-together-for-use.
Figure 2 shews the principal metallic part, consisting of a cylinder, or tube,
or pipe of uniform bore N, N, having an opening O, and (if desired or pre-
ferred) a locking piece I.
Figure 3 represents a tube or pipe of wood to be inserted or made fast in
the opening O, as shewn in Figure 1, and affording a passage for the liquor
as it flows from the cask, but I do in some cases make this part of metal.
Figure 4 is another tube or pipe of wood, to be inserted and made fast in
the end H, I, of the metallic piece, as shewn in Figure 1, and affording a
passage for the liquor as it flows from the cask into and through the cock,
and I do make the end or extremity of the said tube or pipe at B either flat,
or convex, or concave, in such manner that the part or piece-C, -herein-after
described, may be accurately applied thereto by sliding the same forward, and
may then completely close. the orifice of the said tube or pipe A, B, and
prevent the liquor from flowing out. But in preference to any other form of
the said end or extremity, I do make the external perforation conical or cham-
fering, as represented in the Figure, in order that the same may when needful
be closed by a conical plug or piece C, as is also shown.
Figure 5 represents the stopping piece of the cock, and consists of a metallic
cylinder, nearly or accurately fitting the bore N, N, (more especially. at the
part E.) C, D, is a plug or piece of wood of such a shape or figure at the end
C as shall completely close the orifice B; and whereas I do in preference
make that orifice-conical, I do. also in that case make the said end C of the
like or of a suitable figure effectually to close the same. At Q the piece-is
turned down in order, to admit a piece of leather. or other fit packing, which
I do apply for the purpose of rendering the motion.more soft and perfect, and of
preventing any escape of the liquor, which might pass the cylindrical face
E, E. F, H, F,. is a. cap, which I usually apply as the termination, or outer
extremity, or handle of the stopping piece, but which is not absolutely
necessary, and may be made in various other forms which any competent
workman may suggest or adopt; and the said cap terminates in a sockett F, F,
which fits and slides upon the outside of the principal metallic piece, as shown
in Figure 1, and at G is inserted a screw, or pin, or stud which passes nearly
down to the depressed surface P, P, Figure 2 and 1, and serves to prevent the
said stopping piece from being drawn out. Letter I, Figure 1 and 2, represents
the locking piece, and consists of a socket, in which an upright screw S is
made to work, and when screwed down to press upon the surface E, E, of the
stopping piece, and thereby render it impracticable to draw out or move the
same, and the said screw can be turned only by means of a key, or duly formed

page_text: instrument of the nature of a key, and all other instruments or contrivances
for turning the said screw are prevented from being used or applied by reason
of the piece in which the keyhole is made, or other well-known pieces or
parts being interposed between the said hole and the shank, or upper end of
the said screw.
And, lastly, I do remark and declare, that when my said cock is closed or
shut, the liquor within the vessel can have no communication, either direct or
intermediate, with any of the metallic parts of the said cock; and that when
the said cock is open, the liquor in the act of being drawn will pass in contact,
as to a part or position thereof, with no more than the small surface of the bore
of the metallic cylinder which lies between the ends of the pieces B and C, and
possibly as to a very minute part or position thereof with surface E, E, and
the concave surface opposed thereto.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set and affixed my hand and seal,
this Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand