Improvement in Beer-taps and other Taps Used for Drawing Fluids from Vessels Closed with Corks.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification "Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
Improvement in Beer-taps and other Taps Used for Drawing Fluids
from Vessels Closed with Corks.
I EDWARD REYNOLDS Clerk in Holy Orders, of Beighton Vicarage near Sheffield
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for the IMPROVEMENT IN BEER TAPS AND
OTHER TAPS to be as follows:-
I use a tap with the spigot terminating in cylindrical tube with a circular cutting
edge at its extremity.
And my improvement consists in placing a spring inside the spigot. The tap
is screwed or otherwise forced through the cork of the vessel to be tapped, thereby
cutting a cylindrical section out of the cork which section passes more or less
into the spigot and so compresses the spring within. When the cylindrical section
is thus entirely cut out of the cork, the spring rebounds and forces the said
cylindrical section partially or completely out of the spigot.
Dated th: 1000

page_text: from Vessels Closed with Corks.
1, EDWARD REYNOLDS Clerk in holy Orders of Beighton Vicarage near Sheffield,
in the County of York do horeby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
I use a Tap with its shank (or that part which is inserted into the barrel or other
vessel) terminating in a cylindrical tube with an annular cutting edge, for the purpose
of cutting its way through the cork of the vessel to be tapped.
In a tap of this description and of usual construction the section of cork cut out,
generally remains fixed in the tube until removed by the aid of a corkscrew or by
other means, after the tap is withdrawn.
The object of my invention is to dispense with the trouble of extracting the cork
section from the end of the tubular shank, by causing it to be ejected or withdrawn
automatically and afterwards to be left in the hole from which it was cut when
the tap is withdrawn from the vessel, thus closing the opening and keeping the
cask or other vessel in better condition than it otherwise would be if the top hole was
left open.
The annexed sheet of drawings illustrates my invention, and similar letters of
reference indicate similar parts in either of the figures.
Fig. 1, represents the shank of a tap, shown in section, and made according to my
invention.
Fig. 2, a similar view showing the section of cork partly expelled by the spring.
In carrying out my invention to attain the before inentioned objects, I place within
the open end of the tubular shank of the tap, B, (the annular end of which is made
sharpe at F, to enable it to cut its way through the cork,) a spring A, of suitable
power, and preferably made of steel wire, and of a spiral or coiled form, but if desirable
it may be made of other material.
One end of the said spring abuts against a stop C, fixed inside the shank of the tap,
and the outer end is provided with a disc or push plate D, or otherwise made flat to
press evenly on the end of the cut out section of the cork.
The outside of the tubular shank of the tap may be plain if desired, but I prefer to
make it with one or more external screw threads G, of any shape and pitch best suited
to the purpose.
The shank of a tap so constructed is shown section in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and
when forced through the cork of the barrel or other vessel by the action of the screw-
thread, a cylindrical section E is cut out of the cork by the sharp annular edge F.-
This section of cork enters the tubular shank, and forces back the spring until the

page_text: cork is completely cut through, there being then no further resistance, the reactive
power of the compressed spring A, forces the said section partially, or completely, out
of the end of the shank of the tap.
I prefer to use a spring of such strength that will only partially force out the cork,
and thus leave it protruding from the end of the shank until the tap is withdrawn from
the vessel.
When the spring is of proper strength, as the tap is unscrewed from the vessel, the
section of cork is drawn into, and partially through, the hole from which it was
originally cut, until it is held by the cork with sufficient force to withdraw it from
the tap.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In Taps having a sharp annular extremity for cutting through the Cork of a
Barrel, or other Vessel; a spring, inserted within that part of the shank which enters
the vessel, for the purpose hereinbefore specified.
2. In Taps having a sharp annular extremity for cutting through the Cork of a
Barrel, or other Vessel; the combination of an internal spring, with the shank of the
tap provided with an External worm or screwthread, substantially as described and
shown.
3. In Taps such as above described, the combination of a spring A, with a tubular
shank B, provided with a sharp annular edge F, and an external screwthread G ; and
a stop C, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated.
ated the 20th day of October 1888
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.