Improvements in Means for Closing the Bung or Tap Holes of Casks and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Closing the Bung or Tap Holes of
Casks and the like.
I, JOSEF SCHUMACHER, Engineer, of the Firm of Wwe. Joh. Schumacher, of
Bayenstrasse, Cologne, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Referring to the drawings, which represent in plan and section various forms in
which the invention is to be performed, the improved closing consists of a screw-.
threaded sleeve or ring as shown at a which is put into the cask bottom and serves
to receive the closing discs, bungs, spigots, etc. The essential part of these closing
discs is a plug b which is made of wood or similar material and provided with a
strong groove, the latter serving to receive and to hold fast a disc e of elastic
material, by which the closing of the bung-hole is effected.
The plug 6 is made of the shape as indicated in Figs. 2, 6 and 7 or it can also be
formed conically, whilst the under part 6' has a round form. This latter part b¹ is.
thicker than the upper part. The disc c is put with its edges into a groove of a
fitting e put in the sleeve or ring a; this fitting e corresponds to the shape of the
faucet, cock or tap it has to serve.
Whilst the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and 2 and 6 serve for a tap or
cock, the construction shown in Fig. 3 is used for a spigot, as shown.
The constructions as in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are intended for existing bung hole shells.
and cocks.
The elastic disc c is diminished towards its edges or to its central opening on
purpose to obtain greater elasticity. The edge of the disc c is put in a groove of
the sleeve a, or of the fitting e, the hole of the sleeve a and its fitting e being
towards the outside made smaller than the inside to render possible the passing or
knocking of the disc together with the plug into the interior, but impossible towards.
the outside, see Figs. 6 and 7.
If the elastic ring c is made as shown in Fig. 8, whereby a diminishing towards.
the central opening takes place, the exterior strengthened edge is pressed by means
of a sleeve e against a projection of the fitting e and thereby fixed immovably in
the position shown.
When the cask is to be forwarded, the sleeve e is closed by discs which is
provided with a triangular shaped opening suitable to introduce a key in order to
prevent the opening of the closing device.
After having turned off a closing disc, when the cask is to be opened, the plug b
with disc is pushed back into the cask by means of the cock itself, and after having
fixed the cock the cask is ready to be drawn off.
When the contents of the cask is drawn off a new plug with disc is introduced
from the outside into the faucet hole sleeve and then the cask, after having
received the closing disc can be sent back.
Figs. 1, 3 and 4 show different cocks which can be used with these cask closing
devices. Fig. 5 shows a modification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
The improved means for closing casks consisting of an elastic disc carried by a

page_text: plug 6 and resting with its edges in a groove in a suitable sleeve or fitting therein
for effecting the closing, the diameters of the plug and the fitting put in the sleeve
being such as to allow the passage of the disc and plug in one direction only.
Dated this 25th day of January 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to the Applicant.