Improvements in Bungs for Barrels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bungs for Barrels.
1, THOMAS MARPLE of 1537 South 15 Street Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Federal Law
Officer, 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 :-
It is the object of my invention to produce an efficient and economical metal
bung suitable for use in beer barrels, &c.
The use of wooden bungs is objectionable, because of the great inconvenience
and difficulty met in removing bungs from empty barrels and because the bungs
when so removed are not available for further use. In many cases the bung passes
into the barrel and must then be broken and picked out. This consumes much
time and labor and necessitates the passage of a light into the barrel so that the
bung may be visible, often resulting in serious injury to the inner lining of the
barrel.
Metal bungs may be used indefinitely and may be removed and replaced without
injuring them. It is essential that such bungs may be easily applied to the
barrel and removed from it while being securely held in the bung hole when
fastened; that they shall be simple in construction and not liable to become out of
order; and that they shall form a perfectly air and liquid tight closure of the
bung hole. My improved bung is designed to accomplish these objects.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved bung showing the same closed
and locked in its bushing;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing the bung unlocked; and
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same on the line - of Fig. 2.
A is the barrel.
•
B is a metal bushing which may be screwed into the bung hole of the barrel.
The bushing B may be provided with the flange b upon its upper rim, which is
adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the barrel. The inner surface of the
bushing preferably adjacent to the lower rim, is offset or enlarged in diameter so
as to form an annular seat a.
C is a cup shaped piece fitting loosely within the bushing B but of less depth.
The cup shaped piece C may be provided with an annular flange e upon its upper
edge adapted to rest upon the flange b of the bushing.
bottom d of the cup shaped
piece C and movable to and from it. The plate D is of substantially the same
diameter as the piece.
This plate D is provided with arms or projections E which extend up through
the bottom d of the piece C and carry a cam F by which the plate D may be drawn
toward the under surface of the bottom d. G is a rubber ring carried between the
lower surface of the piece C and the plate D and located adjacent to the annular
seat a in the bushing, and adapted when the plate D is drawn toward the piece C
to be compressed and forced into the seat a to form an air tight packing.
The lower surface of the piece C and the upper face of the plate D may each be
provided with an annular seate and respectively, located adjacent to their edges,
to receive and hold the ring of rubber G. By this means the inner edge of the
rubber ring is held against expansion by the shoulder of the soats e and f, and the
entire lateral expansion due to the vertical compression of the rubber ring must
tako place outwardly into the Boat a of the bushing. By this means a very
tight joint is obtained. When the plate D is loose or unlocked as is shown in

page_text: Fig. 3, the rubber ring G should not project materially beyond the outer annular
surface of the piece C, so that it will not be any obstruction to the free movement
of the bung in the bushing, when it is boing inserted or removed. The cam device
for clamping the movable plate D may be vuried without departing from the
invention. The plato D is provided with two projecting arms E which extend up
through holes in the bottom d of the piece C and carry a cam lever F swinging
vertically between the arms E and adapted to press upon the upper surface of the
bottom & and thus draw up the plate D towards tho pieco C and compress the
rubber ring G. This is shown in Fig. 1. When the cam lever F is turned away
from contact with the face d the plate D is loosened and the rubber G contracts
laterally and moves from the seat a. The cam E may be provided with a stop g
to prevent it being turned through the arms E E.
A stop H may be employed focated within the cup shaped piece C to form a
stop for the cam piece F and prevent it being turned unnecessarily far when its
cam face is moved from contact with the surface d to loosen the plate D.
The cam lever may be similarly operated by a koy L, shown in dotted lines,
provided with jaws l.
A great advantage of this construction is that the bung may be easily removed
froin the bushing or inserted therein, as there are no projecting parts upon the
outside of the bung or upon the inner annular face of the bushing.
Instead of rubber the ring G may be made of any other suitable compressible
material.
The minor details of construction which have been shown may be varied without
departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the naturo of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The bushing having the internal surface unobstructed by projecting parts and
the annular seat of enlarged diameter and-small depth at its lower edge, combined
with the cup shaped piece loosely fitting the bushing, the plate below the base of
the cup shaped piece having the extensions projecting through the base, the
vertically swinging arm carried by the extension and bearing upon the inner surface
of the base of the cup shaped piece, and the annular clastic ring between the base
of the cup shaped piece and the enlarged seat of the bushing.
2. The combination with the bushing, cup shaped piece, clamping plate, clastic
ring and swinging arm for operating the clamping plate of the stop carried by the
cup shaped piece in the path of the swinging arm.
3. The combination of the bushing, cup shaped piece clamping plate and its
extension through the cup shaped piece, the elastic ring, and the cam lever carried
by the extension of the cup shaped piece, the extreme upper end of the extension
and the cam lover carried by it being within the recess of the cup shaped piece and
bolow its upper rim.
4. The bushing having the annular seat, the cup shaped piece having the angular
annular seat on its outer lower edge, the clamping plate below the cup shaped piece,
the elastic ring between the cup shaped piece and clamping plato having the angular
edge fitting into tho annular angular edge of the cup shaped piece, and the lever
to clamp the clamping plato upon the elastic ring, all combined in the manner
specified.
Dated this 31st day of January 1893.
Dated this 31st day of January 1893.
THOS: MARPLE,
Haseltine Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.