IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BUSHES OR CONNECTIONS FOR CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS, PIPES AND THE LIKE
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Walter Lowe and Frederick
West at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th December
1882.
JOSEPH WALTER LOWE and FREDERICK WEST both of Southampton in the
County of Hants "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BUSHES OR CONNECTIONS
FOR CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS, PIPES AND THE LIKE'
"
This invention relates to new or improved devices for closing the tap hole of
casks, barrels and the like, containing beer, wine and other liquids and for readily
tapping the same without waste of their contents, and for similar purposes say for
connecting pipes which convey liquids or fluids.
In carrying our invention into practice we construct one form of our device as
follows:
We provide a "bush" of metal or other suitable material and insert the same
say into the head of a cask or barrel. This "bush" may either be screwthreaded
on the outside or not and may have a flange at one end which bears against the
outside of the cask and screws for secure attachment may pass through said flange
if desired.
"
The inside of the bush" is tapped. Into the inner end of the tapped "bush
screws a tubular piece closed at one end which has a flange bearing against and
closing the inner end of the "bush" when screwed up. At say about the centre of
the tubular piece are holes or apertures by which when the tubular piece is screwed
out from the "bush" (that is into the interior of the cask or other vessel) the
liquor passes to the tap. At one end it has suitable notches, say two into which,
projections upon the end of the tap take, so that as the tap is screwed in, the inner
tube turns with it and is unscrewed from the "bushing" and its perforations
becoming exposed as it enters further in the cask, the liquor passes to the tap which
by this time is screwed well into the bush.
Besides the tap and the bushing with the tubular piece therein we provide a key
consisting of a short cylinder with tongues and screw threads like the tap on which
cylinder a stem and handle are fitted.
When a cask or other vessel fitted with this invention is to be closed the tubular
piece can by means of the tap or by means of the aforesaid key be turned and

page_text: screwed home so that the flange at its inner end bears against the end of the "bush
and forms a tight joint.
"
The key can be used when convenient, say where a number of casks fitted with
one size of tap are filled simultaneously.
According to a modification of our invention we dispense with the tubular piece
and form the inner end of the "bush" into a valve chamber with perforated sides
the seating for the valve is at that end of the chamber which is nearest to the
outlet. When the valve is on its seating it prevents the liquid admitted into the
valve chamber flowing to the outlet. The valve is a suitable disc provided with a
stein which passes through a plate at the end of the "bush" and is surrounded by
a coiled spring which tends to press the valve against its seat, the plate at the end
may be attached in any convenient manner, say by being screwed into the end of
the valve chamber, or a nut may be used instead of the plate. The valve seat may
have a packing of India Rubber or the like.
This form of our device normally remains closed but when the tap or a key is
screwed far enough into the "bush," the end of the tap or key pushes the valve
away from its seat, compressing the valve spring and opening the communication
between the interior of the vessel and the tap etcetera.
We have hereinabove described our invention only as applied to casks or barrels
as the modifications required to adapt the same to other purposes will be readily
understood without further description. A suitable form of union joint may be
employed when required for connection to pipes etc.