IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING CASKS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dillon Scally, of Moor Street, Burton-on-
Trent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING
CASKS."
Sealed the 23rd March 1869, and dated the 1st October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dillon Scally
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st October 1868.
I, JOHN DILLON SCALLY, of Moor Street, Burton-on-Trent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR FILLING CASES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
filling casks.
The apparatus consists of a bung or stopper fitting into the bung hole
of the cask and having a flange or lug upon it to facilitate its insertion
into the cask and its withdrawal therefrom. This bung or stopper also
has two tubes passing through it; the beer or liquid is admitted to the
cask through the larger of these tubes, and the other serves for the escape

page_text: of the air from the cask. By means of a flexible pipe of sufficient length
to allow the apparatus to be readily fixed in the cask, and removed there-
from, the larger tube is connected with a cock by which the beer is drawn
from the supply tank or vessel from which the casks are to be filled; the
air pipe also by a flexible connection is coupled with a stand pipe fixed
to the outside of the tank or vessel and rising above the level of the
liquid therein. The apparatus being fixed in the cask and the bung or
stopper fitting the bung hole air-tight the cock is turned on so that the
beer or liquid may pass from the filling tank or vessel down the larger
tube into the cask, and this it does so long as the air can escape from the
cask up the air tube, but as soon as the end of the air tube is covered
by the liquid in the cask the flow is stopped. The distance which the
air tube projects through the bung or stopper into the cask is adjusted
as may be required. The beer or liquid rises in the air tube to the level
of the liquid in the supply tank or vessel, and a portion of the air tube
being formed in glass the appearance of the liquid therein indicates that
the cask is full. The cock is then turned off and the apparatus removed
and adapted to another cask for a repetition of the operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Dillon Scally in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DILLON SCALLY, of Moor Street, Burton-on-Trent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Dillon Scally, Her special
licence that I, the said John Dillon Scally, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Dillon Scally, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
'the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING CASKS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Dillon Scally, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Dillon Scally, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
filling casks.
The apparatus consists of a bung or stopper fitting into the bung hole
of the cask and having a flange or lugs upon it to facilitate its insertion
into the cask and its withdrawal therefrom. This bung or stopper also
has two tubes passing through it; the beer or liquid is admitted to the
cask through the larger of these tubes, and the other serves for the
escape of the air from the cask. By means of a flexible pipe of sufficient
length to allow the apparatus to be readily fixed in the cask and removed
therefrom the larger tube is connected with a cock by which the beer
is drawn from the supply tank or vessel from which the casks are to be
filled; the air pipe also by a flexible connection is coupled with a stand
pipe fixed to the outside of the tank or vessel and rising above the level
of the liquid therein. The apparatus being fixed in the cask, and the
bung or stopper fitting the bung hole air-tight, the cock is turned on so
that the beer or liquid may pass from the filling tank or vessel down the
larger tube into the cask, and this it does so long as the air can escape
from the cask up the air tube, but as soon as the end of the air tube is
covered by the liquid in the cask the flow is stopped. The distance
which the air tube projects through the bung or stopper into the cask is
adjusted as may be required. The beer or liquid rises in the air tube
to the level of the liquid in the supply tank or vessel, and a portion of
the air tube being formed in glass the appearance of the liquid therein
indicates that the cask is full. The cock is then turned off and the
apparatus removed and adapted to another cask for a repitition of the
operation.

page_text: a, a, represents a portion of the "square" or supply tank or vessel in
which the beer or liquid to be drawn off into the casks is contained; a¹ is
a draw-off cock in connection therewith; 6 is a cask in process of filling;
c is a stopper fitted air-tight into the bung hole thereof, and provided
with lugs to facilitate its insertion into the bung hole and its removal
therefrom; d is the supply pipe passing through the stopper c and
connected by a flexible pipe e of convenient length with the cock a¹ at
its lower end; within the cask the pipe d has a calico tube d¹ fixed upon
it to convey the beer or liquid quietly to the bottom of the cask; f is a
pipe for the escape of air from the cask, it also passes through the
stopper c and is capable of being adjusted up or down so as exactly to
regulate the quantity of liquid which the cask shall receive. The air
pipe has attached to it the flexible pipe g, and this is connected with
the stand pipe h fixed to the side of the supply vessel or square a. A
glass tube is inserted at h'in the pipe h. When the cock a¹ is opened the
beer or liquid flows into the cask until the end of the air pipe f becomes
covered; the liquid then rises up the air pipe until it stands at the same
height in the stand pipe h as in the vessel a, and then all action ceases,
and the fact that the cask is full is indicated by the appearance of the
liquid in the glass tube h¹; the stopper c is then removed, and the contents
of the supply pipe e descend into th ask, filling it to the brim. The
connections with the cock a¹ and the stand pipe h are readily separated
by screw or union joints when it is required to remove the apparatus
from one supply vessel to another.
This apparatus offers the following advantages:-1st, the tap or
stopper being self-acting the liquid cannot possibly overflow from want
of attention on the part of the racker, thereby preventing a serious loss
from which all brewers suffer under the present system; 2nd, the cask
being "racked" under the pressure of the liquid in the square or tank
(No. 10) is filled "solid," thereby obviating "hammering;" at the
same time the pressure of the liquid will thoroughly expel any air
secreted in the hops or crevices of the cask and prevent its acting
deterioratingly on the beer; 3rd, when a cask is filled by this appa-

page_text: ratus it can be "shived" down at once, no topping or further exposure
being required for the reasons described above.
This apparatus can be so adapted for porter brewers filling from large
vats as to prevent the usual losses from overflowing of casks by the present
hose system; at the same time the cask would be filled with clear beer
and "head," which ascends the air pipe in place of running over the
side of the cask, being carried into a clean and proper vessel to settle.
What I claim is, the constructing apparatus for filling casks, sub-
stantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dillon Scally, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN DILLON SCALLY. (L.S.)