AN IMPROVED SPILE OR VENT PEG
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPILE
OR VENT PEG," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:→
This improved spile or vent peg for casks barrels and similar vessels allows the
contents of the barrel &c. to be readily drawn off whilst at the same time
preventing the entrance of dust and similar matters.
The shape of this spile is the usual one, that is to say it is circular in cross
section and tapers from the top downwards.
The accompanying Drawings show in
Fig. 1 an elevation.
Fig. 2 sectional elevation and
Fig. 3 sectional plan of the spile.
It consists of two essential parts.
The top A forms a hollow cap fitting upon
the upper part of the body B. The top has at its sides vent holes a which are
made oblique rising from the outside inwards so as to prevent the entrance of dust
with the air.
These holes or channels communicate with the hollow interior of the cap which
forms an air chamber filled with loose carded cotton or the like through which the
air passes before entering the cask &c.
The body or lower part of the vent peg is formed into three chambers b. c. d or
compartments containing the closing device.
The top part of the body is reduced so as to present a neck fitting exactly into
the loose top or cap.
The centre of the top part of the body (say one third of its height) is taken up
by a cylindrical aperture in which is placed a helical spring C resting against the
bottom of the chamber to this spring is suitably connected a hook e which carries
a similar spring D of smaller diameter the space left between the spring in the
first compartment and the walls of the latter may be filled with slightly compressed
carded cotton. The said first spring is thus entirely surrounded by the cotton
Pains 31

page_text: wool which filters the air entering the cask etc. when the contents thereof are
drawn off.
The second compartment c. occupies likewise about a third of the body and is
of such size as to give free play to the second spring D which possesses very
considerable elasticity being nevertheless capable of exerting a suitable degree of
pressure. The second spring has at the top a ring engaging with the hook provided
on the first spring and the lower end of the second spring is attached to a washer E
which moves freely in the third compartment d the diameter whereof is almost
equal to that of the first compartment.
The washer E whose diameter is but slightly. less than the bore of the second
compartment bears on the top a piece of rubber E which, by reason of the tension
of the springs bears against the bottom of the second compartment closing the
orifice of the same hermetically. The bottom of the bore of the spile is provided
with a washer F which fits with sufficient friction into the aperture. The said
bottom washer has one or more holes F¹ which are always open,
It is obvious that when liquid is drawn off the rubber valve is depressed by
atmospheric pressure (the spring. being elongated at the same time) allowing air to
pass into the vessel,
This spile or vent peg may be constructed of any convenient size and material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1) A spile or vent peg constructed substantially as described which by means
of a suitable quantity of cotton wool or the like prevents the entrance of impurities
with the air passing into a cask or other vessel.
2) The arrangement of the automatic spring-valve fitted with india rubber and
automatically opening to admit air (in proportion to the quantity of liquid drawn
from the barrel or other vessel to which the improved spile is applied) and
automatically closed at the suitable moment substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
וית
11
M1 100A