AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS CONTAINING LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS CONTAINING
LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE."-A communication from abroad by Thomas
Marsh, of Central Falls, Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States of
America.
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 15th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1866.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS
CONTAINING LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE."
The said apparatus consists of two parts, one of which is permanently
affixed to the cask or vessel, and the other portion is a stop-cock or faucet of
common construction, except in the particulars herein-after indicated. The
said fixed portion is composed of a metallic tube furnished with a flanch, which

page_text: serves as a face plate upon the outside of the cask, and through which are
appropriate holes for screws or other fastenings. The interior surface of this
tube is furnished for about one half of its length with a screw thread, the
residue, which is that portion nearest the face plate, being smooth, but of a
somewhat larger diameter than the threaded portion. The axis of the said
tube is to be filled with a plug which has a screw thread cut upon its surface
corresponding with the thread upon the interior surface of the tube. The end
of this plug upon the inside of the cask has a flanch, between which and the
end of the tube a packing ring of rubber or other material is placed, so that
when the plug is screwed home there will be no outlet for the escape of liquor
in the cask. The said plug is furthermore made with a hollow axis for the
greater portion of its length and through the sides of the plug, and at right
angles with such hollow axis apertures are formed. When the said plug is
turned toward the left sufficiently to open the joint and allow the said aper-
tures to communicate with the space within the cask the liquid confined in
the cask will be permitted to flow unobstructedly. It will be well for the
purpose of preventing these apertures becoming obstructed by sediment to
protect them, with a screen, which may consist simply of a perforated collar of
thin metal or of wire gauze secured at one end to the flanch of the screw plug
and overlapping, the end of the said tube.
The faucet or stop-cock is of ordinary construction, except that the stem is
bored out for a short distance, the interior surface of the cavity so formed. being
furnished with a thread corresponding to the thread upon the exterior surface
of the plug. If the cask or other vessel is filled with a liquid confined therein;
by the fact that the outlet is closed by the screw plug, as before described, and
it is desired to tap the same, it will be only necessary to insert the stem of the
stop-cock in the tube and turn the same toward the right, until the end of the
plug is brought up; by continuing then to turn the stem of the faucet
the said plug, which is now firmly united with such stem, will commence to
unscrew.inward, opening thereby the joint; the liquor will then flow into the
bore, of the faucet, through which it will be discharged when the spigot is
turned, so as to give it a freer passage. Upon attempting to disconnect the
faucet the first effect upon turning the stem toward the left will be to close
the tube, and so soon as the flanch of the plug has brought up against the end
of the said tube the stem will remain stationary, and by continuing to unscrew
the faucet it can be detached.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent, Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send. greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,. give and grant unto me,
the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 of
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS
CONTAINING LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that the said William Robert Lake, mý 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be pèr-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings making
a part of this Specification.

page_text: The said apparatus consists of two parts, one of which, A, is permanently
affixed to the cask or vessel; the other portion, B, is a stop-cock or faucet of
common construction, except in the particulars herein-after indicated.
The fixed portion A is composed of a metallic tube a furnished with a flanch
which serves as a face plate upon the outside of the cask, and through which
are appropriate holes for the screws 6 or other fastenings. The interior
surface of this tube is furnished for about one half of its length with a screw
thread c, the residue, which is that portion nearest the face plate being smooth,
but of a somewhat larger diameter than the threaded portion. The axis of
the said tube is to be filled with a plug c, which has a screw thread cut upon
its surface corresponding with the thread c upon the interior surface of the
tube. The end of this plug, upon the inside of the cask, has a flanch d,
between which and the end of the tube a packing ring 6' of rubber or other
material is placed, so that when the plug is screwed home there will be no
outlet for the escape of liquor in the cask. The said plug is furthermore made
with a hollow axis e for the greater portion of its length, and apertures f are
formed through the sides of the plug at right angles with such hollow axis.
When the said plug is turned toward the left sufficiently to open the joint at 6',
and allow the apertures f to communicate with the space within the cask, the
liquid confined in the said cask will be permitted to flow unobstructedly. It
will be well (for the purpose of preventing these apertures f from becoming
obstructed by sediment) to protect them with a screen 9, which may consist
simply of a perforated collar of thin metal or of wire gauze secured at one end
to the flanch d of the screw plug and overlapping the end of the tube a.
The faucet or stop-cock B is of ordinary construction, except that the
stem D is bored out for a short distance, as shown at %, the interior surface of
the cavity so formed being furnished with a thread corresponding to the
thread upon the exterior surface of the plug C.
If the cask or other vessel is filled with a liquid confined therein by the
screw plug which closes the outlet, as before described, and it is desired to tap
the same, it will be only necessary to insert the stem of the stop-cock in the
tube and turn the same toward the right, until the end of the plug C is
brought up, as shown in Figure 2. By continuing then to turn the stem of
the faucet the plug C,.which is now firmly united with the said stem, will
commence to unscrew inwardly, thereby opening the joint 61; the liquor will
then flow into the bore of the faucet, through which it will be discharged when
the spigot E is turned so as to give it a freer-passage. Upon attempting to
disconnect the faucet the first-effect upon turning the stem toward the left

page_text: will be to close the tube, and so soon as the flanch d of the plug has been
brought up against the end of the said tube the stem will remain stationary,
and by continuing to unscrew the faucet it can be detached.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim the apparatus herein described,
consisting of a bung or fixed portion A, provided with a screw plug C, in com-
bination with a faucet B, for tapping casks or other vessels containing liquids,
and operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.