Today in 1883, US Patent 289075 A was issued, an invention of John F. Davey, for his “Device for Tapping Beer and Other Barrel.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
My invention relates to certain improvements in faucets for barrels or casks containing beer or other liquid under pressure,’and also in the bushing which is applied to the head of the barrel and used in connection with said faucet; and my invention consists in the combination,with a bushing having an exterior screwthread and a perfectly-smooth interior from end to end, and adapted to contain a plug driven tightly therein, of a faucet provided with a rearwardly-extending threaded stem or portion, over which is screwed a coup ling-nut having a second interior thread at its inner end, whereby it is adapted to screw over the outside of the end of the bushing in the barrel-head, and thus hold the faucet in place while the latter is being screwed in to force the wooden plug through the bushing, the coupling nut having a screw-thread on the outside of its front end, over which is fitted a screw-cap provided with a packing, thus form- .in g a stuffing-box at this point to prevent lead age, which enables the faucet to be always be tight when the discharge-outlet is turned in the desired position for use, which would not always be the case if it were turned up against a shoulder.
