Gas dispensing tap or plug

Abstract

A gas dispensing tap is designed for insertion into a tree bore. The tap includes a hollow container having a side wall, an open end and a closed end. A plug head closes off the open end of the hollow container to define a primary cavity within the hollow container including a first chemical agent. In one embodiment of the invention, the plug head includes a bore or passage provided therein for communicating an interior of the tree bore with an outside of the plug head. A stopper is received in an opening to a secondary cavity in the plug head and closes off the secondary cavity. The secondary cavity contains a second chemical agent. The stopper is moved into the secondary cavity as an impact force is applied to the stopper and combines the first and second chemical agents so that a gas, generated by combination of the chemical agents, diffuses through the side wall and stimulates the flow of sap. Again, in one embodiment of the invention, sap is caused to pass from the interior of the bore or passage, through the bore or passage and to the outside of the plug head due to the stimulated sap flow.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.