Improvements in and in Apparatus for Cleansing Casks, Barrels, and the like Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Cleansing Casks, Barrels,
and the like Vessels.
I, DANIEL GEORGE MARTENS, of Christiania, Norway, at present residing at
Roselands, Broom Road, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to effectually cleanse the interiors of beer or
other casks barrels, and the like vessels from sedimentary or other deleterious
matter. To this end I provide means or apparatus whereby the casks or vessels
under treatment are subjected to a combined reciprocating and rotary movement
while water is injected into them under pressure.
The apparatus comprises a platform or frame which is reciprocated longitudin-
ally on friction rollers or on a track between fixed guides by any suitable mech-
anism.
This reciprocatory platform or frame carries any convenient number of cask-
beds each for holding a cask or vessel in position on the platform or frame and
capable of independent rotation on a vertical axis.
One or both ends of the reciprocatory platform or frame terminates in, or is
fitted with, one or more pistons working in fixed pump cylinders connected to a
water suction tube. When the platform or frame is reciprocated, the water is
forced through the hollow piston rods into an air chamber or chambers carried
by the reciprocatory platform or frame, from whence it is supplied by conduits
to nozzles located centrally in the cask-beds.
Each cask-bed is fitted with means for adjusting the cask thereon, relatively
to the nozzle outlet, and is also provided with a tubular vertical shaft, surround-
ing the nozzle tube, on which shaft is fitted a worm wheel, with which gears
a worm on a longitudinal shaft connected by bevel or other gear to a shaft rotated
in fixed bearings by any suitable power, the motion being transmitted to the
longitudinally moving shaft by means of a bevel or other gear wheel sliding on a
feather, or by equivalent means.
Each cask-bed is fitted with jaws for gripping the ends of the cask and holding
same bung downwards on the cask-bed, said jaws being fitted with central bear-
ings to receive pins on filling plates placed on the cask ends so that the cask can
be rotated on its longitudinal axis when it is desired to bring the bunghole upper-
most.
The jaws of the cask-bed are drawn together or separated by rotating longi-
tudinal screws, preferably geared together, engaging fixed nuts or screw-collars
fast on the cask-bed.
Each nozzle tube is connected to a hand operated lever whereby the nozzle
can be vertically adjusted through the centre of its cask-bed into the interior of

page_text: the cask through the bung-hole. The nozzle tube is made telescopic and fitted
with suitable packing rings to allow this vertical adjustment.
Dated this 21st day of November 1899.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Cleansing Casks, Barrels,
and the like Vessels.
I, DANIEL GEORGE MARTENS, of Christiania, Norway, formerly of Roselands,
Broom Road, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex, at present residing at
1, Sussex Road, Colchester, in the County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
The object of this invention is to effectually cleanse the interiors of beer or
other casks barrels, and the like vessels from sedimentary or other deleterious
matter. To this end I provide means or apparatus whereby the casks or vessels
under treatment are subjected to a combined reciprocating and rotary movement
while water is injected into them under pressure.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of the
apparatus with two casks thereon, the cask beds being shown at right angles to
each other; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken
on the line 33 of Fig. 1. The same letters of reference where they occur are
used to denote the same or corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The apparatus comprises a platform or frame A which is supported on friction
rollers B, or on a track, and is reciprocated longitudinally between fixed guides C
by means of the connecting rod M operated by a suitable motor, or by any other
suitable mechanism.
This reciprocatory platform or frame A carries any convenient number of cask-
beds D each for holding a cask or vessel E in position on the platform or frame A
and each capable of independent rotation on a vertical axis F located in the centre
of the cask-bed D.
One or both ends of the reciprocatory platform or frame A terminates in, or is
fitted with, one or more pistons G having hollow piston rods g and working in
fixed pump cylinders H connected to a water suction tube J having a non-return
valve therein. In the drawings one end only of the reciprocating frame A is
shown fitted with two pumps, but obviously the pumps and connections may be
duplicated at the other end of the platform A if so desired. When the platform
or frame A is reciprocated, the water is forced through the hollow piston rods g
into an air chamber or chambers or reservoir K carried by the reciprocatory plat-
form or frame A, from whence it is supplied by conduits L to nozzles located
centrally in the cask-beds D..
Each cask-bed is fitted with means, such as the screw block d, for adjusting the
cask thereon, relatively to the nozzle outlet 1, and is also provided with a central
vertical shaft which is tubular and surrounds the nozzle tube N. On this
shaft F is fitted a worm wheel O with which gears a worm P on a longitudinal
shaft Q connected by bevel or other gear R R R R³ to a shaft S rotated in fixed
bearings s by means of the mitre gear T T¹ from the pulley shaft T3 or by other
suitable power, the motion being transmitted to the longitudinally moving

page_text: shaft Q by means of the mitre or other gear wheel T which is fitted to slide on a
feather on the shaft S or by equivalent means.
Each cask-bed D is fitted with jaws U for gripping the ends of the cask and
holding same bung downwards on the cask-bed, said jaws U being furnished with
central bearings to receive pins V on filling plates V₁ placed on the cask ends,
so that the cask can be rotated on its longitudinal axis by the hand wheel V2,
which is connected to the pins V, or by equivalent means, when it is desired
to bring the bunghole uppermost.
.
The jaws U of the cask-bed D are connected by longitudinal screwed rods W,
preferably one on each side of the cask bed and geared together by the wheels w
shown in Fig. 1. These screwed rods W engage fixed nuts or screw-collars X
fast on the cask-bed, and by their rotation the jaws U are drawn together or
separated as the case may be.
Each nozzle tube is made telescopic and in three sections 12 and 13 the
inner and outer being secured together at 1 and fitted with suitable packing
rings to prevent escape of water. The outer tube is connected to a hand
operated lever Z whereby it and consequently the nozzle can be adjusted vertically
through the centre of the cask bed D into the interior of the cask through the
bung hole.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The frame A is reciprocated by means of the connecting rod M, operated from
any suitable motor. This reciprocation causes a supply of water to be drawn
into the cylinders H during the outstroke, and simultaneously the casks E are
caused to rotate by means of the longitudinal shaft Q which is carried by the
reciprocating frame and is continuously rotated from the shaft S by means of the
gear wheels R and T. By this means the casks E receive a simultaneous
reciprocatory and rotatory motion.
On the return stroke the water trapped in the cylinder H between the valves j
and is by the return of the piston G forced through the hollow piston rod g,
thence through the valve k into the air chamber or reservoir K. Consequently
the admission of water to the chamber or reservoir K is intermittent and syn-
chronizes with the return of the reciprocating frame. The apparatus will there-
fore produce an intermittent flow of water through the conduits L to the nozzles /
whence it is injected into the interior of the casks and the washing thereby effected.
After the washing, the water drains from the casks through the bung holes down
outside the nozzle tube and falls into a channel or gutter beneath, as shown by
the arrows in Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is;-
1. Cleansing casks, barrels, and the like vessels by means or apparatus whereby
they are subjected to a combined reciprocatory and rotatory movement while
water is drawn up into the apparatus and injected into the barrels under pressure
the parts being arranged and combined to operate substantially in the manner
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. Apparatus for cleansing casks, barrels, and the like vessels, comprising
a reciprocatory platform carrying a plurality of cask beds each rotated on a central
vertical shaft by a worm wheel operated by a worm on a longitudinal shaft carried
by the reciprocatory frame and continuously rotated, from a shaft rotating in
fixed bearings, by means of a mitre wheel on a feather, the reciprocatory frame
carrying a reservoir and pump plungers working in fixed cylinders connected
to a water suction pipe whereby the water is pumped into the reservoir at every
return stroke of the reciprocatory frame, and conduits connecting the reservoir to
nozzles located centrally in the cask beds, substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for cleansing casks, barrels and the like vessels, of the kind
indicated in the preceding claim, means for adjusting the casks on the cask beds,
comprising jaws connected to or carried on longitudinal screwed rods working
in screw collars fixed in the cask bed, with means whereby the casks can be inde-
pendently rotated on a horizontal axis when on the beds, substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.