IMPROVEMENTS IN CASKS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Trimmer, of Hornsey Rise, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Trimmer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th March 1872.
I, WILLIAM TRIMMER, of Hornsey Rise, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CASES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of making one or both ends of casks, barrels,
and similar vessels partly or entirely of glass or other transparent sub-
stance, and is especially applicable to casks or barrels in which are
contained beer, wine, or other beverage for drinking.
The object of the Invention is to enable any observer to see whether
a cask or barrel is full when delivered; also to see when such cask or

page_text: barrel is sufficiently empty, in order that it may be removed, and a full
one substituted for it; also to see at what rate the contents of such
cask or barrel are being consumed; also to see when the interior of
such cask or barrel (when emptied) has been sufficiently cleaned for
refilling. By the use of my Invention the probality is prevented of a
cask or barrel being returned partially full when through any accidental
stoppage of the tap by which its contents are withdrawn it has been
supposed to be empty.
In order to carry out my Invention I take the end or head of the cask
or barrel, and insert into it a strip of glass or other sufficiently strong
transparent plate, through which the interior of the cask may be seen.
I prefer to fix this strip so that it may stand in a vertical position when
the cask is fixed in its ordinary position, with the tap at the bottom of
the head or end; and in such case I make the strip of glass come down
as nearly as possible to the hole in which the tap is fixed; but sometimes :
I arrange the strip of glass diagonally, so that it occupies nearly a com-
plete diameter of the cask head or end, but has its lower extremity by
the side of the tap instead of above it.
Sometimes I fit the glass plate into a frame of metal or other suitable
material, into which it is fixed by cement, india-rubber, or other water-
tight packing; and I fit such frame containing the glass into the head
or end of the cask or barrel, as first described. In this way there is less
chance of fracture of the glass plate.
And sometimes I make a plate or frame of metal, wood, or other
suitable material; and I fix this plate or frame to the head or end of the
cask or barrel, over the glass plate, so as to preserve the latter from
injury; and I make openings in the frame or plate through which the
glass plate and the interior of the cask or barrel can be seen.
And I sometimes arrange the parts of the plate or frame between such
openings so that they may serve as indices or marks to point out the
quantity of liquor remaining in the cask or barrel, or being consumed
from time to time. Or sometimes I mark such indices upon the glass
plate, or upon the frame covering or carrying it, or upon the head or end
of the cask or barrel by the side of the glass plate.
It is to be understood that my Invention may be applied either to one
or both ends of a cask or barrel.

page_text: The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention.
Figure 1 represents a front view of the head or end of a barrel or
cask; and Figure 2, a cross section. A is the head or end made in the
ordinary way; B is a strip of transparent plate let into an opening in A,
and cemented in its place; C is the hole in which the tap is inserted in
the usual way.
Figure 3 shews the head or end A of a barrel or cask having the
transparent plate B arranged diagonally, so that its lower end may be
by the side instead of above the tap hole C.
Figure 4 shews an arrangement which I sometimes adopt where the
liquor is such as will not be spoilt by too much light being admitted to
it. A is the head or end of the barrel, which is formed principally of
glass, the lower part B only being of wood, in which the tap hole C is
made. Sometimes I form the head or end entirely of glass.
In Figures 5 and 6 the glass plate B is shewn fitted water-tight into
a frame D, which is fitted into the head A of the barrel, as already
described.
Figures 7 and 8 shew a plate or frame E fixed to the head A of the
cask or barrel over the glass plate B, which is thus preserved from
injury.
upon
Marks indicating the quantity of liquor in the barrel may be made
the frame E, as shewn in Figure 6, or upon the frame D, as shewn
in Figure 4; or they may be made upon the surface of the glass plate
itself.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Trimmer, Her special licence
that I, the said William Trimmer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Trimmer, 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 for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
CASES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Trimmer, my 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 Trimmer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawing:-
This Invention consists of making one or both ends of casks, barrels,
and other vessels of a similar kind partly or entirely transparent; and
it is especially applicable to such vessels when used for containing beer,
wine, or other beverage for drinking.
The objects of the Invention are to enable any observer to see
whether any such cask, barrel, or other vessel is full when delivered;
also to see when it is sufficiently empty, in order that it may be removed
and a full one substituted for it; also to see at what rate its contents
are being consumed; also to see when its interior (after having been
. emptied) has been sufficiently cleansed for refilling. By the use of this
Invention the probability is prevented of a cask or barrel being
returned partially full when through any accidental stoppage of the tap
by which its contents are withdrawn it has been supposed to be empty.
In order to carry out the Invention I take the end or head of the cask
or barrel or similar vessel as described, and I insert into it a piece or

page_text: strip of glass or other sufficiently strong transparent substance, through
which the interior of the cask or other vessel may be seen. I prefer to
fix this transparent piece or strip so that it may stand in a vertical
position when the cask is placed in its ordinary position, with the tap at'
or near the bottom of the head or end; and in such case I make the
strip of glass come down as nearly as convenient to the hole in which
the tap is fixed; but sometimes I arrange the strip of glass diagonally,
so that it occupies nearly a complete diameter of the cask head or
end, and has its lower extremity by the side of the tap instead of
above it.
I sometimes fit the transparent plate into a frame of metal or other
suitable material, into which it is fixed by cement, india-rubber, or
other water-tight packing; and I fit such frame containing the glass.
into the head or end of the cask or barrel, as first described. By this,
arrangement there is less risk of fracture of the glass plate.
And sometimes I make a frame or open plate of metal, wood, or
other suitable material; and I fix this plate or frame to the head or
end of the cask or barrel over the glass plate, so as to preserve the,
latter from injury; and I arrange openings in the frame or plate, through
which openings the glass plate and the interior of the cask or barrel can
be seen.
:
And I sometimes arrange the parts of the plate or frame between
such openings, so that they may serve as indices or marks to point out
the quantity of liquor remaining in the cask or barrel, or, being con-
sumed from time to time. Or sometimes I make such marks or
indices upon the glass plate itself, or upon the frame covering or carrying
it, or upon the head or end of the cask or barrel adjoining the glass
plate.
I sometimes make a recess or groove in the head or end of the cask'
or barrel round and adjoining the glass plate, or the frame carrying it;"
and I fit a strip of india-rubber or other suitable packing into such
recess, so that when the frame or open plate described is screwed or
fixed to the head or end of the cask or barrel it presses the india-rubber.
strip into the recess, and thus makes a perfectly water-tight joint.
It is to, be understood that my Invention may be applied either to one.
or both ends of a cask or barrel.

page_text: 2nd. The combination with the partially transparent heads or ends
of casks or barrels of protecting frames and marks or indices, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Trimmer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM TRIMMER. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDMUND EDWARDS,
of the Firm of Edwards and Co.,
Patent Agents and Engineers,
38, Southampton Buildings.