IMPROVEMENTS IN CABK-WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robinson, of Wembdon, Bridgewater, in the
County of Somerset, Brewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CABK-WASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 20th December 1859, and dated the 7th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robinson, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th.
July 1859.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, of Wembdon, Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset,
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CASK-WASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in cask-washing machines consists in
mounting two frames (one within the other), to hold casks in the operation of
washing, on axes in the manner of gimbles, so that the cask shall recieve
rotary motion on its own axis, that is to say, in the direction of its circular.
form, and also end over end, and so also that the cask can be placed in any
angular position between the positions producing the rotary motions first..
mentioned, by simply turning the inner frame on its axis. For this purpose Is
mount the outer rotating frame on the main axis in the direction of the length
of the frame, so that the inner frame holding the cask while in the plane of
the outer frame, the cask will have its ends and. heads towards the gudgeons.

page_text: or bearings of the main axis. The inner frame has the gudgeons or bearings
of its axis in the outer frame, which axis is disposed at right angles to the
main axis, and so as thereby to permit the disposition of the cask as before
mentioned while being washed. The inner frame I fit with suitable sliding
bars or rails adjustable and fixed by pins and screws to adapt the machine for
various sizes of casks, and to pinch and hold them in position. These shifting
bars or rails I further furnish with sliding blocks actuated by screws, for
similar purposes. The inner frame is furnished with a locking plate at one
end around its axis, into which a pin drops or screws in several holes to fix
the cask in the various positions required, and as before-mentioned. In
washing casks I introduce into them gravel, sand, or other material, and water
or other liquor, as practised in such operations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAMI
ROBINSON, of Wembdon, Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset, Brower,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Robinson, Her special licence that I, the said William Robinson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Robinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
CASK-WASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Robinson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that
the said William Robinson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in cask-washing machines consists in
mounting two frames one within the other (to hold casks during the operation
of washing) on axes, in the manner of gimbals or other mechanical equi
valents, so that the cask shall be held in such position as to receive and will
receive rotatory motion on its own axis, that is to say, in the direction of its
circular form, and also end over end, and so also that the cask will be placed
in any & pass through all angular positions intervening between the posi-
tions, affording the rotary motions first mentioned by simply turning the inner
frame on its axis. For this purpose I mount the outer rotary frame on the
main axis in the direction of the length of the frame, so that the inner frame
holding the cask while in the plane of the outer frame will hold the cask
with its ends or heads towards the gudgeons or bearings of the main axis.
The inner frame has the gudgeons or bearings of its axis in the outer frame,
which axis is disposed at right angles to the main axis, and so as thereby to
permit the disposition of the cask, as before mentioned, while being washed.
The inner frame I fit with suitable sliding bars or rails adjustable and fixed by
pins and screws to adapt the machine for various sizes of casks, and to pinch
& hold them in position. These shifting bars or rails I further furnish with
sliding blocks, actuated by screws or otherwise, for similar purposes. The
inner frame is furnished with a locking plate at one end around its axis, into
which a pin drops or screws in several holes to fix the cask in the various
positions required and before mentioned, or the machine may be self-acting
and so as to pass the cask through the different positions required. In
washing casks I introduce into them gravel, sand, or other material, and water
or other liquor at the bung-hole, as usually practised in such operation.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a cask-washing machine according to
my Invention, and Fig. 2, a plan of the same, showing also several of the
positions assumed by the cask during the evolutions of the machine.
A, A, is a base of any suitable material. & B, B, two standards in the
bearings b, b, of which the journals or gudgeons c, c, of the rectangular fraine
Core fitted. This frame, which I prefer to be of wrought or cast iron, is of
sufficient size to receive an inner frame D, which again receives casks of the

page_text: largest sizes it is desired to operate upon. Frame C has bearings d, d, in
which the gudgeons e, e, of frame D are received, so that the axis on which
the frame D rotates is at right angles to that of the main axis c, c; the red
circle in the plan, Fig. 2, shows the direction of its rotation in relation to
frame C. The frame D is fitted with bars E, F, fitted to slide towards or
from each other, for the purpose of accommodating the different sizes of casks,
and in order to pinch and hold them in position. The one of the bars E is
held simply by bolts or pins f. f. passing through them and the frame D, while
the other F is further controlled and held by a screw G and hand wheel; this
screw passes up the centre of one of the gudgeons e in which it is screwed and
works. The hollowed holding chocks g, g, of wood are fixed by screw nuts
h, h, to bars E & F, and may be slid therein to effect a further movement of
regulation for the reception of the cask by being moved, so as to grip a larger
or smaller part of the cask, thereby to subdivido the distances of movement to
which the bar E is subject in moving its pins f. f, from one set of holes in
frame D to the next. By this means the cask may be always fixed truly
central with the main axis. To facilitate the fixing of the cask in position the
opposite gudgeon e may also be fitted with a screw and hand wheel, whereby
to move the bar E in same manner as bar F. On the main axis I have
represented a winch handle as being fixed, in order to communicate motion to
the washing frame; a strap rigger toothed or other gearing may, however, be
substituted, and the machine actuated by power. It will readily be understood
that if a cask be mounted in the chocks 9, 9, as seen in Fig. 1, and the frame
rotated in its bearings b, b, the cask will receive rotary motion in the direction
of its circular form, but while being rotated in this direction I also cause it to
be rotated on the axis at right angles to the line of the main axis, that is to
say, by the frame D moving round on its journals e, e', so that the cask
assumes the several positions shown in the plan as also the frame D, and all
positions in the circle so described. In addition to the outline and dotted
positions of the cask and frame, the red lines show two other positions. The
red horizontal position being the same as the position of cask in Fig. 1, while
the red vertical position shows the cask at right angles thereto, and in which
it receives its end-over-end motion. In order to communicate motion to
frame D on its axes e, e', I fix to the gudgeon e' a spur wheel i, which takes
into a pinion k mounted on a short spindle / fitted to a bearing in framing C.
This spindle projects beyond the frame, and has fitted on its extremity a
cross or star wheel on; this cross m as carried round by the rotation of frame C
on its bearings b, b, comes in contact with a fixed cam p, which moves it a
tooth or one-fourth of a revolution at each revolution of frame C, thus im-

page_text: parting a slow intermittent rotary motion to pinion k, which is transmitted
thereby to wheel i and so to frame D by gudgeon e'. Instead of an inter-
mittent motion being given to the frame D on the axes e, e', it may be slow and
continuous, and such motion may be communicated by a train of wheels,
shown red, consisting of a fixed stationary wheel 9 taking into a stud wheel r
mounted on frame C, which drives a wheel s fixed on a spindle t carrying at
opposite end a small bevil pinion gearing with a bovil wheel substituted for
wheel i, or instead of bevil wheel and pinion it may be a screw wheel and
endless screw; according to the arrangement and proportions of this gearing so
will be the rate of speed communicated to the frame D on its axis e, e. The
spindle should be sufficiently stiff of movement as to hold the cask and
matters it contains in position during the revolution of frame C, while star
wheel m is not in contact with cam p.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and con-
bination of parts constituting the machine for washing casks, herein-before
described and referred to in the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which the
cask under operation is caused to assume position so that it will rotate end
over end, as also in the direction of its circular form; and to pass gradually
from the one such position to the other as herein-before described, or any
mere mechanical equivalents therefor.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
PORINSON
WILLIAM ROBINSON. (2.0.)
NOOK TITUTETCET AA