IMPROVEMENTS IN CASK-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 CASK-WASHING MACHINES."
. Sealed the 5th June 1860, and dated the 13th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
December 1859.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, of Wembdon, Bridgewater, in the County of
Somerset, Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CASK-WASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in cask-washing machines relates to
machines in which casks undergoing the operation of washing are caused to
rotate in the direction of their circular form, as also end over end, and in all
positions intermediate thereof by the rotation of the main axis which retains
the same position, while the cask by the action of the machine passes gradually-
through the succession of positions mentioned, whereby the chimes and all the
interior parts of a cask are thoroughly cleansed. I form my improved
machines of two circular frames one within the other, the inner frame being
fitted so as to move round in its circular direction, and either fitting the outer
frame throughout the whole circumference or mounted in bearing blocks or
friction pullies fitted thereto. The outer frame is mounted on a main axis

page_text: in the line of its diameter, and on which it receives motion and transmits it to
the inner frame. The inner frame is fitted with two fixed rails forming chords
to arcs of the circle, such rails being at the ends of the cask; at the sides of
the cask are curved movable rails somewhat of the bulged form of the casks,
one of which curved movable rails is fitted and fixed by pins or bolts to the
straight rails, while the other is slid and held thereon by a screw or other
contrivance; these curved rails are caused to approach or recede from each
other to suit the diameter of cask to be washed, the cask being held by curved
chocks placed transversely to these rails or bars. To pinch and hold the cask
I prefer to employ a third curved rail in which I mount a screw and hand
wheel to traverse the movable holding bar whereby it may be quickly moved
up or caused to recede in order to grip or release the cask. To the inner
frame I attach or form on it a circular rack, and around the gudgeons of the
inner frame I place fixed eccentrics which take effect on blocks mounted on
the outer frame and give them a to-and-fro movement; these blocks carry
palls taking into the rack of the inner frame, causing it to be propelled the
distance of one or more teeth at each revolution; stop palls may be applied if
necessary to check any backward or undue motion. By this motion of the
rack and the rotary motion of the frame on the main axis the cask when
operated on is subjected to the washing operation in the various positions
herein-before mentioned. The washing medium I adopt is gravel and other
like material and water introduced at the bung hole. Other arrangements or
mechanical equivalents may be adopted to produce a like result as described
in this machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBINSON, of Wembdon, Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset, Brewer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, 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

page_text: Robinson, 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 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 bands 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 Robinson, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
-
My Invention of improvements in cask-washing machines relates to
machines in which casks undergoing the operation of washing are caused to
rotate in the direction of their circular form, as also end over end, and in all
positions intermediate thereof by the rotation of the main axis from or by
reason of which the alterations of position of the cask take place. The main
shaft retains the same position while the cask by the action of the machine
passes gradually through the succession of positions mentioned, whereby the
chimes and all the interior parts of a cask are thoroughily cleansed. I form
my improved machines of two circular frames one within the other, the inner
frame being fitted so as to move round in its circular direction, and either
fitting the outer frame throughout the whole circumference, or mounted in
bearing blocks, or friction pullies may be fitted thereto to carry the inner frame.
The outer frame is mounted on a main axis in the line of its diameter, and
on which it receives motion and transmits it to the inner frame. The inner
frame is fitted with two fixed rails forming chords to arcs of the circle, such
rails being at the ends of the cask; at the sides of the casks are curved movable.
rails somewhat of the bulged form of the casks, one of which curved movable
rails is fitted and fixed with bolts or pins to the straight rails or bars before
mentioned, while the other is slid and held thereon by a screw or other con-
trivance; these curved rails are to approach or recede from each other to suit
the diameter of cask to be washed, the cask being held by curved chocks placed

page_text: transversely to these rails or bars. To hold and pinch the cask in position
I prefer to employ a third curved bar in which I mount a screw and hand
wheel in order to traverse the movable holding bar, whereby it may be quickly
moved up or caused to recede in order to grip or release the cask as may be
desired. To the inner frame I attach or form on it a circular rack, and
around the gudgeons of the outer frame I place fixed eccentrics which take
effect on sliding blocks or parts mounted on the outer frame, and gives to them
a to-and-fro movement. These blocks carry palls taking into the racks or
ratchet teeth of the inner frame, causing it to be propelled the distance of one
or more teeth at each revolution of the main axis; stop palls may be applied
if necessary to check any backward or undue motion. By this motion of the
rack, and the rotary motion of the frame on the main axis, the cask operated
on is subjected to the process of washing in the various positions herein-before
mentioned. The washing medium I adopt is gravel and other similar or
suitable material and water introduced & removed at the bung hole. Other
arrangements or mechanical equivalents may be adopted to produce the
change required in the position of the cask during the operation of washing.
The cask may be mounted & fixed in a different manner in the inner frame
if desirable, which may also hold two or more casks at the same time.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a front elevation of
a machine constructed according to my Invention, while Fig. 2 is a transverse
section of the same through the line 1, 2; Fig. 3 represents a similar section,
but with the cask shown dotted, and in the position shown dotted in Fig. 1,
in order the better to show the internal frame and its gearing.
A, A, are the side standards which support the rotating frame; these
standards are connected by a tie piece B, and mounted on a suitable found-
ation. The upper parts of standards A, A, are furnished with bearings, in
which the main axis of the outer circular frame C is received. This frame
may be of wrought or cast-iron, or of other suitable construction, the gud-
geons a, a, being of a piece therewith, or suitably fixed thereto. This cir-
cular frame I either turn in a lathe throughout the interior surface, or so
prepare projections thereon as to receive the inner ring D, so that it may rotate
easily therein in its circular direction.
In the Drawings I have shown six points of contact between the frames
C & D, consisting of plates b, b, b, bolted on each side of frame C, so as to
embrace and form bearing surfaces for D in which it may rotate as described,
while it is at same time held firmly in its relative position with C. In

page_text: order to allow for wear in the bearing surfaces, the plates b, b, may be free
to approach each other, and be drawn up by their holding bolts. A set screw d
may be also inserted from the periphery of C to force up a bearing pad or sur-
face in a radial direction, and against the circumference of D. The ring D
is furnished with two fixed rails or bars D', D', of a piece with it; to these
rails the shifting bars E, E', are fitted to embrace and slide thereon.
which
These bars are curved to suit somewhat the bulge of a barrel, the one E¹ is
fixed at either end to the bars D¹ by pins e, which may be shifted to different
holes in D', D', according to the size of the casks to be washed, while the
other E is connected with a screw F, by turning which it is slid towards or
from the opposite and fixed bar E¹. This screw F is mounted in a third
curved rail E; this rail is a fixture to the rails D¹; the screw F is furnished
with a hand wheel G to facilitate the rotation of the screw. The rails E, E¹,
are furnished with wooden chocks f, f, curved in the inside to embrace the
cask which they grip. The pair of chocks on each rail E & E', can be
approached or receded towards or from each other according to the size of the
cask to be held, which may be readily effected by loosening the bolts
slide between the parts of E, E¹. Each of these rails being formed of two
plates embracing the sides of D', the parts of each rail are connected by
suitable tie bolts or studs. The chocks f should at all times have a little
more curve in the gripping surface than the part of the barrel held to insure
a tight hold as will be readily understood. The inner ring D is furnished
with a series of ratchet teeth, by which it is propelled in a circular direc-
tion at the same time that it is carried round by the motion of frame C on its
axis. For effecting this circular motion of D, I mount on each of the stand-
ards A a fixed eccentric eccentric to the axis a seen separately at Fig. 4,
I fit so as to embrace the frame C, sliding pieces I, I, one on either side of the
frame C; these sliding pieces are guided and held in position by bolts passing
through slot holes in the frames C; projections i, i, on these sliding pieces I,
embrace the eccentrics across their diameter as seen in Figs. 1 & 4. Ro-
tating motion given to the frame C on its axis causes the peices I, I, to be
carried round, which pieces are caused to slide on the frame C by reason of
their embracing the fixed eccentrics which impart an amount of motion to the
parts I equal to the eccentricity of those eccentrics with respect to the axis
of motion; palls k, k, are fitted to the pieces I, I, which palls take into the
teeth of the frame D, and are held up by suitable springs. One of the eccen-
trics deviates from the axis in a downward, and the other in an upward
direction, by reason of which the palls simultaneously recede over the inclined
part of a ratchet tooth during one half of the revolution of frame C, while

page_text: during the other half revolution they take effect on the vertical face of such
tooth, and thereby propel the frame D round the distance of one tooth; this
action is repeated at each revolution. Friction rollers are introduced to
receive the pressure of the eccentrics on the pieces I, while communicating the
thrusting force to propel frame D. Instead of communicating the circular
motion to D by eccentrics as described, other methods may be adopted to
communicate such motion direct from the rotary motion of C, or as a con-
sequence resulting therefrom, such motion instead of being intermittent, may
be continuous, & such as would be the case if communicated with toothed
gearing, & as will be readily understood.
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 of appa-
ratus or machinery herein-before described applied to the washing of casks or
barrels, or any mere mechanical equivalents for such machinery effecting the
same in like manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM ROBINSON. (L.S.).