IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING BARREL TILTERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Goodwin Knight, of Stockport, in the
County of Chester, Machinist, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-ACTING BARREL TILTERS."
Scaled the 29th September 1871, and dated the 4th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Goodwin
Knight at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th August 1871.
I, THOMAS GOODWIN KNIGHT, of Stockport, in the County of Chester,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
provements in SeELF-ACTING BARREL TILTERS," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists of a compound differential scroll, which is
supported in a hanger above the barrel to be tilted. A chain connected
to the hinder part of the barrel is passed over and fixed to the smaller
differential scroll, and a second chain, to which a weight is suspended,
is passed over and fixed to the larger differential scroll. By this means,
as the contents of the barrel are drawn off and its weight is reduced, the
hinder end is gradually raised by the weight suspended to the chain
above referred to, thereby gradually tilting the barrel. Or instead of

page_text: a double scroll I can employ a variable or a plain eccentric; or instead
of using a compound differential scroll I use two separate scrolls fixed
on a shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Goodwin Knight in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GOODWIN KNIGHT, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Goodwin Knight, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Goodwin Knight, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Goodwin
Knight, 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 SELF-ACTING BARREL TILTERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Goodwin Knight, my exe-
cutors 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 Thomas Goodwin Knight, 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 (that is to say) :—
My Invention consists of a compound differential scroll which is
supported in a hanger above the barrel to be tilted. A chain connected

page_text: to the hinder part of the barrel is passed over and fixed to the smaller
differential scroll, and a second chain, to which a weight is suspended, is
passed over and fixed to the larger differential scroll. By this means,
as the contents of the barrel are drawn off and its weight is reduced, the
hinder end is gradually raised by the weight suspended to the chain
above referred to, thereby gradually tilting the barrel. Or instead of a
double scroll I can employ a variable or a plain eccentric; or instead
of using a compound differential scroll I use two separate scrolls fixed
on a shaft.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of my improved barrel tilters, and Fig. 2
is a front view of the same. a is the ordinary stillage on which the
barrel is placed, and the front end thereof is steadied by wedges or
blocks as usual. Above the barrel and supported by brackets from the
wall or hooks from the roof of the cellar is the rail c, on which the
hanger d is suspended as now customary. The hanger supports the axle
of the differential scroll e, which is made with gradually increasing radii,
and to the smaller part of the scroll is connected one end of the chain f,
which is taken through the eye of the hook g hooked on the hinder end
of the barrel, and is then connected to the hook g¹ catching on the front
of the barrel.
I wish to remark here that this mode of connecting the chain from
the tilter to the barrel forms no part of my present Invention. To the
larger part of the scroll is connected one end of the chain h, the other
end of which hangs down at the back of the barrel, and is provided with
an adjustable weight i, the weight of which must be regulated according
to the size of the barrel. When the barrel is full it lies horizonal, or
nearly so, as shewn by the full lines, but when about half or two-thirds
of the contents of the barrel have been drawn off, and it becomes
necessary to tilt the barrel, the weight i begins to overcome the weight
of the barrel and its contents, and as the weight descends gradually it
raises the end of the barrel off the stillage until it ultimately assumes
the position shewn in dotted lines. When the weight i descends it
causes the scroll to turn slowly round in the direction of the arrow, and
in so doing the end of the chain fis, wound on the gradually increasing

page_text: diameter of the scroll while the chain / unwinds itself off the larger end
of the scroll. By this means as the barrel is tilted the point of suspen-
sion of the chain fis gradually thrown further from the axle of the scroll,
and the chain h is also thrown further from the axle of the scroll, but to
a less extent, thereby reducing the effect of the weight in proportion
to the reduction in the weight of the barrel and its contents. The
chain may be connected to the scroll at any point between the points
marked x and y, and in order to prevent the oscillation of the scroll
as the barrel is tilted I fix the friction disc e¹ to the axle of the scroll,
and this disc is acted upon by the eccentric friction break ; jointed to
the hanger d, or a ratchet wheel and double catch or other equivalents
may be used for the same purpose.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of my Invention. In this view all the
parts are similar to those described in reference to Fig. 1; but they act
in a different manner, that is to say, the position of the scroll is reversed,
and the chain h with the weight i are suspended to the front of the
scroll, consequently as the weight overcomes the inertia of the barrel
and its contents it moves the scroll in the direction of the arrow and
unwinds the chain off the larger part of the scroll while it winds the
chain on to the gradually increasing diameter of the scroll. The point
of suspension of the chain h may be about three or four times greater
from a vertical line drawn from the axis of the scroll than that of the
chain, the leverage at the moment when the barrel begins to be tilted
is therefore about three or four to one; but as the weight descends the
leverage is reduced in proportion to the reduction in the weight of
the barrel and its contents. This arrangement necessitates a greater
distance between the barrel and the scroll to allow for the descent of the
weight, but the end of the scroll can pass over the supporting rail c,
as shewn.
Fig. 4 represents my eccentric tilter. In this modification only one
chain is required instead of two, as in Figs. 1 and 3. The chain k passes
over the top of the eccentric, as shewn, and one link of the chain takes
on a stud projecting from the bottom of the groove; the weight i is
suspended to one end of the chain k, and the other end after passing
through the hook g is connected to the hook ' at the front of the
barrel.
The eccentric tilter may be made an entire circle with the axis out of

page_text: and in order that they may be made of one entire piece of rolled
wrought iron, I propose to bend one end inwards in the form of a scroll
to carry the axle, as shewn, or the axle may be held by arms, which
may be cast or rivetted to the eccentric as shewn at e³.
Instead of connecting the chain to a stud fixed in the groove of the
eccentric, the groove may be made with recesses and projections to fit
the chain, as in the construction of Weston's hoisting blocks. As the
weight i descends the point of suspension approaches the axis of
the scroll, but the point of suspension of the end of the chain connected
to the hinder end of the barrel gradually increases its distance there.
from, as shewn by the dotted lines.
Fig. 5 is another modification of my Invention. The chain connected
to the barrel is made fast to the lower end of the eccentric segment e,
and the chain is secured to the upper part thereof. When the weight i
overcomes the inertia of the barrel and its contents it gradually descends,
and the distance of the point of suspension of the chain f from the
fulcrum of the segment e is increased in proportion to the reduction
in the weight of the barrel and its contents, as described in reference to
Fig. 3. This eccentric segment may be continued, as shewn by the
dotted line e, to carry the axle when the eccentric is made of rolled
wrought iron.
Fig. 6 is another modification of my Invention. In this instance the
chain k is connected to the variable eccentric or cam e, as described in
reference to Fig. 4.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent two views of another modification of my
Invention. In this instance I make use of two separate scrolls; the
smaller one e to which the chain is attached is placed directly over
the centre of the barrel to be tilted, and the larger one e* may be placed
to one side, so that the weight i in descending may have room to pass.
This arrangement is particularly suitable for very low cellars. When
the weight descends it moves the compound scrolls round in the
direction of the arrow and winds the chain fon the gradually increasing
diameter of the scroll e, and the chain h is unwound off the gradually
decreasing diameter of the scroll e*, thereby increasing the leverage on
the chain connected to the barrel and reducing that of the weight in
proportion to the reduction of the weight of the barrel and its contents.
My improved scrolls or eccentrics may be made of wood or cast or
wrought iron, or other material; when made of wrought iron I prefer

page_text: to roll or bend a bar with a grooved recess, as shewn in Fig. 2, and then
to bend this grooved bar to the shape of the scroll or eccentric required.
When made in the manner above described the end of the grooved bar
may be flattened and wrapped or bent round the axle.
The apparatus for preventing vibration, shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, or
some equivalent means, may be applied to the other barrel tilters shewn,
and instead of chains, ropes, cords, straps, or bands may be used for
connecting the tilter to the barrel and counterweight.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several
modes of carrying the same into operation, I wish to remark that I do
not intend to limit myself to the precise forms or details given, as the
forms and dimensions may be considerably varied or modified; I would
also remark that I make no claim to the use of the chains, hooks,
hangers, and rails shewn to illustrate the modes of applying my Inven-
tion; but what I do claim is, the differential scrolls and eccentrics
marked e, or any mere modification thereof, which in revolving vary
the two points of suspension of the barrel and the counterweight in
proportion to the reduction in the weight of the barrel and its contents,
as shewn and described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Thomas Goodwin Knight, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this First day of February Onc