Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Firing or Heating Staves for the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, Kegs, and the like.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1886.
Complete Left, 23rd Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th June, 1887.
RESERV
Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Firing or Heating Staves for
the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, Kegs, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR of No. 105 Newsham Drive, Newsham Park, West Derby,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to apparatus employed for firing or heating staves previous
to their being formed into casks barrels or kegs by hand, or by machinery such for
example as that described and illustrated in the specifications of former Letters Patent
granted to me and numbered respectively 8760 of 1884 and 7933 of 1885 and
comprises one or more sliding pendent stoves or furnaces so constructed and arranged
that it (or each of them if there be more than one) is capable of being lowered into a
number of staves previously set up in a ring or what is called a raising cone whereby
the inner surfaces of the said staves may be subjected to a heating process whilst their
outer surfaces may be damped or moistened so as to more readily cause the staves to
assume the rounded form required in the finished barrel.
An arrangement of firing or heating apparatus according to this invention com-
prises a suitable base plate having supports attached thereto for carrying a main
chimney with which a number of suitable stove or furnace pipes communicate at one
end. The other ends of these pipes extend downwards towards the base, and are of such
a size as to allow of an internal pipe fixed to the pendent stove or furnace sliding
telescopically therein.
For small barrels or kegs the stove or furnace is circular in cross section and some-
what less in diameter than the interior diameter of the ring of set up staves to be
treated, so as to allow it to slide down or be lowered therein on to the base plate.
The stove or furnace or its pipe may be provided with an outer casing so formed as
to pass over and surround the outsides of the staves under treatment and retain the
LD077

page_text: heat. Between the stove or furnace and this outer casing or in any other convenient
position a suitably shaped perforated water pipe may be provided for the purpose of
moistening the outer sides of the staves whilst their inner sides are subjected to the
action of heat.
In treating staves for large casks or barrels it is advantageous to employ a stove or
furnace in which the fire is retained in an annular basket so that the heat may be
brought near the stoves without having a large and heavy body of fire to raise and
lower for the purpose hereinabove described.
The stoves or furnaces with their outer casings and telescopic chimneys may be
suspended on chains passing over guide pulleys, and balanced in any convenient
manner.
For the purpose of regulating the temperature and firing the insides of the staves
evenly all round I find it advantageous to causo the stoves or furnaces or the staves
under treatment, to revolve slowly. This may be accomplished by means of a set or
train of toothed wheels, pitched chains or other well known mechanical means arranged
in any convenient manner. Thus for example the rotating mechanism may be placed
below the before mentioned base plate or in any other convenient position, whilst the
base plate may be mounted on a central pivot and be provided with friction rollers the
arrangement being such that by rotating the whole apparatus the stoves or furnaces,
or the sets of staves under treatment will simultaneously rotate about their own centres
also, thus causing the heat to be more evenly distributed.
The stoves or furnaces may be provided with suitable firebars and they and their
outer casings may be provided with suitable charging holes, doors and dampers. The
base plate may have suitable openings formed therein for admitting air to the stoves or
furnaces or a forced draught may be employed for keeping the fires bright whilst
in use.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Firing or Heating Staves for
the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, Kegs, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 105 Newsham Drive, Newsham Park, West Derby
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
-
This invention relates to apparatus employed for firing or heating staves previous
to their being formed into casks, barrels or kegs by hand, or by machinery
such for example as that described and illustrated in the specification of former Letters
Patent granted to me and numbered respectively 8760 of 1884, and 7933 of 1885 and
comprises one or more sliding pendent stoves or furnaces so constructed and arranged
that it (or each of them if there be more than one) is capable of being lowerd into a
number of staves previously set up in a ring or what is called a raising cone whereby
the inner surfaces of the said staves may be subjected to a heating process whilst their
outer surfaces may be damped or moistened so as to more readily cause the staves to
assume the rounded form required in the finished barrel.
An arrangement of firing or heating apparatus according to this invention comprises
a suitable base plate having supports attached thereto for carrying a main chimney
with which a number of suitable stove or furnace pipes communicate at one end. The
other ends of these pipes extend downwards towards the base, and are of such a size as
to allow of an internal pipe fixed to the pendent stove or furnace sliding telescopically
therein.
For small barrels, or kegs the stove or furnace is circular in cross section, and
somewhat less in diameter than the interior diameter of the ring of set up staves to be
treated so as to allow it to slide down or be lowerd therein onto the base plate.
The stove or furnace or its pipe may be provided with an outer casing so formed as
to pass over and surround the outsides of the staves under treatment and retain the
heat.
Between the stove or furnace and this outer casing or in any other convenient
position a suitably shaped perforated water pipe may be provided for the purpose of
moistening the outer sides of the staves whilst their inner sides are subjected to the
action of heat.
In treating staves for large casks, or barrels it is advantageous to employ a stove or
furnace in which the fire is retained in an annular basket so that the heat may be
brought near the staves without having a large and heavy body of fire to raise and
lower for the purpose hereinabove described.
The stoves or furnaces with their outer casings and telescopic chimneys may be
suspended on chains passing over guide pulleys, and balanced in any convenient
manner.
For the purpose of regulating the temperature and firing the insides of the staves
evenly all round, I find it advantageous to cause the stoves or furnaces or the staves

page_text: under treatment, to revolve slowly. This may be accomplished by means of a set or
train of toothed wheels, pitched chains or other well known mechanical means arranged
in any convenient manner. Thus for example the rotating mechanism may be placed
below the before mentioned base plate or in any other convenient position, whilst the
base plate may be mounted on a central pivot and be provided with friction rollers the
arrangement being such that by rotating the whole apparatus the stoves or furnaces,
or the sets of staves under treatment will simultaneously rotate about their own centres
also, thus causing the heat to be more evenly distributed.
The stoves or furnaces may be provided with suitable firebars and they and their
outer casings may be provided with suitable charging holes, doors and dampers.
The base plate may have suitable openings formed therein for admitting air to the
stoves or furnaces or a forced draught may be employed for keeping the fires bright
whilst in use.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of a
fire heating apparatus having four stoves or furnaces and suitable for casks or barrels,
one of the pendent stoves being represented in section lowered down inside a set of
.staves to be treated whilst a second is drawn up ready for removing the set up staves.
Fig. 2. is a plan or top view.
Fig. 3. is a sectional plan on line 4. 5. of Fig. 1. shewing rotating base and stave
carriers &c.
An arrangement of firing or heating apparatus according to this invention and
suitable for casks or barrels of about the size of apple, or flour barrels comprises a
suitable base plate A. to which whole mechanism is attached.
The base may be either in segments or be circular in plan as shewn in Fig. 3.
according to requirements.
The base plate is supported and guided on a central axis or pivot B. turning in a
fixed base or footstep C. as shown in Fig. 1..
The base plate A. is further supported by means of antifriction rollers D. D. carried
in suitable brackets E. E. secured to the underside of base plate as shewn.
These antifriction rollers travel round a fixed circular rail or track F.
The main chimney G. is shewn as carried by a single pillar or support G' firmly
bolted at its lower end to the base plate A. and pivot B. whilst to its other end is
secured a suitable chamber H. having branches H H₁ bolted to it to which the stove
or furnace pipes J. J. are attached.
These pipes are kept in position by stays J1 J1 secured to the pillar G₁ as shewn in
Fig. 1.
They also form supports for the shafts on which the rope or chain
pulleys R' R' revolve.
The other ends of these pipes J. J. extend downwards towards the base and are
each of such a size as to allow of an internal pipe or chimney K. fixed to the pendent
stove or furnace L. sliding telescopically therein.
For small casks, barrels, or kegs, the stove or furnace is circular in cross section and
somewhat less in diameter than the interior diameter of the ring of set up staves M. M.
to be treated so as to allow it to slide down or be lowered therein.
The case forming the stove or furnace L. may be made of thin sheet iron plates
rivetted together into a cylindrical form and provided with a dished top or cover L¹
to which the stove pipe K. is connected whilst at its lower end a bottom plate may be
inserted to retain the ashes. At a little distance above this bottom plate ordinary
grate bars N. are provided also a charging door N¹ and an opening N' for removing
the ashes when required.
I find it advantageous to insert a circular baffle cup P. so as to direct and cause the
flame and heated gases to impinge against the outside casing thereby creating a more
uniform heat all around, and reducing the consumption of fuel. This baffle cup may
be suspended in any convenient manner such as on two bars P¹ P¹ placed across
the stove or furnace as shewn in Fig. 1.
A top may also be provided to prevent dust or soot accumilating inside the baffle
cup which would cause the bottom to quickly burn away.

page_text: A little above the top of the stove or furnace a damper Q. and handle are provided
for regulating the fire."
The stoves or furnaces with their outer casings (not shown) and telescopic chimneys
are each supported by two chains or wire ropes R. R. passing over guide pulleys R¹ R¹;
to the chains or wire ropes suitable balance weights R R are attached so that the
stoves or furnaces may be readily raised or lowered at will.
For the purpose of regulating the temperature and firing the staves evenly all
round the stoves or furnaces and the staves under treatment are caused to revolve
slowly by an endless pitched chain and toothed wheels.
A toothed wheel S. is secured to the footstep fixing C. shewn in Fig. 1. and
gears with a pitched chain T. Fig. 1. (also represented by the double dotted lines
on Fig. 3.)
This chain also passes partially around and gears with the toothed wheels U. U.
which are a little smaller in diameter than that on the footstep fixing.
They are secured to spindles U¹ U¹ which rotate in the before mentioned anti-.
friction roller brackets E. and carry each a wrought iron circular plate V. which is
of somewhat larger diameter than the ring of set up staves M. M. to be treated. Thus
it will be understood that by rotating the base plate and the apparatus attached the
endless chain T. passing around the fixed central toothed wheel S. will cause each
group of set up staves M. also to slowly rotate around the stove or furnace L. L. thus
ensuring within it an even firing to their inner sides.
When a large stove is employed for heating heavy and thick staves the base plate A.
may have a toothed shell wheel attached; into this wheel another toothed wheel gears
driven by power communicated by a strap provided with disengaging mechanism so
as to be easily stopped or started.
By this means the staves to be treated may all be set up say on one side of the
machine, whilst the treated staves are removed at the other side.
The stave base plates V. V. may be provided with suitable openings for admitting
air if required.
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 in
machinery or apparatus for firing or heating staves for the manufacture of casks,
barrels, kegs and the like is :-
1. A stove or furnace capable of being lowered into and raised out of a group of
set up staves, the said store or furnace being counterweighted and provided with a
sliding or telescopic connection with the chimney substantially as described.
2. A stove or furnace of the kind referred to in the preceeding claim in combination
with a rotating plate carrying the set up staves substantially as described.
3. Two or more stoves or furnaces of the kind referred to in claim 1. and capable
of rotating around a common centre in combination with two or more plates for
carrying groups of set up staves, the said plates rotating each around its own centre,
and also around the common centre of the stoves or furnaces substantially as described.
4. I also claim the improved machinery or apparatus for heating or firing set up
staves for the manufacture of casks, barrels, kegs or the like, substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of April 1001.
Witness,
F. M. C. SCOTT,
Patent Agent,
89, Victoria Street,
Liverpool.
ALEXANDER DUNBAR.