CONTRACTING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Campbell and John Todd Swainston, of Argyll
Wharf, Thomas Street, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Coopers,
Canon Invention of TUDOWED EY DANSIBLE AND CONTRACTING APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Campbell and John
Todd Swainston at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on tho
14th December 1881.
JAMES CAMPBELL and JOHN TODD SWAINSTON of Argyll Wharf, Thomas Street
"IMPROVED EXPANSIBLE AND
Limehouse in the County of Middlesex Coopers.
CONTRACTING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS."
The object of this Invention is an apparatus capable of expansion and contraction
within certain limits by suitable appliances within itself to receive internal or
lining hoops and staves or sheets of timber for the manufacture of barrels or casks
having parallel sides and on which other hoops can be affixed in the usual
manner, the whole being secured while the cask is upon the apparatus.
In connection with the apparatus we employ a bar and dog hook for holding the
timber and the Loops firmly in position for the wrapping of the sheet or building
up the staves upon the apparatus in making up a barrel or cask.
For the purposes of our Invention we form a drum of segmental metal plates
(preferably three) and arrange the end with wings which can be pushed outwards
and drawn inwards guided by end frames and a central frame in the centre of
which is a shaft for supporting the drum upon standards so that it can be rotated.
Each of the frames carry a toothed wheel in gear with pinions capable of an
independent rotation by a key to expand or contract the segmental plates to
determine the diameter of the barrel or cask and also to reduce the diameter aftor
Ali....מז

page_text: the barrel or cask is made to enable it with its inside or lining hoops to be removed,
these having been in annular recesses provided for them in the drum.
The toothed wheels have eccentric slots formed in them for pins or bolts on the
wings to move in.
We provide a bar with a hook at one end and a screw lever or paul at the other
which engage against the inner edges at the ends of the drums outer frames to
pinch or nip the hoops and the sheets of timber or the staves in position when
making up the barrel or cask, the nails passing through the outer hoops, the staves
or sheets and the lining hoops and the points clenched by contact with the frames
by the force of the haminer.
For light barrels or casks the central lining hoop may be dispensed with in
which case the corresponding annular recess would not be necessary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Campbell and John Todd Swainston in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 12th June 1882.
JAMES CAMPBELL and JOHN TODD SWAINSTON of Argyll Wharf, Thomas Street,
Limehouse in the County of Middlesex Coopers. "IMPROVED EXPANSIBLE AND
CONTRACTING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS."
The object of this Invention is an apparatus capable of expansion and contraction
within certain limits by suitable appliances within itself to receive internal or
lining hoops and staves or sheets of timber for the manufacture of barrels or .
casks having parallel sides on which other hoops can be affixed in the
usual manner if desired the whole being secured while the cask is upon the
apparatus.
In connection with the apparatus we employ a bar and dog hook for holding
the timber and the hoops firmly in position for the wrapping of the sheet or
building up the staves upon the apparatus in making up a barrel or cask.
Our Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Drawings in which
Figure 1 is an end view Figure 2 an elevation Figure 3 an internal end view
Figure 4 a longitudinal section and Figure 5 a view of one of the wheels detached.
A is a central shaft which can be supported upon end frames or standards in any
convenient manner. This shaft has keyed or otherwise attached a skeleton
frame B within grooves in which three wings C, D, E can be guided when moved
as hereafter explained. These wings have pins F, G, H, affixed to them whose
projecting ends ride in eccentrically formed grooves I J K of toothed wheels L
which are mounted upon collars M M of the frame B and geared into by pinions
NNN of a separate shaft P capable of being turned to the right or to the left on a
winch handle being applied to the square Q on its end.
The wings are grooved on their outer ends and carry plates S T U V forming
an outer covering or shell for the reception of the staves or sheathing of which
casks or barrels have to be made; the grooves W W W receiving the strips of
wood which form the hoops.
X is a bar with a hook Y at one end and a clamping screw Z at the other to fix
the first ends of the inside hoops and the first stave or the first end of the
sheathing and also the first ends of outside hoops in position if such are
necessary.
In making up a cask or barrel with staves by this Invention the first ends of the
hoops and the first stave are placed between the clamping bar X and the drum and
nails are driven into them to bind them together a second stave is then put in and
nailed to the hoops and a third stave inserted and treated in a similar manner the
drum being moved round as the staves are placed in and successively nailed home,
the points of the nails being clenched by contact with the solid metal at the
bottoms of the grooves.
When the cask or barrel is completed the attendant releases the clamping bar X
then turns the shaft P which causes the pinions N to rotate the wheels L and the
slots I J K to bring the pins F G H nearer to the main shaft to reduce the
diameter of the drum and thus to free it from the inside hoops of the cask or
barrel this being then free to be drawn off from one end by one of the standards
being slid away after which the standard is replaced and the drum expanded again
ready for a fresh cask or barrel to be made as before explained.
We have referred to staves but thin sheets of timber singly or superposed may
be used with overlapping edges with inside hoops at the heads only or with an

page_text: additional inside hoop at the centre to increase the strength of the cask or barrel at
that part and with or without outside hoops as found convenient.
Casks or barrels made on our apparatus have flat or parallel sides and are
particularly suitable for flour, cement and other material in powder the edges of
the staves being in close contact prevents the powder escaping and wet getting
through.
They occupy less space in stowing for transport or warehousing.
If found desirable the inside hoops may be dispensed with and outside hoops
alone used.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed we declare that we claim,
First. The construction and arrangement of expansible and contracting apparatus
as shown and described for the manufacture of casks or barrels.
Secondly. We claim grooving the periphery of a segmental drum within which
grooves hoops used as inside hoops for casks or barrels can be arranged as described
and substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof we the said James Campbell and John Todd Swainston
have hereunto set our hands and seals this Ninth day of June in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.