IMPROVEMENTS IN BARRELS FOR HOLDING VOLATILE LIQUIDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BARRELS FOR HOLDING VOLATILE LIQUIDS." A com-
munication from abroad by Alphonso W. Blyc, of Syracuse, New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 13th September 1878, and dated the 9th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BARRELS FOR HOLDING
VOLATILE LIQUIDS." [A communication from abroad by Alphonso- W. Blye, of
Syracuse, New York, United States of America.]
-
.
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved barrel for the reception,
carriage, and shipment of volatile liquids, such as benzine and naphtha, and also
those which possess great penetrating power, such as kerosene oil.
It is well known that a wooden barrel will not carry such liquids without loss
from leakage, owing to their penetrating and gradually oozing through the wood;
and this especially occurs when this class of liquids is exposed to the heat of the
sun or encounters the heat of warm climates in shipment or otherwise. A barrel;
made entirely of metal, would obviate this difficulty, but without a protecting casing
would be very liable to injury.
In view of the facts above set forth, a metal lined wooden barrel or a wood incased
metal barrel having the outward shape of an ordinary oil barrel, and combining the
qualities of cheapness, durability, and facility of handling, has long been a desidera-
tum; and to supply such a barrel is the object of this Invention.
For effecting this object I form a straight cylindrical inner case of one piece of
sheet metal, and support it centrally within a bilged wooden case or barrel formed

page_text: of staves; and I provide it with firmly secured inner metal heads and outer wooden
heads, and also with spigot and bung holes suitably covered and guarded, and
especially adapted to the barrel as otherwise constructed.
I first form a hollow cylinder of galvanized iron or other suitable sheet metal,
having near each end a circumferential bead, the concavity of which is inward.
Into each of these ends I let a dished metal head, its concave face outward, and its
periphery extending into the concavity of the bead which holds the concave head,
and gives firmness to the end of the cylinder. These heads may be further secured
by soldering.
In one of these heads I make a spigot hole and surround it with a screw nozzle
covered by a screw cap; and in one side of the cylinder, at its middle, I cut a bung
hole and surround it with a larger nozzle covered by a screw cap. These nozzles
and caps project into apertures in an outer wooden case made of staves, the edges
of said staves being close together, and the ends thereof flush with the ends of the
cylinder.
I place around the said cylinder bands or thick hoops, the inner peripheries of
which are parallel with and fit closely upon the surface of the said cylinder, while
their outer peripheries are bevelled to conform to the wooden case, against the
inner surface of which closely fit the bevelled faces of said bands or thick hoops.
Around the aforesaid outer wooden casing I place iron hoops.
In each end of the cylinder I place a plano-convex wooden outer head, which fits
tightly within the projecting end or chine, its convex face fitting the dished or
concave face of the metal head; this wooden head is secured in its place by a stout
metal ring fitting outside thereof, and within the chine.
Around the ends or chines of the outer wooden casing are chine hoops, through
which I pass rivets, which secure in place both the chine hoops and the head rings;
the head rings serve to re-enforce the metal chines, and prevent their being driven
away from the chine of the wooden casing.
In one of the staves, usually called the "bung stave," of the outer casing I cut an
aperture similar to a bung hole, and into the aperture project the aforesaid screw
nozzle and its cap, the top of the cap being flush with the outer surface of the
wooden casing, so that the barrel may be rolled without interference from the said
nozzle.
The spigot nozzle in the head of the barrel projects into a similar aperture in the
wooden head, and is thus protected from injury, while its cap may be readily a
removed.
The wooden heads may, if desired, be flat on both sides, and join the metal heads
only at their beaded seats.
The wooden bands while serving to give the required bilge to the wooden case
serve also to prevent the spreading of the metal cylinder between the heads, and
thus prevent the possible opening of the sealing and holding grooves, as these bands
are firmly bound by the outer hoops and staves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
January 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BARRELS FOR HOLDING
VOLATILE LIQUIDS." A communication from abroad by Alphonso W. Blye, of
Syracuse, New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved barrel for the reception,

page_text: carriage, and shipment of volatile liquids, such as benzine and naphtha, and also
those which possess great penetrating power, such as kerosene oil.
It is well known that a wooden barrel will not carry such liquids without loss
from leakage, owing to their penetrating and gradually oozing through the wood;
and this especially occurs when this class of liquids is exposed to the heat of the
sun, or encounters the heat of warm climates, in shipment or otherwise. A barrel
made entirely of metal would obviate this difficulty, but without a protecting
casing would be very liable to injury.
In view of the facts above set forth, a metal lined wooden barrel or a wood
incased metal barrel, having the outward shape of an ordinary oil barrel, and
combining the qualities of cheapness, durability, and facility of handling, has long
been a desideratum; and to supply such a barrel is the object of this Invention.
For effecting this object I form a cylindrical inner case of one piece of sheet
metal and support it centrally within a bilged wooden case or barrel formed of
staves; and I provide it with firmly secured inner metal heads and outer wooden
heads, and also with spigot and bung holes suitably covered and guarded, and
especially adapted to the barrel as otherwise constructed.
The Drawing represents a longitudinal central section of my Invention.
In constructing a barrel according to the said Invention, I first form a hollow
cylinder A of galvanized iron or other suitable sheet metal and having near each
end a circumferential bead b, the concavity of which is inward. Into each of these
ends I insert a dished metal head B, its concave face outward, and its periphery
extending into the concavity of the bead b, which holds the concave head and gives
firmness to the end of the cylinder. These heads may be further secured by
soldering.
In one of the heads I make a spigot hole and surround it with a screw nozzle a
covered by a screw cap a¹; and in one side of the cylinder, at its middle, I cut a
bung hole, and surround it with a similar but preferably larger nozzle c covered
by a screw cap c¹. These nozzles and caps project into apertures in the outer.
wooden case, which will be herein-after described. The inner metal part of my
barrel being thus formed, I surround it with an outer wooden casing C made of
staves like an ordinary oil barrel, the edges of said staves being close together, and
the ends thereof flush with the ends of the cylinder.
To support the metal cylinder centrally within its wooden case, and also to
strengthen the latter and assist in preserving its bilging shape, I place around said
cylinder the bilging bands or thick hoops D, the inner peripheries of which are
parallel with and fit closely upon the surface of said cylinder, while their outer
peripheries are bevelled to conform to the shape of the wooden case, against whose
inner surface closely fit the bevelled faces of said bands or thick hoops D, which
should be placed equidistant from the bung at each side thereof; two bands are
usually sufficient, but four or more may be used if necessary.
Around the outer wooden casing I place iron hoops E, similar to those ordinarily
used for the purpose of holding the staves in place. Two of these hoops are of such
size that when driven tightly upon the said case they will be in the same diame-
trical plane as the bands D, and will keep the staves snugly against them.
In each end of the cylinder I place a plano-convex wooden outer head F, which
fits tightly within the projecting end or chine G, its convex face fitting the dished
or concave face of the metal head B, and this wooden head is secured in its place
by a stout metal ring H fitting outside thereof and within the chine G.
Around the ends or chines of the outer wooden casing Care chine hoops E¹,
through which (the staves of the wooden casing and the head ring H)
pass
rivets e which secure in place both the chine hoops and the head rings. In addition
to their function of retaining in position the wooden heads, the rings H serve to
re-enforce the metal chines & aud prevent their being driven away from the chine
of the wooden casing; and the complete rigid chine thus formed for my barrel
renders it capable of being turned on end without injury.
In one of the staves, usually called the "bung stave," of the outer casing C, I cut

page_text: an aperture similar to a bung hole, and into the aperture project the screw nozzle c'
and its cap c¹, the top of the cap being flush with the outer surface of the wooden
casing, so that the barrel may be rolled without interference from the said nozzle.
The aperture in the bung stave is of such size as to allow ready access to the screw.
cap cwhen it is desired to remove the same.
The spigot nozzle a in the head of the barrel projects into a similar aperture in
the wooden head F and is thus protected from injury, while its cap a' may be.
readily removed.
The wooden heads may, if desired, be flat on both sides, and join the metal heads
only at their beaded seats.
The placing of the metal heads B in their seats formed by the outward projecting
beads b, and with their concave sides outward, obviates the necessity of upsetting or
flanging the edges of said heads, and of using rivets to secure them. This is impor-
tant, as the use of rivets to effect the connection of the heads of metal oil barrels is
very disadvantageous.
The inward concave grooves formed by the beads and the solder at the grooves
seal the junction at these parts.
With the beaded seats the metal heads could not be secured with their concave
sides inward, because in such case the wooden heads would be their only support;
but as I have combined the two heads B, F, with the inward cylinder groove, the
latter not only makes the seal but affords the necessary support for the metal
head:
The wooden bands D, while serving to give the required bilge to the wooden case,
serve also to prevent the spreading of the metal cylinder between the heads B, B,
and thus prevent the possible opening of the sealing and holding grooves, as these
bands are firmly bound by the outer hoops and staves.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,—
First. In a wood incased metal barrel, the metal cylinder having inward grooves
formed by the outward beads, in combination with the metal heads having their
concave sides outward, and their edges fitted into the said grooves, and sealed as
and for the purpose described.
'
Second. The combination in a wood incased metal barrel of the concave metal
heads, the metal cylinder having the beads forming inward grooves to receive and
seal the edges of the said concave heads, the plano-convex heads, and the metal end
rings, all constructed as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination with the metal cylinder having inward grooves in its
body the metal heads, inwardly curved and fitted into the said grooves, and the
outer heads of the outer staves, their binding hoops, and the inner bilging bands,
constructed as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
,