Improvements in Stands or Tilters for Casks and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr.. 1891
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stands or Tilters for Casks and the like.
We, HENRY THOMAS PEARCE, of London Road, Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, General Smith, and GEORGE PEARCE, of London Road, Stroud,
aforesaid, General Smith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
The invention relates to the manufacture of trams or rests for bottles, cylinders,
barrels or other shaped vessels, and is designed to work automatically by springs
or levers as a means for raising or tilting the vessels for the purpose of dis-
charging their fluid contents without disturbing the sediment at the bottom of the
vessel.
By the usual method of tilting beer and other liquids (in barrels or other vessels)
very great waste is caused on account of the fluid becoming thick and sedimentary
and therefore unfit for drinking or other purposes unless allowed to stand for some
time to admit of the sediment settling.
The principal parts of our automatic tilter may be made of wood, or of wood and
metal, or wholly of metal.
The principal parts are of four kinds, namely:—(1) trams or rests, (2) uprights
or pillars, (3) binders, and (4) one or more simple or compound levers and fulcrums,
or in the place of levers a spring or springs may be used.
The trams or rests are the cross pieces on which the vessel to be discharged rests,
and may be cut or bent or cast into the outward shape of any transverse section of
the vessel, or they (the trams) may be flat or straight or level and be furnished
with holes into which hard wooden or metal pins, as wedges, may be placed, to
serve as supports to the sides of the vessel.
These trams or rests are of two kinds :-fixed and moveable.
The moveable trams work each above a rod, which serves as a fulcrum for its
lever; each moveable tram is furnished with rollers or pipes corresponding in
number to the number of branches into which the lever is divided: these rollers or
pipes cause the motion of its lever on the fulcrum or rod to be
easy.
The number of trams or rests is determined by the shape and size of the vessel :
the number of trams or rests determines the number of uprights or pillars and binders.
the pillars or binders support the trams or rests (except in the case of the moveable
tram, which slides up and down the back pillars or uprights); the binders make the
whole into one machine.
The length of the lever or levers is determined by the height of the pillars or
uprights and by the distance between the outermost fixed and outermost moveable
trams or rests beneath which it, or they, work; the greater the length of the lever
the less weight is necessary at its power end, and thus the weight of the whole
is less.
The weight at the power end of the lever or levers is determined by the size of
the vessel and the specific gravity of its fluid contents, and is such, that, the full, or
partially full, vessel can raise it (the weight) to its greatest necessary height.
As the fluid is discharged from the vessel the weight imperceptibly lowers, and,
in lowering, tilts the vessel by raising the moveable tram or rest in so gentle and
steady a manner that the fluid is withdrawn without disturbing the sediment at the
bottom of the vessel.
From the moment the vessel is fixed or placed on the tram the tilting of the
vessel is performed by our automatic tilter.
Dated this Twenty fourth day of June 1900
HENRY THOMAS PEARCE
GEORGE PEARCE.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stands or Tilters for Casks and the like.
We, HENRY THOMAS PEARCE and GEORGE PEARCE, both of 54, London
Road, Stroud, Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of trams or rests for bottles cylinders
barrels and other shaped vessels which it is desirable to tilt gradually so that the
contents of the same may be withdrawn without raising or disturbing any sediment
contained therein by suddenly tilting or moving the cask or barrel, and the same is
carried out in the following manner, reference being made to the annexed drawing
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our stand.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified construction of our stand.
Fig. 4 end elevation of same.
Fig. 5 plan of same.
a is the tram or rest upon which the vessel is placed, and is composed of any
suitable material. In this particular case it consists of a frame of wood, and is
bound at its corners by corner pieces b, which give it rigidity and strength.
This rest a, is hinged at c, to the base d. A small friction roller e, is secured to
the rest a, and runs upon a lever f of a suitable section, pivoted in any convenient
manner at to the base d. This lever carries a weight or counterbalance h.
i is a rack or binder pivoted at j to the tram or rest a for the purpose of
retaining the rest in its raised position, and thus preventing the contents of the
cask from being shaken through the tram being pressed down when the device is in
operation. It will be seen that when a cask is placed upon the stand, and the
weight adjusted in accordance with the specific gravity of the contents of the
cask and size thereof that upon a withdrawal of a portion of the said contents,
the cask will be tilted a certain amount, owing to the action of the aforesaid lever f
and weight, on the tram a, and in this way the tilting goes on as the contents are
withdrawn, and obviates the waste of the liquid through disturbing the sediment
which may be therein, through the sudden tilting of the cask, the action being
steady and automatic.
In a modified arrangement we dispense with the moving tram frame and tilt the
cask at one end by means of a tram or rest 1, Figs. 3, 4 & 5 the tram rest working
in vertical grooves in the base, the lever as before working on small friction
wheels or rollers e.
We may if desired employ a spring or its equivalent. in place of the aforesaid
weight.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of one lever, as we may employ as many
levers as we may find desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In automatic cask trams or rests or stands the combination and arrangement
of the various parts substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2.. In automatic cask trams or rests or stands, the use of a frame or tram or rest a
hinged at one end to the base and carrying friction rollers and binders in com
bination with and operated by a lever or levers, and weight or weights, or its, or
their, equivalents substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3. In automatic cask trams or rests or stands, the use of a frame or tram or res
carrying friction rollers and binders and working in vertical grooves in the base of the

page_text: stand in combination with and operated by a lever or levers suitably pivoted to the
base of the stand carrying a weight or weights, or its, or their, equivalents, sub-
stantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of March 1891.
E. EATON,
Agent for Applicants.