A New or Improved Apparatus for Supplying Casks, Barrels, and other Vessels with Hops or similar substance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1890--Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
A New or Improved Apparatus for Supplying Casks, Barrels, and
other Vessels with Hops or similar substance.
We JOHN WALTER FLOWER, Brewer, AUGUSTUS FREDERICK FLOWER, Brewer, and
ROBERT JOHN COUSINS Engineer of The Brewery Fontmell Magna Shaftesbury
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:
Our invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for filling casks, barrels and
other vessels with hops or other similar substance, and consists chiefly of a tubular
stand over the upright rod of which are passed the two tubular ends of a bracket or
frame carrying a funnel the tapered end of which is inserted in the bung hole of the
cask or barrel required to be partially filled or charged with hops. This funnel is
caused to rolate upon a ring of the said frame by means of an endless band of india
rubber or the like passing over a pulley mounted upon an axis carrying a toothed
wheel and furnished with a handle, this axis being supported by the upper part or
forked end of the frame aforesaid. The toothed wheel gears with a pinion mounted
upon one end of a double crank, the other end of which passes through the annular
extremity of a prong of the fork above mentioned. Upon the two cranks are fixed
the two extremities of two rods or rammers which are pivotted at the top and capable
of descending alternately a short distance into the cask or barrel.
Below the upper tubular end of the frame is fixed the tubular end of a bracket upon
which is fulcrummed a lever terminating with a fork. This fork grips the upright rod
of the said frame and serves to hold the upper end thereof in any suitable position
upon such rod.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have shown the
same in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front and Fig. 2 a side
elevation of my improved apparatus applied to a cask or barrel. Fig. 3 being a
plan and Fig. 4 a side elevation partly in section of the same.
My apparatus consists chiefly of a frame F furnished with an arm A terminating at
one end with a small fork having tubular extremities e, el which are passed over the
upright rod R of a stand S and provided at the other end with a large fork having
annular ends through which pass the two extremities of a double crank C. Upon this
double crank are mounted two rods or rammers a, a¹, of wood or other material pivotted
at p p and capable of working alternately in a funnel M. The bracket which is
screwed at one end upon the upright rod R carries at the other a sleeve through which
pass one end of a lever j which surrounds the rod R and holds the frame F in any
suitable position on the said rod.
Motion is imparted to the crank C by turning the handle of the toothed wheel W
which gears with the pinion g mounted upon one end of the crank C. The tapered
end of the funnel M is inserted in the bung hole of the cask or barrel B resting on the
stand S.
This funnel is supported by the lower part of the frame F which comprises
two rings joined together by the fork f (Fig. 2). Within the substance of
the rings and are respectively journalled three rollers n nn and n¹ n'n' pro-
truding externally and upon which turn the upper and lower part of the funnel
which is set in rotation when the handle aforesaid is turned by the endless
india rubber and the latter passing around the upper periphery of the funnel
(Fig. 1) around the two grooved pulleys 1, 1, and around the wheel w keyed upon
the axis of the large toothed wheel W.
The hops are placed in the funnel M as shown in Fig. 4, and as the handle h is
turned the rammers work alternately up and down into the revolving funnel and force
the hons into the barrel B.

page_text: The charging of a small quantity of hops in casks or barrels containing ale is
effected for the purpose of preserving such ale during consumption, and my improved
apparatus is intended to effect in a few minutes by mechanical means what required
hitherto a considerable time when the filling was done by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improved apparatus for charging or filling casks barrels or other vessels
with hops or other similar substance consisting of a standard supporting a frame which
carries a funnel and driving mechanism for revolving such funnel and actuating a
couple of rammers working within the latter substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The improved apparatus for charging or filling casks barrels or other vessels with
hops or other similar substance, arranged constructed and operating substantially as
described and shown in the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 21st day of October 1890
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.