IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CLEANSING WINE, SPIRIT, BEER, AND OTHER CASKS AND VESSELS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marmaduke Watson Proudlock, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Agent, and Robert Weatherburn, of Burton-on-Trent, Mechanical Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CLEANSING WINE,
SPIRIT, BEER, AND OTHER CASKS AND VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marmaduke Watson
Proudlock and Robert Weatherburn at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 18th January 1881.
MARMADUKE WATSON PROUDLOCK, of Newcastle upon Tyne, Agent, and ROBERT
WEATHERBURN, of Burton on Trent, Mechanical Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF CLEANSING WINE, SPIRIT, AND BEER, AND OTHER CASKS AND
VESSELS."
Our Invention, which relates to improvements in the method of cleansing wine,
spirit, beer, and other casks and vessels, has for its object obtaining rapidity of
action combined with efficiency and economy in performing the operation.
The Invention consists in the employment of a sand blast or a blast of a
chemical or other material, or a combination or combinations of the above materials,
which is directed into the interior of the casks or other vessels to be cleansed.
The blast may be produced by steam pressure, compressed air, or by a vacuum,
or by any other suitable motion, force, or power.
During the operation the casks or other vessels operated upon are caused to
rotate in order that every portion of their internal surface may be presented to the
action of the blast.
In order to remove the remaining particles of sand or other material employed
from the casks or vessels after they have been sufficiently scoured and cleaned,
a jet of water or other fluid may be employed.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Marmaduke Watson Proudlock and Robert Weatherburn in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th July 1881.
MARMADUKE WATSON PROUDLOCK, of Newcastle upon Tyne, Agent, and ROBERT
WEATHERBURN, of Burton on Trent, Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF CLEANSING WINE, SPIRIT, BEER, AND OTHER CASKS AND
VESSELS."
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in the method of cleansing
wine, spirit, beer, and other casks or barrels, and similar vessels, has for its object
obtaining rapidity of action combined with efficiency and economy in performing
the said operation.
The said Invention consists in the employment of a sand blast or a blast of a
chemical or other analogous materials, or a combination or combinations of such
materials, which is or are directed into the interior of the casks or other vessels to
be cleansed.
震
The blast may be produced by steam pressure, compressed air, or by a vacuum,
or by any other suitable motive force or power.
During the operation the casks or other vessels operated upon are caused to
rotate, in order that every portion of their internal surface may be presented to
the action of the blast.
In order to remove from the cask or vessel the remaining particles of sand or
other material or materials employed after they have been sufficiently scoured
and cleaned, a jet of water or other fluid may be employed.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer
to the Figure on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
The accompanying Drawing represents a transverse section of a sand or chemical
blast cask cleansing apparatus operating according to our said Invention.
A is an annular table or framing of any suitable construction provided with
rollers α, and mounted on rails a¹ fixed on a convenient platform or foundation so
as to be capable of rotating bodily.
B are driving spindles mounted in bearings 6 on the annular table A, and
provided with face plates C on the outer ends thereof for carrying the casks D to
be cleansed, and which may be of any convenient number according to the size of
the table, or the number and size of the casks or vessels required to be cleansed.
The face plates C may be so grooved as to be capable of automatic central
adjustment with relation to the vessels carried thereon, which are held firmly in
their horizontal position by means of retaining rings or collars & provided with
lugs d¹ having recesses formed therein for passing over long bolts or cotter pins c,
which serves to wedge and secure them to the face plates C.
At the ends of the spindles B are fixed frictional cones E or other suitable
driving clutches or gear for alternately receiving motion from a convenient fixed
or stationary source, which is suitably provided on the foundation within the
centre of the annular running table A.
This interior driving gear H may consist of a continuously rotating spindle G
mounted in stationary bearings g, and carrying a corresponding frictional cone F or
other driving clutch capable of ordinary longitudinal movement on the said spindle.
The clutch F is actuated by the driving lever I centred at i embracing a collar on
the clutch F by a forked termination, and connected at its lower extremity to a
lever Joutside the rotating table A by rod j extending under the foundation and
rails a¹.
The spindle or shaft G may be driven by a pulley g¹ receiving its motion from

page_text: any suitable motor, and also provided with a loose pulley g² for temporally throwing
the spindle out of gear.
When a spindle B carrying a cask or vessel is brought opposite the driving
clutch F to receive motion, it is locked in this position by a catch or locking
bolt K attached to the lever I and passing into a corresponding aperture formed
in the framing of the table A, so that it receives motion when the lever I is
actuated for moving the driving clutch into and out of gear. The driving clutch F
is moved into and out of gear by the lever J operating the forked lever I, and
maintained in gear by the tensile force of the spring L, which also allows com-
pensation for any irregularities in the frictional resistance of the surfaces of the
driving clutches.
The nozzle or pipe P for injecting the sand or chemical blast is mounted on a
framing carried to about the height of the centre of the cask or vessel to be
cleansed, and the former is so arranged and connected by ordinary horizontal radius
links, ball and socket or other universal joints, so that the injecting nozzle P may
follow the sides or curvature of the casks or vessels while revolving. These
connections may be made capable of adjustment according to the size of the vessel
to be operated on.
By these means (or any other similar modifications) we propose by pouring or
impinging on to the rapidly revolving sides of the barrel or vessel a stream or
blast of steam, sand, or other substances mixed with chemicals for effectually
scouring and cleansing the internal surfaces pores, crevices, and interstices, from all
dirt stains, fungi, or other contaminations.
The blast may be produced by steam, compressed air, vacuum, or other suitable
power in the well known manner.
The turntable A with a convenient number of mounted casks thereon are brought
one after the other directly opposite to the friction cone or clutch F of the driver H,
which by means of the starting lever J, so arranged as to be close to the hand of
the operator, is thrown into gear, by which motion is imparted to the spindle B
carrying a vessel. When in motion the sand jet or blast is applied to the interior
of the vessels to be cleansed and quickly withdrawn when finished. When.
withdrawn the catchbolt K, worked by starting and stopping gear J, gives liberty
to the table A to turn either by hand or machinery to the next cast to undergo
similar operation, during which the cask preceding is being rinsed, removed, and
replaced at each successive operation.
The means herein shewn and described are not necessarily arbitrary, nor do we
confine ourselves entirely to the particular mechanical agency herein defined.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
Cleansing casks, barrels, and other similar vessels by the action of a blast or
impinging stream of sand or other analogous matter in a state of fine division, or
chemicals, or their combinations, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marmaduke Watson Proudlock, on behalf
of Robert Weatherburn and myself, have to this our Specification set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
M. W. PROUDLOCK. (L.S.)