Improvements in Self-acting Barrel Tilters.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Barrel Tilters.
We JOHN COOPER of the Rock Inn 9 Sadler Street, Middleton and 1ª St. Simons
Street, Salford, Millwright and Machinist and ROBERT SKIRROW and SYDNEY SMART
both of Sussex Street Foundry, Sussex Street, Lower Broughton near Manchester,
Machinists do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of self-acting tilter for casks or
barrels being improvements upon an invention for which John Cooper one of the
present applicants obtained Letters Patent No. 3788 and dated the first day of
November 1875. Our present improvements consist in a novel arrangement of
mechanism constituting
a check or stop motion for preventing the volute spring
(described in the Specification of the said former Patent) being wound up too far and
thus endangering its safety.
In performing our invention we employ a spur wheel for winding up the volute
spring into which gears a sliding pinion actuated by a winch handle. On the side of
the spring casing is mounted a toothed segment, the motion of which is confined to
the length of a seginental slot into which a stationary pin projects. On the inner face
of the spur wheel is a stud which at every revolution of the spur wheel gears with one
of the teeth of the segment and so advances it a fraction of a revolution. This is
repeated every time the spur wheel revolves until by the time the segment bas
travelled the length of its slot the mechanism is "timed" to wind up the volute
spring.
Instead of the segment we sometimes) use a chain wheel over which passes a chain
affixed at each of its extremities to the stillage framework. The length of the chain is
thus the limit for winding up the volute spring.
We also in some cases balance the winch handle by an arm and counter balance
weight, so that in case the sliding pinion by any oversight is not put out of gear
with the spur wheel after winding the spring the tilter is still free to perform its
function.
Dated this yun day of
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Barrel Tilters.
We JOHN COOPER of the Rock Inn 9 Sadler Street, Middleton and 1ª St. Simons
Street, Salford, Millwright and Machinist and ROBERT SKIRROW and SYDNEY SMART
both of Sussex Street Foundry, Sussex Street, Lower Broughton near Manchester,
Machinists do hereby declare the nature of our said 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 an improved construction of self-acting tilter for casks or
barrels being improvements upon an invention for which John Cooper one of the
present applicants obtained Letters Patent No. 3788 und dated the 1st day of
November 1875. Our present improvements consist in a novel arrangement of
mechanism constituting a check or stop motion for preventing the volute spring
(described in the Specification of the said former Patent) being wound up too far and
thus endangering its safety.
In performing our invention we employ a spur wheel for winding up the volute

page_text: spring into which gears a sliding pinion actuated by a winch handle or the said
spring may be wound up by a hand wheel keyed upon the main axis. On the side of
the toothed casing is mounted a toothed segment the motion of which is confined to a
segmental slot into which a stationary pin projects. On the inner face of the spur
wheel is a stud which at every revolution of the spur wheel gears with one of the teeth
of the segment and so advances it a fraction of a revolution. This is repeated every
time the spur wheel revolves until by the time the segment has travelled the length of
its slot the mechanism is "timed" to wind up the volute spring. Instead of the
segment we sometimes use a chain affixed at one of its extremities to the supporting
bracket and at the other arranged to wind upon the main axle. The length of the
chain in this case is thus the limit for winding up the volute spring.
And in order that this our said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative
of our improved self-acting barrel tilter and will now proceed to describe the same
with the assistance of the various Figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved barrel tilter shewing the same in the act
of tilting a barrel and Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4 a side sectional view (across the line a-b see
Fig. 3) of the volute spring box shewing an alternative arrangement of our improved
check or stop mechanism.
As in the original barrel tilter and to the specification of which we now refer a is
the iron har fixed to the wall of the cellar for supporting the frame b placed over the
cask or barrel z requiring to be tilted. This frame supports the axle c (which however
in this case is of one piece throughout its length) and also supporting the box d con-
taining the volute spring secured at one extremity to the inside of the box d and at
the other to the axle cas heretofore. This improved scroll i is now fixed upon the
axle c by a set-screw j and its spiral groove tapers down as illustrated to the smallest
possible diameter. To this same set screw j is connected one end of a cord or chain k
the other end of which is affixed to the set-screw p upon the stationary frame b. q is
the spur wheel affixed upon the axle c for winding up the volute spring say by means
of a hand wheel secured upon the same axle. This spur wheel is provided with a
pawl or catch o.
As in the former invention the upper end of the cord or chain is connected to the
scroll (say to the same set screw ;) and its lower end after passing through the
hooks m and n upon the ends of the cask or barrel z is secured as previously
described.
The action of this improved barrel tilting apparatus may be described as
follows:-
Before the spring is wound up the pawl or catch o must be put in gear with the
spur wheel q. The attendant then winds up the spring by turning the hand wheel r
and as the axle c revolves the cord or chain k becomes wound around it until its entire
length is taken up by which time the spring will be brought to the required state of
tension and the catch o may be thrown out of gear. The spring now acts on the
scroll and keeps the cord or chain taut and ready to lift the barrel as soon as its
contents have been drawn off to the required extent and the weight thereof is reduced,
the spring then gradually turns the scroll round and winds the cord or chain upon
its groove thereby tilting the cask or barrel until all the contents are drawn off when
it assumes the position shewn in dotted lines.
The winding of the spring it will be observed in accordance with our improvements
is limited by the length of the cord or chain k and thus a check or stop motion is!
produced for preventing the volute spring being wound up too far and thereby
endangering its safety.
Or we obtain the same result as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 by mounting a toothed
segments on the side of the spring box or casing a the motion of which segment is
confined to a segmental slot tinto which a pin u (on the face of the box) projects as
illustrated. On the inner face of the spur wheel q is a stud v which at every
revolution of the said spur wheel q gears with one of the teeth of the segment sand

page_text: so advances it a fraction of a revolution. This is repeated every time the spur
wheel y revolves until by the time the segment has travelled the length of its slot t
the mechanism is timed to wind up the volute spring.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
In self-acting barrel tilters the employment of a check or stop motion substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated ou the accompanying
drawing.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicants.