Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Barrels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Barrels.
I, CHARLES LIEBMAN KLINE of 248 W. 133rd Street, in the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleansing beer kegs or
barrels, the object of the same being to produce an apparatus which practically
imitates in detail the movements which experience with hand cleansing has shewn
to be most efficient.
The machine which I have invented will perform easily, quickly, and efficiently,
all the work required for cleansing beer kegs or barrels including the operations of
swinging, tipping, tilting and rolling the kegs, which are called for in order to
secure the end sought.
In order to make the details of my invention clear to those skilled in the art to
which it appertains, I will now describe it by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vat having my apparatus attached to the outer
wall thereof :
Figure 2 is a plan view of my attachment;
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of those parts of my apparatus which are
attached to the outer wall of the vat;
Figure 4 is a detail view of a different form of carrier or holder for the kegs or
barrels;
Figure 5 is a detail plan of a reciprocating wheel or ring which forms a part of
my apparatus ;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of my motor driving wheel and its attachment;
Figure 7 illustrates a modification of the means of connection between the motor
driving wheel and that part of my apparatus which is attached to the vat;
Figure 8 is a plan view of a modification of the device for causing certain of the
motions of the holder or carrier, and
Figure 9 is a section of the same on the line x, x of Figure 8.
A is a vat partly filled with water. On the outside of the said vat I secure a
metallic standard or bearing B to form a suitable support for the main working
parts of my invention. The said standard B is formed at the top into a curved
head B¹ which takes the shape of the upper part of the vat, and is bolted thereto.
The head B' on one side of the upright portion of the standard B is carried
somewhat above the edge of the vat and broadened out so as to form a rather wide
surface. In this broadened portion is a curved slot, b, Figure 2, the object of
which will be explained further on.
Outside the standard B is a tilting lever C, pivoted near its bottom upon the
bolt C which extends all the way through the lever C, the standard B, and the
vat A, being provided with a suitable head outside the lever C and a suitable nut
inside the wall of the vat. The lever C near its top, or at least above its middle
portion, is enlarged, as shewn at c and provided with a slot which is curved
from the pivot as a centre. Through the slot c¹ extends a bolt D; from the
standard B, on which bolt is a washer d and a suitable protecting nut d'. It is
evident that the lever C may tilt back and forth within the limit of the ends of the
slot c' the centre of motion being the bolt or pivot C¹. In the top of the lever C
FD
077

page_text: 1s an opening e into which projects or enters a pin e¹ on a carrier E. The pin e
is considerably smaller than the opening e to allow suitable play.
The details of the carrier are shewn most clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3: that is
to say, of the preferred form of carrier. In this form the carrier is provided with
the curving standard from which the pin è projects and with a floor E' in the
middle of which is a sluice-way F by means of which water from the keg is
returned to the vat.
There are four pairs of lugs ƒfƒƒ upon the floor of the carrier and to these lugs
on one side are pivoted arms, claws or fingers G, G, and on the other side are
pivoted arms, claws or fingers G' G' of somewhat different shape. The object of
the fingers GG G'G' is to grasp a keg or barrel and hold it firmly in place. It
will be seen that the carrier or a portion of it, extends over the inner edge of the
vat A, and it will also be seen that the fingers G¹ can be bent down into the vat, so
as to approach very close to a keg or barrel resting on top of the water within
the vat.
When the fingers are so bent downwards, a workman by drawing the keg
or barrel hard against the fingers G¹ G¹ and then gradually lifting it, can bring it
over into place above the centre of the carrier, and, at the same time restore the
fingers G¹G' to a substantially upright position in which position they are adapted to
co-operate with the fingers G G for holding the keg in place. It will be observed
that the fingers G G are prevented from tipping over backwards by projections gg
striking against the floor E' which engages by the pin g¹ with the slot b on the
standard B.
If, now, the lever C be tilted backwards and forwards in the manner already
indicated it will manifestly carry with it the holder or carrier E and any keg or
barrel which may be held thereby.
At the same time the carrier itself will be turned or twisted about by reason of
the fact that the pin g¹ is pressed upon by the walls of the slot b. In this way the
barrel held by the carrier will get a thorough shaking and when suitably supplied
with water will be cleansed and ready for refilling.
.At H, H¹ Figure 5 are shewn a loose and a tight pulley upon the driving shaft
or power generating device of any approved construction, which is not herein
shewn, of a motor; I is a fly-wheel and J a pitman connected with a fly-wheel.
An arm K is joined by any suitable means to a horizontal wheel M which is
pivoted at its centre and the connecting rod J acts upon the arm K in such a
manner as to cause the wheel M to oscillate upon its pivot L.
It is evident that the oscillating movement of the arm K will cause the wheel M
to move backwards and forwards with a shaking motion. It is to be borne in
mind that the motor for the keg or barrel cleansing apparatus consists of the power
producing device proper, the loose and tight pulleys, the fly-wheel, the connecting
rod J, the arm K, and the wheel M. Just above the rim of the wheel M is
located the locking device for connecting the wheel M.and the lever C.
This consists of a yoke M' which is formed on or attached to a vertical rod: 0
adapted to slide up and down and rotate or partially rotate in the opening O' in the
lever C. The said opening O' is formed in an extension of the lever C at one side,
and this extension has its wall cut through in such a manner as to leave the
shoulder o upon which a pin P extending from the rod O is adapted to rest.
the same time the wall is cut away so that the said pin may descend to a position
at p considerably lower than the shoulder o.
At
When the cleansing apparatus is not to be in operation, the rod is lifted and the
pin P is placed upon the shoulder o. In this position the yoke M¹ is raised out of
contact with the wheel M. Now it should be said that the said wheel M has at
intervals cut away portions m, the same being equal in number to the number of
cleansing machines around the vat. It should also be understood that the said wheel
is so proportioned in size to the bottom of the vat as to be in position to co-operate
with the cleansing machine on every side thereof. This being understood, let us
assume that the rod O is lowered by removing the pin P from the shoulder o and.
letting it fall to the ledge p. When this is done the yoke M' engages with one of

page_text: the cut away portions m and is thus brought into operative connection with M. It
will be remembered that the said wheel rocks backwards and forwards in response
to the action of the arm K. Consequently the yoke M' and with it the lever C
will be similarly rocked back and forth within the limits of the slot c', the centre
of motion being the pivot of the lever C. By this action the carrier or holder E
will be thrown about, as already described, and the keg or barrel which happens to
be held by the carrier will be thoroughly cleansed by the action of the water inside
the said keg or barrel.
In Figure 4 I have shewn a modified form of carrier both of the fingers or
claws G, G, being formed in this modification like the finger G in Figures 1
and 3.
In this modification it is necessary to place the kegs or barrels to be washed
between the fingers or claws, in any convenient manner, after which the operations
of jolting rolling and so on, are performed in the manner already described.
I have illustrated in Figure 5 the wheel M as made up of sections clamped
together by laying plates S S upon adjoining ends of the sections, and bolting them
in place with depressions in the said ends. This is simply a convenient form of
wheel but I do not limit myself to constructing a wheel in this way.
In place of the yoke M' acting upon the cut away portions of the wheel M, I may
supply the place of the yoke by a wedge which enters a notch in the rim of the
wheel. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7.
In Figures 8 and 9 is shewn a modification which is in fact the preferred form
of device for causing certain of the motions of the holder or carrier. In this
construction the top of the standard B is formed with a projection having a
rounding or cam-shaped vertical wall, as indicated by the broken lines. On this
rounding or cam-shaped surface two rollers pivoted on two pins tt which project
from the floor of the carrier E are adapted to run. The result is substantially the
same as when the single pin g¹ playing in the slot is employed.
By referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the wheel M is eased in its
rotary movement, or, rather, in its oscillatory or rocking movement by rollers W W
placed under the said wheel in such a manner as to receive the weight and friction
of its movement."
•
The wheel M obviously plays the part of a lever and I may call it that
name alone, or I may designate it as a circular lever as I do in some of the claims
which follow.
The parts which surround the vat may obviously either be supported by the same
as shewn or they may be otherwise supported.
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. In a barrel or keġ washing machine, the combination of a cleansing vat
containing water and adapted to hold a barrel or keg to be washed, a carrier or
holder for a keg or barrel, and mechanism for imparting a four-way movement to
the said carrier, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a barrel or keg washing machine, the combination of a cleansing vat
coutaining water and adapted to hold a barrel or keg to be washed, a carrier or
holder for a barrel or keg parts of which are adapted to elevate a keg or barrel
over the vat, and mechanism for imparting a four-way movement to the said carrier,
all constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In a barrel or keg washing machine, the combination of one or more barrel
holding devices, a reciprocating wheel, intermediate mechanism for transmitting
motion from the reciprocating wheel to the barrel holding mechanism and devices
for throwing the intermediate mechanism into and out of connection with the

page_text: reciprocating wheel, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
4. In a barrel or keg washing machine, the combination of one or more barrel
holding devices, a wheel having a circumferential reciprocation, intermediate
mechanism through which motion is transmitted from the wheel to the barrel
holding mechanism, and a locking device for connecting said wheel and inter-
mediate mechanism together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination with a wheel having a circumferential reciprocation, of
barrel holding devices, pivoted levers connected respectively to each of the
barrel holding devices, and locking devices on said pivoted levers engaging with
said wheel, the said locking devices having moving portions which are substan-
tially parallel to the axis of the wheel, whereby each of the pivoted levers may
be separately and independently thrown into and out of operative connection
with said reciprocating wheel, substantially as and for the purpose herein before
set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination with a vat adapted to be partly filled with water and to
hold a keg or barrel to be washed, of a carrier above the edge of the said vat
for receiving the keg or barrel from the vat and having two pairs of curved
arms, one pair of which is pivoted to the carrier and adapted to be turned down
into the vat, as and for the purpose set forth.
7. A carrier for kegs or barrels loosely pivoted at the top of a vertical lever and
provided with a pin extending downwards into a curved slot in the support of said
lever, constructed substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
8. The combination with a barrel holding device of a vertically reciprocating
lever connected thereto and pivoted near its bottom, mechanism for reciprocating
the same, and a yoke or key attached to the lever and adapted to be moved for
the purpose of throwing the lever into and out of operative connection with the
reciprocating mechanism, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
9. The combination with a vat, partly filled with water, of a carrier above
the edge of the vat, this carrier being adapted to sustain a keg or barrel and
having a sluice-way for leading water from the keg or barrel back into the vat,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of December A.D. 1894.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.