AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC BARREL FILLING APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC BARREL
FILLING APPARATUS."- A communication from abroad by Seth
Clinton Catlin, of Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, United States of
America.
Sealed the 4th November 1870, and dated the 18th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th May 1870.
´I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC BARREL
FILLING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-

page_text: when such vessel or barrel is filled or nearly filled, and it consists of a
main tube provided with a valve chamber and induction tube.
A branch tube encloses the adjusting and tripping device and the
float rods, valves, and the mechanism connected therewith. The flow
of the liquid into the barrel is automatically stopped by the valve
dropping on to the seat. This valve is attached to a vertical rod, and is
supported on a horizontal lever by means of a shoulder. An opening is
made through the main tubes and into the float chamber, and the float
is made to act on the shoulder of the horizontal lever and cause the
valve to drop by means of another lever with which the float rod is
connected. The end of the valve stem rests on the shoulder, and the
horizontal lever is held down by an adjustable spring hook. The float
is balanced by a weight. The liquid which is being discharged into the
barrel will continue to rise until it flows into the float chamber through
the opening and buoys up the float. When this takes place the end of
the horizontal lever will rise, which will throw the adjustable hook from
the end of the lever. The spring will then throw up the long end of the
lever, which will withdraw the shoulder from the end of the valve stem;
and the valve will consequently drop on to its seat and stop the flow of
the liquid into the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the 2
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 3
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward

page_text: c
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED AUTOMATIC BARREL FILLING APPARATUS," being a communication
to me from abroad by Seth Clinton Catlin, of Cleveland, in the State of
Ohio, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said.
Letters Patent.
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)
The object of this Invention is to provide ready and efficient means
for automatically stopping the flow of the liquid into the barrel or
vessel when such vessel or barrel is filled or nearly filled, and it
consists of certain mechanical devices arranged to operate as herein-
after more fully described, and also of a device (in combination with
the above) for drawing liquids from the reservoir for testing or other
purposes.
The accompanying Drawing represents a vertical section of the barrel
filler, showing the different parts arranged in. their proper position.
This apparatus consists of a main tube A provided with a valve
chamber B. The induction tube C is connected to the chamber B, and
the branch tube D incloses the adjusting and tripping device together
with the float rods, valves, and the mechanism connected therewith.
The barrel filler is represented as when in use: E represents the
barrel, and F the surface of the liquid in the barrel; G is a float, which

page_text: operates in the tube H, which is placed within the tube A. The course
of the liquor from the reservoir into the barrel is indicated by arrows.
The flow of the liquid into the barrel is automatically stopped by the
valve I dropping on to the seat J. This valve is attached to the rod K,
N is an
and is supported on the lever L by means of the shoulder m.
opening through the tubes A and H into the float chamber O. The float
is made to act on the shoulder m of the lever L, and cause the valve I to
drop by means of a lever P, with which the float rod y is connected at
the point R. The fulcrum of the lever P is at S. The lever L rests on
the spring T. The end of the valve stem K rests on the shoulder m, and
the lever L is held down (and in the position seen) by the adjustable
spring hook U, which is attached to the fulcrum-piece V of the lever P.
The float is balanced by a weight W. X is a rod by which the end of
the lever L is forced down for setting it for use. The liquid which is
being discharged into the barrel will continue to rise until it flows into
the float chamber O through the opening N and buoys up the float.
When this takes place the end of the lever P will rise, which will throw
the adjustable hook U from the end of the lever L. The spring T will
then throw up the long end, of the lever L, which will withdraw the
shoulder m from the end of the valve stem, and the valve will con-
sequently drop on to its seat J and stop the flow of the liquid into the
barrel. The quantity of liquid discharged into the barrel or the time of
tripping the lever L depends upon the weight of the float, and this
weight is varied by screwing the weight W out or in on the short arm of
the lever P; a gallon, more or less, may thus be left out of the barrel,
as may be desired. The valve stem K drops down into the tube Z. The
shoulder m and joint connection R are contained in the tube a¹ imme-
diately above the float chamber O; this tube a¹ may be closed at its
top so as to exclude the liquid. B¹ is a tube, which is connected with
the cap C¹ of the valve chamber B by a screw connection, as seen at D¹.
E' is a tube within B¹, which is kept in position by means of the cap F¹
and the link piece g. The valve I is loosely attached to this link and
the valve stem K, so that when it drops it is self-adjusting to its seat.
This self-adjustment of the valve is an important feature, as a rigid
valve dropping on to a rigid seat might not always close tightly. i is a
cap on the tube E¹; j is a valve cock on this cap. The liquid enters
the tube E' when the valve I is either down or raised, and this arrange-
ment is designed for filling phials with the liquid for testing or other
I

page_text: purposes. The inner tube E' is allowed to play through the stuffing box
of the tube F, and the valve I is raised by drawing it up so that the
shoulder m catches under the valve stem, as seen. The tube E is then
pressed down sufficient to allow the valve I to find its seat when the
lever L is tripped. The lower end of the tube of the barrel filler marked
in the Drawing H' is extended so as to deliver below the surface of the
liquid in the barrel for some time before the barrel becomes full. This
effectually prevents the foaming of the liquid, and allows time for any
foam which had previously accumulated to subside before the barrel is
filled. In filling barrels with fermented liquors, as lager beer, ale, &c.
this is an important feature, and renders the automatic barrel filler
applicable for all liquids.
The advantages of this apparatus for filling barrels and other vessels
are many, and must be obvious to all. It is perfectly sure in its
operations, and automatically stops the flow of the liquid at the precise
point of time desired, filling the barrel entirely or leaving it unfilled to
any desired degree. When once adjusted it is perfectly self-acting,
requiring no attention until transferred to another barrel, consequently
a single attendant may attend to a number of fillers, keeping them all in
operation at the same time, thus greatly facilitating the operation of
transferring liquid from a tank or reservoir to other vessels.
which
induction tube of the barrel filler is provided with a strainer J¹,
prevents anything from entering which would be likely to obstruct the
valve. The top side of the valve is channelled or grooved out so as to
allow the liquid to find its way above it, and thereby equalize the
pressure upon its side.
The
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid,
the automatic barrel filler herein shewn and described.
And I claim the combination of the tripping lever L with the

page_text: I claim, lastly, extending the tube H¹ of an automatic barrel filler so
that its discharge end shall be below the surface of the liquid in the
barrel or vessel, as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of November, 5
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy..
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.).