An Improved Barrel or Cask Racking Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Barrel or Cask Racking Apparatus.
I, JAMES JOHN MARSHALL, of Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales,
Brewer, do hereby declare that the nature of my invention for "An improved
barrel or cask racking apparatus" and the manner in which the same is to be
used are particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to improvements in barrel or cask racking apparatus
and the object of which is to avoid the great waste which has heretofore taken
place when racking off by other means.
I attain this desired object by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which—
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my apparatus on line D D Fig. 3: Fig. 2 is
a vertical section on line E E Fig. 3: Fig. 3 is a plan: Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are
horizontal sections on lines A A, B B, and C C respectively Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is an
elevation of cap removed from the top of the float valve chamber: Fig. 7 is a
vertical section on line D D Fig. 3 of the upper portion of the casing with the
float and guide removed: Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of float and ball valve
guide removed from their chamber: Figs. 9 and 11 are elevation and plan respec-
tively of float and ball valve releasing appliance; Fig. 10 is an elevation of float
and ball valve guide bracket: Fig. 12 is a vertical section of top cover: Fig. 13
is a vertical section of the upper portion of the casing showing an alternative
arrangement of ball valve and Hoat guides: Figs. 14 and 15 are vertical sections
on lines and G G Fig. 16 respectively showing the application of a convex
shaped hinged flap valve in place of the ball valve shown in Figs. 1 and 2:
Fig. 16 is a horizontal section on line I I Fig. 14: Fig. 17 shows my apparatus
as applied when racking off.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A is the filling tube, A¹ its inlet branch to which the filling rubber hose A³ is
attached see Fig. 17, B is an angular extension of the filling tube A for the
purpose of both guiding and retaining the ball valve C as will be hereafter more
fully explained, C¹ is a valve seating formed of rubber or other flexible material
placed towards the lower end of the filling tube and forming a seat for the ball C
shown in dotted line in Fig. 2, D is a float which may be made of wood or formed
as a hollow casing of light sheet metal, D' is a top guide rod whilst the oval
portion D² see Fig. 9 forms the ball valve stop and releasing mechanism, D³ is
a tail guide, both the guides D1 and D3 being so arranged as to ensure the float D
working freely, E is the float chamber, E¹ an extension downwards of the shape
shown in Fig. 5 its lower end being closed on the outside as at E though com-
munication is made between the filling tube A and extension E by openings F F,
C2 is a trigger arrangement which may be operated from the outside of the filling
tube by means of projection C3 for the purpose of raising the ball valve C from
its seating C when so desired, A2 is a thimble or ferrule which is inserted into
the branch A after the ball valve C has been placed into the filling tube which
D
071
"

page_text: thimble may be provided with a wire gauze strainer, G is a loop or handle by
which the apparatus may be hung up when not in use, H is a cup shaped vessel
screwed on to the nipple E of the float chamber cover E6 for the purpose of con-
taining a float ball valve I which valve may be made of wood or other light
material, a rubber valve seating 1' is placed directly above the ball valve I and
is secured in position by screwed cap J, this valve is for the purpose of closing
the air and gas discharge orifice J when the cask is full and which is
brought about by the liquor rising to a sufficient height to float the ball I up to
the seating I: In order that air or gas may escape from the filling tube during
the process of filling the cask the float ball valve 1 is supported on a wire cage H
attached to the inside of the cup shaped receptacle H which provides a free passage
for the air or gas around its sides: K is a bracket connected to the angular
extension pipe B and forming an eye for the float tail guide 13 to work in at its
lower end, L is a bracket attached to the top or crown of the extension pipe B one
portion forming an eye through which the upper float guide D¹ works, the other
part being drilled and screw threaded to take the screw bolt L' by which the
Hoat and guide bracket are kept in position, and thus by removing the cover E6
and taking out screw bolt L' the float D bracket K and extension pipe B can be
readily removed either for inspection or renewal. A slot B is cut through the
upper side of the extension pipe B to allow of the upper part of the oval ring
portion D of the float guide entering it, see Figs. 1, 2, and 8 which acts as
a stop to retain the ball valve C in the upper end of the extension pipe B whilst
the cask is being filled.
When making use of the apparatus as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 12 inclusive,
the valves float and moving parts being in their respective positions as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 it is inserted into the bung hole of the barrel or cask up to the
branch A as shown in Fig. 17 and connected by a rubber hose to the stop cock
of the vessel (which vessel is not shown in the drawings) at a higher level con-
taining the liquor which it is desired to rack off when upon opening the stop
cock the liquor will flow down the filling tube A into the barrel until it is full
or thereabouts at which time the liquor will also have entered the lower end of
the float chamber by the openings F F and have raised the float D together with
the oval portion 12 which frees the ball valve C which rolling down the filling
tube A on to the seating C will stop the inflow of the liquor to the barrel, the
liquor will then rise in the upper part of the filling tube and float chamber and
lift the ball valve I hard up against the rubber seating I¹ at which stage all
passage of the liquor by the rubber hose A will be stopped and will so remain
until the attendant after closing the stop cock at the upper end of the rubber
hose lifts the apparatus from the barrel sufficiently far to enable the ball valve C
to be raised from its seating by pulling up the trigger C² by the projection C³
when the liquor remaining in the apparatus and the rubber hose will run in the
barrel. The particular feature of the ball valve I is that whilst allowing the free
passage of the air and gas from the barrel through the orifice J¹ during the
filling of same, yet it will close J¹ immediately the barrel is full or thereabouts.
In Fig. 13 a modification of my apparatus is shown in which a portion of the
upper side of the guide tube B is cut away and in substitution therefor the
bracket L is extended across the chamber E.
As the several operations brought about when using my apparatus with the
modification shown by Fig. 13 and described therewith will be similar to those
relating to Figs. 1 and 2 it will not be necessary to again here describe same.
Figs. 14 and 15 are vertical sections on lines F F and G G respectively Fig. 16,
and Fig. 16 is a horizontal section all three of which figures illustrate a further
modification (the upper portion) of my apparatus the remaining parts that is the
lower portion of the tube A and the extension chamber E' will be as shown by
Figs. 1 and 2, and in which M is a hinged flap valve, N is a rubber or other
flexible seating secured in position by cap N¹, M¹ is a projection upon valve M
which engages with the hook or catch D formed on the top guide D¹ and retains M

page_text: in position shown in Fig. 14 and in which position the valve M is open, O is a
bridge shape bracket secured to the top cap N¹ on the opposite sides as shown
more particularly in Fig. 15 for the purpose of supporting a guide plate O¹
through which the top guide D' is free to move, P is a metal disc or plate having
a hole through which the guide D₁ will pass and a larger hole to fit the upper
end of the filling tube A over which it will pass upon the removal of screw
cap N¹, P is secured in position between the two flanges as shown, S is an india
rubber sleeve the upper end of which clips tightly on to a slight enlargement
of guide rod D¹ and the lower end on to a small nipple upstanding on plate P,
the object of this rubber sleeve is to prevent leakage of any liquor through the
hole into the float chamber. In this modification of my apparatus although
the float valve I and its chamber H is not shown yet it must be understood that
its application to and its operation will be precisely the same as that here before
described and shown in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.
When making use of my apparatus arranged with the modifications shown by
Figs. 14, 15 and 16 and with all the moving parts as illustrated thereby it is
inserted into the bung hole of the barrel or cask up to the bracket R and con-
nected to the vessel at a higher level containing the liquor which it is desired to
rack off by the rubber hose one end of which is attached to the stop cock of the
upper vessel and the other end to the inlet branch A¹ when upon the stop cock
being opened the liquor will flow down the filling tube A into the barrel until it
is full or thereabouts at which time the liquor will have entered by holes F F
into float chamber and have raised float D thereby releasing the valve M from
catch D which valve by virtue of weight M3 will fall upon its seat and stop flow
of the liquor into the barrel, the liquor will then rise in the chamber E and up
to the ball valve I of the chamber H which it must be understood is sup-
posed to have been screwed on to the nipple E when the valve I
will be floated hard up against the rubber seat I' at which stage all passage of the
Liquor by the rubber hose will have stopped and so remain until the attendant
after closing the stopcock at the upper end of the rubber hose and lifts the
apparatus from the barrel sufficiently far to enable the valve M to be raised
from its seat by pulling up the trigger C3 (which trigger in this modification will
necessarily be longer than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2) by the projection C³
when the liquor remaining in the apparatus and the rubber hose will run into
the barrel.
For the purpose of returning the valve and float to their respective positions
ready for further racking off it is only necessary for the attendant or user to
turn the lower end of the apparatus upwards when the valve will fall away from
its seat and return to the position shown in Figs. 1, 14, 15, and 16 in which it
will be retained by the descent of the float when the lower end of the apparatus
is turned downwards.
It will be noted that in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6 and also in Figs. 14 and 16 sections
of some parts are shown in dead black and others in hatched or sectional lines,
this has been done with the object of more clearly distinguishing the different
parts one from the other.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I claim :-
First A barrel or cask racking apparatus consisting of the combination of a
filling tube having an inlet branch, an angular extension pipe with an opening
upon its upper side a float chamber and cover, an extension chamber with
openings into filling tube, a ball valve and seating, a float with brackets guide
rods and oval ring, a trigger, a cupshaped vessel with float ball valve wire cage
rubber seat and screwed cap substantially as herein described and illustrated by
Figs. 1 to 12 in the drawings.
Second A barrel or cask racking apparatus consisting of the combination of
the various parts as set out in the first claim with the exception of the substitution

page_text: of the extended bracket L as shown in Fig. 13 for part of the angular extension
pipe B shown in Fig. 1 substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
drawings.
Third A barrel or cask racking apparatus consisting of the combination of a
filling tube, a hinged flap valve and seating, a chamber having an inlet branch, a
float chamber, an extension chamber with openings into filling tube, a float
with brackets guide rods and catch, a plate or disc fitting around the filling tube
and an india rubber sleeve all as shown in Figs. 14 and 15 together with a cup-
shaped vessel with float ball valve wire cage rubber seat and screwed cap, lower
end of filling tube and trigger as shown in Fig. 1 substantially as herein described
and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Thirtieth day of August 1898.