Improved Means for Examining the Interior of Casks, Jars, and similar Vessels, and for Extracting Bungs and the like therefrom.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Examining the Interior of Casks, Jars,
and similar Vessels, and for Extracting Bungs and the like
therefrom.
I FREDERIC HUGHES of No. 20 Paget Road, West Dulwich in the County
of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
An application of the electric light to the examination internally of casks and
jars &c. in order to ascertain whether same have been properly cleansed & to
facilitate the probing for loose bungs shives &c. To the ordinary trident or probe
1 affix in a suitable position a small electric lamp, inside a glass case containing a.
suitable transparent fluid to overcome all shocks from concussion, and protected by
a metal shield to prevent damage to both the glass case and the lamp when the
apparatus is in use extracting bungs, shives &c. The said metal shield is so
constructed with perforations as to allow the free passage of the rays of light at
the same time that it affords complete protection to the lamp &c.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
FREDERIC HUGHES.
Improved Means for Examining the Interior of Casks, Jars,
and similar Vessels, and for Extracting Bungs and the like
therefrom.
1, FREDERIC HUGHES of 20 Paget Road, West Dulwich, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, 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 is an application of the electric light to the examination of the
interior of casks, jars, and other vessels in order to ascertain whether they have
been properly cleansed and to facilitate the probing for loose bungs, shives and the
like. The invention is also applicable to examining the interior of guns, boiler and
refrigerator tubes and the like.
The apparatus consists essentially of an electric lamp attached to one end of a
rigid metal tube, this arrangement allowing the lamp to be passed through the
orifice of the vessel the interior of which is to be examined. When the apparatus
is arranged for the combined purposes of ascertaining the condition of the inside of
the vessel and of discovering and withdrawing loose bungs, shives, and the like
which may have fallen therein, it (the apparatus) may be made in or in about the
following form. A rigid metallic tube has at one end of it a handle which may or
may not be made to contain within it a battery or accumulator. To the opposite
end of the rigid tube is attached a transparent glass reservoir filled with any
suitable transparent fluid, such as glycerine, within which is contained an electric

page_text: lamp. The conducting wires pass from the lamp, through the end of the reservoir,
along and within the rigid tube and are either attached to the switch of the
battery or accumulator contained in the handle, or passed through and out at the
end of the handle and made attachable to a suitable switch connected with a supply
of electricity separate from the apparatus.
The above mentioned reservoir is surrounded for the whole of its length by a
steel tube or the like, one end of which is screwed to the rigid tube. The opposite
end of the steel tube is prolonged and fashioned into two sharp points so as to form
a probe or pricker. In this arrangement the light from the lamp when in action
will be emitted from the end of the steel tube surrounding the reservoir and
between the two points forming the probe. More light may be obtained by
providing apertures in the surrounding steel tube. The object of the reservoir of
fluid is to prevent or diminish concussional shock or damage to the lamp within it.
In cases where the probe is not required or is unusable, as would be the case
when exploring the interior of jars or the like, I dispense with the probing points
and surround the lamp by a metal caging provided with a cushion of rubber or
other suitable material to protect the lamp and reduce or destroy concussional or
other shock to which the apparatus may be subjected. The bars of the said caging
I make of such cross section as will offer least obstruction to the passage of the
light.
In special cases where it is desired to carefully examine the underside of the
bung staves; interiors of bushes, boiler tubes and the like, reflectors may be
provided which magnify the portion viewed.
In order to further explain my invention I make reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, but I do not restrict myself to the precise shapes, relative
proportions or dispositions of parts therein shown, or mentioned in the above
Specification, as any or all of them may be varied to suit different conditions of
use, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Fig. 1 shows a side view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my
invention and usable as a combined probe and search light and
Fig. 2 shows an apparatus in which the probing part dispensed with.
In Fig. 1a are the probe points forming prolongations of the tubular part .
c is the rigid tube to one end of which is screwed 6. To the opposite end of is
attached the handle d which may contain a battery or accumulator. e is the electric
lamp contained in the transparent glass casing, filled with glycerine or any other
suitable transparent fluid. g are the conducting wires passing from the lamp,
through the tube to the handle, and either attached to a battery or accumulator
therein, or passed out at the end and made attachable to a switch.
The tubular part 6 which surrounds the casing and lamp may be perforated with
apertures to form additional outlets for the lamps rays. In Fig. 2 h is the electric
lamp, the protecting caging, the cushion of rubber or other suitable material,
k the rigid tube, 1 the handle, m the conducting wires.
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. The combination of parts consisting of a rigid metal tube, having at one end
a transparent glass reservoir filled with any suitable transparent fluid such as
glycerine and containing within the said fluid an electric lamp; the aforesaid
reservoir being surrounded by a metal tube having one end fashioned into probing
points the opposite end of the metal tube being attached to the rigid tube; the
said rigid tube having also attached to it a handle (containing or not a battery or
accumulator for supplying current to the lamp by means of conducting wires passing
along and within the rigid tube,) the whole substantially as described in the above
Specification and exemplified in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
!
2. The combination of parts consisting of a rigid metal tube having at one end
an electric lamp contained within a reservoir of transparent fluid when essential,

page_text: and protected by a suitable caging and cushion and having at the other end a handle
containing or not a battery or accumulator substantially as described in the above
Specification and exemplified in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
3. In apparatus for exploring casks, jars and other vessels, surrounding the
electric lamp with a transparent fluid such as glycerine the said fluid being
contained in a transparent glass reservoir, for the purpose of reducing or destroying
concussional or other shock to the lamp, substantially as described in the above
Specification and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of January 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23.Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.