Year: 1887

page_text: I JOSEPH THOMPSON, of 71, Fair Street, Horsleydown in the County of Surroy,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved cask cleansing machine whereby two, four,
or more casks may be washed at once, and in the case of new casks seasoned also, the
machine imparting a compound rotary motion to the casks, so that ovory part is
subjected to the cleansing action and being so constructed that steam may be
admitted to the casks whilst they are in motion, in order to keep the washing water
hot throughout the operation this being essential to a thorough cleansing of old, and
seasoning of now casks.
The cradles upon which the casks are clamped or otherwise secured are carried at the
opposite ends of a shaft arranged transversely to and rotating in bearings carried by,
and revolving with a horizontal shaft, whereby the transverse shaft and cradles receive a
compound rotary motion. This motion is obtained by means of a bevel wheel on the
transverse shaft, gearing with and rolling around a stationary wheel about the
horizontal shaft and forming an intermediate bearing therefor, these wheels having
different numbers of teeth so that the cycle of revolution about the one axis will not
coincide exactly with that about the other axis, for the purpose of equalizing the
washing action by ensuring that all portions of the interior of the barrels are
acted on uniformly.
Water and steam are conveyed to the barrels through the horizontal and transverse
shafts which are tubular and in communication with each other by a central chamber
and stuffing boxes, the transverse shaft having branches leading into the barrels and
the horizontal shaft being connected with the necessary supply pipes.
Dated this 14th day of January 1887
J. THOMPSON.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Cleansing and Seasoning Casks.
1, JOSEPH THOMPSON of 71 Fair Street Horselydown 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 relates to an improved cask cleansing machine, whereby two, four,
or more casks may bo washed at once, and in the case of new casks seasoned also.
The machine imparts a compound rotary motion to the casks so that every part is
subjected to the cleansing action and is so constructed that both water and steam may
be admitted to the casks whilst they are in motion, the steam being introduced in
order to keep the washing water hot throughout the operation, this being essential
to a thorough cleansing of old, and seasoning of new, casks. The casks are carried at
the opposite ends of a shaft which is caused to revolve about the axis of a horizontal
shaft, and also upon its own axis, which is transverse or perpendicular to that of the
horizontal shaft, this motion being obtained by bevel wheels having different numbers
of teeth so that the cycle of revolution about the one axis will not coincide exactly in
point of time with that about the other axis, the object of this being to equalize the
washing action. Water and steam are conveyed to the barrels through the shafts
which are in communication with each other.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
fication, wherein figure 1 is a plan of the machine, the transverse shaft being in a
vertical position and the cask cradles at the upper end being removed down to line 4-4
figure 2, the position of the barrels being indicated by dotted outline. Figure 2 is a
vertical section on line 1-1 figure 1 and line 3-3 figure 3, looking away from the
driving end. Figure 3 is an elevation of the lower half of the transverso shaft, the
cradle and casks being in section on line 2-2 figure 2. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A A is the horizontal shaft upon which the cask carriers and mechanism are
carried and rotate. B is the tubular transverse shaft mounted in bearings in yoke C
interposed at the middle of shaft A, the axes of the two shafts being at right angles
to each other and in the same plane. The part of the transverso shaft between the
bearings is enclosed in a chamber D mado steam-tight at the ends by stuffing-boxes,
said chamber enclosing radial holes d in shaft B and being connected by a pipe d'
with the half A' of the horizontal shaft which is tubular. E. E are the cask-cradles
fixed on the opposite ends of shaft B whereon the casks symmetrically arranged in
pairs, are firmly secured by clamps F tightened up by wing-nuts fon screw-rods f¹
passing between the pair of casks and bolted to the cradle, the rod f¹ being made in
two parts bolted together with a series of bolt holes to enable them to be adjusted to
suit the diameter of the casks. G is a bevel wheel fixed about the cross-shaft to the
underside of one of the cradles, and H is a fixed bevel wheel carried by brackets h,
said wheel forming an intermediate bearing for the shaft.A, the wheel & having one

page_text: or more teeth more or less in number than the wheel H, so that the revolution about
the one axis shall be faster or slower than that about the other. The shaft B has
pipes 6 connected to its ends which are cranked to enable them to pass between the
small diameter of the casks and are branched at b, part of said branches being
flexible to enable their onds to be readily driven into the bung holes of the casks.
The shaft A A' is mounted in bearings in a suitable frame I and the end of its tubular
part A is connected with the steam and water supply pipes WS. supported alongside
the frame, the connection being made by any suitable joint which will permit the
rotation of the shaft, for instance by the conical nozzlo end of a T picce fitting in and
held up by a spring to a correspondingly coned seat in the end of the shaft A. The
frame I is provided with hinged flaps J which when turned down rest on the side
bars of the frame and form platforms level with the uppermost cradle, to enable the
casks to be readily rolled on and off the latter. When the machine is in operation,
these flaps are thrown up, as in dotted lines, out of the way of the casks. Power is
applied to the end A of the horizontal shaft which is revolved and carries round with
it the transverse shaft, cradles and casks. The wheel G carried round the shaft B,
rolls upon or around the fixed wheel H with which it gears, whereby the shaft B is
caused to revolve upon its own axis as well as about the axis of shaft A, A¹. The
difference in tho velocities of the two shafts each on its own axis, due to the difference
in the numbers of teeth of the wheels G, H, ensures that all portions of the interior
of the barrels shall be acted on uniformaly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe that 1 lay no claim
to imparting compound rotary motion to casks, in cask-washing machines, but I
declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A cask washing machine wherein the casks receive compound rotary motion
about two shafts perpendicular to each other, and wherein the shafts are tubular and
in connection with each other, with the casks, and with steam and water supply pipes
whereby steam or water or both may be injected into the casks whilst they are in
motion.
2. The herein described cask washing machine wherein the casks are carried by
cradles symmetrically arranged at the opposite extremities of a shaft mounted
transversely upon, and geared to, another shaft, so that tho casks receive compound
rotary motion thereon, substantially as specified.
3. The herein described cask washing machine wherein the casks are carried by
cradles symmetrically arranged at the opposite extremities of a shaft mounted
transversely upon, and geared to, another shaft, so that the casks receive compound
rotary motion thereon, the shatts being tubular and in connection with each other, with
the casks, and with steam and water supply pipes substantially as specified.
Dated this 13th day of October 1887.
.
J. THOMPSON.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.