New or Improved Apparatus for Cleaning the Internal Surfaces of Casks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for Cleaning the Internal Surfaces
of Casks.
I, ADOLF ZINNEMANN, of 7 Papenstrasse, Einbeck in the Empire of Germany,
Brewery Manager, 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 :-
Heretofore the cleaning of the internal surfaces of casks, such as beer casks
for example, has been generally effected by rinsing them with water, whereby
complete cleansing cannot be effected and the infection of beer is frequently
attributable to this imperfect cleansing of the casks in which it is stored.
An apparatus has already been proposed for cleaning the internal surfaces of
casks by means of brushes; but it is only applicable to casks which have a bung-
hele in the middle of the head, and cannot be used in casks which have the
bung-hole in the side, for, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings, a brush which is sufficiently long for the purpose, and can only be
introduced through a bung-hole in the side of the cask cannot be rotated axially
because the height or length a of the cask is greater than the diameter b of the
same (see Figures 1 and 2), and the size of the brushes cannot be increased or
reduced to suit the two dimensions; if, however, both dimensions were equal the
brushes could only rotate axially when in the central plane e of the cask
(see Figure 3) but when brought into a higher or lower position, such as that
shown at for f¹ for example an axial rotation of the brushes would become
impossible, and, generally speaking, the brushes would only touch the inner surface
of the cask at a few points and could not scrub the entire surface.
It will be readily understood from the above explanation that the cleaning of
the interior of a cask, with its bung-hole in the side, cannot be effected by means
of brushing apparatus of the kind illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but with
apparatus constructed in accordance with my present invention a complete cleansing
of the interior can be effected, because the hairs or bristles of the brushes are
forced into contact with every part of the internal surface of the cask by
centrifugal force as the brushes rotate, and the whole internal surface is subjected
to a scrubbing action by the said brushes.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figures 4 and 5 show in section casks
with my cleaning apparatus applied thereto.
In Figure 4 A, A is the brush carrier, and R the cask to be cleaned having its
bung-hole at the side. The cask is preferably placed with the bung-hole S
upwards, and the cleaning water is introduced into the cask through the said
bung-hole. The brush carrier consists of two flat steel bars A and A which are
connected together, but held at a certain distance apart by distance pieces at a
and b. B is a handle by which the brush carrier can be held; G is a support
for the brush carrier furnished with a point at one end, and hinged at the other
end, at g, to the brush carrier A, A. E and H are two grooved pulleys, one of
which, E, is fixed to a shaft D adapted to turn in hearings preferably adjustable
upwards and downwards in the upper part of the two steel bars A and A', and the

page_text: other, H, is fixed to a shaft J turning in bearings in the lower part of the bars A
and A. To the upper shaft D is secured the crank handle C, and an endless cord
or chain F passes round both pulleys E and H.
K and K are two flat steel bars fixed on the shaft J, and having hinged to their
outer ends the two steel brush stocks L and L' carrying the hairs or bristles T.
M is a projecting stem rivetted to the brush carrier A A¹ at c. N is a socket
provided with two slots at d and e which do not reach to its upper end. The
stem M moves up and down in the socket N being guided by two set screws fand h
passing through the said slots in the socket, and tapped into the stem M; O is a
spiral spring contained in the socket M, bearing at its lower end against the bottom
of the said socket, and at its upper end against the end of the stem M. P is an
indiarubber cap placed over the end of the socket N to prevent damage to the pitch
coating of the cask.
The above described device with the spiral spring enables the brushes to work
in casks which have a smaller radius than the length of the brush arms K and K',
by allowing the brush carrier A A¹ to pass further into the cask at the moment
when the brushes are rotating in the upper half of the same.
When the apparatus is out of the cask the two brush stocks L and L' hang
downwards ou the brush carrier, and they can then be conveniently introduced
through the bung-hole S of the cask R.
Immediately the ends of the brush stocks L and L' come in contact with the
lower part of the cask, and the brush carrier is pressed downwards, the brush
stocks separate, or open out, turning on their hinges U and U¹ until they make an
acute angle with K and K', as shown in Figure 4, so that their hairs or bristles are
pressed against the inner surface of the staves of the cask.
After the brushes are inserted into the cask as shown, the shaft D is rotated by
means of the crank handle C, and the pulley E transmits this motion, by means of
the cord chain F, to the pulley H and shaft J, and the brush arms K, K, and the
brushes connected thereto are thereby rotated. By the brisk scrubbing motion
of the brushes thus produced a complete cleansing of the internal surfaces of the
cask staves is effected.
The internal surfaces of the two ends of the cask are cleaned by means of a brush
arranged as shown in Figure 5. In this arrangement the cask is stood on one of
its ends, and the brush is introduced through the bung-hole S, the brush_arm K,
hinged nt U to the brush carrier A A', lying meanwhile with the brush LT, which
is hinged to the arm K at U', flat against the brush carrier, and in prolongation
with the axis thereof. When the hinge U has been passed in clear of the bung-
hole S the brush carrier is turned round half a revolution on its axis, and the brush
arm K, and the brush L T fall into the position shown in Figure 5. The hinges U
and U allow the brush and its arm to take no other position than that shown in
the drawings, and the close contact of the brush with all parts of the cask
bottom is thereby secured.
The driving gear for the brush shown in Figure 5 is not shown in the drawings,
but may be similar to that shown in Figure 4.
By means of this driving gear the brush arm K is rotated vertically on its own
axis, and the brush L T is thereby caused to sweep over the whole surface of the
cask bottom thoroughly scrubbing and cleaning the same.
When the other end of the cask is to be cleaned, the cask is turned over on to
that end without necessarily removing the brush, and the latter is then turned into
a suitable position and applied as before.
The sizes of the brushes require to be adapted to the dimensions of the casks
to be cleaned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
Apparatus for cleaning the internal surfaces of casks, which consists of brushes

page_text: moveable on hinges and adapted to rotate with the axis or shaft of a wheel or
pulley introduced into the interior of the cask to be cleaned, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of August 1896.
A. ZINNEMANN,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
A. ZINNEMANN,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.