Improved Means for Olosing the Bung Holes of Casks and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
Improved Means for Olosing the Bung Holes of Casks
and the like.
1 CARL LEICHSEURING of Wulfel near Hanover the Empire of Germany,
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to ho performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement
The improved means for closing the bung holes of casks shown in the
accompanying diawing may be used for pitching as well as for closing for
transport and is also suitable for large tuns as a substitute for the wooden plugs
generally used for such purpose
In the drawing
Fig 1 a sectional view of the bung hole with the means for closing it
Fig. 2 is a section on lined Fig. 1.
Fig 3 is on the left a plan aud on the night a horizontal section on line e j
Fig. 1.
It consists chiefly of a plate a through which is led a squaro hended screw bou
which engages a squate nut & fitted with two projecting pans c, c, which nut moves
upwards or downwards when the screw is turned. The pins oht into tho forked
ends of two double levers g g' tuning around bolts the ends of which levers may
therefore be lifted or lowered by turning the screw.
To keep the screw in a vertical immovable position the same is provided at its
upper end below plate a with a flange which tests on a smaller collar & connected
with plate a by ivets or the plate a is in several pieces screwed together betwcon
which the flange of the screw is fitted.
When the bung hole is to be closed, the screw is turned and the lower aims of
the levers g g are attracted sufficiently to permit of insciting the improved plug
into the bung hole, after which by an opposite tuin of the screw these arms are
again opened and will fit under the interior surface of the cask wall about the
bung hole, thus, in turning the screw the upper plate a fitted with a packing ring k
will be pressed down on the outer edge of the bung hole.
If an is to be admitted into the interior of the cask it will be sufficient to loosen
the plug by a few turnings of the screw or admission of air can also be obtained by
providing a hole in plate a to be closed by a screws by the removal of which air
may enter.
This form will be chiefly desirable for large tube. The improved bung has
been specially devised as a substitute for the defective wooden plugs hitherto used
and also to obtain the advantages hereafter described
When pitching casks it will often happen that soft pitch will adhere to the
edges of the bung hole which makes the pitching of the wooden plugs a difficult
and dangerous business, as the plug will fly out of the cask during subsequent
operations and the workmen are often endangered by the plug and pitch, and loss
pitch is also occasioned
The saine is the case when pitching tuns, and another delective feature of the
wooden plugs is that on turning the tuns over the plugs are often driven in and
can only be extracted by the use of a chisel which damages the bung bole, or
have to be driven in altogether, when it is necessary to pitch the cask over
again.

page_text: When closing the tuns which is done now mostly with wooden plugs there is
often not sufficient room to drive the plug in with a hammer, and to remove the
plug is therefore equally difficult and occasious great loss of time and damaging of
tools etc.
With casks for delivery the plug can only be used once, same must be
extracted by machine or chisel and inevitable damaging of the bung holes will
result, wearing out the casks much more quickly.
The above mentioned defects are all avoided by the use of the improved
apparatus which also ensures great saving of time in opening and shutting the
casks.
Another advantage is that holes made in the tuns for the purpose of changing
the air will be no longer required as the air pipe may be directly connected with
the hole at s in the plate a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Enid inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be poi formed I declare that what I
claim 18-
1 The improved means for closing bung holes, for pitching and closing casks
and the like consisting of a plate adapted to be pressed on to the outer edge of
the bung hole hy a lever acting against the inner edge of the bung hole which
lever can be adjusted by means of a screw for the purpose set forth.
2. The construction of the device for closing bung boles substantially as
described and illustrated
Or Octob01 1895.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.