IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING BARRELS AND OTHER ROUND VESSELS OF WOOD
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING
BARRELS AND OTHER ROUND VESSELS OF WOOD."-A communication from
abroad by Daniel Howard Waters, of Grand Rapids, in the State of
Man United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st March 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANU--
PACTURING BARRELS AND OTHER ROUND VESSELS OF WOOD," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the forming of round barrels or other vessels
of two or more horizontal sections of cylindrical form united by means
of hoops and nails, by lapped joints, or by means of hoops, nails, and

page_text: vertical staves. The barrel is formed, say, of three horizontal cylindrical
sections of equal diameter, made of thin wooden sheets of proper
thickness, and secured in the cylindrical form by lapping and nailing
their edges. These sections rest one upon another and form a flush
surface exteriorly at their joints. For securing the sections together
hoops are employed of sufficient width to lap well over and close the
joints. The hoops are nailed to the sections above and below their
respective joints, and thus the cylindrical body of a barrel or box is
formed. The top and bottom pieces or heads it is preferred to secure
by the use of rabbetted rims or hoops, the lips of which will hold the
heads firmly and tightly in place when the hoops are nailed to the
barrel. If additional security is required against a parting or separation
of the sections, narrow strips of metal may be applied externally or
internally to the barrel, in a direction with the longitudinal axis thereof,
and the extremities of such strips turned over the ends of the barrel and
secured by nails or in any other suitable manner. The edges of the
horizontal sections may be united by lapping, rabbetting, or tongue and
grooving. As a modification of the above the horizontal sections may
be connected together by hoops, which are ribbed on their. inner surfaces
in such manner, that, when the hoops are applied to the sections the
ribs will lie between the sections and allow the hoops to be secured to
inside vertical staves which are secured to the said sections. For
strengthening large barrels or hogsheads a cross bar is fastened on the
top of the head and extending transversely across the same. The head
rests upon the ends of two of the vertical staves, which are shortened for
the purpose. Two other staves extend to the ends of the barrel and to
the inner side of each of these longer staves, and at each end thereof a
narrow metal strip is secured, which when the head and its bar are in
place is bent over the bar and nailed to it. The other two staves have
metal strips secured to their outer sides so that when the head and bar
are in place these strips can be turned over the ends of the barrel and
fastened to the hoops and end sections of the barrel. By these means
the heads and the end sections of the barrels or hogsheads are securely
fastened to the inside staves, which makes the work very strong.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING BARRELS AND OTHER ROUND VESSELS OF
WOOD," being a communication to me from abroad by Daniel Howard
Waters, of Grand Rapids, in the State of Michigan, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates to the forming of round barrels or other vessels
of two or more horizontal sections of cylindrical form united by means

page_text: of hoops and nails, by lapped joints, or by means of hoops, nails, and
vertical staves.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an improved
barrel composed of three cylindrical sections, united by two hoops and
strengthened by metal straps; Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section through
the barrel of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the barrel of Fig. 1; Fig. 4
is a portion of the cover in section; Fig. 5 are sectional views in detail,
shewing several different modes of uniting the horizontal section.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
Figures.
A, A, A, represent three horizontal cylindrical sections made of thin
wooden sheets of proper thickness, and secured in the cylindrical form
by lapping and nailing their edges. These sections rest one upon
another and are of equal diameter, so that when brought together
a flush surface will be presented exteriorly at their joints, as shewn in
Fig. 2. For the purpose of securing the sections A, A, A, together,
hoops B, B, are employed, which are of sufficient width to lap well over
the joints and close these joints, as shewn in Fig. 2. The hoops are
nailed to the sections A, A, A, above and below their respective joints,
thereby firmly uniting the sections and forming the cylindrical body of
a barrel or box. The top and bottom pieces or heads C, C, may be
secured in their places in any well-known manner, but it is preferred to
effect this by the use of rims or hoops B' rabbetted, as shewn in Figures
2 and 4, the lips of which hoops will hold the heads firmly and tightly
in place when the hoops are nailed to the barrel. If additional security
is required against a parting or separation of the sections A, narrow
strips a of metal may be applied externally or internally to the barrel
in a direction with the longitudinal axis thereof, and the extremities of
such strips turned over the ends of the barrel and secured by nails or in
any other suitable manner.
In carrying out this Invention the number of horizontal sections A is
not important, as a greater or less number of such sections may be
employed united by one or more hoops B. Nor is it intended always to
use ties a, as very substantial work which will answer a good purpose, as
for instance, light packing barrels or boxes, can be produced without such
strips or ties.
Nor is the Invention limited to the precise manner above described
and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of making the joints between the horizontal

page_text: sections, that is to say, of uniting the edges of the horizontal sections
A, A, as this may be done by lapping, rabbetting, tongue, and grooving,
or by the flush abutting joints, shown in Figures 5.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a barrel having its hoops united to inside
staves, to which latter the sections A' are secured; Fig. 7 is a diametrical
section through Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the barrel with the
head removed; Fig. 9 is a section of one part of a ribbed hoop; Figures
10, 11, 12, and 13 are views shewing a mode of strengthening barrels
or larger vessels.
The nature of this part of my Invention consists in the employment
in the construction of barrels of horizontal sections of hoops, which are
ribbed on their inner surfaces in such manner that when the hoops are
applied to the sections the ribs will lie between the sections and allow
the hoops to be secured to inside vertical staves which are secured to the
said sections.
A', A', A¹, represent three horizontal cylindrical sections constituting
when put together the body of a barrel, box, or other vessel. Each
section is made of a thin sheet of wood steamed, bent around a cylinder,
lapped and nailed. B¹, B¹, represent the hoops which are used for
closing the joints between the sections A¹, which hoops are constructed
with square ribs a¹ on their inner surfaces that are received between
the edges of the sections A¹ when the hoops are applied as shewn in
Fig. 2.
On the inside of the barrel, and secured thereto at regular
intervals apart, are three vertical strips or staves D', which are secured
at their upper and lower ends to the top and bottom sections A¹, A¹.
These strips D¹ are also secured by nails driven from the inside outward
to the hoops B¹, B', thus uniting the hoops to the inside staves. It will
be seen that the hoops B¹ are not directly fastened to the horizontal
sections A but are fastened to the inside staves, which latter are
fastened to the body sections of the barrel. By this means I am
enabled to use green or unseasoned material without having the joints
of the barrels exposed when the stuff dries and shrinks.. The heads C³, C¹,
of the barrel may be applied by means of rabbetted hoops B³, or in
any other suitable manner.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 represent a mode of strengthening a
sectional barrel or hogshead, which mode is especially intended for
large vessels requiring great strength. A' represents the top section

page_text: •
of the barrel or vessel; E, the top hoop; G, a head lining hoop;
D³, D³, vertical staves placed inside of the barrel; H, the head of the
barrel; and J, a cross bar fastened on top of the head and extending
transversely across the same. The head H rests upon two of the
staves D³, as shewn in Fig. 11, and the two staves D³ extend to the ends
of the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 12. To the inner side of each one of the
two staves D³, D³, at each end thereof, a narrow metal strip g is secured,
which when the head H and its bar J are in place is bent over the
bar J and nailed to it. The other two staves D³, D³, have metal strips
secured to their outer sides, so that when the head and bar are in place
these strips can be turned over the ends of the barrel and fastened to
the hoops and end sections of the barrel, as shewn at Fig. 11. By
these means the heads and the end sections of the barrels or hogsheads
arc securely fastened to the inside staves, which makes the work very
strong.
From the above description it will be seen that the principle of the
Invention consists in constructing barrels, hogsheads, and other varieties
of circular hollow work of two or more horizontal sections united at
their joint or joints by means of hoops nailed to the sections or by
lapping and nailing the sections. By thus constructing hollow work
the horizontal sections can be slabbed from blocks of wood by machinery,
steamed and bent, and put together with very little labor or expense,
compared with the old modes of making barrels of vertical staves jointed
together and hooped.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "
Improvements
in Manufacturing Barrels and other Round Vessels of Wood "as com-
municated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. A barrel, hogshead, or other like wooden hollow work composed
of horizontal sections united by hoops, substantially as described.
Second. A barrel, hogshead, or other like wooden hollow work
composed of horizontal sections connected together by means of ribbed
hoops and vertical staves, substantially as described.
Third. A barrel or hogshead, or other wooden hollow work; composed a
of horizontal sections lapped and nailed together, substantially as shewn.

page_text: Fourth. The manner of attaching the heads and body sections of a
barrel, or its equivalent, to staves applied inside of the same, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.s.)