IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BUNGS FROM CASKS AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I PHILIP SCHUYLER MALCOLM of the Castle and Falcon Hotel, City of London,
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BUNGS FROM CASKS AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES" (a
communication to me from abroad by Frederick D. Earl and Company of Oswego
State of New York in the United States of America) and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to a simple and effective apparatus for drawing or
extracting bungs from barrels casks and similar receptacles without the necessity
for pounding, or cutting, or otherwise injuring the barrel or stave the extraction of
the bung being effected by a steady direct pull thereon combined with a twisting
or circular wrenching action.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a side elevation of the said apparatus or Bung
Extractor ready for application, drawn to a scale of about one half the full size and
Figure 2 is a perspective view on a smaller scale showing the Extractor in action.
a is a metal spindle formed with a convenient cross handle b at its upper end or
having a loose cross handle fitted thereto for turning the same, said spindle being
formed with a fine pitched screw thread c screwing through the head of a loose
bearing or thrust piece a formed with two or more legs or supports e e the feet of
which take their bearing upon the surface of that part of the cask or barrel
immediately surrounding the bung when in the act of extracting the same as
hereinafter explained with reference to figure 2. To the lower end of the said
screwed spindle there is fitted or formed a sharp pointed and deep threaded auger f
or if preferred a single or double open worm or helix similar to an ordinary cork
screw for screwing into and engaging firmly with the bung.
In practice I prefer to make the said auger or worm of a separate piece of steel
and to fit and secure it by a cross pin or otherwise into a recess or socket formed
to receive it in the lower end of the screwed spindle a so that in case of injury to
[ Prine s J7

page_text: The
the auger or worm it may be readily removed and replaced by a fresh one.
threads or spirals of the screw c and auger f respectively are made in opposite
directions, in practice I prefer to use a left handed screw thread at c and a right
handed spiral or worm in the auger or engaging tool.
In using this apparatus the bearing or thrust piece is first screwed up to the top
of the screwed part c of the spindle-the point of the auger or worm f is then
screwed into the bung g in the manner of inserting an ordinary cork screw-and
by the time the auger has entered sufficiently far to obtain a firm hold of the bung
the feet of the bearing or thrust piece will in some cases have obtained a bearing on
the surface of the cask or barrel or if not then the bearing piece may be screwed
down until the feet or legs e e rest on the surface of the cask round the bung as
shown in Figure 2. By continuing the original rotary motion of the spindle
through the cross handle a powerful upward strain or pull will be exerted on the
bung by the action of the fine pitched left handed screw c engaging with the
corresponding internal screw in the fixed head of the bearing or thrust piece whilst
by the same rotary action of the spindle the hold of the auger or worm in the bung
will be still further increased and a rotary twist or wrench will at the same time
be imparted to the bung tending to loosen and facilitate the final extraction or
withdrawal of the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An apparatus for drawing or extracting bungs from casks, barrels and similar
receptacles consisting of the combination of a screwed spindle provided with means
for turning the same by hand-a sharp pointed auger or worm for engaging with
the bung and a loose thrust or bearing piece formed with an internal screw into
which the screwed portion of the spindle engages, the screw thread on the spindle,
and the spiral of the auger or worm being in opposite directions respectively as
specified,