Improvements in Apparatus for Branding Casks and like Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Branding Casks and like Vessels.
I, HERBERT SAMUEL RUSSELL, of The Cooperage, High Street, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Master Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
My invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for branding the heads
of finished casks and like vessels, by means of which the branding is equally
effected thereon whatever may be the unevenness of their surfaces, thereby avoiding
the burning deeper in some places than in others which has resulted from the use of
branding apparatus as hitherto constructed.
According to my invention I employ a circular movable carrier in the form of a
grid of parallel bars having somewhat the sectional form of a grate bar, and between
such bars I slide the required branding letters or characters, which latter I form
hollow and with an upper and lower flange. These branding letters or characters
are capable of a slight vertical motion in the carrier, which is limited by their
flanges and the heads of the bars.
I place these letters or characters with their open ends downwards, and each
with their lower flanges resting on a spring-supported carrier, up the centre of
which passes a Bunsen burner tube, which latter enters the interior of such letter
or character. Thus the letters or characters are supported in their highest position
by the said spring carriers, and such height is limited by their lower flanges coming
against the lower edges of the bar heads.
The cask or like vessel is preferably carried in a swivelling carrier provided
with hinged doors having suitable simple fastening means.
Such carrier is sup-
ported by uprights from a frame which is raised and lowered by means of a
weighted treadle lever. The cask or like vessel is not rigidly held in the swivelling
carrier but is capable of slight motion therein. Thus, when the workman is about
to brand a cask or like vessel, he will, after the branding letters or characters have
been sufficiently heated by the Bunsen burners, depress the treadle lever and
thereby bring the end of the cask or like vessel down on to the branding characters
until such vessel rests, by its weight, thereon; the effect will be that, if any
inequality should exist in the surface of the head, the branding characters will
follow it by reason of their being carried on spring supports, then, when the
branding is effected, the workman will release the treadle lever, when the weight
thereon will raise the vessel and permit of the latter being rotated for the purpose
of branding the other head.
If desired the grid for carrying the branding characters may have curved or
other shaped bars, when the branding characters are required to be in other than
straight lines.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Branding Casks and like Vessels.
I, HERBERT SAMUEL RUSSELL, of The Cooperage, High Street, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Master Cooper, 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 a novel arrangement of apparatus for branding the heads
of finished casks and like vessels, by means of which the branding is equally
effected thereon whatever may be the unevenness of their surfaces, thereby avoiding
the burning deeper in some places than in others which has resulted from the use
of branding apparatus as hitherto constructed.
I will describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of a cask
branding machine constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of parts.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a cross section, a longitudinal section and a plan,
of one of the brands.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section and Figs. 9 to 13 are vertical sections drawn at right
angles to Fig. 8 showing various sizes of stops or dummies employed to fill up the
lines where no branding is required.
Fig. 14 is a plan of the cask-carrier separately.
According to my invention I employ a circular removable carrier a in the form
of a grid with parallel bars a¹ having somewhat the cross sectional form of a grate
bar, and between such bars a¹ I slide the required brands (letters or other
characters) b, which latter I form hollow and with upper flanges b¹ and lower
flanges or lugs b². These brands b are capable of a slight vertical motion in the
carrier a which is limited by their flanges 61 62 and the heads of the bars a¹.
The carrier a is of circular form and is provided with projections a² to fit between
As shown the carrier a is
lugs con opposite sides of the machine frame c.
provided with five bars a¹ with a solid portion a³ at the side of each outer bar
and solid parts a' at the ends of the bars a¹. Slots or openings a5 are made in the
sides of the bars a¹ at one end thereof and in the solid parts at such end to enable
the brands b to be arranged in position on the carrier a by passing the lower flanges
or lugs 62 thereof down the slots or openings a5. The upper face of the carrier a
has lines thereon at regular distances to facilitate the placing of the brands in
correct position. d d are stops or dummies used to fill up the lines where no brands
are wanted. These stops & have flanges d¹ at their upper ends only so that they
may be readily slipped in position between the bars a¹ and brands 6 when the
latter are in position between the bars a¹. The carrier a is readily removable from
the frame c for arrangement of the brands therein, and it is readily replaced in
proper position on the frame c by means of the projections a³ and lugs c c. The
brands and stops d are open at their lower ends, and when the carrier a is in
position on the frame c, each rests on a carrier e supported by a spring el resting
Up the centres of each of
on a plate carried by cross bars c³ of the frame c.
these springs e¹ and brand carriers e passes a Bunsen burner tube f, which latter
enters the interior of each brand b or stop d. Thus the brands bare normally
supported in their highest position by the said spring carriers e, and such height
is limited by their lower flanges 62 coming against the lower edges of the heads
of the bars a

page_text: The Bunsen burner tubes f are fixed in horizontal tubes fl, which at one end
are connected to main supply tubes f³, which are furnished with the requisite
mixture of gas and air. Other suitable arrangements of tubes may however be
adopted. Each tube f is provided with a stop cock f³ so that only the required
tubes may be in use.
The cask or like vessel g is preferably carried in a swivelling carrier h provided
with a hinged door h¹ having suitable simple fastening means, that shown in the
drawings being a simple catch h². Such swivelling carrier h has at opposite sides
thereof trunnions 3 fitting into bearings formed in blocks * fixed to the upper
ends of the uprights h5 supporting said swivelling carrier h. These uprights 5 are
capable of moving vertically in fixed guides i and are fixed to a counterbalanced
frame secured to a shaft and extending to the front of the machine, where
it is fitted with a treadle h³, by which the carrier h with the cask therein can be
brought down for the branding operation, the counterbalance weights h raising
the carrier hand cask as soon as pressure is removed from the treadle h8. The
cask or like vessel is not rigidly held in the swivelling carrier h but is capable
of slight motion therein.
Thus when the workman is about to brand a cask or like vessel, he will, after
the branding letters or characters have been sufficiently heated by the Bunsen
burners, depress the treadle lever and thereby bring the cask or like vessel down
on to the brands until such vessel rests by its weight thereon; the effect will be.
that if any inequality should exist in the surface of the head, the brands will follow
it by reason of their being carried on spring supports; then, when the branding
is effected, the workman will release the treadle lever, when the weights
thereon will raise the cask or like vessel and permit of the latter being rotated for
the purpose of branding the other head. To place the cask or like vessel in the
swivelling carrier h, the latter is turned with its door h¹ upwards and open, the.
cask or like vessel is then placed in position and the door closed and fastened.
If desired the grid carrying the brands and stops may have curved or other-
shaped bars when the brands are required to be in other than straight lines.
It will be evident that the details of construction of the machine may be varied.
without departing from the peculiar character of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved apparatus for branding casks and like vessels constructed sub-
stantially as herein set forth and represented in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for branding casks and like vessels, the combination of a grid-
carrier within which the brands and stops are arranged, brands having upper and
lower flanges to permit of a limited vertical motion thereto in relation to the grid
bars, spring-supported carriers on which the brands and stops normally rest,..
Bunsen burners entering the lower open ends of the brands, and means for carry-
ing a cask or like vessel and bringing it down on to the brands and raising it
therefrom, substantially as herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In apparatus for branding casks and like vessels, the combination of separate
spring-supported brands, Bunsen burner tubes entering the lower open ends of
such brands, a swivelling carrier for the cask or like vessel provided with a hinged
door and suitable fastening, and a counterbalanced treadle lever and frame to
lower the vessel on to the brands and raise it therefrom, substantially as herein
set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus for branding casks and like vessels, the combination of separate
spring-supported brands and Bunsen burner tubes entering the lower open ends
of such brands constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and
described.

page_text: 5. In apparatus for branding casks and like vessels, the employment of separate
spring-supported brands substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.
Dated this lot do of al 1900
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.