Improvements in Barrels and in Apparatus for the Manufacture thereof.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 13th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Barrels and in Apparatus for the Manufacture
thereof.
I, CHARLES ELIS BRATT of Stockholm in the Kingdom of Sweden, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to cylindrical barrels and to apparatus for facilitating the
putting of the parts of such barrels together and has for its objects to improve the
construction and to cheapen the manufacture of such barrels and also to facilitate
the storage and transport of the same when empty.
According to my invention I construct the cylindrical portion of my improved
barrel of a number of parallel staves and one or more pairs of tapered or wedge
like staves. The said tapered staves are made with an equal amount of taper so
that by placing two such staves together edge to edge, but with the larger end of
one adjoining the smaller end of the other the outside edges of the said pair will be
parallel with each other. I provide two or more hoops for enclosing the staves and
binding them together in the ordinary manner.
When building up the barrel, I first place the parallel staves within the hoops
and form a nearly complete cylinder, and I then drive in from opposite ends the
tapered staves thereby completing the cylinder and firmly and securely wedging all
the staves together. The ends of the barrel may be secured in position in any
ordinary or well known manner.
I may form the staves with plain edges, or I may tongue and groove the same,
or I may provide them, for example, with a lip on each edge so arranged that the
lips of adjoining staves will overlap, the latter constructions ensuring a more perfect
joint between each pair of adjoining staves and thereby producing a watertight
barrel.
My invention also includes a very advantageous form of apparatus to facilitate
the placing of the staves together to form a barrel.
The said apparatus comprises a horizontal semicylindrical bearing constructed of
wood or metal or other suitable material and of the same diameter and preferably
of the same length as the barrel to be made therein. Or instead of one continuous
semi-cylindrical bearing I may provide two or more narrow semi-circular bearings
secured together at such a distance apart as to suit the length of barrel to be made
therein.
In building up the barrel I first place the hoops in the said bearing or hearings
and I then proceed to arrange the parallel staves side by side therein until the
cylinder is nearly complete, and finally I drive in the taper staves to fix the whole
together. It is obvious that before the taper staves are driven in, those parallel
staves forming the top half of the cylinder will require to be supported. For this
purpose provide an arch-shaped bearing which may be fixed to one of the end
semi-circular bearings and which projects to or beyond the middle of the length of
the barrel. By this means the upper staves can be supported while the barrel is
being built up. Instead of a single arch bearing as above described I may provide
an arched bearing at each end of the barrel to support the staves at both ends. In
this case one of the bearings must be removable to permit of the barrel being taken
out when completed. A convenient form of removable bearing is a curved wire
rod hinged at one end so that it may be swung away from the barrel to allow the
latter to be removed. I sometimes provide a latch for holding the said wire rod in
the closed position when desired and a spring for swinging it backward away from
the barrel when unlatched.
To prevent the longitudinal displacement of the staves when the barrel is in usc

page_text: sometimes provide one or more shallow external cross grooves in each stave so as
to form a continuous circumferential groove or grooves in the barrel when the
staves are placed together, in which groove or grooves the metal enclosing hoops
fit and thereby lock the staves together.
For some purposes I divide the barrel into compartments by partitions resting
upon small brackets or projections formed on or fixed to the staves. I thus provide
for packing, without fear of injury, goods which are liable to be damaged by
pressure and which could not therefore be packed in barrels that are not divided
as above described. The cylindrical form of my improved barrel enables me to
insert and remove the said partitions very readily. My said barrel may be put
together in a very short space of time, and when empty it may be quickly taken to
pieces, and the staves and other parts tied together in a bundle occupying very
little room, and therefore very convenient for storing and transporting. The great
cost of returning empty barrels in the old bulky form is thus avoided. A further
advantage arising from my improved barrels is that skilled labour is not required to
put them together, as the operation is so simple that children may very soon learn
to do the work.. Moreover makers or consumers will not require to keep large
stocks and will not therefore require large yards for keeping stocks if my prepared
staves are regularly supplied to them.
Dated this 17th day of September 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Barrels and in Apparatus for the Manufacture
thereof.
I, CHARLES ELIS BRATT, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Merchant,
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 cylindrical barrels and to machines or apparatus for use
in the manufacture of such barrels, the objects of the said invention being to
improve the construction and to cheapen the manufacture of such barrels and also
to facilitate the storage and transport of the same when empty.
According to my invention I construct the cylindrical portion of my improved
barrel of a number of parallel staves and one or more pairs of tapered or wedge
like staves. The said tapered staves are made with an equal amount of taper so
that by placing two such staves together edge to edge but with the larger end of
one adjoining the smaller end of the other the outside edges of the said pair will be
parallel with each other. I provide two or more hoops for enclosing the staves and
binding them together in the ordinary manner.
By the use of my improved machine the barrels or casks can be put together
very quickly, this being effected in two operations, the first operation consisting in
arranging the parallel staves to form the complete circumference of the said barrel or
cask, with the exception of the space necessary for the tapered staves, and the
other operation consisting in driving in the said tapered or wedge-shaped staves
from opposite ends of the barrel or cask thereby completing the cylinder and
firmly and securely wedging all the staves together.
One important advantage in the use of my machine is that it dispenses with the
necessity of en:ploying skilled attendants, one man and a boy being all that is
required for each machine.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed according to my
invention;

page_text: Figure 4 shows the mechanism for arranging the staves for forming the circum-
ference of the barrel or cask drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a plan of the same.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show details of the machine.
Figure 9 is a side elevation partly in section of the device for driving in the
wedge-shaped staves.
Figure 10 shows a plan of the same.
Figure 11 is an end elevation of a modified form of my machine, and
Figure 12 is a plan of the same.
The framework of the machine consists principally of a table A supported upon
standards B. Upon the said table are arranged three bearing pieces C, formed to
suit the circumference of the cask or barrel, one bearing supporting each end and
another supporting the middle of the said cask or barrel. The inner edges of the
said bearing pieces are provided with grooves D for receiving the hoops, Figures 4
and 5. On the outside of these bearing pieces C are secured supporting rings F,
arranged to form the outside of the said grooves. The insides of these rings form
flanges G covering the said grooves D at a distance from it a little greater than the
thickness of the staves.
These supporting rings are made movable in the longitudinal direction by means
of the mechanism hereinafter described that is to say, in the back of the table A is
formed a groove to receive the sliding pieces H H running parallel with the sides
of the staves and fixed in the rings F Figures 2 and 4. These sliding pieces H
are movable parallel to each other and worked as hereinafter described. The
levers II (Figure 5) are pivoted at K K' to the bed A of the machine and are
further connected with lever L pivoted at M, by means of bolts or pins, passing
through the slots of the table A and engaging with slots in the said lever 1. The
said lever L, extending to the front of the table, when it is provided with a handle
as shown in Figure 5. If this handle is moved to the right the levers L and I act
upon the sliding pieces H H so as to increase the distance between the rings F and
permit the cask to be removed. If however the handle is turned to the left the
rings will be returned into their original position.
In the formation of the casks or barrels, the staves, wedges and iron hoops are
first prepared and a sufficient number of staves for one cask or barrel are placed in a
box 6 made to fit between the posts a in the ring F. The hoops are placed in the
grooves D, and the rings F are brought together by the handle as above described
and the "circumference" of the cask or barrel is built up as hereinafter described.
At the front of the table A and parallel with its longest side is a shaft N, carrying
two chain wheels O and in the centre of the table A is another shaft Q Figure 4
carrying two small wheels R, corresponding to the wheels O. The shafts N and Q
are both journalled in brackets or side pieces P and the shaft Q is made movable
for a short distance about the shaft N. The two pairs of wheels R and carry
two endless chains S having vertical projections T arranged at certain distances
apart. The up and down motion of the shaft Q is, as shown in Figure 4, caused by
a lever U pivotally fixed to a projection on the lower side of the table A, and
connected by means of a rod X to a cross piece on the bracket P. Y is a spring
ja hook, for keeping the lever U in its right position when raised.
At one
or the shaft N is fixed a crank c by means of which the wheels Q and R and
consequently the chains with their vertical projections are operated. When the
above described "stave-box" which has no bottom is placed between the posts a
in the ring F, the lowest stave will rest upon the links of the chain S and when the
crank c is turned the hooks T will catch the edge of the lowermost stave and carry
it forward upon the hoops, arranged in the grooves in the bearings C. When this
stave has been carried forward it allows the next one to drop into position to be fed
forward by the next projection on the chain and so on, stave after stave until the
box is empty. The circumference will then be complete except the space necessary

page_text: .
for the wedge-shape staves. The whole of the staves are in this manner fed into
position to form the circumference of the barrel during about 2 revolutions of the
crank c.
Two stop pieces fare fixed as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 so as to prevent the
first stave from passing the starting point and consequently also stopping further
turning of the crank c. When the last stave has been fed from the box and the
first stave has been brought round into contact with the stop pieces f an opening
will be left between such first and last staves just sufficient for the aforesaid wedges
which are inserted one from each end of the cask, as hereinafter described.
At each end of the table A is fixed a magazine for holding a number of
wedges. This magazine consists of end pieces O¹ bottom piece 0 and a movable
bottom u.
To the said movable bottom u is attached one end of a cord 2 which
passes over a pulley and from the other end of which is suspended a weight v
which hangs within a box or case a¹. It will thus be seen that the wedges which
are shown in dotted line in Figure 9 are continually pressed upwards by this
arrangement. The said wedges are made parallel on one edge and inclined on the
other so that when two such wedges are laid with their inclined faces together
they form a parallelogram. The form of this magazine is such that the wedges
are always in the right position.
A recess in the lower part of the rings F allow the wedges to be moved through
the said rings in the following manner. At the top of the said magazines are
arranged two parallel guides upon which run 2 cross-pieces operated by means of
the mechanism illustrated in Figure 9. These parts consist of a bar i pivoted to
the said cross-piece and a link k pivoted at one end to the bar i and at the
opposite end to the ends of the guides. The said link k is worked by the lever l
pivoted at m and provided with a pin or stud n carrying a sliding block which
works in the groove in the link k.
The
The moving forward and backward of the lever is effected by means of two
straps secured to the opposite ends of the said levers one for moving the lever
forward, the other p for moving the same backward. The strap o passes over the
roller to the treadle and the strap p over the rollers to the lever t.
above mentioned magazines for the wedges are movable up and down and counter-
balanced by means of weights. This motion is guided as shown in Figure 9 and
one wedge from each of the magazines at the top which is further guided by a
spring is always kept ready to be pushed forward into the before mentioned
opening between the staves, through the corresponding opening in the rings F.
The operation of the treadle moves the cross-pieces forward and pushes the
wedges forward through the rings thus firmly closing the circumference of the
cask. As above described the staves are kept separated by means of projections
or stops so as to leave the necessary space for the wedges. Before the final com-
pletion of the cask these projections or stops must of course be moved away, which
is effected as follows. At the sides of the above described magazines are the
guides in connection with lever fl pivoted at g'. The lever f¹ is, as shown in
Figure 9, connected with lever fulcrummed at in a bracket fixed to the
magazine. The front free end of this lever ' rests upon the lever U Figure 1 by
means of which the bracket or frame P and consequently also the projections T
and the hooks can be raised or lowered. When in the highest position as shown
in dotted lines Figure 9 one pair of these projections and the hooks keep the first
and last stave separated as above described.
The above described cross-piece h, is, as shown in Figure 10 prolonged at the
one end so as to engage the lever when the crosspiece is running forward to
push in the wedges. The cross-piece h, thus exerts a pressure upon the lever f'
and consequently operates the lever and this lowers the said lever and the
lever U and consequently also the projections T and hooks f, which then release
the staves giving free passage to the wedges the tapered ends of which have
previously passed each other, securing the right position. A pressure upon the
lever Figure 2 returns the whole of this mechanism to its original position in

page_text: 9
readiness for the next operation. The machine above described is adapted to be
worked by hand. When however greater speed is required the said machine can
be arranged to be operated by power as shown in Figures 11 and 12. For this
purpose at the ends of the guides are arranged shafts q' each carrying a pair of
wheels or discs to each of which is attached one end of a connecting rods the
opposite end being connected to the cross-piece h. In the frame-work of the
machine is also fixed the axles and each carrying a toothed wheel a' and a
chain wheel b². Motion is transmitted by means of endless chains from these
chain wheels to corresponding wheels t¹ on the shafts q¹..
Motion is transmitted from any suitable motor to the shaft by means of a
pulley and belt . The machine is run at a speed of about four revolutions or
strokes of the cross piece a minute turning out one cask for every stroke. Suitable
arrangements are provided for starting and stopping the machine quickly.
A modified form of this invention consists of a machine the principal parts of
which are the same as above described but in which the staves arranged inside
the hoops and outside the rings are pushed forward by hand thus completing the
circumference except the space for the wedges which wedges are also driven in by
hand.
It will be readily understood that the barrels made with this machine offer
greater facilities for storage and transport than the barrels heretofore made, they
take up much less room and moreover may if desired, be easily taken to pieces and
returned when empty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A cylindrical barrel the circumference of which is formed of a number of
parallel staves and one or more pairs of tapered or wedge shaped staves each
having its inner edge inclined and the other edge parallel, the said wedge shaped
staves being driven in from the opposite ends of the cask, thus completing the
cylinder and firmly and securely wedging all the staves together.
Second. A machine for putting together prepared staves and hoops to form
barrels as above described and principally consisting of bearings C, with an inside
diameter corresponding to the outside diameter of the barrel and with grooves to
receive and keep the hoops E, rings F to fit the open ends of the barrel and
support the staves, while the barrel is being formed.
Third. The arrangement for building up the above described circumference,
consisting of two or more endless chains & running at right angles to the length of
barrel and furnished with vertical projections the staves being arranged in a box b
of about the same inside length as the barrel, to be formed and containing a
sufficient number of staves for one barrel, the lowest of these staves resting upon
the chains and being caught by the hooks T and carried forward with the chain
so as to allow the next stave to drop into its place which is in like manner carried
forward and so on until the box is empty.
Fourth. The pivoted bracket or frame P provided with hooks f which bracket
is moveable up and down for the purpose of keeping the staves separated and
leaving an opening for the insertion of the wedges.
Eifth. The arrangement for increasing or decreasing the distance between the
ugs F by means of the pieces H and the levers J and L as above described.
Sixth. The arrangement for driving the wedges from both ends into the above
mentioned opening in the circumference which consists of a guide g at each end of
the machine in which cross pieces work, the said cross pieces being operated in any
suitable manner.
Seventh. The magazine for supplying the wedges provided with a bottom which
is movable up and down and which is counter-balanced by weights and of such a
shape as to always keep the wedges in the right position ready to be run into the
opening in the rings F

page_text: Eighth. The arrangement for raising and lowering the above described pro-
jections for clearing the way for the wedges, which arrangement consists of a
lever fixed at the side of the guide y and worked by the cross piece h, and
further connected with the frame P.
Dated this 13th day of April 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.