Improvements relating to the Cleansing of Casks, Barrels, and other Receptacles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Cleansing of Casks, Barrels, and
other Receptacles.
I. HERBERT ARTHUR COUCHMAN, of Hillside, Shobnall Road, Burton-on-Trent
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the provision of simple and convenient means and
appliances whereby casks, barrels, and other receptacles, can be more efficiently and
readily cleansed than by the methods now employed for such purpose.
My invention comprises the application of a jet or jets or a thin stream of cleansing
fluid which I cause to impinge upon the whole of the interior surface of the cask
or other receptacle under a sufficient pressure to thoroughly cleanse the same.
In the application of my invention to the purpose of cleansing beer casks, I convey
the water employed for such cleansing into the interior of the cask by means of a pipe
passed through the hung-hole, the pipe having such joints, guides, and fittings, as
will permit of its reciprocation across the full diameter of the cask. Such movement
is obtained by a hand wheel and gearing arranged in connection with the pipe; by
means of hydraulic pressure acting on a continuation of the pipe serving as a ram or
piston within a cylinder; or in any other convenient manner.
The upper end of the pipe which enters the cask has a nozzle or distributing head
fitted to it, of such a form as to direct a jet or jets or a thin stream of water, prefer-
ably horizontally, on to the inner surface of the cask, and I sometimes pierce the top
of the nozzle or distributing head to direct a vertical or angular sheet or jet of water
on to the cask.
The cask to be cleansed is rolled into position on the trough like bed or supports
of my cleansing apparatus and the force pipe is passed through the bung-hole by the
action of the hydraulic or other operating mechanism. The force pipe admission
valve is then turned on causing a jet or stream of water to issue with great velocity
from the nozzle or head and to impinge upon the adjacent inner surface of the cask.
By the action of the operating mechanism, controlled in the case of the hydraulic
appliances by a suitable valve or valves, the force pipe is raised and lowered within
the cask and thus every portion of its interior is brought under the action of the jet
or thin sheet of high pressure water and is thereby efficiently and readily cleansed.
After impinging upon the inner surface of the cask the water falls towards the bung-
hole and passes out through the annular space formed by the difference between the
size of the bung-hole and the external diameter of the force pipes.
At the close of such cleansing operation, after closing the hydraulic admission
valve of the pressure pipe, I sometimes pass steam into the cask, preferably through
the same pipe, for the purpose of facilitating the thorough draining of the vessel.
I sometimes steam the interior of the cask before the application of the hydraulic
jet, and I also sometimes raise the temperature of the water employed in my
hydraulic cleansing apparatus.
The necessary pressure is imparted to the water by the action of steam pumps or
in auy other ordinary manner.
I employ nozzles or distributing heads for the hydraulic pressure pipe of varying

page_text: shapes to ensure an effective action over the entire interior surface of the particular
vessels to be cleansed, or to remove any exceptionally hard deposit at any part of the
same. Thus in the case of beer casks or barrels, I sometimes employ with the one
apparatus a pair of pressure pipes, one being fitted with a nozzle especially shaped
for the cleansing of the surface around the bung-hole whilst the other is of a form more
suitable for the general cleansing of the vessel.
The cask may be caused to revolve upon its table or support by the action of
suitable gear or mechanism, or the cask may remain stationary and the hydraulic or
steam nozzle or distributing head be caused to revolve.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to the Cleansing of Casks, Barrels, and
other Receptacles.
I, HERBERT ARTHUR COUCHMAN, of Hillside, Shobnall Road, Burton-on-Trent,
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the provision of simple and convenient means and
appliances whereby casks, barrels, and other receptacles, can be more efficiently and
readily cleansed than by the methods now employed for such purpose.
My invention comprises the application of a jet or jets or a thin stream of cleansing
fluid which I cause to impinge upon the whole of the interior surface of the cask or
other receptacle under a sufficient pressure to remove deposits of solid matter and to
thoroughly cleanse the said surface.
In carrying my invention into effect for the cleansing of beer casks, bottles, or other
vessels, convey the water under pressure employed for such cleansing into the
interior of the vessel by means of a pipe passed through the bung-hole, neck, or other
aperture, the pipe having such joints, guides, and fittings, as will permit of its recipro-
cation within the vessel. Such movement is obtained by a hand wheel and gearing
arranged in connection with the pipe; by means of hydraulic pressure acting on a
continuation of the pipe serving as a ram or piston within a cylinder; or in any other
convenient manner.
The end of the pipe which enters the vessel has a nozzle or distributing head fitted
to it, of such a form as to direct a fine jet or jets or a thin stream of the high pressure
water, on to the inner surface of the vessel.
The vessel to be cleansed is placed in position on the bed or supports of my cleansing
machine or apparatus and the force pipe is passed through the bung-hole or other
aperture by the action of the hydraulic or other operating mechanism. The force
pipe admission valve is then turned on causing a jet or stream of water to issue with
great velocity from the nozzle or head and to impinge upon the adjacent inner surface
of the vessel. By the action of the operating mechanism, controlled in the case of
the hydraulic appliances by a suitable valve or valves, the force pipe is raised and
lowered within the cask and thus every portion of its interior is brought under the
action of the jet or jets or thin sheet of high pressure water and is thereby efficiently
and readily cleansed. After impinging upon the inner surface of the cask the water
falls towards the bung-hole or other aperture and passes out through the annular

page_text: space formed by the difference between the size of the bung-hole and the external
diameter of the force pipes, or it may be drained or cleared of the cleansing water
in any other convenient manner.
At the close of such cleansing operation, after closing the hydraulic admission
valve of the pressure pipe, I sometimes pass steam into the vessel for the purpose of
facilitating its thorough draining.
I sometimes steam the interior of the cask before the application of the hydraulic
jet, and I also sometimes raise the temperature of the water employed in my hydraulic
cleansing apparatus.
The necessary pressure is imparted to the water by the action of steam pumps or in
any other ordinary manner.
I employ nozzles or distributing heads for the hydraulic pressure pipe of varying
shapes to ensure an effective action over the entire interior surface of the particular
vessels to be cleansed, or to remove any exceptionally hard deposit at any part of the
same. Thus in the case of beer casks or barrels, I sometimes employ with the one
apparatus a pair of pressure pipes, one being fitted with a nozzle especially shaped
for the cleansing of the surface around the hung-hole whilst the other is of a form
more suitable for the general cleansing of the vessel.
The cask may be caused to revolve upon its table or support by the action of
suitable and ordinary gear or mechanism, or the cask may remain stationary and the
hydraulic or steam nozzle or distributing head be caused to revolve.
Instead of arranging for the reciprocation of the hydraulic nozzle within the interior
of the vessel as hereinbefore described, I sometimes employ a fixed or stationary
nozzle and arrange any suitable and ordinary mechanism for the reciprocation of the
barrel.
In the three accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, Figure 1 is a side
elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation representing in outline one type of a beer
cask or like cleansing machine as constructed and arranged in accordance with my
invention.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent to a larger scale three types of my hydraulic cleansing
nozzles.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
Referring to the drawings, the barrel or cask A to be cleansed is rolled along the
inclined bed or trough B of the machine and brought to rest between rollers C, such
rollers being so arranged that the cask shall be centrally between the hydraulic
pressure pipes D and D¹. The pipe D is attached to a piston working within the
cylinder E at the upper end of the frame or standard F, whilst the pipe Di is attached
to a piston working within the cylinder E which is fixed beneath the barrel as shown
at Figure 1. By means of water or other fluid pressure acting upon the pistons within
the cylinders E and E respectively, the pipes D and D₁ can be reciprocated as
required in a vertical direction and thus move across the interior of the barrel or
cask.
The water or other fluid at the required pressure for effecting the movement of the
piston in the cylinder E is conveyed from a supply pipe or tube represented by the
line G, by a branch pipe G¹ to the valve g of a four way type, and from such
valve is conveyed to the required end of the cylinder by the pipes G2 and G3 respec-
tively; the exhaust from the cylinder is conveyed from the valve g by the pipe G*.
I preferably operate the valve gas may be required by the hand wheel g¹ which is
connected with the valve g in any suitable and ordinary manner. The pressure water
for the cleansing of the barrel or cask is supplied through the main pipe H, and from
such pipe a branch H¹ conveys the water to the movable discharge pipe D. The
branch H is fitted with a valve h which is operated by the hand wheel h¹; the upper
portions H2 and H3 of the branch pipe H are suitably jointed to perinit them to
automatically adjust themselves to the movement of the pipe D.
In like manner the water or other fluid for effecting the movement of the piston in
the cylinder E' is conveyed from the supply pipe G through the four way valve g²
(which is operated by the hand wheel g³) and thence by the pipes G³ and Go to the

page_text: required end of the cylinder; the exhaust is conveyed from the valve g2 by the
pipe G7.
Also the pressure water for the cleansing of the barrel or cask has access to
pipe D by way of the branch H* such branch being fitted with a controlling valve h
which is operated by the hand wheel h³.
When the bung-hole of the barrel or cask A is at the top side and in line with the
pipe D the said pipe can be lowered into the barrel and reciprocated within the same.
I fit the free end of the pipe D with a nozzle which is preferably of the type shown
at Figure 3 having small perforations disposed as shown in order that fine jets of
pressure water shall issue in the direction indicated by the arrows and thus cleanse
the upper part of the inner surface of the vessel. On withdrawing the pipe D from
the barrel or cask A and turning the latter round upon the rollers C until it is
immediately over the pipe D1, the said pipe D¹ can then be inserted in the barrel and
moved across its interior by the action of the piston in the cylinder E¹. I fit the free
end of the pipe D₁ with a nozzle which is preferably of the type shown at Figure 4
having small perforations so disposed as to cause the pressure water to issue in the
direction by the arrows.
I sometimes employ a nozzle of a dome shape as illustrated at Figure 5 with a very
narrow annular aperture as J between the upper and lower parts to cause the pressure
water to issue from its bollow interior in the form of a fine sheet, and I employ
other types or forms of nozzles to suit varying services or requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The application of high pressure water or other fluid for cleansing the interior
of a cask, barrel, bottle, or other receptacle, substantially as described.
2. In machines or appliances for cleansing casks, barrels, bottles, or other re-
ceptacles, the combination comprising a nozzle or nozzles or like parts through which
water or other fluid is caused to issue at a great velocity in a fine jet or jets or as a
thin stream, with means for effecting the movement of the said nozzle or nozzles or
like parts whilst the vessel to be cleansed is retained in one position, or for moving
the vessel whilst the nozzle or nozzles or like parts are retained in one position, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming a machine for the
cleansing of beer casks and other ves-els, substantially as described and as illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1898,
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.('., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.