Improvements in Apparatus for Tilting Casks or other Receptacles of Liquids.
Year: 1887

page_text: .Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1837.
Complete Left, 22nd Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Improvements in Apparatus for Tilting Casks or other Receptacles
of Liquids.
We WILLIAM HOWARD HAINES, of 179 Cattell Road, Small Heath, Birmingham,
Engineer, and WILLIAM LITTLE, of Cherrywood Lane, Bordesley Green Birmingham,
Innkeeper, both in the county of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus used for the tilting of casks, tanks, or other
similar bodies, containing liquid, during the process of the drawing off of their
contents, and has for its object, the more perfect control of such apparatus when in,
and not in use, and the more steady, continuous, and automatic working when in
operation.
The precise details of the construction of this invention, may be somewhat varied
according to the strength or power which may be required, but essentially it would be
made as follows:-
Assuming for description sake its application to an ordinary wine or ale cask, we
should proceed somewhat thus. We should form a cylinder of a suitable diameter
and length, and having at each end covers which are securely fastened thereto, and
which may be further secured from end to end to each other by tie rods passing
lengthwise and upon the outside of the cylinder, from snugs formed upon one cover,
to similar snugs formed upon the other cover, in order to take the strain of the weight
from the barrel part of the cylinder. Within the cylinder we provide a piston, and a
piston rod.
Around the piston rod we place a spring of a spiral or involute form, which would
be expansive in force, and tend to drive the piston up the cylinder. Instead of this
spring however being in front of the piston, we may put it if desired upon the rear
side of the said piston, when it would then be in tension. We should place this spring
inside the cylinder by preference, although it might be upon the outside.
At each end of the cylinder, we form a port or passage, and further carry a pipe or
passage connecting these two passages together, upon the outside of the cylinder, thus
forming a communication from one side of the piston to that of the other. About

page_text: midway, or other suitable point in this outside communicating pipe, (which would be
small in area, in comparison with the piston) we fix a tap, to stop or check such
passage at will. The necessary taps, or plugs &c for the admission and emission of
liquid to and from the cylinder, and the packing &e of the piston and the rod would
be duly observed.
Provision would be made at the one end (upper) of the cylinder whereby it may be
attached to a fixture or other contrivance over the cask to be tilted, while at the other
(piston rod) end, a hook or other suitable fastening would be formed whereby it may
be attached to a rod, chain, lever &c. At the front of the cask we should place a claw
or claws, to which would be attached a rod, rods, chain, or chains, passing towards the
rear part of the cask and terminating with a pulley. A similar claw or claws, chain
or chains would be provided at the rear end of the cask, the chain of the latter passing
under the pulley of the former, the end of which is then secured to the piston rod
end, which is situated over, and near the rear part of the cask; this connecting
mechanism to the cask may however be somewhat modified in form.
Having now opened the tap in the communicating pipe, and filled the latter
together with the cylinder with oil or other fluid, we connect the cylinder to the
ceiling or other fixture, then connect the cylinder again to the cask as before
described, the weight of the cask would bring the piston down against the spring,
forcing the liquid to the upper part of the piston, when the tap would be closed, thus
preventing any further motion of the piston, either up or down. By now opening the
tap, as the cask becomes discharged and consequently lighter, the spring acts, raising
the piston, and forcing the liquid through the opened tap from the upper to the lower
side of the said piston.
By thus having to force the liquid or fluid through the communicating pipe, any
unsteady motion or vibration of the spring is prevented, and so the cask may be tilted
steadily and automatically.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Tilting Casks or other Receptacles
of Liquids.
We WILLIAM HOWARD HAINES of 179 Cattell Road, Small Heath, Birmingham,
Engineer, and WILLIAM LITTLE of Cherrywood Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham
Innkeeper, both in the county of Warwick, 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 relates to apparatus used for the tilting of casks, tanks, or other
similar bodies containing liquid, during the process of the drawing off of their
contents, and to the more perfect control of such apparatus when in use, and the more
steady, continuous, and automatic working when in operation, and consists primarily
in the application of a cylinder containing a fluid or liquid substance, this substance
being made to control an operating or lifting spring by means of a tap or valve.
The precise details of the construction of this invention may be varied according to
the strength or power which may be required, and to the economical disposition of its
parts, but essentially it would be made as follows:-Assuming for description sake its
application to an ordinary ale or wine cask, we may proceed somewhat thus:-We
should form a cylinder of a suitable diameter and length, having at each end covers
which are securely fastened thereio, and which may be further secured from end to
end by tie rods passing lengthwise and upon the outside of the cylinder from snugs
formed upon one cover, to similar snugs formed upon the other cover, in order to take
the strain of the weight &c from the barrel part of the cylinder. Within the cylinder
we provide a piston, and a piston rod.
Around the piston rod we place a spring of a spiral or involuto form, which would
be expansive in force, and tend to drive the piston up the cylinder. Instead of this
spring however being in front of the piston, we may put it if desired, upon the rear
side of the said piston, when it would then he in tension. We should place this
spring inside the cylinder by preference, although it might be placed upon the
outside.
At each end of the cylinder we form a port or passage, and further carry a pipe or
passage, connecting these two passages together, upon the outside of the cylinder,
thus forming a communication from one side of the piston to that of the other.
About midway, or at other suitable point in this outside communicating pipe,
(which would be small in area in comparison with the piston) we fix a tap, to stop or
check such passage at will. The necessary taps, or plugs &c for the admission and
emission of liquid to and from the cylinder, and the packing &e of the piston and the
rod would be duly observed. Provision would be made at the one end (upper) of the
cylinder whereby it may be attached to a fixture or other contrivance over the cask to
be tilted, while at the other (piston rod) end, a hook or other suitable fastening would
be formed whereby, it may be attached to a rod, chain, lever &c. At the front of the

page_text: cask we should place a claw or claws, to which would be attached a rod, rods, chain or
chains, passing towards the rear part of the cask and terminating with a pulley. A
similar claw or claws, chain or chains would be provided at the rear end of the cask,
the chain of the latter passing under the pulley of the former, the end of which is
then secured to the piston rod end, which is situated over and near the rear part of
the cask.
This connecting mechanism of the piston rod end of the cask, may however he
modified in form, as for instance we may make the chain from the claw or claws at
the front end of the barrel, continue on to the claw or claws at the rear end of the
cask, and in connection therewith place a pulley upon the end of, or in continuation
of, the end of the piston rod, and further having a hook or catch, to fix the position
of the pulley upon the said chain or chains.
We will now proceed to more particularly describe this our invention with the aid
of the accompanying illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters
of reference, and upon which like letters refer throughout to the same thing.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the cylinder.
.
Fig. 2 is a general view of the application of this our invention to the tilting of a
cask, from above it.
Fig. 3 is a general view of this our invention as it may be applied to the tilting of
a cask, from below it.
Fig. 4 is a detailed view, showing how, the claws and chain may in some instances
be used instead of, as shewn in Fig. 2.
A is the cylinder, having at each end covers B, B 1, which are securely fastened
thereto, and which may be further secured from end to end to each other, by two or
more tie rods C, connecting such covers together, by reason of snugs D. Within the
cylinder we provide a piston E, and a piston rod F.
Around the piston rod we place a spring G, of a spiral or involute form which
would be expansive in force, and tend to drive the piston up the cylinder.
At each end of the cylinder we form a port or passage H, H 1, and also carry a pipe
or passage I, connecting these two passages H, HI, together, which thus forms a
communication from one side of the piston to that of the other. About midway or at
other suitable point in this outside communicating pipe, we fix a tap J to stop or
check such passage at will. K, is a screw plug for the purpose of filling the cylinder
with liquid, or, for emptying the same.
At L provision is made whereby, when being used over a barrel, it may be attached
or connected to a beam &c overhead, as in Fig. 2, or be further formed into a joint
similar as shown at L Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 we have shewn the cylinder connected to
the barrel after the following manner-M is a chain having at its front end a claw N
which clips over the end of the barrel, and also provided at its other end with a similar
claw O. To the end of the piston rod, we have attached a pulley P, over which the
chain M rides.
To prevent the pulley slipping along the chain, we provide the hook or catch Q,
which may be hooked into any of the links of the chain, and so adjust the relative
vertical position of the cylinder, to the end of the barrel.
In some instances, we may modify this form of connection, and make it similar as
shewn in Fig. 4, where the chain M terminates with the pulley P, and the vertical
chain R continues on round the pulley to the claw O,
In Fig. 3 we have shown how this our invention may be applied to the tilting of
casks from below. The size and weight of the casks, would however chiefly deter-
mine the precise method of mounting the said casks, and of applying the lifting
force of the piston rod thereto, the method shown however would be suitable for
moderate sizes of casks. A belt or cradle of (wrought) iron S is made to cross
the front of the cask, having pivots or their equivalents formed at T, and continued
on to the rear underside of the cask at U, for the purpose of forming a joint or other
form against which the piston rod may lift. This belt or cradle may if desired he
made of chains, having instead of pivots, hooks to hang upon the frames V.
For larger casks it will be readily seen that by providing any simple contrivance at

page_text: the front to prevent slipping, the thrust of the piston rod may easily be arranged to
lift against the upper part (underneath) of the rear end of the said cask, if desired.
In this and similar cases, Fig. 3, the spring G Fig. 1, is placed upon the opposite
side of the piston, to that shown. These springs may in some cases, in order to sliorten
the length of the apparatus be made of an involute form.
The action of this our invention will now be understood to be as follows:-
By withdrawing the screw plug K, when used with a liquid, which would generally
be the case, oil being preferred, the said oil would be poured into the cylinder, until
the cylinder (upon both sides of the piston) and the communicating passage is full, the
said plug being again replaced.
The piston rod is now pulled out as far as possible, then the tap J, is closed, the oil
in the upper part of the cylinder and passage being compressed by the spring.
The upper end of the cylinder is now connected to the ceiling or other convenient
fixture, and the piston rod end to the chain &c upon the cask. The tap J is now
opened a little way to allow a small flow of oil to pass from the upper to the lower
side of the piston.
As the contents of the cask &c are drawn off, the cask &c becoming lighter, the
spring forces the piston up the cylinder, but in doing so, it must force the oil slowly
through the tap, which produces a steady, smooth and automatic motion upon the
piston, and consequently upon the lifting or tilting of the cask &c, and which permits
of the contents to be drawn off perfectly clear.
The action of this our invention when applied to the lifting of casks, from below,
would be similar in nature and principle, and varied only according to the detail of
construction.
In some instances (although we prefer the method already described) we may
dispense with the communicating pipe I, and form the communication from the one
side of the piston to the other by providing an aperture through the said piston, and
attaching thereto a small valve, to allow the fluid when under pressure to flow
through, and a larger valve, may be also formed in the piston, opening the opposite
way to the small one, so that when pulling the spring into action, the fluid would
quickly pass through on to the opposite side of the piston, when this said valve would
close, and the small one come into operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1st. The improvements in apparatus for tilting casks, or other receptacles of liquids
substantially as herein described and illustrated that is to say, the controlling of an
operative, (or lifting) spring, by means of a fluid or liquid substance within a cylinder,
such substance being regulated by a tap or valve.
2nd. The controlling of an operative (or lifting) spring, by means of a fluid or
liquid substance within a cylinder, such substance being regulated by a valve or
valves arranged in the piston of such cylinder, substantially as herein described and
for the purposes set forth.
3rd. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus, substantially as herein
described and illustrated in reference to Fig. 2, as and for the purposes set forth.
4th. The combination and general arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein
described, and illustrated in reference to Fig. 3, às and for the purposes set forth.
5th. The combination and general arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein
described and illustrated in reference to Fig. 4, as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 18th day of Wubruary 1987
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.