Improvements in the Method of and Machinery for Making Casks and Barrels and for Putting On the Hoops.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Machinery for Making Casks
and Barrels and for Putting On the Hoops.
I, WILLIAM HENRY RENWICK of 54 Bewick Road, Gateshead, Durham
Cement Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
"
"
The staves of which the casks or barrels are to be made may be "raised" or
"get up
before or
by any convenient means; they may be heated or "fired
after being "raised" or not at all, and held together by truss hoops or otherwise.
I take the cask or barrel before or after it is trussed and placing it on a suitably
arranged frame, bench, or machine I compress it by means of ropes, chains,
cradles or sweeps or by other mechanical contrivance and while it is so compressed
I remove the truss hoops, if any, and put on the permanent hoops either without
driving or with much less than by the ordinary methods. The compression being
then removed, the expansion of the cask or barrel will have sufficiently tightened
the hoops. One or both of the ends may be put in either before or after the cask
or barrel is placed on the machine or after it is taken off.
The following is the arrangement of machine I prefer for effecting the objects
named.
A frame of wood or other material supports two motion bars in which slide two
motion blocks. In these motion blocks two nuts are placed through which works a
right and left handed screw fitted with and actuated by a wheel or suitable handle.
Two cross-bars are fixed to the motion blocks, one or both of them being arranged
to "swivel" to equalise the strain on the ropes. These cross-bars are provided
with hooks-fixed or moveable-to which may be attached ropes of wire or
other material each or all of which may be adjustable by screws, wheels or
other means.
By these means the cask or barrel is compressed, the permanent hoops being
placed in position thereon either without driving or with much less than by present
methods. One or both of the ends may be put in at any part of the process which
may be found most convenient.
By my method a great saving of labour is effected and consequently of
cost: the hoops are tighter than when put on in the ordinary way and the work
technically termed or known as "hardening" is rendered almost, if not wholly
. unnecessary.
Dated this 6th day of January 1892.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Machinery for Making Casks
and Barrels and for Putting On the Hoops.
I, WILLIAM HENRY RENWICK, 54 Bewick Road, Gateshead, Durham, Cement
Manufacturer, 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 :-
"
The staves of which the casks or barrels are to be made may be "raised" or
"get up
"fired" before or
by any convenient means; they may be heated or
after being raised or not at all, and held together by truss hoops or otherwise.
I take the cask or barrel before or after it is trussed and placing it on a suitably

page_text: 1"
arranged frame, bench, or machine, I compress it by means of ropes, chains,
cradles, or sweeps or by other mechanical contrivance and while it is so compressed
I remove the truss hoops if any and, put on the permanent hoops, either without
driving, or with much less than by the ordinary methods. The compression being
then removed the expansion of the cask or barrel will have sufficiently tightened
the hoops. One or both of the ends may be put in either before or after the cask,
or barrel, is placed on the machine or after it is taken off.
The following is the arrangement of machine I prefer for effecting the
objects named.
A frame of wood or other material supports two motion bars in which slide two
motion blocks. In these motion blocks two nuts are placed through which works a
right and left hand screw fitted with and actuated by a wheel or suitable handle.
Two cross bars are fixed to the motion blocks one or both of these being arranged
to swivel to equalize the strain on the ropes. These cross bars are provided with
hooks, fixed or moveable, to which may be attached ropes of wire or other material
each, or, all of which may adjustable by screws, wheels, or other means.
By these means the cask or barrel is compressed, the permanent hoops being
placed in position thereon either without driving or with much less than by present
methods. One or both of the ends may be put in at any part of the process which
may be found most convenient.
By my method a great saving of labour is effected and consequently of cost; the
hoops are tighter than when put on in the ordinary way and the work technically
termed or known as "hardening" is rendered almost if not wholly unnecessary.
i In the drawing hereto attached in which Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 an elevation,
and Fig. 3 an end view, and the lettering of which is the same in each figure for
(the same parts, A. A. represents the frame, bench, or machine, but as to which any
modification of details may be made without in any way affecting my invention.
.B. B. are the equivalents of what I have described as ropes, chains, cradles, or
sweeps or other mechanical contrivances.
In the drawing I represent this compressing appliance as consisting of wire rope
which I find to be convenient for the purpose. Aa. Aa. are the two motion bars;
and Ab. Ab. the two motion blocks, and C. C. are the nuts on the same, and D. D.
the right and left hand screws working into these nuts. E. E. are what I have
described as the wheel or suitable handle for actuating the screws, omitted in
Fig. 3 for the sake of clearness. Although I have described and drawn two
motion blocks and two nuts, screws, and wheels, I would have it understood that
my invention can be carried out with only one such motion block, nut, screw, and
I wheel, if a fixed support be given to the compressing ropes at the other end, but I
prefer to use right and left hand screws as shown. It is also to be understood that
the screws might be right and left hand screws, or both right hand or both left
hand screws, when they would be of course turned separately in the desired
direction to tighten or loosen the compressing appliances. F. F. are the cross bars
fixed to the motion blocks. F¹ being shown as that one arranged to swivel, so as to
equalize the strain on the two ends of the cask, and F' being rigid. The bar F¹
swivels on the pin G. The hooks I have described as attached to these cross bars
are marked H. H. and the mode of adjustment of the same is by the screws and
wheels I. I. and the screws and nuts J. J. The object of this adjustment by nuts
is to give the desired amount of strain to each rope without the necessity of
observing great accuracy in the mere attachment of the ropes, and the object of
the wheels and screws I. I. is to enable me to relax when desired the pressure on
the ends of the cask when the permanent hoops have been put on as after
described.
"
When the various appliances are arranged as in the drawing and adjusted to the
required degree it will be observed that by turning the screws D.D. in the required
direction a strain is put upon the whole periphery of the cask by each rope in
the line of its application, so as, almost independently of any slight variations in
the thickness of the staves to give an equal strain of stave on stave on the lines of

page_text: their junction, and that, dependent upon the pitch of the screws and the amount of
force applied and the strength of the ropes and holding appliances any desired
degree of compression may be given.
To explain with greater facility the operation of the machine I will assume that
truss hoops have been applied although as already explained they are not a
necessary part of my invention and any other convenient arrangement may be
used, these truss hoops I have marked K. K.
The cask with its truss hoops thus on is laid on the machine preferably in a
supporting frame marked L, and the wire ropes are slipped on as in the drawing,
the nuts J. J. having been previously adjusted to give equal length to the inner
ropes and the nut wheels I. I. being screwed up to the required degree. I then
apply the desired pressure by means of the screws D. D. and while this pressure is
on the cask I press on preferable only by hand, one or more of the permanent
hoops of the cask ends, and I draw back also by hand the truss hoops so far as the
outer wire ropes will allow me to do it. I then by means of the nut wheels I. I.
slacken the outer ropes, and I find that the elasticity of the material of the cask is
sufficient if adequate pressure has been applied to give the required tightness to the
permanent hoops, I then slip the outer ropes off the ends of the cask and then
remove the truss hoops. This clearance enables me to put on the permanent hoops
intended for the quarter or belly of the cask which I also preferably merely press
on by hand and when these permanent hoops are in their places I slack the
screws D. D. and bring the ropes over the ends of the cask and remove it from the
machine. I have represented the end hoops as put on, marked M, and the position
of belly or swell hoops by dotted lines N. N. As the heading of the cask does not
form a part of my invention I will merely say that the head or heads may be
applied before the permanent hooping or after as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it
understood as already indicated that I do not confine myself to the specific details
of the arrangements described but I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination of screw or screws and frames and ropes or their equivalents
substantially as described for the purpose of producing in a convenient and simple
way such compression on the staves of a cask or barrel as shall make the application
of the permanent hoops the simple process I have described.
Dated this Fifth day of October 1892.