IMPROVEMENTS IN STANDS FOR CASKS AND BARRELS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Kraut, of Zurich, in Switzerland, En-
gineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STANDS FOR CASKS
AND BARRELS."
Sealed the 1st April 1854, and dated the 8th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Kraut at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th October 1853.
I, HENRY KRAUT, of Zurich, in Switzerland, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STANDS
FOR CASKS AND BARRELS" to be as follows:-
They consist in a self-acting apparatus by which casks or barrels are
gradually tilted as the quantity of liquid they contain becomes less, so
that the whole of the liquor contained in such barrel may be drawn off-
perfectly clear. My arrangements for effecting this are as follows:-
The back of the cask or barrel is supported by one or more spiral or

page_text: other springs, which rest upon the stand or frame; between the barrel
and the springs a cross piece or saddle fitting the barrel may be put,
and this saddle be connected with the front piece of the frame by two
rods or bars moving on-hinges fixed to the front piece. The strength
of the springs is so regulated that after one half or three quarters of
the contents of the barrel have been drawn off they begin to raise the
barrel from behind, and continue to do so gradually and almost imper-
ceptibly in proportion as the liquid becomes less, and until the barrel is
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Kraut in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th April 1854.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY KRAUT, of Zurich, in Switzerland, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS: Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her*
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her, reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Kraut, Her special licence that
I, the said Henry Kraut, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Kraut, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STANDS FOR CASKS
AND BARRELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Kráut, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and' ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be: filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the-said- Henry Kraut, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
My improvements consist in certain self-acting apparatus by which
casks or barrels are gradually tilted in proportion. as the quantity of
liquor they contain is-drawn off.
is
**
a front elevation of a stand for
Fig. 2, is a side elevation. of the
Fig.1, in the annexed Drawing is
barrels of thirty-six gallons or less.
sante. a, a, is the stand,. to which is hinged the frame or saddle b, b,
upon which the barrel A, is placed opposite to the hinges ; the toothed
segment e, is fixed to the frame at ''; the lower end of this segment is
provided with notches 1, 2, 3, into which the spring d takes, which is
suspended from the knob f, [see also Figures 3, 4, & 5,] fixed to the
plate y. The plate y,.is screwed on to the top of the upright a', and
provided with a groove g', in which the catch e, slides... The seg-
ment passes through the groove g', in the plate y, and space is cut
out in the upright a to admit the same. Over the lower part el of the
catchie, and. over the knob f,a caoutchouc spring h, is looped, which
pressos the catché, against the teeth of the segment c, [see Figs. 3,
and and when a full barrel is being placed upon the stand the
frame b, segment, and spring dare in the respective positions repre-
sented in Fig 2: The catche, is then withdrawn from the teeth
of the segment by the rod or wire is whereupon the weight of the
-barrel will depress the part of the frame or saddle, and the spring d,
will be extended until the part e* rests upon the flange g*, when the
catches is again allowed to fake into the teeth of the segment &.
According to the size and weight of the barrel the spring dis hooked
into one of the notches 1, 2, or 3.. After the barrel has been emptied
to a certain extent the spring d, will begin to tilt the barrel, and con-
tinue to do so gradually in proportion as the liquor is being drawn-off.
By this means any sediment will remain undisturbed; and the liquor
clear to the last. The teeth in the segment.c, and the catch e, are
for the purpose of preventing the barrel from vibrating, and every
time the barrel 'is lifted the space of one tooth the catch will take

page_text: hold and support the segment. Fig. 6, is an end elevation, and
Figure 7, a side view, partly in section, of an apparatus for tilting
barrels or casks of a larger size; and Fig. 8, is a ground plan, partly
in section, of the same. The barrel A is supposed to rest upon blocks
of wood or similar supports B. a, a, is a hollow pillow of cast iron
resting upon the forked foot b; the upper part b₁ of which is cylin-
drical, and fits into the lower end of the pillar a. The bracket or
foot c, is cast of one piece with the tubular part c', which is provided
with a rack c gearing into the pinion d, (see Fig. 8.) Upon the
pinion shaft d' are fixed the ratchet wheels e, and e', having their teeth
placed in opposite directions, which are held by the clicks f, f¹. The
shaft is supported by the brackets a' cast on the pillar a. The
pillar a, is provided on either side with a slot a", by which the foot c,
and rack c², are introduced and guided. When the tube c¹ is being
introduced into the pillar a, the caoutchouc spring g, is hooked on to
the hook h; the other end of the spring is then introduced into the
cap a³, the peg i, passed through it, and the cap a placed on the pillar.
The tube c', which is at first held at the top of the pillar, is now
brought down into the position shewn in the Drawing by turning the
pinion d, by means of the handle k, the catch f, having been previously
thrown out of gear. This being done, the foot c, is placed under the
..barrel, and the round head of the pin i, made to rest against the end
of the barrel, when the catch f, is again thrown into gear, and the
catch (see Fig. 9.) thrown out of gear. The spring g, is now at
liberty gradually to tilt the barrel or cask in a similar manner, as
described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2. In order to adjust the
apparatus to the height of the barrel the cylindrical part 6 of the
foot b, is drawn out of the pillar the required distance. The catch 7,
takes into the notches of the cylindrical part of the foot b', and is
kept in its position by the spring m.
.
It is evident that such apparatus for tilting casks or barrels might
be constructed in various other ways; for instance, the spring might be
applied in front, having its fixed end at or near the lower part of the
stand shewn in Figures 1, and 2, and causing it to act upon aver
having its fulcrum between the two uprights or feet of the stand, the

page_text: opposite end of the lever being connected with the frame or saddle
which the barrel is placed by a link or connecting rod.
upon
What I claim as of my Invention is, the application of springs made
of steel, caoutchouc, or other suitable material for the purpose of effect-
ing the tilting of casks or barrels, such springs tilting or causing to
tilt such casks or barrels in consequence of the diminution of the
weight or contents of the casks or barrels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Kraut, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
HENRY KRAUT. (L.S.)