IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANSING CASKS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Chappell Potts, of New Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Cooper, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CLEANSING CASKS."
Sealed the 7th August 1857, and dated the 11th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Chappell Potts at:
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th February 1857.
I, GEORGE CHAPPELL POTTS, of New Oxford Street, in the County "of
Middlesex, Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANSING CASES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in cleansing casks relates to the position in
which they are held while being agitated or caused to rotate for rinsing and
scouring out the interior of the cask, by means of water or other fluid and
gravel or other grit or scouring materials, introduced for that purpose.
In cleaning casks hitherto by mechanical means it has been usual to place.
the cask in such position that in the rotary motion imparted to it the cask
was turned end.over end, whereas according to my Invention I place the
cask 'in such position that any given point of the chime or angle of a cask äť

page_text: one end, and a point of the chime 'or 'angle on the opposite side at the other
end of the cask, are in a plane at right angles to the axis of the motion
imparted to the cask for cleansing, in other words, the cask is inclined to the
axis of its motion. For this purpose I employ a suitable frame mounted on
a horizontal axis. In this frame at right angles to the axis I place two
points of support adapted for gripping the angles of the cask in the position
described, which supports may be turned on their axis by hand if it is desired
to vary the position of the cask during the cleansing. Water and other
cleansing materials are introduced at the bunghole.. When motion is im-
parted to a cask, the materials are not merely'inverted in it, but have a violent
side-to-side motion (in the direction of the length of the rotating axis), by
reason of the incline position of the sides of the cask thereto, which side-to-
side motion effectually scours and cleans the cask. The position of the cask
may be more less inclined than that herein-before described, but I prefer that
inclination for the purpose. Motion may be imparted to the caskholder by
hand or otherwise to give the requisite motion for cleaning the cask.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,' filed
by the said George Chappell Potts in the Great Seal Patent Office on.
the 11th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CHAPPELL POTTS, of New Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Cooper,
send greeting.
assigns,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for. Herself, Her 'heirs and successors, give and grant unto 'ine,
the said George Chappell Potts, Her special licence that I, 'the said George
Chappell Potts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Chappell Potts, my executors, administrators, "and" a
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 CLEANSING CASKS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that, I, the said "George Chappell Potts, my executors or administrators, by an
.:3

page_text: instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
ánd 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.
NOW- KNOW YE, that I, the said George Chappell Potts, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed;
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)-
My Invention of improvements in cleansing casks relates to the position in
which they are held while being agitated or caused to rotate for rinsing and
scouring the interior of the cask, by means of water or other fluid, with or
without solid materials suitable for scouring, introduced for that purpose.
For this purpose I fix the cask to be cleaned in an inclined position in a
suitable frame mounted on a horizontal axis supported by bearings, on which
it is caused to rotate by hand, or it may be by steam or other power, the
cleansing materials having been first introduced at the bunghole, which is
then closed. The point of support gripping the chimes or angles of the cask
to sustain it in the frame are adjustible to suit the variation in the size of
casks to a certain extent, and also to vary the position of the cask in the
frame by turning it on those points as an axis. By thus disposing the cask,
and causing it to be rotated with the supporting frame on its axis, the cleaning
materials will not merely be turned over and over, but will be at the same
time violently agitated from side to side, that is to say, somewhat in the
direction of the length of the axis of rotation, which effectually scours and
cleanses the cask.

page_text: The V holding prongs or fangs 9, g, I form to suit the chime or angle of the
cask to be held; the stem h of each of these fangs g, g,..is furnished with
a screw thread fitted with nuts i, i. The stems h, h, are passed through plain
boles in the frame, and are fixed in position by the set nuts i, i. The nuts i, i,
afford the necessary facilities for forcing up and fixing the cask by..the
fangs 9, 9, and also permit of the fangs being adjusted to suit different sizes
of casks. The position of the cask may also be varied at will by turning the
cask round on the stems h, h, as on an axis; this may be done from time to
time as the work progresses, if necessary, the machine being stopped for the
purpose. In order to effect this, the nuts i'i, are slacked on the stems h, h,
which being furnished with squares for applying suitable keys or wrenches,
the stems and the cask with them are partially turned round. .
The mode of operation is as follows:-The cask having been mounted and
fixed in the frame by the fangs g, g, the bung is turned uppermost, and water.
or other fluid, with or without solid materials, introduced into the cask; the
bunghole is then closed, and the frame a, a, with the cask put in motion by.
the winch handle f; the frame a being. turned end over end, gives the neces
sary motion to the cask, and thereby agitates the contents in such a manner
as to effectually scour and cleanse the interior of the cask so submitted to its
action. The contents of the cask are then run out at the bunghole, and
fresh water put in if necessary and the motion repeated, in order to rinse the
çask, which is then removed from the.frame.
Fig. 3 represents another arrangement of the cask in an inclined position.
in the frame a, a, but with the fangs 9, 9, arranged to hold the cask in a
position in line with the axis of rotation of the frame. The frame a, a, is
furnished with parts 1, 1, to carry the axis or journals b, b, and to permit the
introduction of the fangs 9, 9, as represented, otherwise the frame and its
motion is precisely similar to the foregoing arrangement, and need not be
further described. In the rotation of the frame this position of the cask
produces perhaps less violent agitation of the contents of the cask, but will
induce the side-to-side motion,,and will have the desired effect upon the
interior of the cask.
" .:
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I am aware it
has been proposed to employ shingle; sand, or other granulated substances for
the cleansing of casks when made to rotate. I do not, therefore, claim-the
application of such substances or the rotation of casks generally except as
above described; and I hereby declare that I claim as the Invention whereof

page_text: the exclusive use is intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent, the
cleansing casks when fixed in the position and made to rotate, as herein-before.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Chappell Potts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven..
GEORGE CHAPPELL POTTS. (L.S.).
Witness,
W. CLARK,
.53, Chancery Lane, London.