Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Cleaning Barrels, Casks, and the like from Pitch, and for Re-pitching them.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Cleaning Barrels,
Casks, and the like from Pitch, and for Re-pitching them.
A communication from C. F. L. FROMBERG, of Rosswein, (Saxony) in the Empire
of Germany, Brewer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 an apparatus for cleaning barrels casks and the like
from pitch and afterwards without moving them re-pitching them, by means of
superheated steam or heated compressed air. This apparatus is characterised
by the vessel containing pitch being connected to a supply of superheated steam
or compressed air and a bent pipe being rotatable in the wall of the vessel said
bent pipe being in connection with a nozzle pipe to be introduced into the cask,
and by turning the pipe through an angle of 180° causing its end to lie either
in the space of the vessel filled with steam or compressed air or in the boiling
pitch. In the first case hot steam or hot air will pass through the nozzle pipe
into the cask in its other position the pipe branch dipping into the pitch the
pressure of steam or air will force the hot pitch through the pipe into the cask
which has just been cleaned and still remains in the same place. Owing to the
same pipe supplying the cleaning medium as well as the pitch the arrangement
is exceedingly simple. There is in it no pipe or valve through which only pitch
flows and which is liable to be clogged. The pipe through which alternately
pass pitch and hot air or steam is not liable to this, and there is no waste of heat
or pitch.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a diagrammatic arrangement
according to the present invention for four small barrels (for transport) and for
a large cask (for storage) but only one of the nozzle pipes with fittings arranged
on the circumference of the pitch-vessel is shown in the drawing.
Figure 2 is a separate view on an enlarged scale of the nozzle for introducing
steam or pitch into the casks.
The pitch vessel A the longitudinal section of which is preferably elliptical
and the cross section circular is closed and provided with the usual fitting for
vessels containing a fluid under pressure (man-hole, pressure gauge, pyrometer,
safety-valve, etc). It is covered by a cylindrical heat retaining casing B. Over
the vessel A there may be arranged a vessel C with a sieve D for the preliminary
heating and purifying of the pitch said vessel C being connected by a pipe 1
and valve with the vessel A. A pipe 2 from the superheating apparatus or steam
boiler supplies steam to the coil 3 in the vessel A and to the coil 4 in the vessel C
for the purpose of heating said vessels. The exhaust takes place through a pipe 5
into a chimney or a separate pipe 6 into which also enters as hereinafter described

page_text: the exhaust pipe for the escape of vapours produced in cleaning the casks.
Another pipe 7 connects the superheating apparatus with the upper portion of
the pitch vessel so that the latter can be subjected to steam pressure. The supply
of steam through the pipe 2 is regulated so that the pitch is kept at a suitable
temperature the consumption of steam through the pipe 7 being taken into
consideration--and a pyrometer may be used for this purpose.
The horizontal branch of the pipe bend 10 is rotatable in a stuffing box 8 in
the wall of the vessel and in a second stuffing box 9 on any suitable part of the
framing. The band 10 can be rotated through an angle of 180° by means of a
handle 11 on said horizontal branch, so that the vertical branch opens into the
steam space or dips into the pitch (Figure 1 dotted lines). The bend 10 is con
nected to a nozzle pipe 13, a valve 12 being arranged between the two. The
pipe 13 consists of a short strong part and a long movable part carrying the
horizontal branch 14 with the nozzle as shown in Figure 2.
When the barrel F is in the position shown in Figure 1 (bung-hole downwards),
the pipe 14 is introduced into the tap-hole. This rotatable pipe or branch 14
carries a lever 15 and a cone 16 by means of which its engagement with the
tap-hole is rendered air tight (Fig. 2). The cone 16 is provided with non-con-
ducting stuffing to protect the walls of the tap-hole from the injurious effects of
the super-heated steam. By turning the handle 15 the holes of the nozzle 14 can
be directed either up or downwards or in any radial direction.
Instead of the short nozzle pipe 13 a long pipe 13ª with branches lever and
nozzle similar to those described can be connected to the valve 12, when it is
desired to treat a large cask. The cask F¹ part of which may be seen in Figure 1
is placed over a lined pit or trench G.
The small transport barrels F are on the contrary arranged over funnel shaped
recesses of a plate P covering a stage erected round A-B. Owing to their
spheroidal shape the barrels fit the funnel walls sufficiently tightly to enable
the vapours produced-which are extremely unpleasant to the attendants to be
removed. To this end a pipe 17 extends from the space or chamber E into the
pipe 6 (or the chimney replacing the latter) near the exhaust pipe 5. The action
of this arrangement is similar to that of the blast pipe of locomotives. The bottom
of E slopes downwards towards G so that the melted pitch can run down into a
receptacle S placed in G through a passage 18 connecting the spaces E and G.
Through the same passage the suction of the pipe 17 acts in the space G.
When the barrels are laid on the plate P and the nozzle introduced into the tap
holes the vertical branch of the pipe 10 is at first pointed upwards. Then the
valve 12 is opened and steam enters the barrel and melts the old layer of pitch
which runs out through the bung hole. When the cleaning has been completed
the pipe branch is turned downwards and the pressure of steam forces out the
pitch through the branch 10 and pipes 13 and 14. The pitch is sprayed through
the holes of the nozzle all over the barrel which is thus again covered with pitch,
the hot walls of the barrel greedily absorbing the pitch so that the pitching is
effected in a very thorough and quick`manner. The barrel may then be removed
and rolled away.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is:-
1. Apparatus for cleaning barrels from pitch and for re-pitching them afresh
characterised by a closed pitch vessel A connected with a supply of superheated
steam or hot compressed air serving for the cleaning of the casks from pitch and
a bent pipe 10, rotatable about its horizontal branch passing through the wall
of the pitch vessel said pipe being connected to a nozzle pipe as 13-14 the vertical
branch according to the direction in which the pipe is turned entering either the
steam or air space of the vessel or dipping into the pitch and serving as a supply
pipe by means of which the steam or air pressure injects the pitch into the barrel

page_text: any number of said devices being arranged on the vessel substantially as
described.
2. In apparatus of the character described the arrangement round the pitch
vessel of a stage as E covered by a plate as P with funnels or recesses as for receiv-
ing barrels the melted pitch removed from the barrel running down the inclined
bottom of said stage towards a receptacle, the interior hollow space of the stage
being connected by a pipe 17 with a chimney or the blast pipe 6 receiving the
exhaust from the heating device for the pitch vessel, whereby the vapours
produced during cleaning are drawn off and removed substantially as described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete appara-
tus for cleaning barrels casks and the like from pitch and re-pitching them,
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of August 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.