IMPROVEMENT IN KEGS AND BARRELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE HERMAN GILLETTE of 332 East 17th Street, in the City of New
York, County and State of New York, in the United States of America, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN KEGS AND
BARRELS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to that class of kegs and barrels, in the use of which it is
necessary or desirable, that the interior part or surface should be of wood or some
material which will not impart any bad taste to the liquids which they are made
to contain, or which if liable to have any deleterious effect upon the same, is
adapted to receive a coating as of pitch, for instance, on the inside or be otherwise
properly treated.
The use of wooden kegs and barrels in certain industries, particularly the beer
business has heretofore been regarded as indispensable, and while their use in that
business has been almost universal it has been owing not so much to the desirability
of kegs and barrels made entirely of wood, as to the want of kegs or barrels, which
while possessing all the desirable properties of wooden kegs, would be free from the
objections attending their use. This is evident from the fact that while brewers,
have continuously used wooden kegs and barrels for many years, they have done so
at a large expense for cooperage, repairs, and the cost of new kegs to replace those
which have been stolen, as well as those which have been broken up or otherwise
destroyed, and from the further fact that the complaints of brewers at this expense
as well as the annoyance and inconvenience occasioned by the use of wooden kegs
as heretofore constructed have been very general.
The principal objects of my invention are to obviate the objections that have
hitherto been experienced in the use of wooden kegs and to provide kegs and
barrels which while possessing all the desirable properties of wooden kegs or
barrels, will be so protected as to suffer little or no damage during their use, and
also to make them of such construction as to diminish the chance of or motive for
stealing them.
In order to accomplish these objects my invention consists in providing a suitable
covering of metal which is adapted to be used over an ordinary wooden keg or
barrel and further in making a keg or barrel, the inner portion whereof is of wood
or other suitable material, while the outer part is of metal stamped up or wrought

page_text: into shape, conforming to the contour of the inner portion and which may be
secured or fixed thereon, the preferable modes of constructing such kegs or barrels
being hereinafter more fully explained.
In the drawings, figures 1. 2 and 3 are sectional views of a keg cut lengthwise
through the center.
A represents in each figure an outer portion of metal, and B an inner portion of
wood, while c and d indicate respectively portions of the bung and tap holes and
their bushings. These several figures show variations in the manner of joining,
uniting or securing the metal cover or part over and to the inner portion.
In figure 1. the metal is shown as forming a continuous or unbroken surface
which in practice may be accomplished by having one part overlap a depressed
portion of the other part, and joining or uniting them together. In figure 2 one
portion of the metal is shown as overlapping the other, such portion being
sufficiently raised for the purpose, and in figure 3, the sections of metal are
shown as being made to meet, and as being secured by a hoop or collar.
In order to bring the metal into the proper form for use in the construction of a
barrel or keg or to act as a covering for the same, it should be stamped, spun,
turned, cast, rolled or otherwise worked into parts of the requisite shapes so that
when they are placed over the keg or inner portion and joined together they will
conform to the contour of the entire outer surface of such inner portion, but
stamping up the metal is probably the most practical and easy way of bringing the
parts into the required shapes as the irregular portions can be formed very readily
in this way, besides which the metal is strengthened by the stamping. To thus
form the parts I take blanks of sheet metal and by suitable dies stamp them up,
preferably in two sections, each of which is a little longer than half of the keg or
barrel, but conforming to the contour of the head, chimes and that portion of the
bilge or body which they are respectively intended to cover. I find it desirable to
make a depression or neck on that part or section which is made to be first put on
or over the inner portion, having a depth of about the thickness of the metal and
extending for a distance of say two or three inches along and entirely around what
will be the central or bilged part of the keg, and such depressed portion or neck
may if desired be slitted so as to facilitate its passage over the inner portion. This
depression will allow of the overlapping of so much of the other section or metal
part, which is of course, made to conform to it, and this will give when such
sections or parts are fitted over the keg or inner portion, a joint all around the keg
or barrel at the point from which this neck or depression proceeds. This joint
being on the outside will admit of soldering the two parts together, thus insuring
a perfect union as well as giving to the metal casing or cover the appearance of a
continuous or unbroken surface and particularly so, if the metal be painted after
the keg or barrel is completed.
In constructing a keg or barrel of which the metal portion is to form an integrant
part, I make the inner portion of wood, papier maché moulded, vegetable fibre,
compressed paper, or other suitable material of like nature and which will not of
itself, have any deleterious effect upon the liquids to be contained in such keg or
barrel, or which if liable to have any deleterious effect upon the same, is adapted
to receive a treatment which will prevent it, as for example being pitched, but
preferably of wood owing to its cheapness and the fact that is the material most
desired.
In making the inner portion of a keg or barrel of wood the staves, head, etc., are
formed in the usual manner, but they need not be so thick and heavy as those
used in wooden kegs. The bung and tap holes may be made in their proper
places, and when the keg or barrel is made to receive an outer metal part or
covering as shown in figure 1. where there is a depression in part of the metal, it
will be found best to adapt that part of the wood which comes beneath such
depression to the reception of the metal by making it conform to the desired shape
and of course what is lost in the strength of the wood is more than compensated
for by the extra strength of the metal.
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page_text: When the wood is prepared it may be placed in a form and retained in shape,
while the metal part or covering is being placed over it. Before placing the metal
covering on, however, it may be found desirable to expand it by heating sufficiently
to allow it to pass over the wooden part easily, the greatest amount of expansion
being at the neck or depression. The wood being held in shape this part of the
metal covering may then be put on by pressure, the openings for the bung and tap
hole, if already formed, being brought over those in the wood, and after being thus
forced on the metal will shrink tightly to the wooden surface over which it extends.
In like manner the other metal part of the covering may be passed over the other
end of the keg, being made to join tightly with the first half, so that the metal
completely covers all portions of the wood, and the openings in the metal and
wood together form the bung and tap holes respectively. The joint between the
pieces of metal may be soldered all around the keg so as to make it perfectly tight
and additional security and tightness of the metal parts as well as the union
between the metal and wood will be insured by the insertion of metallic bushings
in the bung and tap holes.
A keg or barrel thus constructed will be much stronger than the ordinary wooden
kegs and barrels, and it need not be any heavier, while at the same time it is
practically indestructible. Its interior portion being of wood or other material of
like properties, it can be heated and pitched or otherwise coated on its inside, the
same as any ordinary wooden keg may be. I have thus pointed out the way in
which I prefer to construct a lager beer keg having its inner portion of wood, and
also being of the usual form, but the form or contour of the keg or barrel may be
varied as desired, as may also the number of metal pieces or sections which
compose the outer part or covering so long as the interior portion is completely
covered and protected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A metallic covering for a keg or barrel stamped up or formed in parts adapted
to be placed over such keg or barrel and joined or united together, whereby such
covering is made to conform to the contour of the keg or barrel and completely
enclose and protect the same substantially as described.
2. A keg or barrel, the inner part whereof is of wood or other suitable
material having upon its outer surface a covering of metal stamped up or formed
as described, and fitted and secured thereon, whereby such keg or barrel is
strengthened and also adapted to be put to the ordinary uses of a wooden keg
or barrel substantially as described.
3. A keg or barrel, the inner part whereof is of wood or other suitable material
over which is placed a metal covering having holes therein corresponding to and
forming with holes in the wood or inner part, openings adapted to receive bushings
substantially as described.
T