IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR NAMES MARKING OR CONSECUTIVE NUMBER BRANDING CASKS, CASES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stannus Geoghegan, of the City of Dublin,
Ireland, Brewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR NAMES MARKING OR CONSECUTIVE NUMBER BRANDING CASKS, CASES,
Scaled the 21st June 1872, and dated the 1st January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stannus Geoghegan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st January 1872.
I, STANNUS GEOGHEGAN, of the City of Dublin, Ireland, Brewer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR NAMES MARKING OR CONSECUTIVE NUMBER BRANDING CASES,
CASES, BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an expeditious, economical, and effective
mode of indelibly marking or numbering with trade mark, letters, and
any number of figures in consecutive order from one to millions at onc

page_text: operation the ends or heads of casks, sides or tops of cases, boxes, or
other receptacles for goods of various kinds.
The apparatus to be employed consists of a square, round, or other
shaped open box or frame of cast iron with holes in the side for the
admission of cold and the escape of heated air. On the top there is a
plate or tray of cast iron made in say 4 compartments (two consisting
of sunk wells or reserve compartments) being closed underneath, whilst
the other two consist of open raised compartments. It is in these latter
compartments that the numbers are placed which operate upon the
object to be marked or numbered, whilst the other two compartments
being lower or sunk the numbers they contain do not come in contact
with the wood to be branded or numbered. The higher or numbering
compartments in the tray have ledges or parallel V grooves at the bottom
to hold the moveable dics or numbers, and the lower or reserve com-
partments are closed underneath by a plate of iron, so that the dies or
numbers they contain slide along the bottom in consecutive order till
their turn comes for being introduced by the aid of tongs into the higher
or branding compartments. The spaces unoccupied by numbers or
letters in the branding compartments are closed up by iron slides or
doors which keep all the dies in their places, accommodating themselves
to any number, and protecting or shielding the wood from the flame in
the unoccupied portions. The whole tray is heated underneath by
means of rows of Bunson's gas burners, arranged so that those burners
not required to be lighted can be shut off. It will thus be seen that
those compartments which contain the numbers or dies which are
actually branding are open to the action of the heat, whilst those com-
partments which contain the reserved dies not actually branding are
closed below to prevent these dies from being raised to a more elevated
temperature than those which are branding, in order that those numbers
which have last been introduced into the branding compartment may
The
not mark or brand deeper than those which have already branded.
numbers or dies being set in consecutive order continue in the same
after numbering to any extent. The object to be numbered being
placed on the hot raised surface, pressure is brought to bear by means of
a jointed lever or other convenient mechanical arrangement provided
with a pressing plate coming down over the numbers, or if more force is
required a bent arm may be used with a screw through the end of the
same, to the end of which screw the pressing plate is attached in order

page_text: The
to force the wood down quickly on to the heated numbers or dies.
pressure is to be maintained as long as may be necessary for the heated
dies to give a sharp, clear, and indelible impression or brand, whereupon
the wood or object is removed and the number or dics changed, those
which are no longer required being placed in the lower or reserve com-
partment or compartments and replaced by others ready heated out of
either of the same compartments, as may be required.
The numbers or branding dies consist of thin pieces of iron or brass
with the figure raised in relief, and as the fire acts only on the under
side the edges of the figures are never burned, but remain sharp and new.
The said dies are moreover so made or shaped that they cannot be put
in wrong end up.
A convenient mode of arranging the pressing lever consists in forming
in the far side of the case or frame a strong tubular socket, through
which a wrought-iron arm is passed vertically, with a collar resting on
the top of the socket and a nut and washer on the bottom. From this
collar the arm rises in an arch shape or swan neck till the end of it is
nearly over the branding numbers, and to this is attached a lever handle
with a moveable cross plate of the length of the combined numbers to
be branded, which plate presses the wood down firmly on the hot surface
of the dies. If more force be required a screw passing through the end
of the curved arm or swan neck is substituted for the lever. In either
case, whether the screw or lever be used when the impression or brand
is taken the arm with the plate is turned either to the right or left hand,
and so leaves the surface of the tray clear or free to facilitate the change
of numbers, or trade mark, or letter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stannus Geoghegan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STANNUS
GEOGHEGAN, of the City of Dublin, Ireland, Brewer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-.

page_text: fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Stannus Geoghegan, Her special license that
I, the said Stannus Geoghegan, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Stannus Geoghegan, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term thercin
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 APPARATUS
FOR NAMES MARKING OR CONSECUTIVE NUMBER BRANDING CASKS, CASES, BOXES,
AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Stannus Geoghegan, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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.
c
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stannus Geoghegan, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to an expeditious, economical, and effective
mode of indelibly marking or numbering with trade mark, letters, and
any number of figures in consecutive order from one to millions) at one
operation the ends or heads of casks, sides or tops of cases, boxes, or
other receptacles for goods of various kinds.
The apparatus to be employed in carrying out my Invention consists
of a square, round, or other shaped open box of cast iron with holes in
the side for the admission of cold and the escape of heated air; on the a
top is a plate or tray of cast iron made in, say, four compartments, two
consisting of sunk wells or reserve compartments, being closed under-
neath, and two open and raised compartments. These latter are those in
which the numbers are placed which come in contact with the object to
be marked or numbered, whilst the other two compartments are lower, a
and the numbers they contain do not come in contact with the wood to
be branded or numbered. The higher or numbering compartments in
the tray have ledges or parallel grooves at the bottom to hold the move-

page_text: able dies or numbers; and the lower compartments are closed underneath
by a plate of iron, so that the dies or numbers they contain slide along
the bottom till their turn comes for being introduced in consecutive
order by the aid of tongs into the higher or branding compartments.
The spaces unoccupied by numbers or letters in the branding compart-
ments are closed up by an iron slide which keeps all the dics in their
places, accommodating itself to any number, and keeping the fire from
the wood in the unoccupied portions. The whole tray is heated
underneath by means of rows of Bunson's or other gas burners or by
lamps arranged so that those burners not required to be lighted can be
shutt off. It will thus be seen that those compartments which contain
the numbers or dies actually in use are left open to the action of the
heat, whilst those compartments which contain the dies not actually in
use are closed below to prevent their dies from being hotter than those
which are branding, in order that those numbers which have just been
put in may not mark or brand deeper than those which have just
branded. The object or article to be numbered being placed on the hot
raised surface, pressure is brought to bear by means of a jointed lever or
other convenient mechanical arrangement provided with a pressing
plate coming down over the numbers, or if more force be required a
bent arm may be used, with a screw through the end of the same, to the
end of which screw the pressing plate is attached, in order to force the
wood down quickly on to the heated numbers or dies. The pressing is
maintained as long as may be necessary for the heated dies to give a
sharp, clear, and indelible impression or brand, whereupon the wood or
object is removed and the number or dies changed, those which are no
longer required being placed in the lower or reserve compartments and
replaced by others ready heated out of either of the lower compartments
as may be required.
The numbers or branding dies consist of thin pieces of iron, brass, or

page_text: nearly over the branding numbers, and to this is attached a lever handle
with a moveable cross plate of the length of the combined numbers to
be branded; this presses the wood down firmly on the hot surface of the
dies. If more force be required, a screw passing through the end of
the curved arm is substituted for the lever. In either case, whether 5
the screw or lever be used when the impression or brand is taken the
arm with the plate is turned either to the right or left hand, and so
Icaves the surface of the tray clear or free to facilitate the change of
numbers, or trade mark, or letter.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall 1
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a perspective view of the 1
improved cask branding machine, and Figure 2 is a transverse vertical
section of the same.
A is a cast-iron case or frame inside which are two or more rows of
gas burners B, B, fed by a gas pipe C, with stop-cocks D, D, for stopping
off one or more rows. In the centre of the back plate there is cast a 2
socket E containing the upright F, which is held in its place by screw
nuts G so arranged as to enable it to turn freely round in its socket at
the will of the operator. This upright carries a sliding adjustable arm H
fixed by a key I, and through the extremity of this arm there is passed'
a screw spindle K actuated by levers L. The lower end of this screw 2
swivels in a moveable plate M, which is made to come down over and
press the object to be branded on to the branding numbers (hereafter
described). The surface of the number tray N, which rests on the top
of the frame A, is clearly shewn in Figure 1. This tray is divided into
four compartments O, O¹, and P, P', for holding the dies or numbers; 3
the two compartments marked 0, 0³, are open to the action of the gas
burners, and have a small dovetailed groove running along one of the
inner sides, as shewn clearly in Figure 2, in order to support the dies
or slides. By making the top edge of the dies with a corresponding
bevel they cannot be inserted the wrong end in. The other compart- 3
ments P, P¹, are wells which hold the reserve rotating numbers, and are
closed in the bottom to prevent the numbers not in use from becoming
too hot. The well nearest the operator is capable of holding nine dies

page_text: or numbers a, a, which are always used as the units of the number
being branded; these numbers continue in consecutive order as the
unit which has just branded is placed at the outer end of the well P,
the number next required being always at the opposite end; for example,
supposing the number 1872 has just been branded, the number 2 being
the unit is at the left hand of the numbering compartment O', and is
taken out with a tongs (shewn in Figure 1) provided for the purpose,
and is slid into the left hand or open end of the reserve well P¹, the
number 3 being at the same time pushed along to the right hand or
opposite end of the said compartment, whence it is lifted out by the aid
of the tongs and placed where the 2 was in the branding compartment O',
and so on consecutively until zero is reached. Then the second figure
on the left hand (the tens), say number 7, is also taken out and number 8
is put in its place, it being taken from the other well P, this number
remaining in until ten numbers are branded, and then No. 9 is taken
out of the well P, and so on until the hundred is reached, when the third
number requires to be changed and is supplied from the well P, having
previously been placed there in anticipation. The units are always to
be taken from the compartment next the operator (the well P¹) which is
open at the left-hand end to enable the number or die to be easily slid
in. The second or third number (the tens or hundreds) are never to be
taken from this compartment, as that would stop the consecutive order
of the units, but must always be taken from their own well P. Under
the two last numbers on the right-hand side of the well P¹, that is to
say, the two which are next in turn for use, are round holes through
which the fire acts, and brings them up to the same degree of heat as
those in the branding compartment. The second branding compart-
ment O' is used for any distinguishing letter or trade mark, or for the
name of the firm, and can be used the same time as the numbers. The
slides Q, Q¹, close up the remaining openings not filled by either numbers
or letters, so that either one number or ten may be in at the same time,
as it brands millions as easily and quickly as units.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to.
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The system or mode of branding casks and other articles by the

page_text: use of moveable dies set up separately in any required order or com-
bination in one or more holders or compartments, in which the said dies
are heated from below by gas burners or their equivalent, the dies next
required being contained in proper order for use in reserve compartments
also heated from below, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The combination of one or more raised compartments con-
taining the heated dies in actual use, with one or more sunk compart-
ments containing the dies in reserve, and with gas burners or their
equivalent for heating both sets of dies from below, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Third. The peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of
apparatus for brand numbering casks and other like articles in consecutive
order, as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
5
In witness whereof, I, the said Stannus Geoghegan, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day 1
of June, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.