CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SELF ACTING CASK- TILTERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Brookes, Henry James Brookes, and Frederick
Mason, of Smothwick, in the County of Stafford, for an Invention of
" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SELF ACTING CASK-
TILTERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Brookes, Henry James
Brookes, and Frederick Mason, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 11th September 1880.
JOSIAH BROOKES, HENRY JAMES BROOKES, and FREDERICK MASON, of Smethwick,
in the County of Stafford. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SELF ACTING CASK-TILTERS."
This Invention relates to the construction of improved self acting tilters for
casks and barrels, which, when placed thereon, are by a gradual motion elevated or
tilted as the liquid contents diminish, until the whole has been drawn out of the
cask. The motion is imparted to these tilters by means of spiral springs working
in suitable slides. The slides are constructed of wrought or cast iron, and they
vary in length and also in quantity, sometimes only one slide being employed, in
other cases two or more being required, so as to suit the position in which the tilter
is placed under the cask. When there are two slides, the upper one is provided
with a curved arm to suit the shape of the cask. The lower slide works on the
outside of the upper one, and both slides are enclosed within a bottom cylinder
where the spring is at rest and not extended. The bottom cylinder has a flange at
its lower extremity, which is arranged at such an angle as will incline the tilter
towards the front of the cask as to allow the slides to work freely. The lower
slide is fitted with studs which work within long slots in the upper slide and in the
bottom cylinder, thus regulating the length of the motion of the spring and also
keeping the slides in their proper position.
When the tilters can be so attached to the cask-stand as to allow the slides and
cylinders to be of greater length, sometimes the lower slide is dispensed with. In
other cases we employ two springs which work in cylinders standing parallel with
each other in the same plane. These cylinders are cast upon the same base plate,
and the springs operate on two pistons or slides, which also are coupled together
with an arm curved to suit the shape of the cask. As the weight of the cask
diminishes the springs lift the pistons or slides and so tilt the cask.
In other cases, instead of placing the tilters under the cask we employ slides and
cylinders sufficiently long to extend from the cask-stand to underneath the staves
at the side of the cask farthest from the stand, the slide and cylinder being provided
with a forked apparatus to prevent the tilter slipping from the cask.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Josiah Brookes, Henry James Brookes, and Frederick Mason in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th March 1881.
JOSIAH BROOKES, HENRY JAMES BROOKES, and FREDERICK MASON, of Smethwick,
in the County of Stafford. CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SELF-ACTING CASK-TILTERS.
"
This Invention relates to the construction of improved self-acting tilters for
casks and barrels, which, when placed thereon, are by a gradual motion elevated or
tilted as the liquid contents diminish until the whole has been drawn out of the
cask. The motion is imparted to these tilters by means of spiral springs working
in suitable slides. The slides are constructed of wrought or cast iron, and they
vary in length and also in quantity, sometimes only one slide being employed, in
other cases two or more being required, so as to suit the position in which the tilter
is placed under the cask. When there are two slides the upper one is provided
with a curved arm to suit the shape of the cask. The lower slide works on the
outside of the upper one, and both slides are enclosed within a bottom cylinder
when the spring is at rest and not extended. The bottom cylinder has a flange at
its lower extremity, which is arranged at such an angle as will incline the tilter
towards the front of tho cask as to allow the slides to work freely. The lower
slide is fitted with studs which work within long slots in the upper slide and in the_
bottom cylinder, thus regulating the length of the motion of the spring and also
keeping the slides in their proper position.
When the tilters can be so attached to the cask stand as to allow the slides and
cylinders to be of greater length, sometimes the lower slide is dispensed with. In
other cases we employ two springs which work in cylinders standing parallel with
cach other in the same plane. These cylinders are cast upon the same base plate,
and the springs operate on two pistons or slides, which also are coupled together
with an arm curved to suit the shape of the cask. As the weight of the cask
diminishes the springs lift the pistons or slides and so tilt the cask. In other cases,
instead of placing the tilters under the cask we employ slides and cylinders
sufficiently long to extend from the cask stand to underneath the staves at the side
of the cask farthest from the stand, the slide and cylinder being provided with a
forked apparatus to prevent the tilter slipping from the cask.
The manner in which this Invention is carried into effect is described in the
following Drawings :—
Fig. 1 represents a tilter in position under the cask with spring closed.
Fig. 2, a front elevation, sectional of same tilter when extended to its full
height.
Fig. 3, a transverse section of Fig. 1, the spring being closed by the loop b before
being placed under cask; Figs. 4 and 5, elevations of tilters of other patterns for
attaching to cask stands, the springs being fully extended; Fig. 6, elevation in
section of tilter, with two sets of springs, cylinders, and slides, suitable for large
casks, the springs being fully extended; Fig. 7, another form of tilter in position
under cask with spring fully extended; Fig. 8, elevation in section of tilter, as in
Fig. 7, but with the addition of extra outer casing m to adjust tilter to any height,
the spring being closed; Fig. 9, another form of Fig. 7, suitable for placing under
casks which are fixed upon low stands, the spring working inside the top slide so
as to allow the tilter being made shorter than Fig. 7.
The motion is imparted to these tilters by means of the spring a, Figs. 2,
3, 6, 8, 9.
These springs are sometimes made of wire, as is usual with ordinary spiral
springs, and sometimes they are made of flat strips of steel, as in the spring shown

page_text: in Fig. 9, and known as volute. The tilter having been placed under the cask, as
in Figs. 1 and 7, and the springs a having been released by the clips b, Figs. 1, 3,
4, and 5, or the pins 7, Figs. 7 and 8, being removed, the springs take the weight of
the cask, and as the contents are gradually drawn off the springs gradually rise
until the casks have been emptied. The motion being uniform, the contents of the
cask are not disturbed, and thus the whole of the liquor can be drawn out of the
cask perfectly clear. The springs are arranged so as to be of suitable strength for
the various sizes of casks to which they are to be applied, the spring for a nine
gallon cask being just sufficiently strong to empty the cask, while the tilter for a
fifty four gallon cask is provided with a spring proportionately stronger. The
springs are prevented travelling too far by means of the slides C, Figs. 2, 3, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, being regulated to suit the size of the cask. In some cases the extent of
the travel of these slides is regulated by means of slots d, Fig. 6, in which the
studs E, Fig. 6, work. In other cases they are regulated by the length of the slides
themselves, which are made either with the ends bell mouthed, as f, Figs. 2 and 3,
or with pieces screwed or rivetted on, as g, Figs. 8 and 9, the caps k preventing the
slide becoming loose. Of course other methods of regulating the length of the
slides could be adopted without materially altering the principle of construction,
but we liave found the above mentioned most suitable for the purpose.
These tilters are made with a flange h, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6, which is arranged at
such an angle as will incline the tilter towards the front of the cask so as to allow
the slides to work freely. The flanges i, Figs. 4 and 5, are also placed at a suitable
angle for the same purpose. The tilters shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, are provided
with forks j at top and bottom, which adjust themselves to the position of the cask,
and allow the slide to work freely.
When it is requisite to make the tilters, as in Fig. 1, very shallow, so that they
can be fixed under the cask without disturbing it, to obtain the necessary height
which is required to empty the cask we use two or even threo extra slides, which
are made the same as the central slide C, Figs. 2 and 6. This arrangement enables
us to obtain the necessary height when extended; and when closed the tilter is
sufficiently shallow not to disturb the cask when placed in position. Of course a
similar arrangement can be supplied to Figs. 4 and 5 when necessary, and in some
instances it might be desirable to construct the tilter shown in Fig. 9 with these
extra slides, but we prefer to use as few slides as possible as the cost of construction
is thereby diminished.
When the casks are placed upon timber supports, which vary in height, we use
tilters, as shown in Fig. 8, which are similar in construction to those in Fig. 7,
except that they are provided with an extra outer casing m, in which the lower
slide p can be adjusted to any height by a peg g being placed under the bottom of
the slide p, the holes o being provided at any required height for the purpose. This
arrangement, which also is sometimes applied to the tilter shown in Fig. 9, enables
the height of the tilter to be adjusted to suit any support upon which the cask may
be placed.
In some cases where cask stands are in use we supply the tilters, as shewn in
Figs. 4 and 5, which can be secured to the stands by being screwed through the
flanges i. We also apply the forms of tilters, as described in Figs. 4 and 5, und ia
the other Drawings, to metallic cask stands, to which it is evident they can be
fixed in a variety of methods, occasionally being formed so as to make the back
portion of such stands.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, we wish it to be
understood we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction, which
may be modified without departing from the principles of the said Invention, but
what we desire and claim to have secured to us by the herein before in part recited
Letters Patent are as follows:-
First. The general combination, arrangement, and construction of self acting
cask tilter and portable cask stand, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn on Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Second. The telescopic arrangement and the employment of extra slides, as
shown in Drawings and described in the foregoing Specification, or any. mere
modification thereof, and the application of such telescopic arrangement to other
patterns when desirable so to employ them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry James Brookes, on behalf of myself 5
and the said Josiah Brookes and Frederick Mason, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.