IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Humphrey Roberts, of Stonehouse, in the
County of Devon, Brewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CASKS."
Sealed the 4th December 1857, and dated the 10th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1857.
I, THOMAS HUMPHREY ROBERTS, of Stonehouse, in the County of Devon,
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved form of cask head and chine,
whereby greater accuracy of measurement by the guaging rod is obtained,
and the weakening of the chine and cask head, particularly the tapping hole.
in the latter, is entirely prevented; and secondly, to an improved system or
mode of firing or heating the interior of casks during the process of manu-
facture, for the purpose of bending the staves, whereby the smoking or
charring of the inside of the cask attendant on the ordinary method is
entirely obviated.

page_text: According to the first part of this Invention, in place of bevilling the edges
of the cask head on the outer and inner sides, for the purpose of fitting it into
the chine grooves, as is usually the case, I do not bevil it all, so that the inner
and outer faces of the cask head are perfectly flat and even up to the staves.
I have no chine groove whatever, but the ends of the staves are dovetailed
to a shape corresponding exactly to the bevilled edge of the cask head, and
the dovetailing is of a width corresponding to the entire thickness of the
cask head, so that the chine is better supported and strengthened, and a
leakage more effectually prevented than when the junction of the head is
effected by a thin bevilled edge as is ordinarily the case.
According to the second portion of this Invention, in place of using an
open or free fire inside the cask, for the purpose of facilitating the bending of
the staves, it is proposed to use a metal cap or dome which is placed inside the
cask, whilst its mouth is open to a small fireplace; the heat and flames are
carried away either by a chimney attached to the top of the dome, and passing
out at the top of the cask, or by so arranging a flue that the flames will first enter
the dome and heat it, and then pass off to a chimney in any convenient situa-
tion. The cask bead is covered in by any suitable cover to prevent the escape of
the heated air therefrom. Various arrangements may, however, be obviously
adopted for carrying out this portion of the Invention, which consists in so
constructing the heating apparatus that the smoke and naked flames of the
fire shall not be in actual contact with the cask, whereby the charring and
smoking of the inside, so objectionable in the ordinary process when a naked
tire is employed, is entirely obviated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed:
by the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUMPHREY ROBERTS, of Stonehouse, in the County of Devon, Brewer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, 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 me, the said
Thomas Humphrey Roberts, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Humphrey Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others

page_text: as I, the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts, my executors
or administrators, by an 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, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts, 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, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say):-
These improvements, which have reference to the manufacture of casks,
barrels, or other similar vessels of capacity, consist, firstly, in the mode or
manner of inserting the heads of casks, or otherwise so as to render the
inner surfaces thereof flat, and present less inequalities, and consequent
uncertainty of measurement with the guaging rod, as also to obviate the
weakening of the staves by the present system of chiming or grooving; and,
secondly, in the method of hooping or close trussing casks, or otherwise by
introducing within the body of the said casks or barrels whilst in their
unfinished state a suitable stove, fireplace, or flue, for the purpose of heating
and trussing the staves, and preventing their being charred or injured by the
action of an open fire as at present in use.
But in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say):
Fig. 1 represents a front view of my improved cask finished; Fig. 2, a
top or plan view; Fig. 3, a sectional side elevation taken through the dotted
line in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a transverse section taken through the dotted line in
Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a front view of the cask arranged for heading and trussing;
Fig. 6, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 7, detached edge views of the
heads and staves, showing the dovetail joint, and the mode of inserting the

page_text: heads; Fig. 8, front and back view of the staves separately shown; Fig. 9,
a sectional side elevation of a dome-shaped flue or fireplace for supplying
heat to the interior of the cask during the process of manufacture, for the
purpose of facilitating 'the bending or trussing of the staves; Fig. 10, a top
or plan view thereof; Fig. 11, a perspective view of the apparatus complete;
Fig. 12, a sectional side view of the stove or heating apparatus, showing a
modification of the above; Fig. 13, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 14,
a horizontal section, and Fig. 15, a perspective view of the heating recess or
chamber, showing the said apparatus in action. In each figure the same
letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, staves or body of the cask; B, B, dovetail joint or groove formed in
the inner sides of the said, staves; C, C, heads formed with bevelled peri-
pheries to fit the dovetail joint as shown at D, D; E, E, hoops; F, F, dome-
shaped flue; G, G, plate dividing the said flue; H, H, fireplace communica-
ting with the said flue; I, I, fire bars; J, J, ash-pit; K, K, damper or
draught valve; L, L, heating recess or chamber; M, M, furnace door; N, N,
metallic stove enclosing the fire; 0, 0, funnel opening into the heating
chamber or recess; P, P, hand valve for regulating the draught; Q, Q, per-
forated bottom on which the fire rests; R, R, underground flue for regulating
the draught; S, S, plate for closing the cask, and retaining the heat within
the body of the same; T, T, ground plate upon which the apparatus rests.
In conclusion to the foregoing description, I would here briefly note, that
by my improved system of heading casks, not only is greater durability and
strength obtained by dispensing with the old groove, but the operations of
cleaning and guaging the inside thereof is greatly facilitated, and rendered
more effectual, and I would further note, that casks heated by means of my
improved stove or flue are fit for immediate use, whilst those heated by the old
process are charred and greatly injured by the action of the fire, and are unfit
for use until they have been impregnated with disinfecting fluid to destroy
the smell and taste of burnt wood.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried
into effect, I would have it clearly understood, that I do not intend to confine
myself to the precise details herein-before set forth, as the same might be
Aaried without departing from the general principle of these my said improve-
ments, but that which I do clain as new and of my said Invention is,--.
Firstly, the mode of forming and fitting the heads of casks through the
.medium of the dovetail joint, as herein-before set forth and described.

page_text: And secondly, the mode of heating or firing the inside of casks by the
employment of a suitable stove or flue inserted therein, in the manner and for
the
purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Humphrey Roberts, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS HUMPHREY ROBERTS. (L.s.)