Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF CASKS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Barclay Walker, of Gateacre Grange,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF CASKS AND OTHER
VESSELS."
Sealed the 13th July 1875, and dated the 22nd May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Barclay Walker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd May 1875.
I, ANDREW BARCLAY WALKER, of Gateacre Grange, Liverpool, in
5 the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF CASKS
AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows :-
-
My improvements consist in the construction of casks and other vessels
for containing spirits, ales, oils, and other liquids, of composite metals
O and wood in combination, having for their object greater durability and
cleanliness than ordinary wood casks, and are constructed in the manner
following:

page_text: The first part of my Invention consists in the adoption of iron as a
basis for the body and ends of the cask or vat. Upon this basis I
veneer a thin sheet of copper or other incorrosible metal; this is
attached to the iron in the following manner:-The iron plate is tinned
in the usual way, either on one or both sides as, may be preferred,
and the copper being also tinned on one or both sides; the former is
then placed upon a frame or bed having a pair of powerful rollers or
squeezers at one end thereof. Immediately in front of these rollers are
three or more rows of blow pipes, two or more of which are on the
under side, and direct the heat generated in an upward direction, one or
more are placed above and direct the heat in a downward direction. The
iron plate properly tinned and prepared is laid upon the frame and finely
granulated tin is sprinkled over its surface, the copper sheet is laid on
the top. The blast pipes are set in operation, and melting the granu-
lated tin the two plates are passed between the rollers or squeezers, and i
the operation of veneering is complete.
The second part of my Invention consists in the construction of my
composite cask, vat, or other vessel, firstly, of cylindrical vessels of the
veneered metal, as above described, having the copper inside with ends
fixed in by rivetting or soldering or other suitable manner. At equal
distances from the centre I place two hoops of wood, and over these
hoops are placed staves of ordinary wood covering the exterior, and
fixed by ordinary iron or wood hoops, and so constructed as to give the
appearance of an ordinary wood cask.
The ends are also covered with wood, the iron cylinder being thickly
coated with limewash and a non-conducting substance placed between
it and the outer wood covering; the bung and tap holes being protected
by a lining of copper or other metal passing through the wood covering,
and soldered or rivetted to the inner shell or case.
For the convenience of obtaining access to the interior of my cask I
form one of the ends with a lip projecting either inwards or outwards,
and fitting into the cylindrical portion of the cask to which it is securely
soldered. When I wish to remove this end, or as it is technically
termed "unhead" the cask, I have a ring of iron or other suitable metal
made the size of the cask end. This ring is heated to the proper
temperature, and the cask being placed upon it with the end to be
removed in contact with the heated surface of the ring the solder is
thereby melted, and the top or head drops out, and when the required

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Andrew Barclay Walker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
BARCLAY WALKER, of Gateacre Grango, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lottors Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Barclay Walker, Her
special licence, that I, the said Andrew Barclay Walker, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew Barclay
Walker, 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 Invention for
* IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF CASKS AND OTHER
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Andrew
Barclay Walker, 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,

page_text: 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 Andrew Barclay Walker, 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 :-
My improvements consist in the construction of casks and other
vessels for the containing, transit, and storage of liquids and other
substances of composite metals, and wood or other fibrous material in
combination, having for their object greater durability and cleanliness
(being non-conductive and non-evaporative) than wood vessels, and are
constructed in manner described as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in the adoption of iron as a
basis for the body and ends of the vessel. Upon this basis I veneer a
thin sheet of copper or other incorrodible metal (or I sometimes use
strongly tinned iṛon alone). The copper is attached to the iron in the
following manner :-The iron plate is tinned in the usual way, either on
| one or both sides as may be required. This plate is then placed on a
frame having a pair of powerful rollers or squeezers placed at one end.
Immediately in front of these rollers are placed three or more rows of
blow pipes, two or more of which are placed under, and one or more
above, directing the heat upward under the iron plate, and downwards
on the plate to be attached to the iron one, which has been duly
prepared for the reception of the veneer by having a thin sprinkling of
granulated tin spread over its surface. The blow pipes are set in action,
and upon heating the plates the tin is melted, and the sheets being
passed between the rollers the operation is complete.
The second part of my Invention consists in the construction of my
composite cask by the formation of a cylindrical vessel of the requisite
size of the prepared metal, the ends being fixed by rivetting, soldering,
or any other means, At equal distances from the centre I place two
hoops or rings of wood or other material, and over these hoops I place
staves of wood or other fibrous material, which cover the whole of the
exterior, and being firmly fixed in the usual way with metal or wood
hoops have the external appearance of an ordinary wood cask.

page_text: I also sometimes fill in the space between the metal body and wood
shell with a non-conducting substance, and when the vessel is used for
the storage or transit of gunpowder or other explosive substance this
space is filled with water.
'I also sometimes place four or more staves longitudinally over the
metal body, and stretch a series of wood hoops over them to form the
outer case, and sometimes I form the outer case of one length of
elastic, wood, or other material, which is wound round in form of a
riband.
For the convenience of obtaining access to the interior of my cask I
form one of the ends with a lip projecting either inwards or outwards,
and fitting into the cylindrical portion of the cask, to which it is
securely soldered. When I wish to remove this end, or as it is
technically termed "unhead" the cask, I have a'ring of iron or other
suitable metal made the size of the cask end. This ring is heated to the
proper temperature, and the cask being placed upon it with the end to.
be removed in contact with the heated surface of the ring the solder
is thereby melted, and the top or head drops out, and when the required
examination or repairs are made it is replaced in the same manner as
described above.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to performed
or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that what I claim as my In-
vention is the construction of an almost imperishable and incorrodible
vessel by the means described above, and also the peculiar process of
veneering the metals as described and exemplified in these Presents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Barclay Walker, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
ANDREW BARCLAY WALKER. (L.S.)
· Witness,
JOHN PEARSON,
High Sheriff of Lancashire,
•
Golborne Park,
Newton-le-Willows.