Improvements in the Manufacture of Casks, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Casks, and the like.
I, CARL WITTKOWSKY, of 121A, Potsdamer Street, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of casks, more
especially with regard to the means for the attachment and rendering tight of
the heads, and has for its object to accomplish this purpose in a more simple
and effective manner than heretofore.
"
In the following specification I shall for the sake of distinction, also employ
the term "bottom to indicate the lower head and the term "top" to indicate
the upper head.
The manufacture of cylindrical wood casks from wood veneers, has usually
been so effected, that the straight or arched bottom, also produced from veneers,
has hitherto been pressed into a ring-shaped groove in the drum.
This ring-shaped groove has been proved to have the drawback, that the same
very considerably weakens the veneers glued crosswise one above the other, for
the reason that this groove is at the end of the cask, that is to say, nearly at the
edge where the cask is mostly exposed to impact, blows or injury, and therefore
liable to break, more especially at such places. If this groove on the one hand
is kept very slight, or in other words, if the groove is limited to a depth of 2-3
m m., the resting surface of the bottom or top (or, of the upper and lower head
of the cask) upon this groove is so slight, that the arched, and therefore some-
what elastic and flexible bottom, is liable, in consequence of a sharp shock or
blow to fall through into the body of the cask.
When on the other hand, the said groove is made larger or deeper to obviate
such falling in of the bottom, the edge of the cask becomes weakened to such a
degree, that even a slight blow can suffice to produce small cracks in the bottom,
through which the liquid contained in the cask in spite of all means employed
to make same tight, would leak or flow out.
The risk is also increased by the fact, that the flexible arched bottom sprung
into this groove, presses with a permanent and great force against the body
already weakened to the extent of the depth of the groove. This as apparent
retains the body in excessive and constant tension and renders the same still less
capable of resisting a blow or impact against the edge from the outside.
The problem to be solved consists therefore in preventing the edge of the body
of a cask, which is already thin enough, from being weakened by a groove or
cavity cut in the same, so that the crosswise superposed veneers retain at the
end of the cask their full strength or thickness, and on the other hand the prob-
lem is further, to obtain so strong and wide a bearing for the bottom, which
will effectually prevent the bottom from sliding into the body of the cask.
In this connection I remark, that to produce a bearing of this description by
means of nailing, screwing, or gluing a ring upon the inner wall of the barrel

page_text: i; not practicable; firstly, because such screws or nails would produce unsound
places in the cask, and further, when the bottom was pressed into place, the
ring so attached would also be pressed towards the inside of the cask, and thus
loosened from its position; furthermore, a ring roughly fastened against the
inner cask body or wall would always have the tendency to shift from its posi-
tion for the apparent reason that the same would have no proper bottom surface
to resist the pressure from the top and would moreover be subjected to the con-
traction and expansion of the parts to which the ring was attached.
By the present invention I have solved this problem in a manner which
entirely meets the requirements of the case.
In the inner wall of the body of a cask I provide or incise a shallow or slight
groove of about 10-15 in m., in breadth and parallel to the edge, and at a dis-
tant from the same, say from 15-50 m m, as desired or as considered necessary.
This groove is cut in about 1-2 mm deep and into this groove a ring is
sprung, which ring may be about 6-10 m m. thick and preferably also manu-
factured from superposed glued veneers.
Furthermore the ring can or may be manufactured slightly larger in circum-
ference than the exact circumference of the before mentioned groove.
The springing of the said ring into place is usually effected in such manner,
that the two ends of the ring are first placed in the groove and held temporarily
in position by a clamp or clamps, whereupon several blows by a mallet or the
like, following around the circumference of the ring are given, in consequence
of which the said ring more and more approaches the groove until it snaps with-
in or into the said groove.
It will be clear, that the ring so snapped into place in consequence of its
slightly larger diameter and its bearing or pressure against the groove is abso
lutely secured within the body and cannot be removed from the said body without
force and possibly not without destroying the said ring.
Furthermore when liquid is subsequently let into the cask, the natural swell-
ing of the ring will cause the same to be held still tighter in the groove and to
be pressed with still greater force against the wall of the body, whereas in the
constructions previously mentioned in the preamble of this specification as being
hitherto employed, the pressure of the liquid within the cask could not lie
regarded as acting in a manner tending to increase the tightness of the joint.
By means of my improved construction therefore all the conditions of the
problem have been entirely solved, for the reason that the bottom of the cask
now pressed into place has in consequence of the greater width of the ring,
received so efficient and extensive a bearing surface, that it is impossible for the
said bottom to fall into the body.
Also the edge of the elastic or flexible bottom of the barrel, being above the
groove, bears only against the unweakened edge of the body.
The body itself has, as herein before stated, a groove of 1-2 m.m provided in
the same, but in consequence of the employment of the beforementioned ring it
will be clear that the bearing surface is a very large one.
This ring also possesses the advantage, that in consequence of its strength and
elasticity the same considerably strengthens the cask and renders the said cask
much more capable of resistance to injury, just where the incised groove has
been provided.
Any further means adopted to make the cask tight, can be effected in any
optional manner, but the following method or construction is especially suitable
for this purpose.
In this construction, as an example, the circular or annular space between the
slanting bottom and the body. first receives a laver of suitable packing material.
After this a conical ring is driven into the opening between the bottom and the
body, and upon or above the packing material, the inner surface of said conical
ring having the same inclination as the edge of the bottom, whereby, as is clear,
the packing material is pressed together, and simultaneously the bottom is tightly

page_text: held in position. The inserted ring is now secured by suitable adhesive means
or binding material, such as glue or the like, or otherwise securely fastened to
the body. The same method may of course be applied to both heads of the cask.
Another advantage of my improvements is evident from the fact that in con-
sequence of the full strength of the body being unimpaired, (or in other words,
the strength of the full thickness of the body being obtained,) any further in-
crease of the safety by employment of the so-called barrel-hoops or the like
may be omitted, as the now strengthened body end, in combination with the
above described inner straight or wedge-shaped ring or wedge-shaped rings no
longer requires such outer protection. The ring pressed into the groove can
either consist of wood not arranged in layers or veneers, i.e. ordinary hard wood,
or, of cross-wise superposed veneers, or of veneers glued together in a longitu-
dinal direction.
The employment of the ring manufactured of glued veneers is preferable to
those of ordinary hard wood, as the veneer rings possess much greater elasticity
and simultaneously greater durability with reference to the springing of same
into place by the aid of a mallet or the like, in the manner hereinbefore described
Lastly the parts of the body further away from the edge may if desired be
strengthened by similar rings sprung into place in the manner already described.
These additional rings, when considered necessary to be employed, would be
sprung into flat grooves upon the interior of the body.
The method described of thus strengthening the body is more especially in-
tended for cylindrical drums.
In the case of the ordinary stave barrel it is chiefly necessary to secure the
holding together of the barrel by means of outer hoops, as of course, the shape
of the staves already act in the direction of preventing the same from falling
inwards.
This is however entirely different in the case of veneer-casks. Such veneer-
casks must be strengthened from the interior, as the holding together of the
cask is already attained by the peculiarity of its build, or more precisely, by the
especial arrangement of the superposed veneers.
Dated this 22-1 Ja T
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Casks, and the like.
I, CARL WITTKOWSKY, of 121A, Potsdamer Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prus-
Bia, German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of casks, more
especially with regard to the means for the attachment and rendering tight of
the cask-heads, and has for its object to accomplish this purpose in a more simple
and effective manner than heretofore.
In the following specification I shall for the sake of distinction, also employ
the term "bottom" to indicate the lower head and the term 'top" to indicate
the upper head.
The manufacture of cylindrical wood casks from wood veneers, has usually
been so effected, that the straight or arched bottom, also produced from veneers,
has hitherto been pressed into a ring-shaped groove of the drum.

page_text: This ring-shaped groove has been proved to have the drawback, that the same
very considerably weakens the veneers glued crosswise one above the other, for
the reason that this groove is at the end of the cask, that is to say, nearly at the
edge where the cask is mostly exposed to impact, blows or injury, and therefore
liable to break, more especially at such places. If this groove on the one hand
is kept very slight, or in other words, if the groove is limited to a depth of 2-3
mm, the resting surface of the bottom or top (or, of the upper and lower head
of the cask) upon this groove is so slight, that the arched, and therefore some-
what elastic and flexible bottom, is liable, in consequence of a sharp shock or
blow to fall through into the body of the cask.
When on the other hand, the said groove is made larger or deeper to obviate
such falling in of the bottom, the edge of the cask becomes weakened to such &
degree, that even a slight blow can suffice to produce small cracks in the bottom,
through which the liquid contained in the cask in spite of all means employed
to make same tight, would leak or flow out.
The risk is also increased by the fact, that the flexible arched bottom sprung
into this groove, presses with a permanent and great force against the body
already weakened to the extent of the depth of the groove. This, as is apparent,
retains the body in excessive and constant tension and renders the same still
less capable of resisting a blow or impact against the edge from the outside.
The problem to be solved consists therefore in preventing the edge of the body
of a cask, which is already thin enough, from being weakened by a groove or
cavity cut in the same, so that the crosswise superposed veneers retain at the
end of the cask their full strength or thickness, and on the other hand the prob-
lem is further, to obtain so strong and wide a bearing for the bottom, which
will effectually prevent the bottom from sliding into the body of the cask.
In this connection I remark, that to produce a bearing of this description by
means of nailing, screwing, or glueing a ring upon the inner wall of the cask
is not practicable; firstly, because such screws or nails would produce unsound
places in the cask, and further, when the bottom was pressed into place, the
ring so attached would also be pressed towards the inside of the cask and thus
loosened from its position; furthermore, a ring roughly fastened against the
inner barrel body or wall would always have the tendency to shift from its posi-
tion for the apparent reason that the same would have no proper bottom surface
to resist the pressure from the top and would moreover be subjected to the con-
traction and expansion of the parts to which the ring was attached.
By the present invention I have solved this problem in a manner which
entirely meets the requirements of the case.
Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings represents an end part of a
cask in vertical section and Figure 2 is a similar view of the middle of a cask.
In the inner wall of the body of a cask A Figure 1 I provide or incise a shal-
low or slight groove 13 of about 10-15 m.m in breadth and parallel to the barrel
edge, and at a distance from the same, say from 15-50 m.m, as desired or as
considered necessary.
This groove B is cut in about 1-2 mm deep and into this groove a ring C
is sprung, which ring may be about 6-10 mm thick and preferably also manu-
factured from superposed glued veneers.
Furthermore the ring C can or may be manufactured slightly larger in circum-
ference than the exact circumference of the before mentioned groove B.
The springing of the said ring C into place is usually effected in such manner,
that the two ends of the ring are first placed in the groove and held temporarily
in position by a clamp or clamps, whereupon several blows by a mallet or the
like, following around the circumference of the ring are given, in consequence
of which the said ring more and more approaches the groove until it snaps
within or into the said groove.
It will be clear, that the ring C so snapped into place in consequence of its
slightly larger diameter and its bearing or pressure against the groove B is abso-

page_text: lutely secured within the body A and cannot be removed from the said body
without force and possibly not without destroying the said ring.
Furthermore when liquid is subsequently let into the cask, the natural swell-
ing of the ring C will cause the same to be held still tighter in the groove and
to be pressed with sull greater force against the wall of the body, whereas in
the constructions previously mentioned in the preamble of this specification as
being hitherto employed, the pressure of the liquid within the cask could not
be regarded as acting in a manner tending to increase the tightness of the joint.
By means of my improved construction therefore all the conditions of the
problem have been entirely solved, for the reason, that the bottom of the cask
now pressed into place has in consequence of the greater width of the ring C
received so efficient and extensive a bearing surface, that it is impossible for the
said bottom to fall into the body.
Also the edge of the elastic or flexible bottom of the barrel, being above the
groove, bears only against the unweakened edge of the body.
The body itself has, as herein before stated, a groove of 1-2 m.m provided in
the same, but in consequence of the employment of the beforementioned ring
it will be clear that the bearing surface is a very large one.
This ring also possesses the advantage, that in consequence of its strength and
elasticity the same considerably strengthens the cask and renders the said cask
much more capable of resistance to injury, just where the incised groove has
been provided.
Any further means, adopted to make the cask tight, can be effected in any
optional manner, but the following method or construction is especially suitable
for this purpose.
In this construction as an example, the circular or aunular space K between
the slanting edge of the bottom D and the body, first receives a layer of suitable
packing material. After this a conical ring is driven into the opening between
the bottom and the body, and upon or above the packing material, the inner
surface of said conical ring having the same inclination as the edge of the bottom
whereby, as is clear, the packing material is pressed together, and simulta-
neously the bottom is tightly held in position. The inserted ring is now secured
by suitable adhesive means or binding material, such as glue or the like, or other-
wise, securely fastened to the body. The same method may of course be applied
to both heads of the cask.
Another advantage of my improvements is evident from the fact that in con-
sequence of the full strength of the body being unimpaired, (or in other words,
the strength of the full thickness of the body being obtained) any further in-
crease of the safety by employment of the so called barrel-hoops or the like may
be omitted, as the body now strengthened by the above described inner straight
or wedge-shaped ring or wedge-shaped rings no longer requires such outer pro-
tection. The ring pressed into the groove can either consist of wood not arranged
in layers or veneers, i.e. ordinary hard wood, or, of cross-wise superposed veneers,
or of veneers glued together in a longitudinal direction.
The employment of the ring manufactured of glued veneers is preferable to
those of ordinary hard wood, as the veneer rings possess much greater elasticity
and simultaneously greater durability with reference to the springing of same
into place by the aid of a mallet or the like, in the manner herein before described.
Lastly the parts of the body further away from the edge may, if desired, be
strengthened by similar rings, sprung into place in the manner already described.
These additional rings of which only one C is shown in Figure 2 when con-
sidered necessary to be employed, would be sprung into flat grooves B¹ upon the
interior of the body.
The method described of thus strengthening the body is more especially in-
tended for cylindrical casks.
In the case of the ordinary stave barrel it is chiefly necessary to secure the
the shape
holding together of the barrel by means of outer hoops, as of course,

page_text: of the staves already act in the direction of preventing the same from falling
inwards.
This is however entirely different in the case of vencer-casks. Such veneer-
casks must be strengthened from the interior, as the holding together of the cask
is already attained by the peculiarity of its build, or to be more precise, by the
especial arrangement of the superposed veneers.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In bariels casks and the like, the combination of a small groove provided
parallel to the barrel edge, with a ting consisting of superposed glued veneers,
pressed into this groove, and forming a tight bearing surface for the bottom of
the cask, substantially as described.
2. In barrels, casks and the like the combination of a shallow groove provided
parallel to the barrel edge with a wooden ring pressed into this groove and form-
ing a tight bearing surface for the bottom of the cask substantially as described.
3. In barrels, casks and the like providing the interior with a shallow groove
for the reception of a ring and forcing the said ring into the groove for the pur-
pose of strengthening the barrel or the like substantially as described.
Dated this 9th March 1899.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.