EXTRACTING SHIVES OR BUNGS FROM CASKS
Year: 1885

page_text: JOHN SMITH Engineer 11 Malvern Street Stapenhill Burton-on-Trent do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for EXTRACTING SHIVES OR BUNGS
FROM CASKS to be as follows:-
A barbed or spear-pointed centre needle, fixed in a boss, to which is attached two
levers (one on either side). The needle being driven through the shive, the boss
turned round a little by means of the levers, the latter are then pressed down on
Cask and the shive is extracted split in two parts.

page_text: An Improved Means for Extracting Shives or Bungs
from Casks.
I JOHN SMITH of 11 Malvern Street, Stapenhill Burton-on-Trent in the County
"AN
of Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
and in what
IMPROVED MEANS FOR EXTRACTING SHIVES OR BUNGS FROM CASKS
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
drawing forming a part of this specification:
My invention relates to an improved instrument or apparatus for readily
extracting shives or bungs from casks and the said apparatus consists of a barbed
or spear-pointed needle or piercer arranged to work through a central boss, the said
boss having two levers pivotted thereto, one on each side. The needle or piercer is
driven into the shive or bung until its head rests upon the said boss the said
needle being then turned in the bung by means of the boss and levers. The levers
are then depressed, the boss and needle are forced perpendicularly upward, and the
shive or bung is extracted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved implement or apparatus, with the
levers elevated.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the levers depressed.
Figure 3 is a plan of my improved implement.
Figure 4 is a front view of the needle or piercer.
Figure 4 is a side view of the needle or piercer.
Figure 5 is a plan of the two halves of the boss.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
The needle or piercer A is formed with a broad barbed, spear-shaped or other
suitably formed point a having a cutting edge or edges, a round neck a¹ a square
throat a and a suitably shaped head a³. The said needle or piercer is held in and
works freely through the boss B. This boss is made in two halves or portions bb
as shown in figure 5, the inner surface of each half being formed with a rectangular
groove or channel 6¹ extending vertically from the top to the bottom of the said
half. These grooves are for the reception of the throat as of the needle or piercer A
so that when the two halves b b of the boss B are secured together a square hole
is formed in the centre of the said boss through which the needle or piercer A can
work freely.
To the said boss are pivotted two bifurcated levers C one of the said levers
being pivotted to each end of the boss as shown. The said boss is recessed upon
its outer sides as shown at 6' to receive the rounded ends of the prongs c of the
said levers. A stop c¹ is formed on the end of each prong c which sets against the
point b³ on the boss and thus limits the depression of the lever. The fulcrum of
each lever is at about the centre of the length of its prongs and at this point a
projection or enlargement o³ is formed on the under side of each prong c and a

page_text: roller D is arranged between the said prongs, the said roller turning upon a screw,
pin; or bolt d passing through the said projections c². The said roller extends
slightly below the lower edge of the prongs c as shown and the said roller thus
forms the fulcrum for the lever and prevents friction between the fulcrum of the
said lever and the cask in the act of extracting the shive. Each of the levers O
is pivotted to the boss B by a screw E which passes through the ends of both
prongs c of the lever and through both halves b of the boss. The said screws E
thus unite together the two halves of the boss and also connect the levers C to
the said boss, the barrels or stems of the said screws forming the pivots for the
levers C.
The operation of my improved implement or apparatus is as follows:-The needle
or piercer A is driven into the shive or bung until the head a³ rests upon the upper
surface of the boss B. The barb a will then be clear through the shive or bung
and the parts of the apparatus will be in the positions shown in Figure 1 with the
levers C elevated. The boss is then turned about a quarter of a revolution by
means of the levers C, the said boss also turning the needle or piercer A to that
extent in the shive or bung, the round neck a¹ of the needle or piercer being in the
said shive or bung. The levers C are then depressed as shown in figure 2 whereby
the boss B and needle A are forced perpendicularly upward, the barb a of the
piercer carrying the bung or shive with it and withdrawing the said bung or shive
from the cask.
The form of the needle or piercer may be modified. When the barb a is of the
form shown in the drawing it cuts the shive in halves as it is driven through the
said shive, so that the said bung or shive on being withdrawn falls off the needle
leaving it clear. Also I do not confine myself to the herein described details and
arrangement of the boss and levers as the same may be varied in many ways
without departing from my invention but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In an instrument or apparatus for extracting abives or bungs from casks,
the needle or piercer A, having a barbed, spear or other suitably shaped point a,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In an instrument or apparatus for extracting shives or bungs from casks,
the combination of the needle or piercer A having barb, spear or other suitably
shaped point a, with the boss B and levers C, constructed and arranged substantially
as herein set forth.