Improvements in Tilters for Casks or Barrels.
Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN BATTEN MITCHELL of 10 Wakeham, Portland, in the County of Dorset,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: —
My invention has for its object to provide a means for tilting casks or barrels
to facilitate the emptying of same, without the possibility of the contents thereof
being shaken or thickened in the process.
For the purposes of my invention I mount a vertical plate upon the inner face
of the top horizontal bar of the usual rack or horse upon which the cask or barrel
is mounted, the said plate being arranged to slide in a suitable guide or guides
fixed upon the said horizontal bar.
The said plate has formed upon one of its sides uotches or ratchet teeth with
which engages a spring or other pawl for retaining the said plate in the desired
raised position, while upon its opposite side are cogs or teeth in the form of a rack,
with which engages a toothed wheel or pinion in gear with another or other
wheels or pinions operated by a wheel or pinion fixed upon a horizontal shaft
extending across and through the front horizontal bar of the said rack or horse,
whereat the said shaft is provided with a suitable wheel or handle for rotating the
same, such rotation serving to operate the said gear of wheels and raise the said
plate, and the back end of the cask or barrel resting thereon, the upper end of the
said plate being provided with a curved crown adapted to fit the rotundity of any
size cask or barrel.
Dated this Ond Whmuar 1007
Improvements in Tilters for Casks or Barrels.
I, JOHN BATTEN MITCHELL of Wakeham, Portland, in the county of Dorset,
Watchmaker do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for tilting casks or barrels
containing beer, wine, cyder, and other liquids that has to be drawn off therefrom,
through a tap in one of the heads thereof, the object of my said invention being
to effect such tilting without the slightest possibility of shaking or thickening the
said contents.
In order that my said invention and the manner of fixing and using the same
may be fully understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings of which,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an ordinary cask-rack or horse, to
which my said invention has been applied and fixed.

page_text: Fig. is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 with the left-hand tie or cross-bar removed,
and shewing a cask or barrel thereon that has been tilted by the means of my said
invention.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the tilting plate and its accessories according to
one method of constructing my invention.
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating an alternative construction to
be used in connection with Fig. 6 as hereinafter explained.
I carry my invention into effect, by screwing or otherwise fixing in a suitable
position upon the back horizontal bar A, of an ordinary cask-rack or horse, a
plate B, upon which slides in suitable guides a a¹ a vertical plate C, the hind or
crown of which D is curved so as to adapt it for the reception of the rotund portion
of the back end of a case or barrel of any size within reasonable limits, and in order
to prevent slip the said crown may have serrations, notches, or pointed teeth
such as b.
rack
The said plate Chas upon one of its sides a toothed rack c, with which meshes
a toothed wheel or pinion in gear with another or other wheels or pinions, actuated
from the front of the said stand or rack for raising and lowering the said pawl C,
and such train of wheels may conveniently consist of a pinion d, in gear with the
and in fixed connection with a spur wheel e, and both mounted upon a
stud f, borne by the fixed plate B, the said toothed wheel e being in gear with a
pinion mounted upon a horizontal transverse shaft or rod h, one end of which
may have a bearing in the plate B, while its opposite end is borne by, and extends
through, the opposite horizontal rail A' of the said rack or horse, and is thereat
provided with a wheel or other handle by the rotation of which the said gearing
is caused to operate upon, and raise or lower the rack C as desired.
j
The said rack C may be provided with stop-pins m and m₁ for governing the
extent of its up and down travel, and is adapted to be lowered until its crown 1
is below the level of the bar A, so that a cask or barrel such as E may be rolled
along the horse or rack until in the required position, this being preferably such,
that the rack D when raised for tilting the said cask may engage therewith at or
about the back quarter hoop (when such is provided) or between this and the back
bulge hoop as at Fig. 3.
In order that the cask so raised may not fall when the hand is removed from
the wheel or handle I may provide upon the plate C notches or ratchet teeth a
such as P with which may engage a gravity, spring, or other pawls as at Fig. 4,
and I may arrange that the said pawl be fixed upon a rod t extending aeroas and
through the bar A', so that when the plate C is to be lowered the said pawls may
he thrown out of gear from the front of the stand. Or as a modification I may
fix upon the inner face of the rail A' a plate v (Fig. 6) through which the rod h
may pass, and upon the said rod I may mount and fix a ratchet wheel w, and with
the teeth of this engages a gravity-spring or other pawls as shown in Figs. 2, 3,
and 6, and I may arrange that the said pawl is fixed upon a rod carried by the
said plato and extending through the bar A', so that the said pawl may be
thrown out of gear from the front of the rack or horse as previously described, 4
and when the said device Fig. 6 is employed the ratchet teeth r upon the sliding
plate C may be dispensed with, in which case I may provide upon the front faca
of 'gradations of inch or other measurement such as r at Fig. 5, so that the precise
degree of tilt may be seen and read from the front of the rack or horse.
I have chosen to assume in the accompanying drawings, that the rack or horse
is adapted to receive several such casks or barrels F, placed side by side thereon,
as obtains with publicans, wine-merchants and others, in which case the said rack.
or horse may be provided with one of my improved tilting apparatus for each
cask or barrel, but it is obvious that by varying its size, my said invention is
equally applicable for use upon such racks or stands as are employed in private
and other houses for carrying a pin firkin or other small cask for domestic use.

page_text: 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:
1st. In combination with a rack, horse or other stand for casks or barrels, the
construction, use, and application of the herein described tilting apparatus,
connected, combined and operating substantially as herein set forth and shown.
2nd. With a rack, horse or other stand for casks or barrels, the combination of
a tilting device, consisting of a plate such as C, having a crown such as D, and
adapted to slide vertically in guides such as a a' upon the back horizontal rail A
of the said rack or horse, the said plate C having a toothed rack c in gear with
wheels such as de, g the lattor mounted upon a rod and actuated by a handlo
or wheel, for mising and lowering the said plate C, the said plate having
ratchet teeth with which engages a pawls for preventing the spontaneous lower-
ing of the same, when raised, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. With a rack-horse, or other stand for casks or barrels the combination of
n tilting device consisting of a plate C having a crown D, with or without teeth
or the like b, and adapted to slido vertically in guides such as a a', the said plate
having a toothed rack in gear with wheels such as de g the latter mounted upon
a rod h actuated by a wheel or handle j, the said rod h also carrying a ratchet
wheel to with which engages a gravity or spring-pawl the whole connected
combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes stated and shewn
by Figs 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of May 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.