IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO HOOPS FOR BARRELS, TUBS, BALES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hale, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
CC
Iron Master, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO
HOOPS FOR BARRELS, TUBS, BALES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hale, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Iron Master, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO
HOOPS FOR BARRELS. TUBS. BALES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hale at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1880.
" IMPROVE-
EDWARD HALE, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Master.
MENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO HOOPS FOR BARRELS, TUBS, BALES, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES."
By the existing modes of making iron hoops for casks, barrels, and similar
vessels the ends of the hoops are fastened by rivetting. This rivetting ordinarily
is not done by the manufacturer of the hoops but at the place of applying the hoop
to the barrel or cask. The hoops as sold in the market are simply plain bands of
iron or bands with rivet holes punched in the ends. For the manufacturer to
complete the hoop by rivetting the ends together would render it cumbersome for
transportation and storage, and thus add greatly to the cost of the article to the
consumer. On the other hand, it is for various reasons a recognized inconvenience
to the consumer to be obliged to rivet the hoop at time of use.
The present Invention seeks to obviate these difficulties inherent in the existing
modes of manufacture, and to provide a hoop which practically will be complete as
it leaves the hands of the manufacturer, without, however, having its ends exactly
joined, and which will be ready for immediate use as it comes into the hands of the
consumer, without the necessity on his part of splaying it or of rivetting the ends
together.
For this purpose I take bale or barrel bands made with ends of enlarged section,
such as were patented by me, No. 3522 of 1877, and splay it, preferably in rolls
bevilled or screwed down more at one end than the other for the purpose. This
brings them into a curved form, the object being to shape the metal that when the
hoop is bent up one edge will have a larger diameter than the other to accomodate
it to the swell of the barrel.
One end of the blank is then punched with one or more (preferably two) holes
or slots, which it is preferred should be in the form of an ordinary key-hole or slot

page_text: with enlarged circular end. In the other end of the blank studs, buttons, or cleats
are to be secured by rivetting. These devices are of proper shape to permit them
readily to enter the aforesaid apertures, and they are otherwise so constructed that
when they have entered the apertures and been drawn up into place (the narrower
portion of the aperture) some portion will overhang the metal immediately adjacent
to the aperture and thus hold the two ends from springing apart. One very good
form is that of a button with the prolongation of the shank of smaller diameter and
rivetted into the band. The shank should be just long enough to hold the
thickness of the other end of the hoop.
Hoops supplied with slots and buttons should always be splayed first, the
advantages in such case being immense, as not merely can the splaying be done by
machinery, and consequently with evenness, and without unnecessary punching of
the metal, but this prior splaying prevents all danger of displacing or distorting
the studs, or of changing the form of the slots. Of course many different varieties
of fastener now in use can be used with my hoops, and I do not confine myself to
hook or button, as the difference in fastening will not interfere with the manufacture
of hoops splayed, end-thickened, and fitted with fastenings, to be at once attached
to the barrel, no matter what those fastenings are. Of course, with ordinary parallel
bales splaying is not necessary, though with some bales of peculiar conical construction
splaying would be advantageous in the hoops.
If desired, the hoops can be prepared and sold in sets, the several hoops of each
set being accurately made so as to have a different spread from the others of the
set, according to their respective positions, as designated by the well known terms
chime hoops, bulge hoops, and intermediate hoops.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Hale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd November
1880.
EDWARD HALE, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Master. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO HOOPS FOR BARRELS, TUBS, BALES, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES."
By the existing modes of making iron boops for casks, barrels, and similar
vessels, the ends of the hoops are fastened by rivetting. This rivetting ordinarily
is not done by the manufacturer of the hoops but at the place of applying the hoop
to the barrel or cask. The hoops as sold in the market are simply plain bands of
iron or bands with rivet holes punched in the ends. For the manufacturer to
complete the hoop by rivetting the ends together would render it cumbersome for
transportation and storage, and thus add greatly to the cost of the article to the
consumer. On the other hand it is for various reasons a recognised inconvenience
to the consumer to be obliged to rivet the hoop at time of use.
The present Invention seeks to obviate these difficulties inherent in the existing
modes of manufacture, and to provide a hoop which practically will be complete as
it leaves the hands of the manufacturer, without however having its ends exactly
joined, and which will be ready for immediate use as it comes into the hands of
the consumer, without the necessity on his part of splaying it or of rivetting the
ends together.
For this purpose I take bale or barrel bands made with ends of enlarged section,
such as were patented by me, No. 3522 of 1877, and splay it, preferably in rolls
bevilled or screwed down more at one end than the other for the purpose. This
brings them into a curved form, the object being to shape the metal that when the
hoop is bent up one edge will have a larger diameter than the other to accommodate
it to the swell of the barrel. In designing rolls for this purpose I make them short
so that they can be more easily screwed down to a slight angle with each other.
When rolled, one end of the blank is punched with one or more (preferably two)
holes or slots, which it is preferred should be in the form of an ordinary key-hole
or slot with enlarged circular end. In the other end of the blank, studs, buttons,
or cleats are to be secured by rivetting.
In the Drawings, Fig. 1 is the blank from which the band is made; Fig. 2
shows a completed band laid flat; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of same; Fig. 4,
band joined up as it would be on the barrel; Fig. 5, horizontal section of same.
In all these Figures the length or diameter of the band is reduced for convenience
of drawing. The buttons shown enter the wide or circular part of the slot and
their shanks sink down into and rest in the narrower portion. By this means
some part of the button always overhangs the metal of the other end of the band
immediately adjacent to the aperture and thus holds the two ends from springing
apart. The Figures show the best form of button for general purposes known
to me.
The shank should be just long enough to hold the thickness of the other end of
the hoop. Hoops supplied with slots and buttons should always be splayed first,
the advantages in such case being immense, as not merely can the splaying be done
by machinery, and consequently with evenness and without unnecessary punching
of the metal, but this prior splaying prevents all danger of displacing or distorting
the studs, or of changing the form of the slots. Of course, many different varieties
of fastener now in use can be used with my hoops, and I do not confine myself to
hook or button, as the difference in fastening will not interfere with the manufacture
of hoops splayed, end-thickened, and fitted with fastenings to be at once attached
to the barrel, no matter what those fastenings are. Of course, with ordinary

page_text: parallel bales splaying is not necessary, though with some bales of peculiar conical
construction splaying would be advantageous in the hoops.
If desired, the hoops can be prepared and sold in sets, the several hoops of each
set being accurately made so as to have a different spread from the others of the set,
according to their respective positions as designated by the well known terms, chime
hoops, bulge hoops, and intermediate hoops.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new
and desire to protect under the herein before recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The splaying of hoops for barrels, tubs, bales, and other like articles by
means of smooth rolls with opposing rolling surfaces at a slight angle with each
other, substantially as herein described.
Second. As a new article of manufacture and commerce, the herein described
hoop, preferably end-thickened, but in all cases splayed and fitted with suitable
fastenings supplied by the manufacturer ready to be attached to the barrel, tub,
bale, or other like article, without the alteration or splaying upon the spot hitherto
considered necessary.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hale, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
JOHN HENRY PECK,
Solicitor,
Wigan.
EDWARD HALE. (L.S.)