Means or Apparatus for Packing Barrel Staves and Heads into Round Shooks or Bundles for Shipment, and for Setting-up Staves into Barrel Form.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Means or Apparatus for Packing Barrel Staves and Heads into
Round Shooks or Bundles for Shipment, and for Setting-up
Staves into Barrel Form.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 65 South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to simple means or apparatus whereby staves and heads that
may have previously formed a barrel can be quickly and economically packed into
shooks of uniform size for shipment; and which means or apparatus can by slight
modifications be also employed for setting up staves from shooks into barrel form
without employing skilled labour.
In one form of apparatus according to my invention for packing staves into round
shooks a base plate carries a vertical pillar or support and a loose circular raising hoop
the latter being formed with a disc or bottom. The raising hoop is of a diameter
somewhat greater than that of the end of a finished shook and is provided with a fixed
guide or packing block; this is of different heights or thicknesses and is oblong in plan
its shorter ends being rounded for the ends of the boards forming the barrel head to
rest on as hereinafter described. Concentric with the loose raising hoop and packing
block a retaining hoop is provided at a distance above them according to the size of
shook required; it is made in two segments pivoted together and supported by an
adjustable bracket that slides on the vertical support or pillar above referred to. The
retaining hoop is also provided with stops and a handle or catch for holding the free
ends together and for opening the hoop out when required. The diameter of the
raising hoop is somewhat greater than that of the retaining hoop but these diameters
may vary being regulated by the size of the barrel and the thickness of staves and
heads to be packed.
A very convenient form in whicb to pack the staves and heads into a round shook is
to first place two or more rings or staves, one inside the other, resting against the
retaining hoop their ends being carried on the disc or circular bottom to prevent them
from falling outwards; they are kept in position by the encircling hoop fixed thereto.
Trussing up spaces are left in the two rings of staves preferably at 90° from each other.
Generally there remain an even number of staves, six for example four of which are
placed thus two opposite each other between the inner ring and the longer size of the
oblong packing block, thus forming portions of a third ring, and the other two each in
front of the last two thus filling up the remaining space between the third inner ring
and the oblong packing block. The shorter width of the oblong block is such as to
suit the sum of the thicknesses of the boards forming the heads i.e. over all when
packed; the raised upper oblong part on the larger oblong is the width equal to the
boards less the two longer centre boards, so that the side boards of the heads to which
the cantles are fixed are raised up about midway between the pack. A trussing hoop
is then hammered down to partially truss the upper ends, the retaining hoop is opened
and the shook turned upside down carrying with it the raising hoop and packing piece;
another trussing hoop is then driven over this end and the raising hoop and packing
piece removed the shook being ready to be permanently hooped. The spaces between
the inner and outer rings of staves allow them to collapse and tighten on all the staves
and head pieces when trussed.
By a slight modification apparatus according to my invention may be employed for
re-erecting staves from shooks into barrel form. When so used the retaining ring is
larger in diameter and the raising ring flanged outside for the stave ends to rest on
instead of being provided with the before mentioned disc or bottom. With some
barrels having only a small bilge in proportion to their size there may be substituted

page_text: for the oblong packing piece an inner retaining hoop arranged at a convenient height
from the ground and made to collapse sideways in any convenient manner such as by
binging two half hoops together so as to be capable of ready removal from the barrel
rim when trussed.
I would have it understood that apparatus of the kind referred to may be modified
to suit different classes of staves without departure from the essential features of my
invention.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means or Apparatus for Packing Barrel Staves and Heads into
Round Shooks or Bundles for Shipment, and for Setting-up
Staves into Barrel Form.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 65 South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to simple means or apparatus whereby staves and heads that
may have previously formed a barrel can be quickly and economically packed into
shooks of uniform size for shipment; and which means or apparatus can by slight
modifications be also employed for setting up staves from shooks into barrel form
without employing skilled labour.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a side elevation partly in section of apparatus according to this invention:
for packing staves into round shooks the apparatus being shewn complete with a packed
shook whose upper end is trussed.
Fig. 2. is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1. the shook in this case being.
free and ready for trussing up.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the apparatus.
Fig. 4. is a similar view to Fig. 3. but with the retaining hoop opened to allow the
shook to be removed; the various portions forming the two heads are shewn in the
position they would occupy when in a packed shook.
Fig. 5. is a similar view to Fig. 1. of larger apparatus suitable for setting up a barrel
rim from a shook or pack of staves.
Fig. 6. is a plan of the same.
Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4. A. is a suitable base plate carrying a vertical support B.
and a loose circular raising hoop C. the latter is of a diameter somewhat greater than
that of the end of a trussed shook; and is formed or provided with a disc or bottom D.
on to which the lower ends of the set up staves E. E. rest. At or about the centre of
the bottom D. are oblong packing blocks F. F' having rounded ends as shewn in
Fig. 3. for the sections of the heads to rest on. These blocks are of different heights
or thicknesses according to the lengths and number of boards composing the barrel
heads, in this case the blocks are of two thicknesses the arrangement being designed
for heads of palm oil casks which are each made up of five pieces G. H. J. H' G' that
is three soft wood boards H. J. H' and two hard wood strips or cantles G. G¹ which
are all dowelled together to form a head; but when taken apart the middle or longest
board J. in each head is separate from the two other portions having the cantles G. G₁
attached when packed into shooks as shewn in Fig. 2. The width of the upper block F.
is rather less than the thickness of the four head boards H. H. and H' H' to which the
cantles are dowelled forming the two heads, and its height above the block F¹ is about
half the difference between the lengths of the longer and shorter head boards. The
width of the block F is greater than that of the block F. to an extent such that on each
side of the block F. there will be room for the centre head board, and its height is such

page_text: that the middle boards J, will be at an even distance between the ends of the staves E.
when packed as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Concentric with the raising hoop ( and its attached bottom D. is a retaining
hoop K. made in halves hinged together on a pivot supported on an adjustable
bracket L. which may be adjusted on the pillar B. as may be required, to allow a
greater or less number of staves to be inserted. The free ends of the hoop L. are
provided with a catch M. for securing them together whilst their other ends are
curved and form stops against the pillar B. they may be opened out to allow of
the removal of the shook but when closed will be concentric with the raising
hoop C. which retained in position by stops or a projecting half hoop A¹ secured
to or formed with the base plate A. The internal diameter of the hoop C. is
somewhat greater than the diameter of the trussed shook at the place where the
staves catch so as to admit of the head boards being inserted after all the staves
bave been placed in position after which the trussing hoop N. is driven down as
hereafter described. The relative diameters of the hoops C. and K. may be varied
according to the size of the barrel and the thickness of the staves and heads to be
packed.
A very convenient form in which to pack the staves and heads into a round
shook is to first place two or more rings of staves, one inside the other, resting
against the retaining hoop K. their ends being carried on the bottom D. to prevent
them from falling outwards they are kept in position by the encircling hoop K.
Trussing up spaces are left in the two rings of staves preferably at 90° from each
other. Generally there remain an even number of staves, six for example, four of
which are placed thus two opposite each other between the inner ring and the
longer size of the oblong packing block, thus forming portions of a third ring,
and the other two each in front of the last two thus filling up the remaining
space between the third inner ring and the oblong packing block.
The staves and head pieces being in position a trussing hoop is hammered down
to partially truss the upper ends, the retaining hoop K. is then opened and the
shook turned upside down carrying with it the raising hoop and blocks F. F';
another trussing hoop is then driven over this end and the raising hoop C. and
blocks F. F removed the shook being now ready to be permanently hooped. The
spaces between the inner and outer rings of staves allow them to collapse and
tighten on all the staves and head pieces when trussed.
Figs. 5. and 6. illustrate slightly modified apparatus according to my invention
suitable for re-erecting staves from shooks into barrel form.
The apparatus is very similar to that shewn in Figs. 1. to 4. but the raising
hoop C. is not fixed to the disc P. which in this case is secured to the base
plate A. The hoop C. is a little larger in diameter than the size it is intended
the finished barrel rim shall be.
The upper ends of the staves when set up form a circle whose diameter is about
equal to the largest or bilge diameter of the trussed barrel, so that the bilge
hoop N. can just pass over and he driven down to the bilge or middle of the
staves after which other trussing hoops smaller in diameter are also forced on.
The retaining hoop K. is then opened and the barrel rim removed and turned
upside down and the trussing finished. The adjustment of the height of the
bracket L. on the pillar B. may in large apparatus be conveniently effected by
screwed nuts as shewn or the arrangement. shewn in Fig. 1. can be adopted.
will be understood that by varying the height of the retaining ring K. staves
forming barrels of slightly different diameters may be packed or set up as required.
With a barrel having small heads in proportion to the length of the staves an additional
loose block or blocks may be placed in position for the heads to rest upon.
It
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is.
1. Apparatus for packing barrel staves and heads into round shooks constructed

page_text: and operating substantially as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1. to 4.
inclusive of the drawings.
2. Apparatus for setting up staves into barrel form constructed and operating
substantially as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 4. and 5. of the
drawings.
Dated this 25th day of Amount 1000
ALEXANDER DUNBAR.