Rigid framed wine barrel with replaceable wood panels
First Claim
1. A wine barrel comprising:
- a rigid external frame having upper and lower substantially identical rigid ring ends and a plurality of substantially straight and rigid longitudinal connecting means wherein said upper and lower ring ends have a plurality of holes to receive said connecting means to create a rigid cage-like frame, the position and number of said holes and the number of said connecting means predetermined to establish the number of barrel sides;
a plurality of wooden side panels fitted inwardly of said longitudinal connecting means in an abutting manner against said connecting means and against each other to form a multisided cylinder like structure wherein the ends of said cylinder like structure are exposed, and;
a plurality of wooden end panels butted against said exposed ends of said cylinder like structure thereby providing a substantially leak-proof barrel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wine barrel having a rigid external reusable frame with replaceable wooden side panels and substantially identical upper and lower wooden ends assembled within the rigid external frame to provide a wooden enclosure for the wine. A liquid tight container is provided; the wine exposed only to wooden surfaces. Panels can be replaced in the frame with new panels or existing panels having an unused side can be removed, reversed, and reused. Assembly of the barrel is straightforward requiring only minimum tools and skills without the need for the hand-fitting expertise required in constructing a traditional barrel. When assembled, the rigid frame, and not the wood panels, supports all the external and internal loads of the wine barrel. For introduction of a caramel taste to the wine the wood panels can be initially placed in an oven with the degree of caramelization controlled by the oven temperature and exposure time.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A wine barrel comprising:
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a rigid external frame having upper and lower substantially identical rigid ring ends and a plurality of substantially straight and rigid longitudinal connecting means wherein said upper and lower ring ends have a plurality of holes to receive said connecting means to create a rigid cage-like frame, the position and number of said holes and the number of said connecting means predetermined to establish the number of barrel sides; a plurality of wooden side panels fitted inwardly of said longitudinal connecting means in an abutting manner against said connecting means and against each other to form a multisided cylinder like structure wherein the ends of said cylinder like structure are exposed, and; a plurality of wooden end panels butted against said exposed ends of said cylinder like structure thereby providing a substantially leak-proof barrel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wine barrel comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinal connecting members; a pair of substantially identical generally circular rigid ring ends having holes for receiving and locating said plurality of longitudinal connecting members connected to form a rigid external frame; wooden end panels having holes corresponding in position and number with said plurality of holes in said upper and lower rigid ring ends; wooden side panels fitted inwardly of said connecting members in an abutting manner against said connecting means and against each other to form a multisided cylinder like structure; said connecting members including means for interchangeably capturing and securing said wooden side panels; and wherein during assembly said wooden end panels are positioned between said circular end rings and ends of said wooden side panels whereby in conjunction with said connecting members pressure is applied to the said ends of said wooden side panels to create a liquid tight barrel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification