This invention relates to a wine vat with straight and interchangeable staves and more particularly to a wine vat including a frame comprised of expanding elements and straight staves.
Several types of vats are used in the winemaking industry, i.e. stainless steel vats, concrete vats with ceramic liners, or barrels made of oak staves which are used for providing an oak and tannin taste to the wine.
Oak barrels or casks consist of arc shaped staves joined together, then strapped with steel to withstand the very strong pressures caused by expansion of the wood.
Prior art oak barrels or casks are very expensive to make. Furthermore, in order to obtain consistency in oak taste, they are usable for only three or four vinifications as subsequent vinifications no longer yield the same oak cask or tannin taste characteristics. Enologists and cellar operators are therefore often forced to buy new barrels for subsequent vinifications, which further increases the expense.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a remedy to the disadvantages of the prior art oak barrels or casks.
The wine vat of the present invention is formed by abutting horizontal and vertical straight staves against each other to form the walls of a rectangular or square tank. A frame, i.e. a metallic frame, includes stationary elements as well as elements that are moveable due to the action of elastic washers in response to vertical and lateral expansions of the staves. The straight staves have interlinking tabs and grooves that enable them to attach to each other inside the frame. The straight staves are very easily interchangeable while keeping the same basic frame. The straight staves are also reversible, one face being used for a first vinification, the other face being used for a second vinification by a simple disassembly and reassembly. The staves being straight, a simple planing can bring back the same characteristics for obtaining a consistent taste.
The annexed drawings schematically illustrate, as examples, the principles of this invention.
First, in reference to
As mentioned above, said staves can be made of oak or any other woodgrain. The staves are abutted against each other and the distortions are offset. It thus becomes possible to consider several woodgrain for the same vat according to the desired tastes.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2019/04 | Dec 2004 | CH | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CH05/00704 | 11/28/2005 | WO | 00 | 6/7/2007 |