An automated cask management and warehousing system

Abstract

An automated cask management and warehousing system 100 for moving casks 8 (and 1, Fig 1) removably 5 retained in a cask handling device 10, 50 and undertaking one or more automated actions on the cas

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an automated cask management and warehousing system. Particularly, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to an automated cask management and warehousing system for moving casks removably retained in a cask handling device and undertaking one or more automated actions on the cask. Aspects of the disclosure relate to the automated cask management and warehousing system and a building. BACKGROUND A number of sprits and / or beverages are matured (also known as aged) in casks. One such spirit being whisky (or whiskey, the spelling depending upon location of origin). Whisky is matured over a number of years, for example 3 to 15 or more years in a cask. Other beverages are also matured in casks, such as wines and fortified wines. Casks have a gross weight (i.e. full of fluid) of between around 280 kg for a wine cask through to approximately 600 kg for a butt cask. Due to the number of casks in a distillery, winery or bottling factory it can be difficult to track stock as it goes through the warehousing process especially when a whisky blend is being produced which can require multiple casks containing multiple different types of whiskies from different distilleries. When a cask is lost this can delay a blending process until i) the cask is found, or ii) a new cask is brought into the warehouse from storage. In both cases, this results in large degree of downtime and a large number of personnel to handle the casks and move them through a process. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMAMRY OF THE DISCLOSURE Aspects and embodiments of the disclosure provide an automated cask management and warehousing system and to a building comprising the system as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided an automated cask management and warehousing system comprising: a controller, a plurality of cask handling devices removably retaining a cask, at least one materials handling device configured to move the cask handling devices, a plurality of automated cask processing stations; and wherein the materials handling device and one or more automated cask processing stations are controlled by the controller. The system enables casks removably retained in a cask handling device to be processed at one or more processing stations under instruction by the controller. The ability to automate handling of the cask reduces the likelihood of spillage which can arise during manual handling of a cask. Moreover, by removably retaining the cask within the cask handling device there is a reduced likelihood of damage to the cask as the cask is cradled by the cask handling device rather than able to roll around. Optionally, the system comprises a first materials handling device and a second materials handling device. By providing two materials handling devices the system may move cask handling devices around the system efficiently. Optionally, the first materials handling device is a conveyor. By utilising a conveyor the cask handling devices can be conveyed in a more efficient manner than by manual handling. Optionally, the second materials handling device is any one of: a crane, a lifting device and a forklift truck. By providing a crane, lifting device and / or forklift truck the cask handling devices can be individually picked up and moved to specific locations of the system. Optionally, the crane is a pantograph crane. By using a pantograph crane there may be reduced movement of the load located at the end of the crane as compared to a cable winch system. Utilising a pantograph crane may therefore reduce the likelihood of a lifted cask 2 handling device colliding with a second stacked cask handling device. A pantograph crane is more ridged than a rope or wire crane as such the load being lifted reduces swaying when the movement of the crane is brought to a controlled stop as compared to rope or wire cranes. Optionally, the second materials handling device comprises a load cell. By providing a load cell the system can determine whether a cask handling device has been picked up. Moreover, the system can determine the weigh of the cask located in the cask handling device to determine fluid content of the cask and / or fluid loss. Optionally, the second materials handling device has a grabber configured to removably connect to the cask handling device. By providing a grabber configured to removably connect to the cask handling device the cask handling device may be more easily picked up and may not require the need for an operator to physically connect the materials handling device to the cask handling device. Optionally, one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask loading station configured to load a full cask into the cask handling device. By provided an automated cask loading station the cask may be married to a cask handling device with little to no manual intervention by an operator. Optionally, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask unloading station configured to unload an empty cask from the cask handling device. By provided an automated cask unloading station the cask may be removed from a cask handling device with little to no manual intervention by an operator. Optionally, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask emptying system configured to remove fluid from a cask. By providing a cask emptying system a cask can be disgorged automatically with little to no manual intervention by an operator, as such greater control of the disgorging process may be achieved. Optionally, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask sorting system controllable by the controller and two or more exit lines, wherein the cask sorting system is configured to sort casks into one of the two or more exit lines. By sorting the cask into two or more exit lines casks can be sorted to enable only certain cask types to be collected in one go. Optionally, the first exit line comprises casks having a first set of parameters and the second exit line comprises casks having a second set of parameters. By sorting the casks by parameters of the casks groups of casks with commonality may be collected in one go. For example, all ASB casks may be sorted into a first exit line and all Hogshead casks may be sorted into a second exit line. Optionally, the cask sorting system comprises an input conveyor connected to a rotary table, the rotary table having a first output connected to the first exit line and a second output connected to the second exit line. By utilising a rotary table, the casks may be sent on to the first or second exit lines quickly. Optionally the system further comprises a data capture system connected to the controller. By utilizing a data capture system in process checks and information can be gathered during use. Optionally, the data capture system comprises a plurality of data capture devices and each of the one or more automated cask processing stations has at least one data capture device. By having a data capture device at each of the one or more automated cask processing stations an individual cask can be tracked through the system. Optionally, the data capture device is one or more of: a scale, a camera, an RFID scanner, a barcode scanner, a sensor, an optical sensor, an optical laser sensor, a proximity sensor. The use of one or more of the data capture devices enables the tracking of casks around the system. Optionally, the system further comprises a cask storage area for storage of cask handling devices containing casks. The storage area enables casks to be stored when not required or before they are required to be used, e.g. waiting for a certain number of casks of a certain type(s) to be brought into the system before disgorging is started. Optionally, the cask storage area comprises one or more stacks of cask handling devices containing casks. By utilising stacks of cask handling devices the casks can be stored in a more space saving fashion rather than spread out across a floor. Optionally stack comprises 1 to 5 cask handling devices containing casks. Preferably, 2 to 5 cask handling devices containing casks, more preferably 2 to 3 cask handling devices containing casks. Optionally, one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated bung removal station. By having an automated bung removal station the bung can be removed on the process line without the need for manual intervention by an operator. Optionally, one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated testing station. By providing an automated testing station there may be a higher throughput of cask testing than by manual means and more consistent methodology may be employed by utilising the automated cask processing station. Optionally, one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated cask rotation station. Preferably the automated cask rotation station is configured to rotate the cask in the cask handling device. By rotating the cask automatically there is a reduced need for manual handling of the cask and the cask can be orientated in one of a number of orientations depending upon the task being performed currently or at a subsequent station. Optionally, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask labelling station. The cask labelling station may label casks to provide updated information on to the cask. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a building comprising the system according to any embodiment of the aspect describing the automated cask management system. Preferably wherein the building is one of: a warehouse, a processing facility, and a bottling plant. By providing the system within a building various parameters of the system may be controlled, such as the input / output of casks. Optionally, the building may have a temperature control system and / or a humidity control system and / or an air conditioning system and / or ventilation system. According to a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided an automated method for moving and processing a cask, the method comprising providing: the system according to any embodiment of the aspect describing the system or any embodiment of the aspect describing the building; and the steps of: moving one of the plurality of cask handling devices retaining a cask, undertaking a process on the cask using one of the plurality of automated cask process stations. The method may comprise any further steps, or processes as associated with any of the prior aspects of the invention, for example, the method may comprise an automated cask process station and a step associated with and undertaken by said automated cask process station. BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES One or more embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cask; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the cask of Figure 1 removably retained in a cask handling device, the cask being retained in a palletised orientation; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the cask of Figure 1 removably retained in a different cask handling device, the cask being retained in a bilge orientation; Figure 4 is a schematic view of a stack of cask handling devices of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic view of a system in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; and Figure 6 is a schematic view of a grabber of a pantograph crane configured to lift the cask handling devices of Figure 2 or 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; Figure 7 is a schematic view of a grabber of the pantograph crane of Figure 6 in a retracted position; and Figure 8 shows a flow chart detailing method steps for an automated method for moving and processing a cask. DETAILED DESCRIPTION An automated cask management and warehousing system 100 will be described with the aid of Figures 1 to 7. The system 100 is able to automate movement and storage of a cask 1 that is removably contained within a cask handling device 10. Figure 1 shows a schematic example of a cask 1. The cask 1 is not shown to scale but is described for the purpose of teaching the invention. The cask 1 may be made from staves of wood which are held together by metal hoops and rivets (not shown for reasons of clarity), The cask 1 has a bung 2 which is seated in a bung hole of the cask 1. The bung 2 prevents fluid from entering or exiting through the bung hole when the bung 2 is seated in the bung hole. The cask 1 has two ends 4. The cask 1 generally has a data source 6 which may be a barcode, RFID tag, QR code, or other similar data exchange device or means. The data source 6 comprises information about the cask 1, for example any one or combination of: the type of cask, date of filling, number of times the cask 1 has been used previously, maximum possible number of uses of the cask 1, distillery information. Data source 6 may be a barcode, preferably the bar code is a white spirit barcode as known in the art. The data source 6 may be disposed on one of the ends or side of the cask 1 or may have a data source 6 on each of the ends and side of the cask 1. Casks 1 may be manufactured by hand by a cooper, or include certain automated steps during manufacture, as such each cask may vary in dimensions, and each cooperage may have their own specific definition of what each cask type may be. An example list of cask types which the cask 1 may be are provided in table 1 below: Cask Type Cask Length, mm (L) Cask Maximum Width, mm (B) Cask End Width, mm (E) Tare Weight, kg Gross Weight, kg Wine 855 to 960 615 to 735 555 to 600 60 approx. 280 approx. ASB 860 to 880 590 to 630 510 to 550 48 approx. 220 approx. Hogshead 900 to 1168 700 to 760 580 to 650 56 to 67 310 approx. Puncheon 1140 to 1300 930 to 970 680 to 780 114 Max 560 to 570 Butt 1100 to 1270 860 to 950 660 to 780 128 Max 570 to 580 Table 1: Cask Dimensions and Weights The dimensions (cask length L, cask maximum width B and cask end width E) are shown on the schematic cask in Figure 1. The cask types provided in table 1 are merely examples of different types of casks which are available and which the skilled reader would know about. Other cask types include, but are not limited to: pin, firkin, quarter, rundiet, tierce, kilderkin, barrel, keg, pipe cask, tun, drum, Barrique, gorda, etc. The present invention may be configured to work with any of these cask types and / or any other similar cask type. A cask handling device 10 is shown in Figure 2 the cask handling device 10 is suitable for use in the system 100. However, the system 100 may not be limited to use with only this particular cask handling device 10 but may be used with other cask handling devices. The cask handling device 10 has a frame 12 that is configured to removably receive a cask 1, for example of the type previously described. The cask 1 is received in a palletised position, in other words the cask 1 is in an upright position. The frame 12 is made up of a base 14, a top 16 and four upright members 18. The base 14 and top 16 are connected by the upright members 18. The top 16 defines an aperture 17 through which a cask 1 may be removably inserted or removed. The aperture 17 is represented by dotted-line 17 in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that the cask handling device 10 is not shown to scale. In alternative configurations the base 14 may define the aperture or one or more of the sidewalls of the frame 12. Optionally, there may be multiple apertures 17, for example an aperture in two or more or all of the faces of the frame 12, in such a configuration a cask 1 can be loaded into the cask handling device 10 in multiple ways. The device 10 further comprises rotational supports 30 connected to the frame 12. In use the cask 1 is supported by rotational supports 30 as shown in Figure 2. There may be a plurality of rotational supports 30 for example two, three, four or more. In Figure 2 there are three rotational supports 30. The rotational supports 30 may be wheels or rollers. The rotational supports 30 may be connected to the frame 12 by means of a bracket or other fixture. The cask 1 may therefore rotate around an axis of rotation R in the cask handling device 10 the axis defined by the rotational supports 30. The device 10 further comprises a plurality of lifting features 20. In the depicted device 10 the frame 12 has eight lifting features 20 connected to it. The four of the lifting features 20 are disposed on the base 14 and four of the lifting features 20 are disposed on the top 16. Each of the plurality of lifting features may be any one of: a box section suitable for receipt of a tine of a forklift, a portion of the frame suitable for being gripped by a grabber 118 or a crane 130 or a materials handling device or a lifting device, a lifting loop, a portion of the frame suitable 8 for being gripped by a lifting clamp, a threaded hole for removable connection to a bolt, an unthreaded hole for removable receipt of a pin, or any other suitable lifting feature. The top set of lifting points 20 on the top 16 may be configured in one fashion, for example for releasable connection to a crane 130, such as a pantograph crane, and the bottom set of lifting points 20 on the base 14 may be configured to be box sections for removable receipt of a tine of a forklift. The cask handling device 10 may have a data source (not shown) which may be a barcode, RFID tag, QR code, or other similar data exchange device or means. The data source may comprise information about the cask handling device 10 for example the tare weight (weight of the device 10 when empty) and / or information about the cask types which are able to be loaded into the cask handling device. In alternative examples there may be a different number of lifting features for example one, two, three, or four, or six, or eight, or ten, or any subset or range therein. Alternatively, only the top set of lifting features or only the bottom set of lifting features may be provided. A second cask handling device 50 is shown in Figure 3. The second cask handling device 50 comprises a number of common features as the first cask handling device 10 as such the same feature reference numbers are employed. However, as will be apparent to the skilled reader the second cask handling device 50 has the cask 1 loaded in a bilge position (i.e. on the casks 1 side). The rotation supports 30 in this example are configured differently to the device 10 and they enable cask to rotate around the rotational axis R which is substantially parallel to the horizontal. In this example the rotational supports 30 are connected to the base 14. There may be two, three, four or more rotational supports 30. In the depicted device 50 of Figure 3, there are two visible rotational supports 30 and another two rotational supports 30 which are hidden by the cask 1 and not shown for reasons of clarity. As will be apparent Figures 2 and 3 show cask handling devices 10, 50 in the loaded position with a cask 1 stored therein. Either or both of cask handling devices 10,50 may have one or more optional stacking features to enable the cask handling devices 10, 50 to be stacked together. The stacking feature may be an extension of the upright member 18 or an extension of the top 16 that is configured to fit into a groove or aperture in the base 14 of a second cask handling device 10, 50. Figure 4 shows a first stack 200 of cask handling devices 50. The cask handling devices 50 are stacked one on top of the other in a full cask storage area 114 of the system 100. In other words, the cask 1 has not been emptied of some or all of the fluid contained therein. An ‘empty’ cask 1 within the meaning of the disclosure is a cask 1 which has had a portion of the fluid removed from the cask 1 or all the fluid within the cask 1 removed. All the fluid being removed does not necessarily mean that the interior of the cask 1 is dry but that the majority of the fluid has been removed accounting for any remainder in the cask 1. The stack 200 may comprise a stack of cask handling devices 10, 50 of a height equal to or greater than two, three, four, five or more times the height of the device 10, 50. There may be a plurality of stacks 200 in a full cask storage area 114 or a plurality of lines of casks 1 in cask handling devices 10, 50 or a plurality of casks 1 in cask handling devices 10, 50 that sit by themselves or casks 1 not in a cask handling device 10, 50 or any combination thereof. The system 100 will now be described with the aid of Figure 5. The system 100 is located within a building 101, or a portion of a building. The building 101 may be used for the purpose of producing beverages such as whisky or wine. The building 101 may be a processing facility, a warehouse, a bottling plant, a distillery or a winery. The system 100 has a controller 112, the controller 112 controls the system 100 and various sub-systems of the system 100. In the depicted example of Figure 5 the controller 112 is located in a control area 110 such as an operations room or server room or the like. The controller 112 is shown in Figures 6 and will be explained in more detail below. The system 100 further comprises a plurality of cask handling devices 10, 50 that have a removably retained cask. In the Figure 5 there are a number of cask handling devices 10, 50 that are in various positions in the system 100. To aid explanation cask handling devices 10, 50 which contain a full cask 1 are identified by reference number 102.102 identifies a full cask in a device. An empty cask 1 in a device is identified by reference number 103. An empty materials handling device 10, 50, that is with no cask 1 (either full or empty) contained therein is identified by reference number 104. A cask 1 which is full (not yet been processed) is 10 identified by reference number 5. A cask 1 which is empty and has been processed is identified by reference number 8. The system 100 has a full cask input area 106 and an empty cask output area 108. Full casks 5 enter the system 100 at the full cask input area 106 and leave the system 100 at the empty cask output area 108. Whilst only one input and output area 106, 108 is shown the system 100 may comprise a plurality of one or both for example for different sized casks 1 or casks 1 of different type or fluid contents. Casks 5 may be loaded into the system 100 at the full cask input area 106 from the back of a truck, lorry, forklift or from a conveyor or manually loaded into the system 100. Likewise, empty casks 8 may leave the system 100 and enter a truck, lorry, forklift, conveyor, or be manually moved away from the system 100. The system 100 has a number of automated cask processing stations 150 and one or more materials handling devices 116. The cask processing stations may be sub-systems of the system 100. Both the automated cask processing stations 150 and the materials handling devices 116 are controlled by the controller 112. At the automated cask processing station 150 one or more automated process are undertaken on a cask 1, 5, 8 as will be discussed further below. The automated cask processing station 150 may be any one of: a cask loading station 152, a cask unloading station 154, a cask emptying system 156, a cask sorting system 158, an automated bung removal station 166, an automated testing station 168, an automated rotation station 170 and a cask labelling station 172. The cask loading station 152 loads a cask 1 into a device 10, 50. A cask 1 is inserted into an empty cask handling device 10, 50 through the aperture 17 either by allowing the cask 5 to roll into the device 10, 50 through the aperture 17 in which case a pivot table may be provided to pivot the device 10, 50 or by a loading machine (such as a robotic arm with a grabber configure to pick up a cask 5) configured to lift and place the cask 1 into the device 10, 50. The cask unloading station 154 unloads a cask 1 from device 10, 50. The cask unloading station 154 separates the cask 1 from the device 10, 50. This can be achieved by allowing the cask 5 to roll out of the device 10, 50 through the aperture in which case a pivot table may be provided to pivot the device 10, 50 or by an unloading machine (such as a robotic arm with a grabber configure to pick up a cask 1 and lift it out of the cask handling device 10, 50). 11 The automated rotation station 170 is configured to rotate the cask 1 in the cask handling device 10, 50 for the purpose of bung removal (e.g. to enable the bung 2 to be presented to the automated bung removal station 166 for removal and / or to enable gravity disgorging of fluid contents). The automated rotation station 170 may comprise a motor, wheel, arm and actuator. The wheel being on one end of the arm and moveable from a retracted and unredacted position by the actuator. The motor configured to drive the wheel such that when the wheel is engaged with a cask 1 in the cask handling device 10, 50 the cask 1 is configured to rotate around axis R in the cask handling device 10, 50. The cask emptying system 156 empties or partially empties a cask 1 of fluid. The cask emptying system 156 may comprise a trough into which fluid from the cask 1 can be poured into via gravity disgorging. The system 156 may additionally comprise a breather tube or plurality of breather tubes for insertion into the cask 1 by a robotic arm or other means, the breather tube may be used to introduce air into the cask 1 to aid disgorging and reduce negative pressure build up during disgorging. Optionally, or alternatively, the cask emptying system may comprise a pump, fluid line and reservoir. The fluid line being insertable into the cask 1 to draw out fluid when the pump is powered. The fluid line may be inserted by means of a robotic arm or gantry system. Optionally, the cask emptying system 156 may have an automated rotation station 170 incorporated into the cask emptying system 156 to enable the cask 1 to be rotated for gravity disgorging. The cask sorting system 158 sorts a cask 1 into one of a number of lines based upon a number of characteristics of the cask 1, such as number of uses of the cask 1, or cask type. The cask sorting system 158 has a pivot table 164 or other sorting means to sort casks into two or more exit lines 160, 162 as shown in Figure 5. The automated bung removal station 166 removes the bung 2 from the cask 1. The automated bung removal station 166 may comprise a bung removal device, such as a powered corkscrew or spike which can be inserted into the bung 2 for removal of the bung from the cask 1. The automated testing station 168 checks a parameter of the cask 1 and / or a parameter of fluid contained within the cask 1. The automated testing station 168 may comprise a probe with a sensor configured to be inserted into the cask 1 when the bung 2 has been removed or an inline sensor that senses a parameter of the fluid being removed from the cask. The sensor may be a tint check or colour check sensor configured to check the tint or colour of fluid within 12 the cask. The sensor may be a weight scale to check the weight of the cask 1 before or after or during disgorging. The cask labelling station 172 is configured to add a new data source 6 to a cask 1. The new data source 6 may comprise information about processes that have been done to the cask 1 in the system 100 or updated information such as an updated number of uses of the cask 1. The cask labelling station 172 may comprise a printer configured to print new labels or data sources 6. The printed new labels may be printed automatically for application by a manual operator, or the printer may be an automated labelling device configured to directly apply the new label to a cask 1. The cask labelling station 172 may additional comprise a label remover for removing the previous data source 6. The label remover may be a robotic arm with a scraper tool and / or steam wand and / or suction device. The materials handling device 116 may be any one of the following materials handling devices 116: a conveyor 120, a crane 130, a lifting device 140, a forklift truck 142. The first materials handling device is a conveyor 120 is shown in Figure 5 and is configured to transport the cask handling devices 10, 50, 102, 103, 104 around the system 100. The conveyor may have guard rails or bumpers to reduce the likelihood of a cask handling device 10, 50, 102, 103, 104 falling from the conveyor 120 when the conveyor is moving. The conveyor type may be any one of: a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a pallet conveyor, or any other suitable conveyor 120. The conveyor 120 may have sections made up of one conveyor type and a second section made up of a second conveyor type. Whilst the depicted conveyor 120 is shown as a linear conveyor (that is with only straight sections connected at right angles) this is purely to aid description of the disclosure. In practice the conveyor 120 may have linear sections and optionally curved sections or may be made up of curved sections alone. There may be a number of second materials handling devices 116,130,140,142, of the same type or multiple types. The second materials handling device is a crane 130 is shown in Figure 5. The crane depicted is a gantry crane where the crane 130 hangs from a gantry 132 connected to one or more supports (not shown) or the wall of the building 101 itself. The gantry 132, and therefore the crane 130 is able to move in a Y-axis along the building 101, the gantry 132 may have one or two motors disposed at one or each end of the gantry to enable movement of the gantry 132 13 along the Y-axis. The crane 130 is also configured to move along the gantry 130 on along an X-axis. Not shown in Figure 5 is that the crane 130, or at least a grabber 118 or lifting clamp, or hook, that is removably connectable to one or more of the lifting fixtures 20 on the cask handling device 10, 50, 102,103, 104. The crane 130 may be a pantograph crane 130, a portion of the pantograph crane 130 is shown in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 6 shows the pantograph crane 130 connected to the cask handling device 10 in an extended position and figure 7 shows the pantograph crane 130 of Figure 6 in a retracted position. The pantograph crane 130 has a carriage 131 with an extendable scissor arrangement 134 connected to the carriage 131 at a first end of the scissor arrangement. The scissor arrangement has a grabber 118 located at a second end of the scissor arrangement. The carriage 131 has one or more or a plurality crane beam connectors for connecting the carriage 131 to the gantry 132. The carriage 131 is arranged movably on the gantry 132 to enable movement of a cask handling device 10 releasably connected to the pantograph crane 130 in the X, Y and Z axis. For reasons of clarity, the gantry 132 is not shown. In the depicted pantograph crane 130 of Figure 6 and 8 the carriage 131 comprises a hoist 137. The hoist 137 may be a wire hoist, cable hoist, rope hoist, or chain hoist. The hoists 137 are connected to the carriage 131 either directly or indirectly via a bracket or the like. For reasons of clarity the wire / cable / rope / chain of the hoist(s) 137 are not shown in Figures 7 and 8. The wire / cable / rope / chain of the hoists 137 are connected to a body 138 of the grabber 118 at a cable fixture point 133. Between the hoist 137 and the cable fixture point 133 there may be a pulley 139. In the depicted example of Figure 6 and 8 there are two hoists 137 each hoist is connected to two pulleys 139 and two cable fixture points 133 located on a first and second side of the carriage with the hoist 137 preferably disposed substantially along or near to a longitudinal axis of the carriage 131. In alternative arrangements there may be one, two, three, four or more hoists 137. The hoist(s) 137 are controlled by the controller 112. The extendable scissor arrangement 134 is movable between a retracted position (Figure 7) and an extended position (Figure 6), and a grabber 118 at a distal end of the extendable scissor arrangement, the proximal end of the extendable scissor arrangement being 134 connected to the carriage 131 that may contain control machinery and / or control circuitry. The movement of the extendable scissor arrangement 134 between the two position is achieved by winding or unwinding the wire / cable / rope / chain of the hoist(s) 137. The grabber 118 has a body 138 and a plurality of connectors 136. The connectors 136 are complementary to the lifting fixtures 20 of the cask handling devices 10, 50, 102, 103, 104 to enable releasable connection thereto. The connectors 136 may be hands which are pivotally connected to the body 138 to engage a lifting fixture 20 on the cask handling device 10 when the connectors 136 and lifting fixtures 20 are engaged together as shown in Figure 6 and 8. Alternatively, the connectors 136 may be clamps, or actuatable quick release connectors configured to engage the lifting fixtures 20. The quick release connector may be a female part configured to releasably engage a male part on the cask handling device 10. The female part may have an actuatable latch configured to engage a portion of the male part. The connectors 136 are operatively controllable by the controller 112 between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The disengaged position is shown in Figure 6. In the engaged position the connectors 136 are actuated to enable releasable connection between grabber 118 and a cask handling devices 10, 50, 102, 103, 104. As will be apparent, in the disengaged position the grabber 118 is able to fit through the frame aperture of the cask handling devices 10, 50, 102, 103, 104. In the engaged position the connectors 136 are lifted increasing the area of the grabber 118 in an x-y axis therefore enabling the cask handling devices 10, 50,102, 103,104 to be lifted by the one or more lifting fixtures 20. The body 138 may have an actuator or motor configured to drive the connectors 136 between the engaged and disengaged position. The actuator may be an electric actuator, hydraulic actuator or pneumatic actuator connected to a hydraulic reservoir or source of pressurised air as applicable. The connectors 136 may be connected by one or more linkages such that the connectors 136 are actuated at the same time. The grabber 118 may have a load cell connected to it between the extendable scissor arrangement and the body 138. The load cell is connected to the controller 112 to provide information on the weight of the cask handling device 10, 50,102,103,104, and / or to indicate that the grabber 118 is currently engaged to a device 10, 50, 102, 103, 104 or empty. As can be seen from Figures 7 and 8 the area of the extendable scissor arrangement 134 and the grabber 118 is substantially the same or smaller than the area of the top 16 and / or base 14 of the cask handling device 10, 50, 102, 103, 104 in the extended position and optionally the retracted position such a cask handling device 10, 50, 102,103,104 can be selected from a stack 200 with minimal disturbance to adjacent cask handling devices 10, 50,102,103,104. Alternatively, the crane may be free-standing such as a counterbalanced crane or jib crane. As will be apparent any materials handling device 116 described here may have a grabber 118 as described with reference to Figure 6. Whilst only a single crane 130 is shown in Figure 5 the system 100 may have multiple cranes 130. The lifting device 140 shown in Figure 5 is a robotic arm with a grabber 118 or other grabbing tool disposed at an end of the arm. The lifting device 140 may be fixed in place or may be moveable by means of a moveable platform or tracks or the like. The forklift 142 is shown in Figure 5. The forklift 142 is preferably an autonomous forklift 142 controlled by the controller 112 with the controller 112 providing instructions to the forklift 142 regarding various operations required to be undertaken. Alternatively, the forklift 142 may comprise a display wirelessly connectable to the controller to indicate to a forklift truck operator driving a non-autonomous forklift 142 a task to be completed, for example to translate a cask handling device 102 from a first position to a second position 102. 16 Any of the materials handling device 116 may comprise a load cell or other weight measuring device, such as a scale or weighing station on the conveyor 120. The system 100 has a data capture system (not shown) made up of a plurality of data capture devices (not shown). The data capture system is connected to the controller 112 and may provide information relating to the specific location of casks 1 and / or cask handling devices 10, 50 as they pass through the system 100 and through / passed specific data capture devices of the data capture system. The data capture devices may be configured to read the data source 6 on the casks 1 and / or the data source on the cask handling devices 10, 50. The data capture device may be one or more of: a scale, a camera, an RFID scanner, a barcode scanner, a sensor, an optical sensor, an optical laser sensor, a proximity sensor, a contact sensor, a through beam sensor. The data capture devices may be located at various positions around the system 100. For example, some or all of the automated cask processing stations 150 may have one or more data capture device. The conveyor 120 may have data capture devices at various points along the length of the conveyor 120 and at a conveyor exit 124 and / or conveyor entrance 126 point. Similarly, the second materials handling devices (e.g. crane 130, lifting device 140, forklift truck) may have a data capture device. The controller 112 for controlling the system 100 may comprise components that work together to manage and regulate the system’s 100 operations. The controller 112 may comprise an input means, an output means, a memory means, and a processing means. The controller 112 receives input signals from the data capture system, data capture devices and sensors and other means distributed around the system 100. The input signals inform the controller 112 of the system’s 100 current state or external commands that dictate desired operations. The controller 112 may further comprise a data input means for an operator to input instructions for the movement of casks 1, 5, 8 around the system 100. The data input means may be a control panel, keyboard, tablet, remote device or other suitable means for inputting data and / or instructions into the controller 112 and system 100. The system 100 may comprise a plurality of such data input means. The controller 112 may further comprise a display to display the location of casks 1,5, 8 and / or cask handling devices 10, 50 within the system 100 at a specific moment in time, for example a current position of a cask 1 in the system 100. The controller 112 may comprise: a data processor and / or control circuitry; and / or processor circuitry; and / or at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); and / or at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA); and / or single or multi-processor architectures; and / or sequential / parallel architectures; and / or at least one programmable logic controllers (PLCs); and / or at least one microprocessor; and / or at least one microcontroller; and / or a central processing unit (CPU), to perform the described methods and / or configured to receive operator instructions for example selecting of a plurality of casks 1, 5 of a first cask type for disgorging and / or a second plurality of casks 1,5 for disgorging, for example from the full cask storage area 114 after receipt of the instructions the controller 112 may instruct the system 100 to disgorge those casks 1, 5. The controller 112 may include a data storage and / or an associated memory, the memory may be located locally to the controller or remotely. The memory may be a non-volatile flash memory. The controller 112 and / or processor of the controller 112 may be configured to undertake and carry out instructions stored in the memory. The undertaking and carrying out of instructions may comprise processing of the input signals, determining steps based upon pre-defined criteria and then sending out instructions via one or more output signals sent from the output means to control the system 100 or sub-systems of the system 100 such as the materials handling devices 116, 120, 130, 140, 142 or the automated cask processing stations 150. The controller 112 may be in wired or wireless communication with the various components of the system 100. To aid explanation of the automated cask processing stations 150 they will now be described in more detail with respect to their position in Figure 5. The automated cask processing stations 150 will be described relative to the full cask input area 106, in other words from the input of a full cask 5 at the full cask input area 106 through to the output of an empty cask 8 at the empty cask output area 108. The arrows on conveyor 120 are there to aid explanation of the movement of the casks 1 around the system 100. However, as will be appreciated the arrangement of the individual automated cask processing stations 150 in Figure 5 and the ensuing description thereof is not intended to be limiting but simply to aid explanation of the present disclosure. In alternative arrangements the automated cask processing stations 150 may be in different positions, connected in different ways to each other (e.g. by conveyors 120, cranes 130 or other materials handling devices), or not all of the depicted automated cask processing stations 150 may be present, or a plurality of automated cask processing stations 150 may be present rather than the single automated cask processing stations 150 of each type depicted. The system 100 has a cask loading station 152 as shown in Figure 5. The cask loading station 152 is where casks are loaded automatically into the cask handling device 10, 50. The output of the cask loading station 152 is the full cask device 102. As can be seen from Figure 5 the cask loading station 152 has two inputs, the conveyor 120 conveying an empty cask handling device 104 and a second input which is the output of the full cask input area 106. A materials handling device 116 such as a lifting device 116, conveyor 120, crane 130, or forklift 142 may be used to load the casks 5 into the cask loading station 152. From the cask loading station 152 the full cask in device 102 travels along conveyor 120 to an optional junction 122. At the junction 122 the full cask in device 102 either moves to a conveyor exit 124 or alternatively it continues to move along conveyor 120. The junction 122 may have a data capture device that is configured to read the data source 6 on the full cask in device 102 and the controller 112 may then instruct the conveyor 120 to move the device 102 to the conveyor exit 124 or to continue on the conveyor 120 downstream. The determination may be made based on whether the cask 5 is required for disgorging or whether it is not required at this time and therefore should be stored. At the conveyor exit 124 the full cask in device 102 may then be moved to a storage area, the full cask storage area 114. In the full cask storage area 114 the full cask in device 102 may be stored until required by the system 100 either by itself or in a stack 200. As shown in Figure 5 the full cask storage area 114 has a lifting device 140 configured to pick up and move the full cask in device 102. Alternatively, the crane 130 may pick up and move the full cask in device 102 into the full cask storage area 114 from the conveyor exit 124. The location of the device 102 may be stored in the memory of the controller 112 for later retrieval when the cask 5 contained in the device 102 is required, for example because the fluid in the cask 5 has some specific property required for a blend, e.g. a specific number of years of maturation or flavour profile. The device 102 may be stored until a signal from the controller 112 instructs the system 100 to select the device 102 and move it to the conveyor entrance 126. The conveyor entrance 126 is an entry point back to the conveyor 120. The device 102 may be lifted onto the conveyor entrance 126 by one of the materials handling devices 116. After the conveyor entrance 126 there is a second conveyor junction 122. At this junction 122 which may also have a data capture device the data capture device may be configured to sense if a device 102 or other obstruction is located at the junction 122. If there is no obstruction, then the device 102 at the conveyor entrance 126 may be able to continue on the conveyor 120. If there is an obstruction the junction 122 system 100 may prevent the movement of the device 102 from the conveyor entrance 126 onto the conveyor 120 proper. Subsequently, the conveyor 120 moves the device 102 to the next automated cask handling station 150. In Figure 5 the next automated cask handling station is the automated rotation station 170. At this station, the cask 5 is rotated in the device 102 such that the bung 2 is facing upwards or substantially upwards so that at the next station, the automated bung removal station 166 the bung 2 may be easily removed. After removal of the bung 2 the device 102 containing the full cask moves to the automated testing station 168. At the automated testing station one or more parameters of the cask 5 and / or cask handling device 102 are sensed. Subsequently the device 102 is conveyed to the cask emptying system 156. The cask 5 is then emptied of some or all of its contents as previously described. After the device 102 passes out of the cask emptying system 156 it is not considered to be the empty cask 8 in device 103 as indicated by the change in symbol depicting the cask 1 in the cask handling device 10, 50. The device 103 is then conveyed to the cask unloading station 156 where the cask 8 and device 10, 50 are separated from each other as discussed previously. The now empty cask handling device 10, 50 is represented by the new symbol 104 for an empty device 104. The empty device 104 exits the cask unloading station 156 and is the conveyed by an empty device conveyor 120 to return the empty device 104 to the cask loading station 152 for the loading of a new full cask 5 into the empty device 104. The empty cask 8 which has been separated from the cask handling device 10, 50 then moves into the cask labelling station 172 where the previous data source 6 may be removed and a new data source 6 is added. Where the previous data source 6 is not removed the new data source 6 may be placed over the top of the old data source 6. The cask unloading station 156 and the cask labelling station 172 may be connected by a conveyor 120 or by rails configured to enable an empty cask 8 to roll along them. After the cask 8 has been re-labelled it enters the cask sorting system 158. At the cask sorting system 158 the casks are sorted in to one or more exit lines 160, 162 by the rotary table 164 and using information from one or more data capture devices. The first exit line 160 comprises casks 8 that fit a first set of parameters and the second exit line 162 comprises casks 8 that fit a second set of parameters different to the first set of parameters. The first set of parameters and second set of parameters may comprise any one or more of: number of times cask 8 has been used, type of cask, a cask damage flag, distillery location flag, etc. The casks 8 can then be sorted based on which parameters the casks have 8. For example, for two casks which are the same type, have the same number of times previously used, with no damage flag but from two different distillery locations may be sorted into the first and second exit lines 160,162 respectively so that casks from a first distillery location are less likely to be sent to a second distillery location. Where a cask damage flag is raised the cask 8 may be fed into an exit line 160, 162 which indicates remedial work may be required on the cask 8 and may need to be manually inspected and / or repaired by a cooper. Where a cask damage flag is raised the cask 8 may be moved into a cask exit line 160,162 comprising other damaged casks irrespective of other parameters or a specific cask exit line 160, 162 comprising damaged casks from a single distillery. As will be apparent there may be a plurality of exit lines 160, 162 with each exit line 160, 162 comprising a similar casks 8 which fit any sub-set of the above permutations of parameters. The sorted empty casks 8 may remain in the lines 160,162 until they are ready to be collected for new processes, such as repair by a cooper or being sent back to a distillery for refilling. When the casks 8 are ready for collection the casks 8 can be moved to the empty cask output area 108 by one of the materials handling devices 130, 140, 142 or where the exit line 160 and / or 162 is connected to the empty cask output area 108 by a conveyor 120 they may be conveyed directly to the empty cask output area 108. It will be understood that numerous changes may be made within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, whilst the above description has described only a single process line comprising the automated cask processing stations 150 it will be apparent that multiple such processing lines may be utilised within the same building 101. For example, there may be multiple lines for disgorging a cask 5 in parallel with each other. Moreover, there may be multiple cask sorting systems 158 each connected to two or more exit lines 160, 162. Whilst the building 101 has been shown as a single building it envisioned that the system 100 may be distributed across a number of buildings 101 such that each building 101 comprises a portion of the system 100. Each of these buildings 101 may be connected by various materials handling devices 120, 130, 140, 142 such that casks 1 and / or cask handling devices 10, 50 may be moved between various buildings 101. For example, a first building may comprise the full cask input area 106 and the cask loading station 152. A second building connected by a conveyor 120 to the cask loading station’s 152 output may include the full cask storage area 114 where cask handling devices 10, 50 containing a cask 1 are stored for further processing in the same building containing other sub-systems or additional buildings containing additional sub-systems. Emptying in the context of the present application is taken to mean the removal of fluid from a cask 1 and may include removal of fluid from a first fluid level to a second fluid level where the second fluid is below the first fluid level but not necessarily where the second fluid level is where all fluid has been removed from the cask 1. In other words, emptying within the meaning of the present application encompasses full removal of fluid from a cask 1 and also partial removal of fluid from a cask 1. Figure 8 describes a method 300 which may be undertaken by the system 100 according to any embodiment previously described. The method 300 is shown in Figure 8 depicted by flowchart 300. At step 310 the system 100 as previously described by any embodiment or building 101 as previously described by any embodiment is provided. Subsequently, at step 320 one of the plurality of cask handling devices 10, 50 retaining a cask 1,5, 8 is moved for example by one of the materials handling devices 116, 120. Subsequently, at step 330 a process is undertaken on the cask 1,5,8 using one of the plurality of automated cask process stations 150. The automated cask process stations 150 may be 22 any one of the previously described automated cask process stations 150 and the process may be any one of the previously described processes of an automated cask process station 150. FEATURE REFERENCE TABLE No. FEATURE B Maximum Width D Direction of Travel E End Width F Fluid Flow FL Fluid L Length R Rotational Axis T Direction of Travel X Crane Axis Y Crane Axis Z Crane Axis 1 Cask 2 Bung 4 End 5 Full Cask 6 Data Source 8 Empty Cask 10, 50 Cask Handling Device 12 Frame 14 Base 16 Top 17 Aperture 18 Upright Member 20 Lifting Fixture 30 Rotational Support 100 System 101 Building 102 Full Cask in Device 103 Empty Cask in Device 104 Empty Device 106 Full Cask Input Area 108 Empty Cask Output Area 110 Control Area 112 Controller 114 Full Cask Storage Area 116 Materials Handling Device 118 Grabber 120 Conveyor 122 Junction 124 Conveyor Exit 126 Conveyor Entrance 128 Empty Device Conveyor 130 Crane 131 Carriage 132 Gantry 133 Cable Fixture Point 134 Extendable Scissor Arrangement 136 Connectors 137 Hoist 138 Body 139 Pulley 140 Lifting Device 142 Forklift Truck 150 Automated Cask Processing Station 152 Cask Loading Station 154 Cask Unloading Station 156 Cask Emptying System 158 Cask Sorting System 160 First Exit Line 162 Second Exit Une 164 Rotary Table 166 Automated Bung Removal Station 168 Automated Testing Station 170 Automated Rotation Station 172 Cask Labelling Station 200 Cask Stack 300 Flow Chart 310 Step 320 Step 330 Step

Claims

1. An automated cask management and warehousing system comprising: a controller,a plurality of cask handling devices removably retaining a cask,at least one materials handling device configured to move the cask handling devices, a plurality of automated cask processing stations; andwherein the materials handling device and one or more automated cask processing stations are controlled by the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a first materials handling device and a second materials handling device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first materials handling device is a conveyor.

4. The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the second materials handling device is any oneof: a crane, a lifting device and a forklift truck.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the crane is a pantograph crane.

6. The system of claim 4 or 5, wherein the second materials handling device comprisesa load cell.

7. The system of any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the second materials handling device has a grabber configured to removably connect to the cask handling device.

8. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask loading station configured to load a full cask into the cask handling device.

9. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask unloading station configured to unload an empty cask from the cask handling device.

10. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask emptying system configured to remove fluid from a cask.

11. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask sorting system controllable by the controller and two or more exit lines, wherein the cask sorting system is configured to sort casks into one of the two or more exit lines.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first exit line comprises casks having a first set of parameters and the second exit line comprises casks having a second set of parameters.

13. The system of claim 11 or 12, wherein the cask sorting system comprises an input conveyor connected to a rotary table, the rotary table having a first output connected to the first exit line and a second output connected to the second exit line.

14. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a data capture system connected to the controller.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data capture system comprises a plurality of data capture devices and each of the one or more automated cask processing stations has at least one data capture device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data capture device is one or more of: a scale, a camera, an RFID scanner, a barcode scanner, a sensor, an optical sensor, an optical laser sensor, a proximity sensor.

17. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a cask storage area for storage of cask handling devices containing casks.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the cask storage area comprises one or more stacks of cask handling devices containing casks.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each stack comprises 1 to 5 cask handling devices containing casks.

20. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated bung removal station.

21. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated testing station.2722. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one of one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is an automated cask rotation station.

23. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of automated cask processing stations is a cask labelling station.

24. A building comprising the system according to any of claims 1 to 23; and preferably wherein the building is one of: a warehouse, a processing facility, and a bottling plant.

25. An automated method for moving and processing a cask, the method comprising providing:the system according to any of claims 1 to 23 or the building of claim 24; andthe steps of:moving one of the plurality of cask handling devices retaining a cask,undertaking a process on the cask using one of the plurality of automated cask process stations.

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