William Trapp, Jr., was an important early innovator of cooperage machinery, and is sometimes credited as the first to create a machine (in reality, a series of machines) to automate the process of producing staves and barrel-heads from a bolt of wood. He appears to have started in business about 1845, which is when he was granted his first and most important patent. The first patent was reissued twice before being split into two separate patents. The original 14-year patent term was also extended for an additional 7-year term. Trapp applied for yet another extension but it appears that he was unsuccessful.

Trapp manufactured his barrel machinery and then sold the machine and territories of exclusive use of his machinery. The evidence suggests that he was very successful at this, and had sold licenses for nearly all the States of the Union by the mid-1850s. He was likely still manufacturing some machines as his original licensees sold off the rights to part of their original territories.

Some time in or before 1857, Trapp sold his business to North American Machine & Cooperage Co. By the time Trapp's patent extension expired in 1866, it seems likely that advances by competitors had surpassed his machines.

Information Sources

• Mr. Trapp moved domiciles a few times. Patent records give his locations as Dryden (1845), Ithaca (1849), and Elmira (1860, 1864, 1865).
• The Report of Committees at the Annual Fair and Cattle Show of the New York State Agricultural Society held September 14-16, 1847, has this entry: "To William Trapp, jr., Ithaca, N. Y., for a very superior and perfect stave and barrel machine. Diploma."
• The Cultivator for October 1847 had this note about the above-mentioned Annual Fair: "We noticed a 'coopering machine' presented by Wm. Trapp, Ithaca, N. Y. It was a very curious machine, and turned out all kinds of barrels, kegs, tubs, &c., in the very best style. Some specimens of its work were shown which were thought superior to anything of the kind wrought in the common way."
• The 1849-06-02 issue of Scientific American published a cryptic message to a correspondent: "'J. D. W. of Ct.'—In the year 1845 Mr. Trapp resided in Dryden, N. Y. Since that time we have had no tidings of him, but presume he still resides there. Justice shall be done to you."
• Transactions of the American Institute for the year 1850, including awards for that year's Fair of the American Institute: William Trapp, jr., Ithaca, N. Y., for a patent barrel machine. Gold medal.
• The 1850-10-20 issue of Scientific American, in an article about the ongoing Fair of the American Institute, had this note:

  BARRELL MACHINERY.—Mr. Wm. Trapp, Jr., of Ithaca, N. Y., exhibited his patent machinery for making barrels. This machinery saws out the staves, trims their ends, joints them, cuts the chimes, makes the heads, and after the staves are put together into a barrel, it is turned on a peculiar lathe, finished and smoothed in the most perfect manner. This is excellent machinery for the rapid manufacture of barrels, and it has been greatly admired.

• The 1853-05-20 issue of the New-York Daily Tribune carried this text ad:

  A NEW THING ENTIRELY.—The most astonishing performance heard of. Barrels, Firkins, Kegs, and the whole cooper family made and finished, without a defect, air-tight, and smooth enough to varnish, entirely by Machinery.

  Our Machine, with the tools used to perform the work, is a patent, for which we have received Gold and Silver Medals and State Diploma. It takes the timber in the bolt, saws the stave hollowing in the grain, cuts them all of equal length, planes both face and outside perfectly smooth, tries the quality of the timber, joints them in a perfect manner, giving each stave it equal proportions of bilge, according to its width, be it wide or narrow; chamfers, howels, cuts the creases, turns the hand, and prepares the barrel or keg for the hooping process, in a manner so perfect, complete, and of superior finish that we challenge the World to product a better barrel, firkin or keg, than our Machines make, at the rate of 300 per day to the single set—to which we invite the particular attention of all who choose to give them inspection. We manufacture articles of the barrel family from the smallest white lead keg to the largest cask in general use, all of which can be warranted to hold the most subtle liquids, or be adapted to the packing of dry goods. In fact the machines cannot make an imperfect article except the defect is exclusively in the timber.

  We have a shop at Elmira, N. Y., directly on the line of the New-York and Erie Railroad, and the Elmira and Niagara Falls Railroad, five minutes walk north of the depot, where any persons who wish can witness the operation of the machines, and test, to their perfect satisfaction, every branch of the work. We will feel the utmost pleasure in exhibiting to such, everything connected with the work.

  Persons desirous of purchasing the Right and Machines for any location now unsold, can obtain any information in relation thereto by applying to us through the mail. There are but a few of the States remaining in our hands unsold, still, applicants will be referred to the present owners, most of whom will no doubt hold for disposal desirable locations within their respective territories. It is conceded by all judges who have examined the machine, that it surpasses everything that has or can be invented for the same purpose, and must entirely supersede all hand coopering.

  Specimens of our work can be seen by calling on the Editors of The New-York Tribute. WM. TRAPP & Co., Patentees and Proprietors, Elmira, New-York, March 18, 1853.

• The 1853-05-07 to 1853-05-28 issues of Scientific American carried this ad:

  STAVE AND BARREL MACHINERY—We manufacture Stave and Barrel Machinery, making everything in the cooper line, from the smallest white lead keg up to the largest cask in general use, all of which are warranted to hold the most subtile liquids. Applicants can see the machinery in operation by calling on us at our shop in Elmira, five minutes' walk north of the New York and Erie Railroad Depot, or by applying to us by mail can get all the requisite information respecting machinery and rights. Sample of the work can be seen by calling at the office of this paper. WM. TRAPP & CO., Patentees and Proprietors.

• A genealogy webpage indicates that according the newspaper The Cattaraugus Republican for 1853-08-11, "Married at Elmira on the 21st ult. by Rev. Dr. Murdock, Wm. Trapp, Esq. to Miss Elmina Green, both of that place."
• Art and Industry as Represented in the Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, New York—1853-4 has the following text in its section on "Stave-Dressing, Planing, &c.": "The third set of machinery is that of Wm. Trapp & Co., Elmira, N. Y., consisting of similar contrivances to those just mentioned, and said to produce three hundred barrels per day, from a single set of machinery. The barrel or keg made be this process seems decidedly superior in tightness and finish to one made with like care by hand; while the operator does nothing but hand on the blocks and pass the staves, &c., from one machine to another, until the barrel is ready for setting up and hooping. We cannot doubt that, where casks are wanted that will hold fast the most insinuating liquids, it will be found expedient to have them made entirely by one or other of these sets of machinery."
• Eleventh Annual Report of the Board of Agriculture of the Sate of Ohio for the year 1856, List of entries at the seventh annual fair of Ohio, Cleveland, September 1856. "North American Machine & Cooperage Co., Elmira, N. Y., sett of Trapp's barrel machinery (Commended)".
• A catalog of "Trapp's Patent Barrel Machinery, Manufactured by the North American Machine & Cooperage Company, Elmira, N. Y." is dated 1857.
• Eleventh Annual Report of the Board of Agriculture of the Sate of Ohio for the year 1856, List of entries at the seventh annual fair of Ohio, Cleveland, September 1856. North American Machine & Cooperage Co., Elmira, N. Y., sett of Trapp's barrel machinery (Commended); stave saw (Diploma); hoop splitting machine (Commended); hoop dresser (Commended); portable engine (Highly Commended).

  The North American Cooperage Company from Elmira, N. Y., had on exhibition, and in operation, a series of singularly constructed machines, which occupied considerable space in the hall. These machines perform each a specific portion of the labor required to make a keg, flour barrel, pork barrel, or hogshead; the proprietor claims that cooperage made by it—each separate machine is but a portion of the whole—is of uniform size, the staves of uniform thickness, and the joints mathematically accurate; price of the entire machine, except motive power, from $1200 to $2500.

• The 1869-03-06 issue of Scientific American carried a list of "applications before Congress for the extension of patents", including "William Trapp, improvement in barrel machinery."