The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-06-16
SOMETHING NEW IN BARRELS
"A Decided Departure in tho Man
ufacture OF II Very Useful
Article,

You Wouldn't think that anything
new could be written about such a
homely subject as barrel, but decid.
edly new departure is to be chronicled.
The barrel Of commerce is made by
splitting the log into bolts about thirty
Inches loug. Tho bolts are placed in .
large vat, subjected to an intense steam
heat for twelve hours, and then. while
hot, are cut up into slaves. After five
or six months of air drying the slaves
are ready for the listing (or jointing)
machine. This process completed, the
slaves are in proper condition for the
cooper, who trusses them (arranges
them in barrel form) and cuts the
chine aud croze, after which they are
ready for heads and hoops. Shaving,
planning and crozlng machines are used
in the manufacture Of common barrels,
and in each barrel there are sixteen
slaves. The new barrel Is made Of two
slaves.
In an establishment where they are
manufactured saw an elm log thirty
one inches long and twenty-four inches
in diameter, resting in a steam vat. a
crane, operated by steam power, grap-
pied the log and swung 1t into position
in the machine. This wonderful piece
Of mechanism clamps the log exactly
in the center ard Immediately begins a
motion of fifty revolutions to the min
ute. When the log commences to re-
volve in the embrace Of the machine q
knife is fed directly on the outside of
the log, cutting off a continuous sheet
the proper length and thickness Of a
stave. In this way the entire log is
utilized as stave material except about
six inches Of the core or heart, which is
practically worthless. On the opposite
side Of the cutting knife, and revolving
upon the surface Of tho log, are two
cylinders, being held theron by the
same mechanism which feeds the knife
to the log. Ono revolution Of these
cylinders measures half barrel OF con.
tinuous and solid stave material. In
the surface Of these cylinders is n knife,
which is forced into the solid log, cut
ting off q sheet, which falls on to Il con.
veyor in the perfect form Of a half bar.
rel. This half barrel, which has just
dropped from the log, is completely
chined crozed and equalized. Its exter-
nal form is superior to any work which
the most expert COOPER can execute. II
is mathematlcally "true.' The chin.
ing, crozing "and equalizing have all
been done by tho same knife, and the
perfected half barrel is the result Of the
single mechanical revolution.
The elm log referred to remained in
the machine fifty seconds, at the expira-
ton Of which time it had been converted
into thirty-four slaves or material fol
seventeen barrels. The slaves arc
dried, listed Gointed) and then receive
head and hoops, Two hundred, and
twenty barrels are made from ], 900 feet
Of log measure. BY the old style Of
manufacture the maximum product is
about fifty barrels less. On tine old
barrel. with sixteen slaves, thlrty-two
listings are made. The saving in this
detail alone is great. AS a labor say
ing Invention it represents an advance
Of 60 per cent. on the old method of
manufacture. Barrels, nail kegs, but
ter tubs and pals arc turned out at
will with this wonderful machine.
The inventor, a Michigan man, has had
the idea terminating in his brain for
over twenty years, but it was only dur
ing the present year that the mecllan-
ism was perfected.