Improvements in and relating to Machinery for Manufacturing Barrels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machinery for Manufacturing
Barrels.
I, AUDERS GUSTAF WILLIAM BERN, of 42, Tudor Road, Hackney,
London, N.E. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in trussing machines, for the purpose of
closing the ends of barrel staves and for placing the head in position and the
hoops on. The improvements consisting of (first) a new or improved clutch
coupling allowing of being thrown in and out of gear easily and quickly, and also
allowing the barrel to be speedily removed from the machine after being formed,
(second) of an improved hinged protecting plate preventing the wires, where their
parts cross and move in opposite directions, from damaging the barrel. (Third) of
adjustable blocks for accommodating different lengths and diameters of barrels,
(fourth) of weights running on loose pulley-wheels attached to the closing wires
and causing them to slacken on throwing the coupling out of gear, and (fifth) of a
sliding frame allowing the wire ropes to tighten up from both ends on being pulled
from the front end.
The
The machine consists of a base or bed having across the front end a shaft
provided with pulley wheels for tightening the wires which pass from the pulley
wheels around the barrel and are connected to the back of the machine.
barrels are placed on adjustable blocks adjustably connected to a rectangular
wooden frame. The short sides of this frame, form bearings and slide on suitable
runners fixed to the sides of the machine.
A coupling is attached to the ends of the transverse shaft and engages with a
worm wheel actuated by means of a worm revolved by suitable power.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is had to
the accompanying sheets of drawings in which
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, shows side elevation front elevation and plan respectively of
the machine,
Fig. 4 shows the coupling in detail and
Figs. 5 and 6 showing details of the protecting plate.
The machine is formed with the base or bed A having the transverse shaft B
revolving in bearings 6 fixed to the sides of the machine. The wire ropes Care
attached to the pulley wheels D fixed on the shaft B and pass around the barrel E,
and thence to the adjusting screws F. A counter weight c is attached by a second
wire c' to the wire C to ease the latter wire around the barrel when the tension is
removed.
To the sides of the base are fixed guide pieces or runners G which form bearings
for the frame or table, the said frame consisting of the pieces H forming the
support for the barrel and having slots formed through them allowing them to be
adjusted for different diameters of barrels, and of the pieces h secured across the
pieces H by means of the bolts and nuts slots being formed in the pieces h
allowing the said pieces H to be adjusted in a lateral direction for different lengths
of barrels. These pieces are secured to the cross pieces g which form bearings
and slide on the bearers G fixed to the sides of the machine,

page_text: A counter-weight I is suspended from a wire or other rope i running over the
pulley wheel on the bed of the machine and draws the frame back when the
tension on the wire around the barrel is removed.
The worm K is attached to the shaft k driven by a clutch coupling from
the pulley wheel and by this means power is transmitted to the worm wheel L
which, as shown in details in Fig. 4, runs loose on the shaft B. Suitable crown
teeth are provided on, the wheel L and corresponding teeth m are provided on a
coupling M, the flange m¹ of which engages with a divided plate N fixed to the
hand wheel O by means of the set screws n. This coupling M has a key or feather
engaging in a slot & formed in the shaft. The boss of the hand-wheel has a triple
or other quick acting thread engaging with a corresponding thread on the
shaft B. An elastic stop or buffer such as a spring or rubber washer 63 secured in
position by the nut & and washers at the end of the shaft prevents the hand-
wheel O from jamming or getting fixed when screwed back quickly.
To throw the coupling in gear the hand wheel is turned and acting upon the
thread 6 causes the coupling M to advance upon the worm wheel L till the
teeth m engage the teeth. The said wheel L operated by the worm k thus causes
the shaft B through the medium of the coupling M to revolve. To throw the
parts out of gear, the hand-wheel is revolved in the opposite direction causing the
teeth to become disengaged.
The wheel P may be employed as a brake operated by the foot, and the wheel R
having a counter-weight suitably attached causes the shaft to revolve backwards
after the barrel is finished and the coupling M thrown out of gear.
For protecting the barrel from the action of the wires where they are crossed,
the said wires are passed through a loop of leather h³ or other suitable material
and secured by means of bolts & nuts or screws h between a plate of metal 2 and
a. hinged plate or hinged flap attached to each of the adjustable blocks Has
shown in Figs. 5 & 6. The wires C thus passing through the leather under the
plate and around the barrel do not damage the barrel in the opposite motions of
the two portions of the wire, and the plates turn upon their hinges to adapt
themselves to the shape of the sides of the barrel being formed.
The process of closing a barrel for the purpose of placing the hoops on and the
head in position is as follows: The set up staves forming the barrel as they come
from the staving machine, are placed on the blocks H the wires C being placed
over the staves near the end, the coupling k¹ is then thrown into gear causing the
worm wheel L to revolve, the coupling connected to the hand wheel O is then
thrown into gear, operates the shaft B and causes the wires around the barrel to
be wound around the pulley wheels D thereby drawing the staves together.
Before the staves are quite closed a disc of wood forming the head is placed in
position in suitable recesses formed in the staves so that the edge of the disc enters
into recesses in the staves and is thus secured.
When the staves are quite closed the coupling is thrown out of gear and the
worm acting as a stop prevents the shaft from running back. The hoops are then
placed on and the coupling O is then thrown out of gear allowing the shaft to turn
backwards by means of the counter-weights, and the wires are slackened. The
.barrel is then removed from the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In a machine of the kind referred to, the means for throwing the transverse
shaft in and out of gear, comprising the sliding toothed coupling arranged to be
moved to and fro by a hand wheel having a screw threaded connection with the
shaft together with an elastic stop on the end of the shaft, substantially as described
and for the purposes specified.
2. The arrangement for preventing the wires where they cross from injuring the
barrel, comprising a loop of leather or other suitable material secured to a hinged

page_text: plate, or hinge flap, on each of the adjustable blocks which support the barrel,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. The arrangement of weights attached to the closing wires for slacking said
wires on the coupling being thrown out of gear, in combination with counter
weights for drawing the frame of the machine back when the tension is removed
from the wires, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. The combination of the coupling m having a sliding connection with the shaft,
and teeth adapted to engage corresponding teeth on the wheel by which the power
is transmitted to the shaft of the hand wheel O having a quick thread engaging a
corresponding thread on the shaft, a plate N formed in two or more pieces, and
engaging a flange on the coupling and an elastic stop comprising a washer 63 held
between a pair of plates 6 on the end of the shaft substantially as described and
for the purposes specified.
5. The construction and arrangement of the sliding frame having adjustable
blocks for different diameters and lengths of barrels, substantially as described and
for the purposes specified.
6. In machines for manufacturing barrels the combination of the coupling
operating on the worm and the coupling operating the shaft, substantially and for
the purposes specified.
7. My improved machine for forming barrels, constructed, arranged and
operating, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 16th September 1896.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.