IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY *FOR CUTTING OR MAKING CORKS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Barber Howell, of Lebanon, Ohio, iu the
United States of America, Farmer, and of 36, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
*FOR CUTTING OR MAKING CORKS."A communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Barber Howell at
tho Office of tho Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th December 1856.
I, FRANCIS BARBER HOWELL, of Lebanon, Ohio, in the United States of
America, Farmer, and of 36, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR MAKING CORKS," (being a communication from
abroad) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, in tlie first place, in tho adaptation and application
to machines for cutting or making corks of the feeding apparatus herein-after
described; secondly, in the mechanism, herein-after described, for cutting or
making corks of an oval or nearly oval form in the cross section; and, lastly,
in the machine, herein-after described, for cutting cork into oblong pieces, to
be afterwards cut or formed into corks.
The feeding apparatus consists of a moveable jaw or holder fixed on the end
of a lever, having its fulcrum or centre of motion in a convenient part of the

page_text: frame of the machine to which it is applied, the other end of the lever on the
opposite side of the fulcrum being acted upon by a revolving cam, os as by
pressing the lower end of the said lever outwards at suitable intervals to cause
the upper end carrying the jaw or holder to be driven inwards at the required
intervals, the jaw or holder being withdrawn as required by means of a spring
connected to the upper part of the said lever. The jaw or holder has a
spring at one side to facilitate the operation of feeding by the attendant.
The mechanism for cutting or making corks, of an oval or nearly oval form
in the cross section, consists of a shaft suitably mounted, parallel with each of
the mandrils carrying the chucks for holding the corks, such shafts being
made to revolve by means of toothed wheels from the said mandrils. On each
of the said shafts is fixed a collar or guide, of the oval or nearly oval form in
the cross section required to be given to the cork, and there is a yoke or con-
necting piece between the collar or guide and the mandril, so as to impart to
the mandrils, by the revolution of the collars or guides, a traversing motion
corresponding with the form thereof in the cross section. The mandrils are
mounted in bearings, admitting of their required movement therein, and
furnished with springs to act upon the mandrils in a direction opposite to that
of the action of the collars or guides.
The machine for cutting cork into oblong pieces, suitable for being fed into
a machine for cutting or making corks, consists of one or more cutters, one
end of each of which is suspended so as to be conveniently worked by hand;
the other end being jointed to a crosshead or slide worked by a crank or ex-
centric, so as to impart a horizontal motion forwards and backwards to the
said crosshead or slide on a fixed horizontal angular edge or guide. By this
means the cutters receive a horizontal motion from the said mechanism, and
are guided vertically as required by hand. There is an adjustable stop or
guage for regulating the width of the cut given by the knife to the piece of
cork. If preferred, the cutter or cutters may be so arranged as to be suited
for being worked by hand horizontally instead of vertically.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Barber Howell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
BARBER HOWELL, of Lebanon, Ohio, in the United States of America, Farmer,
and of 36, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and-fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Barber Howell, Her special license that I, the said Francis
Barber Howell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Francis Barber Howell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully.
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR MAKING CORкs," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said
Francis Barber Howell, by an instrument in writing under my hand and.
scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and causo
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Barber Howell, do hereby declaro.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of
46
Improvements in Machinery for Cutting or Making
Corks consists in the first place in the adaptation and application to machines
for cutting or making corks of the feeding apparatus herein-after described;
secondly, in the mechanism, herein-after described, for cutting or making
corks of an oval or nearly oval form in the cross section; and, lastly, in tho
machine, herein-after described, for cutting corks into oblong picces, to bo
afterwards cut or formed into corks.
The feeding apparatus consists of a moveable jaw or holder, fixed on the
end of a lever, having its fulcrum or centre of motion in a convenient part of
the frame of the machine to which it is applied, the other end of the lover on
the opposite side of the fulcrum being acted upon by a revolving cam, so as by
pressing the lower end of the lever outwards at suitable intervals to cause the
upper end carrying the jaw or holder to be driven inwards at the required.
intervals, the jaw or holder being withdrawn as required by means of a spring
connected to the upper part of the said lever. The jaw or holder has a spring
at one side to facilitate the operation of feeding by the attendant.

page_text: The mechanism for cutting or making corks of an oval or nearly oval form
in the cross section, consists of a shaft suitably mounted, parallel with each of
the mandrils, or each pair of the mandrils carrying the chucks for holding the
corks, such shaft or shafts being made to revolve by means of toothed wheels,
so as to correspond as required with the motion given to the mandrils, in the
manner herein-after described. On the said shaft, or on each of the said
shafts, is fixed a collar or guide, of the oval or nearly oval form in the cross
section required to be given to the cork, and there is a yoke or connecting:
piece between the collar or guide and the mandril, so as to impart to the
mandrils by the revolution of the collars or guides a traversing motion corre-
sponding with the form thereof in the cross section. The mandrils are mounted
in bearings admitting of their required movement therein, and furnished with
springs, if required, to act upon the mandrils in a direction opposite to that of
the action of the collars or guides.
The machine for cutting cork into oblong pieces, suitable for being fed into
a machine for cutting or making corks, consists of one or more cutters, one
end of each of which is suspended, so as to be conveniently worked by hand,
the other end being jointed to a crosshead or slide worked by a crank or ex-
centric, so as to impart a horizontal motion forwards and backwards to the
said crosshead or slide on a fixed horizontal angular edge or guide. By this
means the cutters receive a horizontal motion from the said mechanism, and
are guided vertically as required by hand. There is an adjustable stop or
gungo for regulating the width of the cut given by the knife to the piece of
cork. If preferred, the cutter or cutters may be so arranged as to be suited
for being worked by band horizontally instead of vertically.
In order, however, that the Invention may be fully understood, I will
procced to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying Draw-
ing, in which are represented the improvements above referred to.
Fig. 1. is a vertical section of the foeding apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical
section, at right angles to Fig. 1, of so much of the mechanism of a cork-
cutting machine as is requisite to shew the improved mode of cutting corks of
an oval or nearly oval form in the cross section; and Figs. 3 and 4 represent
in elevation and plan the improved modo of cutting cork into oblong pieces,
suitable for being fed into a machine in order to be formed or made into
corks.
Feeding Apparatus.-a, a, (Fig. 1) are portions of the frame of the
machine; bis a horizontal shaft, set in motion by means of suitable gearing
from the driving shaft, not shewn in the Figure; c is a cam on the shaft b,
of the form represented, which is capable of acting as required on the lever

page_text: carrying the feeder; d is a projection on the end of the bent lever e, which
is made to press against the outer surface of the cam; fis the fulcrum of
the lever e, such fulcrum being suitably fixed in a bracket bolted to the frame;
g is the feeder, fixed at the upper end of the lever e; it consists of a jaw
or holder, in which the pieco of cork may be placed by the attendant, having
a spring h at the side against which the end of the piece of cork may bo
placed, and by which its required position will be regulated; i is a plate of
tin or other suitable material, with a lip, over which the finished cork may
be conducted to the spout or hopper j, whence it may pass out of the
machine; is a spring of vulcanized india-rubber, or it may be of other
suitable material, to withdraw the feeder after the action of the cam. The
action of this apparatus is as follows:-On the revolution of the shaft the
cain c will be made to operato at the required intervals on the projecting
piece d of the lever e, so as to press out the lower end of the said lever, the
effect of which will be to carry the upper end of the lever inwards, and with it
the feeder g, on which a piece of cork has been placed by the attendant while
the cam was out of action. The acting surface of the cam will keep the
feeder g in its forward position a sufficient length of time to admit of the
required operation of the revolving cutter, in the manner described in tho
Specification of the Patent granted to me, and bearing date the Eighteenth
July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. On the further revolution of
the shaft the projecting or acting surface of the cam c will pass from
contact with the projection d of the lever e, when the lover with the feeder
will be allowed to be withdrawn by the spring k, the finished cork dropping
out of the feeder and passing out of the machine by the spout or hopper j.
Cutting Oval Corks.-This part of the Invention is represented partly in
Fig. 1, but more particularly in Fig. 2. I is a horizontal shaft, mounted in
suitable bearings, as shewn. On this. shaft is a pinion m, actuated at intervals
by a half-toothed wheel n on the cam shaft b. The wheel n is toothed, so as to
cause the pinion m to make two revolutions while in gear therewith, but so that
the pinion may be out of gear during one half or thereabouts of the revolutions
of the said wheel n. By this means the shaft will be made to revolve twice
during half the revolution of the wheel n, and to be at rest during the remainder
of tho revolution. On this shaft is fixed a collar or guido o, or pair of collars
or guides o, o, in suitable positions to act upon each of the mandrils p, p,
through the yokes or connecting pieces q, q, and impart to the mandrils the
required traversing motion in their bearings. The mode of producing this
effect, shewn in the Drawing, is by forming the circular collar o with adjustable
ends, so as to admit of the collar or guide being adjusted to the required

page_text: degree of excentricity with the shaft 7, by moving the ends of the collar or
guide out of the centre of the shaft, as required, and fixing the collar thereto
by a set screw, thereby causing the collar or guide to act as an excentric; but
the Invention is not confined to this mode of forming a collar or guide capable
of imparting the required traversing motion to the mandrils. In the use of
some modes of forming the guide, it may be necessary to apply a spring to the
mandrils, to balance the action of the guide. It will be seen, on reference to
Fig. 2, that the mandrils p, p, are set in motion through bevil gear r, r, from
the cam shaft b at the required intervals, by means of a half-toothed bevil
wheel. By this arrangement it will be understood that, while the mandrils
are being turned for the purpose of turning the cork held in the chucks, so as
to be operated upon by the revolving knife (in the manner described in the
Specification of the Patent above referred to), the mandrils will be acted upon
by the collars or guides o, o, and the required traversing motion imparted to
them twice during their revolution with the cork.
Preparatory Cutting of Cork.-Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan
or horizontal view, of the machine for cutting cork into oblong pieces,
suitable for being fed into the machine for shaping or making such pieces
into corks. A is the frame; B is the driving pulley; C is the fly wheel,
to one of the arms of which is connected the rod D, in such a manner
as to impart a crank movement to the rod on the revolution of the driving
shaft. To the other end of the rod D is connected the crosshead E, to.
which are jointed the pair of knives or cutters F, F, at one of their ends,
their reverse ends being suspended by cords, as at G. These knives work
between suitable upright guides H, H. I, I, are stops or guages, fixed to
the table or platform K, capable of being adjusted by screws, so as to regulate
the space between the stop and the cutting edge of the knife, and thereby
to regulate the width of the piece of cork intended to be cut off at cach
operation; L is the horizontal angular edge or guide for the crosshead.
This guide is bolted to the frame of the machine. The slits or openings
for the knives or cutters to work in are shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 4..
It will be evident that the knives or cutters F, F, will be worked horizontally
by the revolution of the driving shaft, by the crosshead E to which they aro
connected being worked to and fro by means of the crank at, the end of the
rod D. It will also be evident that the said knives or cutters may at the same
time be worked vertically by hand, and thus the combined movements may
be imparted to them as required.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean

page_text: or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and arrangements of the parts
represented and described, but I claim,-
First, the feeding apparatus, consisting of a moveable jaw or holder, moved
forward at the required intervals by means of a cam and lever, and withdrawn
by a spring, as described.
Secondly, the mode described of cutting or making corks of an oval or
nearly oval form in the cross section, by imparting to the mandrils a traversing
motion within their bearings during their revolution, by means of suitably-
formed collars or guides fixed on a shaft, set in motion at the required
intervals.
And, lastly, the general arrangement and construction of the machine for
the preparatory cutting of the cork into oblong pieces by means of knives
or cutters, worked through their required movements by the combined
agency of manual and mechanical power, as described.
In witness whereof, J, the said Francis Barber Howell, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, the Tenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
FRANCIS B. HOWELL. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.