IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan and Arthur Hutton, of Chelsea,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS."
Sealed the 8th January 1853, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Duncan and
Arthur Hutton at the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their petition, on the 1st October 1852.
WE, GEORGE DUNCAN and ARTHUR HUTTON, of Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists,-First, of constructing a rotatory frame or
wheel to carry blanks for staves through between two rotatory saws,
rotatory in planes inclined to each other, so that as a stave is moved
round with the frame the saws cut the narrower parts, and increase in
the width of cut progressively, and then decrease in the width of cut.
Secondly, the Invention consists of cutting the parts of a head for a
cask into a circular form by fixing them together on to a bed or surface,
and then, by a cutter set to the proper radius, and caused to rotate, the
cut is made; the cutter consisting of points in the nature of saw
teeth, followed by a cutter which removes the wood partly cut by the
preceding teeth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Duncan and Arthur Hutton, in the Great
Seal Patent Office, on the 31st March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE- PRESENTS SHALL COME, We,
GEORGE DUNCAN and ARTHUR HUTTON, of Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said George Duncan and Arthur Hutton, Her special
licence that we, the said George Duncan and Arthur Hutton, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
George Duncan and Arthur Hutton, our 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CASKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George
Duncan and Arthur Hutton, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause 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 We, the said George Duncan and Arthur
Hutton, do hereby declare 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 thereof (that is to
say):
This Invention consists,-First, of constructing a rotatory frame or

page_text: wheel, to carry blanks for staves through between two rotatory cutters,
rotating in planes inclined to each other, so that as a stave is moved
round with the frame the cutters cut the narrower parts, and increase
in the width of cut progressively, and then decrease in the width of cut.
Secondly, the Invention consists of cutting the parts of a head for
a cask into a circular form, by fixing them together on to a bed or sur-
face, and then, by a cutter set to the proper radius, and caused to rotate,
the cut is made; the cutter consisting of points in the nature of saw
teeth, followed by a cutter which moves the wood partly cut by the
preceding teeth.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood,
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means
pursued by us.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A.
Figure 1, shows a side elevation, and Figure 2, a front elevation, of a
machine for cutting staves, arranged or combined according to the first
part of our Invention; a, a, is the framing, the nature of which is clearly
shown. The framing is fitted to an upper floor, and the axis and drum
for giving rotatory motion is in the lower floor of a factory; b, b, is a
wheel or frame, on the several sides of which the blanks c, c, each for
making a stave, are keyed or fixed, as is shown; this frame is fixed on
an axis d, which turns in suitable bearings; at e, e, motion is communi-
cated to this wheel or frame b, from the main shaft f, which receives
motion from a steam engine or other power. On the shaft or axis f, is
fixed a drum g, and h, is an endless chain, which, passing under the drum
g, gives motion to the frame b, by resting in bracket plates i, i, fixed to
the side of the frame b, as shown; i, j, are two revolving cutters, which
rotate in planes inclined to each other, and the blanks which are to be
cut into staves are in succession brought up to, and they are passed
through between the two revolving cutters j, j, and, by reason of the form
of the frame, the ends of the blanks which are to be cut into staves will
be presented to the two cutters where they are comparatively near toge-

page_text: ther, and as the frame b, rotates the blank which is being cut will be
brought to a position between the cutters where they are wider and
wider apart, by which means the stave from the end first entered be-
tween the cutters will gradually grow wider and wider up to the middle,
when the stave will gradually decrease in width, by reason of the frame
b, presenting that part of the blank to a narrower and narrower space
between the two revolving cutters, and such will, in succession, be the
action of the machine in respect to each succeeding blank for a stave.
We will now proceed to describe the second part of our Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS B.
Figure 3, is an elevation of the machine; Figure 4, is a transverse
section of the machine; Figure 5, shows a side view, and Figure 6, some
of the parts separately; a, a, is the framing, having a bed or table b,
upon which are placed the parts c, c, to form heads of casks; the parts
c, c, are held in position by the springs d, d, d, d, on the disc e; the disc e,
and springs d, d, are brought to bear upon the parts c, c, by turning the
horizontal lever f, connected with the vertical axis g, to which the disce,
and spring d, d, are affixed, the upper part of the axis g, having a screw
formed thereon, moving in a female screw in the cross bar a', of the
framing a; upon the lower portion of the vertical axis 9 the loose collar
h, revolves, having formed thereon a pulley h', to receive a band, by
which motion is communicated from a steam engine or other power, and
also a disc, h², upon which the cutting instruments i, i, are affixed. The
cutting instruments i, i, are so formed that the portions i, ', thereof cut
the sides of the portions of wood to be removed, and the hinder or fol-
lowing part, removes those parts so cut by the preceding cutters i, i.
The lever handle j, which embraces the loose collar h, at h³, serves to
raise the cutters out of the way, in order to remove the portions c, after
they have been cut out, as well as to put additional pressure upon the
cutters i, i; k, is a cross bar or support piece to steady the working of
the loose collar h.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the

page_text: manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that we
do not claim any of the parts separately, nor do we confine our Invention
to the precise details, as shown and described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention,
But what we claim is,-First, the mode herein described of com-
bining machinery to cut out staves by two circular cutters inclined to
each other, and,
Secondly, we claim the mode herein described of combining
machinery for cutting the heads of casks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Hutton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ARTHUR HUTTON. (L.S.)
Witness, FRED HARRIS.