NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING AND MAKING UP STICKS OF FIREWOOD INTO BUNDLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rowley, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR ASSEMBLING AND MAKING UP STICKS OF FIREWOOD INTO BUNDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rowley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1878.
JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. "NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING AND MAKING UP STICKS
OF FIREWOOD INTO BUNDLES."
This Invention relates to new or improved machinery for making up into
bundles sticks of firewood which have already been cut or prepared by some inde-
pendent process.
These sticks or lengths of firewood are collected by land into a light metal
cylinder, of a length somewhat in excess of the length of the sticks to be bundled,
and open at the ends. When filled, this cylinder, which it is obvious also serves as
a gauge of quantity, is placed upon the top of another and somewhat longer cylinder,
also open at both ends. This latter cylinder is fixed to a frame or standard, which
carries in suitable bearings or guides at its upper part a plunger, worked by a quick
screw or by any other suitable means of communicating reciprocatory motion. This
plunger in its descent forces the collection of sticks in the first cylinder or collector
into the lower cylinder. Another collector, full of sticks, is then substituted for the
first and now empty collector, a disc of metal or other suitable substance being
placed when necessary above the sticks in the lower cylinder, and the movement of
the plunger repeated. The second collection of sticks is by this movement of the
plunger also forced into the lower cylinder, and by the impulse thus communicated
the first collection is driven about half way out of the bottom of the lower cylinder.
This latter cylinder tapers somewhat towards its lower end, where it should be

page_text: provided with elastic lips, for the purpose of relieving any excessive strain. Thus
the collection of sticks is tightly compressed as it is forced out of the cylinder, and
is in the most convenient condition for tying, which operation is performed by an
attendant before the bundle is finally ejected.
The apparatus or machinery may be arranged to work either horizontally or 5
vertically, and may be driven by hand or other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Rowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th December
1878.
JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. "NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING AND MAKING UP STICKS
OF FIREWOOD INTO BUNDLES."
This Invention relates to new or improved machinery or apparatus for making up
into bundles sticks of firewood which have already been cut or prepared by some
independent process.
These sticks or lengths of firewood are collected by hand into a light metal
cylinder, which with advantage I find should be about the same length or but little
shorter than the length of the sticks to be bundled, and open at the ends. When
filled with sticks this cylinder (which it is obvious also serves as a gauge of quan-
tity) is placed (when the cylinder next herein-after mentioned is placed horizontally)
at one end of another and somewhat longer cylinder, also open at both ends. This
latter cylinder is fixed to a frame or standard, which carries in suitable bearings or
guides a plunger worked by a quick screw, or by any other suitable. means of com-
municating reciprocatory motion. This plunger in its traverse forces the collection
or bundle of sticks in the first cylinder or collector into the second and fixed
cylinder. Another collector, full of sticks, is then substituted for the first and now
empty collector, a disc of metal or other suitable substance being placed when
necessary between the bundle of sticks in the second and fixed cylinder and the
bundle in the collector, and the movement of the plunger repeated. The second
collection or bundle of sticks is by this movement of the plunger also forced into
the second and fixed cylinder, and by the impulse thus communicated the first
collection or bundle of sticks is driven about half way out of the opposite end of
the second and fixed cylinder. This latter cylinder tapers somewhat towards the
end of ejectment, where it should be provided with elastic lips, for the purpose of
relieving any excessive strain. Thus the collection of sticks is slightly compressed
as it is forced out of the cylinder; and is in the most convenient condition for
tying, which operation is performed by an attendant before the bundle is finally
ejected.
The above-described machinery may also be arranged to work vertically, and may

page_text: be driven by hand or other power in a manner well understood, but I find it
advantageous to arrange the fixed cylinder and plunger in a horizontal position.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a plan of a
machine, suitably arranged and constructed for the purpose of assembling and
making up sticks of firewood into bundles.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show separate views, on a larger scale, of the bell-mouthed
cylinder or collector, in which the sticks of firewood to be made up into a bundle
are first placed or collected prior to being introduced into the machine. The diameter
of the tube a serves as a gauge when filled for the quantity of fire-wood required
for a bundle. The cylinder or collector a having been filled with sticks of firewood,
is then placed in a semi-circular support or holder b, fixed to the framing of the
machine, the sticks contained in the collector a being in a central position, directly
opposite to the taper and spring mouthed cylinder c, also fixed and supported by the
framing of the machine.
The collector a is formed with a flange a¹, which rests against the end of the
cylinder c or its supports, to retain the collecting cylinder a in position whilst the
sticks are being forced through it into the cylinder c. d is a plunger mounted on a
slide, which moves to and fro in fixed guides d', d', the forward movement of the
plunger & acting to force the collection of sticks through and out of the cylinder or
collector a into the fixed tube c.
The plunger & is actuated in the following manner :-d³ is a connecting rod, one
end of which is attached to the plunger d by a pin joint, the other end being con-
nected to a crank pin e', carried by the toothed wheel e revolving upon a pin or
stud on the fixed support or bracket e. Motion is imparted to the toothed wheel e
by the toothed pinion f fixed on the axis f, upon which are mounted the fast and
loose pulleys f, fs, which receive motion from a steam engine or other motive
power.
The driving strap which gives motion to the fast and loose pulleys is constantly
caused to run upon the loose pulley fs by the shifting fork g, the sliding arm of
which is forced outwards by the spiral spring g', so that the plunger & remains
stationary in its outward position until it is required by the operator to come into
action to force out the sticks from the collector a into the cylinder c, the plunger d
being drawn backwards by an elastic or other spring d³, attached to an arm d' on
the under side of the plunger slide, and a fixed projection on the end framing of
the machine.
In order to bring the plunger & into action, the operator places his foot upon the
treadle or lever fixed on the rocking bar or axis h', the lever arm h² of which by
means of the cord h³ attached to the shifting fork g acts to shift the driving strap
from the loose on to the fast pulley f³, and thus cause the plunger g to move for-
ward, and thus force the sticks contained in the collector a into the cylinder c. By
removing the foot from the treadle / the motion of the machine is arrested by the
automatic shifting of the driving strap on to the loose pulley again. The empty
collector a being removed from the support b, a full one is put in its place, a disc of
metal or other suitable substance being placed between the contents of the collector
and the bundle now in the fixed cylinder c, and the coutents of the collector are
forced by the plunger d into the cylinder c, thus forcing the previous bundle partly
out of the smaller end of the cylinder c into a position to be tied, the next bundle
of sticks forced into the cylinder c acting to discharge the first bundle of the series
out of the mouth of the cylinder c.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not, save as herein-
after appears, claim any of the separate mechanical parts constituting the machinery

page_text: herein-before described and represented in the Drawings, nor do I claim the making
up sticks of firewood into bundles by forcing them through a fixed cylinder or
tube c (whether fitted with means of compressing the said sticks or not) by means
of a plunger d. But what I claim is,-
First. The use and application of the collector a to serve as a gauge for assem-
bling or collecting the desired quantity of sticks for formning a bundle of firewood
by forcing the contents out of the collector into and through a compressing or other
tube or cylinder; substantiallly in the manner and for the purpose herein-beforc
described, and represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. The improved arrangement and combination of the collector a with
machinery or apparatus for making up sticks of firewood into uniform bundles, by
forcing the sticks through a tube or cylinder, substantially in the manner heroin-
before described and represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rowley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and soventy-eight.