IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORK
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GEEVES, of Old Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Geeves, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Geeves, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Geeves, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING CORK;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I,
the said William Geeves, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Geeves, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery for cutting cylin-
drical corks, for the purpose of stopping bottles and other purposes; and,
secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting
circular discs of cork, for the wadding of fire-arms and other purposes.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I. will proceed to explain the Drawings hereunto annexed;
first remarking, that the same figures and letters of reference are used to
denote the same parts wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a plan of a machine for cutting cylindrical formed pieces
of cork, suitable for stopping bottles and other purposes; Figure 2 is a front
view thereof; Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof; Figure 4 shews a plan,
partly in section, of some of the working parts; Figure 5 shews a front view,
in section, of some of the principal parts; and Figure 6 shews the section of
some of the working parts of a machine, in order to explain that the corks, as
cut, may pass out at the side of the tubular cutter, in place of passing com-
pletely through the instrument from end to end. Figures 7 and 8 shew an
external view and section of the tubular cutter separately. Figures 9 shews
part of the ram which is used to force up the pieces of cork to the cutter; and
Figure 10 is an end view thereof. a, a, is the framing of the machine, the
nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing; 6 is a trough affixed to the
framing, to receive the pieces of cork ready to be cut into a cylindrical form,
the workman supplying the machine from such trough; c is a treadle, by which
the workman gives motion to the cranked axle d, moving on points at d¹, d¹³,
as is clearly shewn. On the axle d are affixed the pulleys e, one or other of
which being used (according to the speed desired) to give motion by a gut
band, or strap f to the pulley g; the pulley g is affixed on the axis h, which
turns on points at h', as is shewn; and on the axis h is affixed the excentric i
by means of which motion is communicated to the ram j; the ram j being con
pected to the rod k by a pin joint, the other end of the connecting rod k, by
strap, embracing the excentric i. The ram j has a piece of cork fixed at its

page_text: end ', so that when it has forced forward a piece of cork up to the cutter, the
cutter may cut into such piece of cork ', by which means the cutting edge
will not be injured, and at the same time the portion of cork on the external
surface of the cutter will be pushed forward, so as to leave the cutting edge.
uncovered when the piece of cork j¹ is removed, and thus allow of the oiling
and sharpening apparatus to act on the cutting edge of the tubular cutter. The
ram j is guided in its movement between the cover 7 and the surface m of the
bed of the machine. n is a front guiding surface fixed to the bed m of the
machine, and to the surface n is affixed the cover ; by this arrangement three
sides of the ram are guided in its motion to and from the cutter. The other,
or fourth, side of the ram is guided by means of the lever o, which turns on an
axis o', affixed to the bed m of the machine. On the right-hand end of the lever
o is affixed an adjusting piece p, the stem of which, p', is a spring, allowing of:
elastic play to that end of the lever, ps being a set screw by which the position
of the piece p, in respect to the end of the lever o, may be adjusted. q is a
shoulder on the ram, which, coming against the adjusting piece p, will force out
that end of the lever, and at the same time cause the other end of the lever o
to press against the piece of cork which has been fed into the machine by the
workman, and thus hold the piece of cork between the end of the lever o and
the front guide surface n; and the stop r on the ram will prevent the lever o
closing on the piece of cork till the stop is slided into the recess formed in the.
side of the lever o; all which will readily be understood on examining the
Drawing; and it will be seen that the cork, though held between the lever o
and the guide n, may be pushed towards the cutter, owing to the holding of the
cork being only through the elastic stem p¹ of the adjusting piece p; and the
lever o will be moved away on the going back of the ram, in consequence of
the stop coming against the inclined surface formed at the right-hand end
of the recess in the side of the lever o. It will thus be seen that the piece
of cork being cut is so held by suitable surfaces, that as the cut is made, the
waste, or outer surface of the cork, will be beyond the holding surfaces, and
allow of the external portions of cork cut to shell off and fall away. And I
may remark, that although I prefer the arrangement shewn for accomplishing
this end, variations may be made in the holding of the pieces of cork, so long
as the cork protrudes beyond the holder progressively as the cut is made, so
that the external portions cut off may shell or fall away freely, and not press
prejudicially on the surface of the cutter.
The pieces of cork are cut into a cylindrical form by means of a tubular
cutter, which is so formed as to allow the corks, as they are cut, to pass through

page_text: the cutter, and it is this peculiarity of cutter which constitutes the one part of
my Invention; for I would here remark, that I am aware that it has been
before proposed to use cutters of a tubular character, but in that case the
corks, when they were formed, were forced out of the cutters from the cutting
ends thereof. The tubular cutter s, shewn in the Drawing, is a tubular cutter,
which consists of a short tube, with a cutting edge at s', the other end sa fits
into a socket of the tube s³, which turns in bearings at t, t; and I have found
that by the ends being made conical, to fit the conical socket, sufficient holding
or friction will be obtained, and the hole shewn through the tubular cutter is for
introducing a strong wire through, to remove the cutter from the socket. On
the tube are affixed the pulleys v, on one of which the strap or band u works,
such strap or band being worked by one of the pulleys w, affixed on the crank.
axis, by which means a quick rotatory motion is communicated to the tubular
cutters, and pieces of cork being successively forced up by the ram, they will
be cut into a cylindrical form, and pass away through the cutters, and through
the tubes 83, to which it is affixed. 8, s, are collars on the tube s³, adjustable
by screws, for the purpose of moving the tubular cutter up to the holder as
the cutter becomes worn away. The tubular cutter in its rotation, when not
cutting, is sharpened in the following manner:-x is a small vessel carried by
a lever a¹, moving on points at a, the other end of the lever a¹ being turned up,
as is shewn, so that when the ram goes back the vessel a will descend, and a
quantity of oil or lubricating fluid will be applied to the surface of the cutting
edge, there being a quantity of fibres placed at the lower end of the vessel x,
which, becoming saturated with the oil or lubricating fluid, applies the same to
the surface of the cutting edge. y is a portion of Turkey stone, which is borne
up towards the cutting edge of the tubular cutter by the spring z, hence the
cutting edge will be sharpened each time after having made a cut. The work-
man places the pieces of cork into the position A, and in order to facilitate his
doing so, he places the pieces on to the board or guide B, which has a pro-
jecting side at B'; and the parts cut off will drop on to the spout C, whilst
the cork cut will drop out at the left-hand end of the tubes into a basket
or other receiver. I would remark, however, that it is not absolutely neces-
sary that the corks should pass out at the end of the tube s³, and I have at
Figure 6, shewn a section and an external view of a tubular cutter, where
the corks, as they are made, pass out laterally; by this arrangement the back
end of the tube may turn on a point at one end, as shewn, which will
offer less friction than a bearing which surrounds the tube s³; but in both
cases the corks pass onwards, and do not return through the end of the

page_text: cutter at which the cut is made; such mode of constructing and applying
cutters for cutting corks constituting one of the points of novelty of my Inven-
tion. The tube s³, Figure 6, is supported by a carriage, which slides upon the
bed of the machine, and by means of a screw X, the tubular cutter can be
advanced as it is worn away by use. Figure 6 also shews a difference in the
mode of supplying pieces of cork to this machine, or it may be applied to that
shown in the previous Figures. D is a square tube or trunk, into which the
pieces of cork to be cut are to be placed, and they will be successively forced
from under the end of the trunk or tube D up to the tubular cutter, and
thereby be cut into a cylindrical form. I would remark, that it will be evident,
that in place of the cork being moved up to a tubular cutter, the cutter. may be
moved up to the cork; but in such cases the cork will require to be held.in
such manner that the holding surfaces may move back, allowing the piece of
cork to protrude beyond the holding surfaces, in order that the outer surfaces
of cork cut off may shell and fall away, and not press on the external surface:
of the tubular cutter used; in such case the ram would remain stationary, and
the sharpening and oiling apparatus moved with the tubular knife or cutter;
but such an arrangement I do not consider would be so simple as that shown
and described.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which relates to
machinery for cutting circular discs of cork for the wadding of fire arms, or for
any other purpose for which thin discs of cork may be required. Figure 11
shows a plan, and Figure 12 a side view, partly in section, of a machine con-
structed according to this part of my Invention. E, E, is the framing of a
machine, the motion of which is clearly shown in the Drawing; F is an axis
turning in bearings at F', F¹; motion is communicated to this axis by a crank
handle F. On the axis F is affixed the pulley G, which, by means of the band
or strap G¹, gives motion to the pulley H, affixed on the axis I, which turns on
points at I, I, as is shown. On the axis I are affixed the pulleys J, J; these
pulleys give motion to an endless band K, which endless band gives motion to
two rotatory knives or cutters L, L, in the following manner:-The knives or
cutters L are affixed on two axes M and N, each axis having two pulleys
affixed thereon, as is shown, and the two axes turn on points M¹, N¹. The
endless band or cord K passes partly around the upper pulleys which are fixed
on the axes M, N, then over and partly around the pulleys J, J, one of which
is loose on its axis, and simply acts as a guide pulley, the other pulley J acting
as the driving pulley, and then the endless cord or band is passed partly around
the lower pulleys, which turn loosely on the axes M, N, by which means a

page_text: rotatory motion is communicated to the two rotatory cutters. 0, 0, are four
tubes into which cylindrical pieces of cork are put, and these tubes are affixed
in an upright position on the sliding frame P, P, which consists of the two
plates or bars P, P, connected together by the plate or bar P¹. The plates P
are guided by fixed guides P, P³, affixed to the table or bed Q of the machine,
as is shown. The tubes O, O, are affixed to the frame P, P, by means of the
plates P³, P³, which have slots formed therein, through which the screws P*
pass, and fix into the plates P, P, there being regulating screws P³ passed
through projections in the plates P, in order to adjust the positions of the
plates P, and consequently the tubes O. The frame P, P, P₁, is caused to
slide to and fro on the table or bed of the machine by means of the connecting
rod R, which receives motion by means of an excentric S on the main axis,
the other end of the connecting rod being attached, by means of a pin joint, to
the frame P. The quantity or thickness of cork cut off may be regulated by
applying washers under the cutters or knives, so as to raise the knives or
rotatory cutters higher up on their axes, or the axes themselves may be raised
higher. T, T, are tubes over which the corks are cut, and down which the
discs fall into any suitable receiver, the cork descending at the times that the
tubes O are moved from the knives or rotatory cutters.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not claim any of the parts separately of which the machine
is composed, nor do I confine myself to the precise details shown, provided the
peculiar character of action of any of the arrangements or combinations be
retained; but what I claim is,―
First, the mode of constructing and applying a tubular cutter, and in such
manner that the corks, as they are cut, are forced through the tubular cutters.
And I also claim the mode of lubricating and sharpening a tubular cutter
used in cutting corks. And I also claim the holding a piece of cork, when
cut by a tubular cutter, in such manner that the cork may protrude beyond
the holding surfaces as the cut is made into the piece of cork, thus allowing
the external surfaces of cork to shell off, and not bind on the outer surface
of the tubular cutter which may be used.
And, secondly, I claim the mode of cutting circular dises of cork by means
of the tubes O acting with suitable cutters.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Geeves, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
WILLIAM (L.S.) GEEVES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of No-
vember, in the year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid William Geeves came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.