IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
"
& Co. Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
BARRELS OR CASKS A communication to him from abroad by Frederick
Myers, of the City and State of New York, United States of America but at
present residing at Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS "
[A communication to him from
abroad by Frederick Myers, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America but at present residing at Paris, France.]
.
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus to be employed in the manu-
facture of barrels or casks. It has for its object to simplify and improve such
machinery or apparatus and to facilitate the manufacture of the said barrels or
casks.
In carrying the said invention into practice I attach a driving pulley to a shaft
having a pinion which engages with a spur-wheel attached to the main shaft.
To this main shaft is attached a collapsible barrel-former or cylinder which is
rotated by the said main shaft. The outside portion of the said barrel-forner or
cylinder is composed of four sectional plates held in place by four small shafts
which are supported by a plate or frame fastened to the main shaft. The said
small shafts are each provided with screw-threads. The said plate or frame has
four apertures to receive mitre-wheels which have internal screw-threads to
correspond with those on the small shafts and receive the same. Two of theso
shafts and wheels have coarser threads than the other two. The four wheels are
operated by means of a mitre-wheel attached to a sleeve, which fits loosely upon
the main shaft and has, at its other end, a mitre-wheel engaging with a mitre-wheel
Pmine 8/1

page_text: attached to a shaft at right angles with the main shaft and having at its other end
a hand-wheel, which, when rotated, operates all the moving parts of the barrel-
former or cylinder. When this hand-wheel is turned in the proper direction, the
small mitre-wheels are caused to rotate but are kept in their places in the aforesaid
apertures by the lower and upper shoulders of the frame, therefore, as the shafts
have screw-threads which work or fit in corresponding screw-threads within the
wheels, the shafts are caused to move outward, and by reversing the motion of the
hand-wheel they are caused to move inward; The plates of the barrel-former are
each provided with studs or pins which fit loosely in projections on the aforesaid
frame;
the said studs or pins steady tho said plates and prevent them from twisting
and are each provided near the end with a stop pin, which pins come against one
side of the said projections and prevent the plates from being moved out beyond
their proper limit. As two of the small shafts and mitre-wheels have coarser
threads than the other two, while the cylinder is being collapsed or expanded, the
shafts having the coarser threads will travel quicker than the other two, so that
the sectional plates will not come in contact with each other while moving outward
and will also properly overlap each other when they are collapsed.
The collapsible cylinders hitherto in use are operated by complicated cams and
links or by toggle-levers, and do not work satisfactorily, oftentimes causing a great
strain on the working parts while the barrel is being formed. The great difficulty
experienced with barrel-making machines heretofore constructed is to get the last
stave into its proper place, for the reason that the retaining rings are rigid or of a
-fixed size thus compelling the barrel-former or collapsing cylinder to be of a fixed
size when expanded. My retaining mechanism being elastic allows the cylinder
to be expanded to a size slightly larger than the actual size of the barrel, until the
last stave is fed into its proper place when the operator grasps the hand-wheel
and stops it for a moment, which, causes the cylinder to contract to its proper size,
and the retaining bars being elastic, immediately force the staves close to each other
and to the shape of the cylinder; at this moment the machine is stopped by a belt
shifter, and a ring is placed on the barrel at each end to prevent the staves from
spreading when the cylinder is collapsed. The sectional plates are made much
shorter than the length of the staves; this is a very important feature as it allows
the barrel to be more readily removed and enables me to dispense with a great
deal of unnecessary weight and material. Heretofore barrel-making machines have
been constructed with retaining rings of a fixed size attached to a hinged frame,
rendering it difficult to open and close them, and the retaining rings being rigid
often cause trouble, for instance, if one or more of the staves are thicker than usual
it will cause the machine to stop and put a great strain on the working parts. To
obviate this difficulty and also to enable me to dispense with the hinged framework,
I use two arms pivotted to the frame of the machine and having handles. These
arms are provided near the said handles with rollers which rest on supports. Each
of the said arms is provided with a semi-circular arm firmly secured thereto,
to these semi-circular arms are fastened at intervals a series of steel or other elastic
bars provided at each end with lugs supporting loose rollers. These bars are so
arranged as not to press the face of the rollers much beyond the diameter of the
barrel but to yield outwardly as much as may be necessary to adjust themselves to
any variation in the thickness of the staves. The said rollers extend beyond the
ends of the aforesaid sectional plates and near to each end of the staves, pressing
the latter firmly to the cylinder. The rollers also present a great advantage by
allowing the staves to rotate freely with the cylinder. The said pivotted arms are
kept in their proper places, when closed, by cams provided with handles and pivotter
to the said supports or supporting frames, and when the said cams are turned in the
opposite direction the said arms may be spread apart to admit of the barrel being
removed.
In the machines as heretofore constructed, each stave is fed by hand on to the
cylinder and between the retaining lugs, often causing trouble, if the operator
neglects or fails to feed the next stave close to the preceding one. To overcome

page_text: this difficulty, I attach to the machine automatic feeding apparatus constructed as
follows, that is to say, a frame is supported by two brackets; this frame supports, in
suitable bearings, four or more shafts each provided with one or more feed wheels;
the faces or peripheries of these wheels are grooved or fluted to present a griping
surface to the staves. Two of these shafts have each at one end a gear-wheel
which engages with a pinion attached to a shaft to which motion is imparted by a
chain-wheel fixed on the main shaft. The other two of the said shafts receive their
motion by means of chains driven by chain-wheels attached to the first two shafts;
the shafts supporting the said feed wheels rotate in self-adjustable bearings thus
allowing the feed-wheels to adjust themselves to any variations in the thickness of
the staves; these self-adjusting bearings form an important feature of the said
invention. Underneath the feed-wheels and supported by the same frame are loose
rollers to enable the staves to be pushed forward easily, and underneath one of the
shafts is another shaft having feed-wheels similar to those above described. The
latter shaft receives motion by means of a chain which is driven by a chain-wheel
fixed on the shaft carrying the aforesaid pinion. A lower shaft is provided with a
pulley at one end, which pulley receives its motion from a belt driven from a
suitable countershaft separate from the machine. Near each end of this lower
shaft are attached a circular saw and a cutter, the distance between the saws being
such as to trim the staves to the proper length, When a stave is presented to the
first feed-wheels they grasp it and it is pushed forward, and at the same time the
saws trim the ends and the cutters form the groove which afterwards receives the
head. By driving the said saws and cutters from a separate countershaft instead
of from the machine itself I obviate the inconveniences arising from the latter
method.
With the feeding apparatus above described, an attendant can place the staves
one after another between the first feed-wheels, or lay them all upon a platform
erected in front of the said feed-wheels, or a chain or rope is sometimes arranged
to grip the rear stave so that the staves can be pushed forward as rapidly as the
cylinder receives them, but in order to make the feed entirely automatic I use a
hopper open at the back and resting upon a plate, the front of the said hopper
being as near as possible to the feed-wheels. The said hopper has an opening
which can be made with an adjustable plate to allow only one stave to pass through
at a time. Underneath this hopper and near the centre is the feed mechanism
which is operated by means of a belt or any suitable means from some- part of the
machine, or otherwise. It is very difficult to feed the staves automatically, as they
are not all of the same width, and it is of the utmost importance to have the staves
follow close to each other, therefore it is necessary that the feed-wheels should
travel quickly and should be self-adjusting, this is accomplished by using a disc
with one or more projections, the said disc works loosely on a shaft, and the rear
face rests against the face of a stationary disc. A spring disc also fits loosely on
the same shaft and presses against the front surface of the aforesaid loose disc
causing its rear surface to press firmly against the surface of the stationary disc,
and thus produce sufficient friction to allow the said loose disc to perform its work
properly. The said spring disc is held against the loose disc by a collar. The
proper number of staves required to form a barrel are placed in the hopper and, as
the feed mechanism rotates, one of the aforesaid projections strikes against the rear
edge of the bottom stave pushing it forward to be received by the first feed-wheels,
and, as soon as the said projection is released, the disc, rapidly rotates causing the
projection to strike the next stave above, which is now the bottom one, and push it
forward so rapidly that it reaches the preceding stave which has not yet passed'
through the feed-wheels; thus, if the loose disc was stationary, some of the parts
would either break or be strained, this is obviated by the said disc being loose, the
spring disc allowing it to slip and yet have sufficient force to push the stave forward
as rapidly as the stave between the feed-wheels is travelling. Thus one stave after
the other is removed from the hopper and fed close to the preceding one regardless
of any difference in the width of the same.

page_text: In the manufacture of the barrels, the staves are jointed by a stave-jointing
machine to give the staves the proper shape and enlargement in the centre, but as
the pieces of wood from which they are made are of different widths, the staves
vary in width, and it is therefore necessary to spread the staves side by side and
measure for each barrel the exact amount of material, this takes considerable time
and often is not correct, therefore I provide a frame supported by a stand which is
firmly secured to the floor in front of the jointer, which is also firmly secured to
the floor, the said stand is provided with grooves corresponding with gibs on the
underside of the frame which slide therein. The frame has two studs or pins
fitted in slots which act as guide-pins. Before laying the staves on the table, the
latter is pushed back a short distance from the jointer, the staves are laid on the
frame close together, the end one resting against the said guide-pins, and the frame
is filled up so that the edge of the last stave near the jointer is on a line with the
end of the frame, but this would only happen occasionally as the last stave would
either be too narrow or too wide, therefore, if too narrow it is replaced by a wider
one which if it projects beyond the frame is trimmed off by the jointer; this is
accomplished by pushing the frame forward towards the jointer until one or more
adjusting pins strike against the jointer-frame causing the projecting stave to enter
between the knives and the surplus to be immediately cut off, thus the proper
amount of material is always guaranteed for each barrel. When it is desired to use
the jointer machine for shaping staves, and is not necessary to use the frame, the
same can be turned out of the way by releasing a hand-screw or it may be pushed
back sufficiently. The frame can also be raised or lowered to adjust it to the
proper height for the jointer knives.
A ring made of iron or other suitable material is used for holding the barrel
together after it is formed. One such ring is placed on each end, and, after
standard hoops are put on the barrel, the said rings are removed. The rings
heretofore employed are solid and as it is necessary to slip one of the rings over tho
collapsed cylinder and lay it on the shaft and leave it there until the barrel is
formed, it is often forgotten by the attendant, and thus a barrel is sometimes lost,
to obviate this difficulty I provide the rings with hooks so that they can be placed
over the shaft.
It is a very difficult process to put the head in the barrel as the pieces often fall
down; to make it positive and easy I provide a platform having a shaft provided
with a screw-thread. A circular plate having a hub provided with a screw-thrend
corresponding with the screw-thread on the shaft, is fitted and works on the said
shaft. Lugs are attached to the base plate to which are pivotted arms each formed
at the top in the shape of a hook. These arms are thrown back and held in place
by a projection, the table is elevated to the proper height and held in place by a
hand-screw, the barrel is then placed over the table and rests on the platform, and
the said arms are moved until the hooks grasp the rim and thus hold the barrel
until the head is in its proper place, the table preventing it from being forced
down too far. The head is either hammered in or pressed in.
According to a modification of the said collapsing cylinder or barrel-former and
its operating mechanism, I place upon the main shaft a block of peculiar
construction which is free to slide upon the said shaft but will be rotated therewith.
This sliding block is made with an angular slot for each of the sections of the
collapsing cylinder. Into these slots are fitted pins or studs carried by arms fixed
to the said sections, and provided with friction rollers. The said block is moved to
and fro upon the said shaft by means of a lever or other suitable means and thus
causes the said sections to move inwards or outwards by reason of the movement of
the pins or studs in the said slots.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS OR CASKS A communication to me from
abroad by Frederick Myers, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, but at present residing at Paris, France
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of barrels
or casks, and has for its object to simplify and improve such machinery or
apparatus and thus facilitate the manufacture of the said barrels or casks. The
said invention comprises various improvements as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a barrel-forming machine constructed according
to my invention, shewing the barrel-former expanded, and shewing also the
feeding mechanism.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, partly in horizontal section.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the barrel-former, showing it collapsed.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of part of the said barrel-former, shewing the
same expanded.
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the automatic feeding device, and
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 7 is a plan or top view of a stave-measuring frame and jointer, and
Figure 8 is an end elevation of the stave-measuring frame.
Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of a collapsible barrel-former of modified
construction.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of an apparatus for holding the barrel and guiding
the head while the latter is being pressed or driven into the chime, the barrel being
shown in section.
Figure 11 is a side elevation and
Figure 12 is a plan of an improved ring for holding the barrel together after it is
formed.
Figure 13 is a side elevation showing improved feeding mechanism.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
A represents the driving pulley which is fixed on the shaft ; this shaft also has
fixed on it a pinion A' gearing with a spur-wheel a' fixed on the main shaft a¹¹.
A collapsible barrel-former is carried by the said main shaft and is arranged to
rotate therewith. The outside portion of this barrel-former is composed of four
segmental plates B attached to four short shafts 1, 2, 3, 4, which are supported by
the frame B' fixed on the main shaft a¹. This frame has four apertures to receive
the bevel-wheels 5, 6, 7 and 8, which have internal screw-threads fitting onto
corresponding external screw-threads on the shafts 1, 2, 3, 4. The threads upon
two of these shafts and wheels, 1, 3 and 5, 7 for example, have a coarser pitch than
the threads upon the other two shafts and wheels. The four bevel-wheels 5, 6, 7,
gear with the bevel-wheel B³ secured to the sleeve B³ which fits loosely upon the
main shaft and has at its other end a bevel-wheel B' engaging with a bevel-wheel C
fixed on the shaft C¹. The other end of the shaft C¹ is provided with a hand-
wheel C which, when rotated, operates all the moving parts of the barrel-former.
When this hand-wheel is turned in one direction, the small bevel-wheels 5, 6, 7, 8
are caused to rotate and, as their axial movement is prevented by the shoulders or
bosses on the frame B', their rotation causes the shafts 1, 2, 3, 4 to move outward;.
8

page_text: and by reversing the motion of the hand-wheel the said shafts are caused to move
inward. The plates B of the barrel-former are each provided with a stud or pin c
which fits loosely into an aperture in a projection c¹ on the frame B¹. The said
studs or pins serve as guides for the said plates and prevent them from twisting,
and are each provided at their free end with a stop-pin c²; the pins c³ come against
one side of the projections c¹ and prevent the plates B from being moved out
beyond their proper limit. As the small shafts 1 and 3 have threads of coarser
pitch than the shafts 2 and 4, they will travel more rapidly than the latter, while
the cylinder is being collapsed or expanded, and the plates B will not come in
contact with each other while moving outward or inward, and will also properly
overlap each other when they are collapsed. The collapsible barrel-formers, as
heretofore constructed, are operated by complicated cams and links, or by toggle
levers, and do not work satisfactorily, frequently causing a great strain on the
working parts while the barrel is being formed.
One great difficulty experienced with barrel-making machines having barrel-
formers, as heretofore constructed, is to get the last stave into its proper position,
because, as the retaining rings employed therein are rigid, or of a fixed diameter,
the barrel-former must be arranged so that it will only expand to a corresponding
extent. Barrel-making machines have also been constructed with rigid retaining
rings attached to a hinged frame, but it is difficult to open and close them, and
the retaining rings being rigid, often cause trouble, for example, if one or more
of the staves are thicker than usual the machine will be stopped and a great
strain put upon the working parts.. To obviate this difficulty and to enable me
to dispense with the hinged frame-work, I employ two arins D, pivotted to the
frame D of the machine at d, d, and having handles d', d². These arms are
provided, near the said bandles, with rollers d³, d, which rest on the supports E.
Each of these arms is provided with a semi-circular piece E¹ or E' firmly secured
thereto. To these semi-circular pieces are fastened at inverals a series of steel or
other elastic bars F, provided at each end with lugs in which are fitted pins or studs
carrying loose rollers e, as shewn in Figures and 2. The bars F are so arranged
as not to press the face of the rollers much beyond the diameter of the barrel, but
to yield outwardly as much as may be necessary to adjust themselves to any
variation in the thickness of the staves. The said bars extend beyond the ends of
the segmental plates B so that the rollers will bear against the barrel near to each
end of the staves and will press the latter firmly against the said plates. The rollers
are also very advantageous because they allow the staves to rotate freely with the
barrel-former. The pivotted arms Dare held in their proper place, when closed, by
cams F provided with handles and pivotted to the supports or supporting frames E;
and, when the said cams are turned into the opposite position to that shewn in
Figure 2, the said arms can be spread apart to permit the barrel to be removed.
This retaining mechanism, being elastic, allows the barrel-former to be expanded by
the rotation of the main shaft all to a diameter slightly greater than the actual
internal diameter of the barrel, until the last stave is fed into its proper place, that
is to say, the rotation of the main shaft causes the barrel-former to expand, by
reason of the bevel-wheels 5, 6, 7, 8 moving around the bevel-wheel B, until the
stops c² come against the projections c¹, after which, the continued rotation of the
main shaft causes the hand-wheel c² to rotate. By grasping the said hand wheel
and stopping it for a moment the attendant can cause the barrel-former to contract
to its proper size, and the retaining bars being elastic will immediately force the
At this moment
staves close to each other and to the shape of the barrel-former.
the machine is stopped by a belt-shifter or other suitable device and a ring is placed
on the barrel at each end to prevent the staves from spreading when the barrel-
former is collapsed. The plates B are, as shewn in Figure 2, inade much shorter
than the staves; this is a very important feature of the present invention as it
allows the barrels to be more readily removed, and enables me to dispense with a
great deal of unnecessary weight and material, and also facilitates the expanding
and collapsing of the barrel-former, as it does not require to be collapsed to such

page_text: an extent as is necessary when long plates are employed; moreover, by making the
said plates much shorter than the staves, the ends of the said plates are within the
points at which external pressure is applied to the staves.
I attach to the machine a hopper capable of receiving a sufficient number of
staves to form a barrel and I sometimes combine therewith automatic feeding
apparatus as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and constructed as follows, that is to say; .
G is a frame supported by two brackets or standards G¹, only one of which is shown.
This frame carries four shafts G2, G³, G, G³ (or there may be a larger number if
desired) each provided with one or more feed-wheels G. The faces or peripheries
of these wheels Gº are grooved or fluted to present a griping surface to the staves.
Each of the shafts G3, G4, has at one end a gear-wheel h which gears with a
pinion ¹ fixed on a shaft h³. This shaft caries a chain-wheel h³ and motion is
imparted to the said shaft by means of a chain h, from a chain-wheel J fixed on
the main shaft a". The shafts G³ and G³ receive their motion by means of chains K
passing over chain-wheels K¹ and driven by chain-wheels K³ K³ fixed on the shafts
G³, G. Thus the upper feed-wheels or rollers are all caused to rotate in the proper
direction. The shafts of the said feed-wheels are carried in self-adjustable bearings
which permit the feed-wheels to adjust themselves to any variations in the thickness
of the staves. Underneath the feed-wheels, and supported by the frame G, are loose
rollers to enable the staves to be fed forward easily, and below the shaft G is
another shaft f having feed wheels similar to those above described. The shaft f¹
receives motion by means of a chain n which is driven by the chain-wheel n² fixed
on the shaft h. Underneath the shaft f¹ is another shaft f* provided with a
pulley f³ at one end, which pulley receives its motion from a belt driven from a
suitable countershaft separate from the machine. Near each end of this shaft f³
are attached a circular saw m, and a chime-cutter m', the distance between the saws
being such as to trim the staves to the proper length. When a stave is presented
to the first feed-wheels they grasp it, and it is pushed forward, and at the same
time the saws trim the ends of the staves, and the cutters form the chimes which
afterwards receive the heads. In some cases I arrange a platform or table G* in.
front of the barrel-former, as shown in Figure 13, upon which the staves are laid,
and I provide a rope or chainz having a hook 2 which is caused to grip the
last stave. The said rope or chain is wound upon the drum z² either by hand or by
the machine itself.
With feeding apparatus as above described an attendant can place the staves ono
after another between the first feed-wheels or rollers, or lay them all upon the
platform in front of the barrel-former so that the staves can be pushed forward as
rapidly as the cylinder rotates to receive them.
In order to render the feeding of the staves from the hopper Pentirely automatic,
I make the said hopper as follows, that is to say, it is open at the back and has an
opening o, the size of which can be regulated, if desired, by means of an adjustable
gate or slide to allow only one stave to pass through at a time. Underneath this
hopper, and near the centre, I arrange an automatic feeding device S, which is
operated by means of a belt from some part of the machine, or otherwise. It is
very difficult to feed the staves from a pile automatically, as they are not all of the
same width, and it is of the utmost importance that each stave should follow close
to the preceding one; therefore, it is necessary that the feeding device should travel
quickly and should be self-adjusting. This I accomplish by using a disc s with
one or more projections s², as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6. The said disc is free to
rotate on the shaft s but its rear face rests against the face of the fixed disc ³.
A spring & also fits loosely.on the said shaft and presses against the front surface
of the loose disc 81 causing its rear surface to press firmly against the surface of
the stationary or fixed disc, thus producing sufficient friction to enable the said
loose disc s¹ to perform its work properly. The spring 8 is held against the loose
disc a' by the collar 8. The proper number of staves, required to form a barrel
are placed in the hopper, and, as the feeding device rotates, one of the projections 8³
strikes against the rear edge of the bottom stave pushing it forward to be received

page_text: by the first feed wheels, and, as soon as the said projection is released; the disc
rapidly rotates, causing the other projection 8 to strike the next stave above,
which is now the bottom one, and push it forward so rapidly that it reaches the
preceding stave, which has not yet passed through the first feed-wheels or rollers.
It will therefore be seen that, if the disc s' were fixed upon the shaft, some of the
parts would either break or be strained; this is obviated by the said disc being
loose, the spring allowing it to slip if necessary and yet giving it sufficient power
to push each stave forward as rapidly as the stave between the feed-wheels is
travelling. Thus one stave after the other is removed from the hopper and fed
close to the preceding one, notwithstanding any difference in the width of the
staves. In some cases I dispense with the feed-wheels and arrange the hopper P
and the automatic feeding device, in such a manner that the staves will be fed
directly from the hopper to the collapsible barrel-former.
In the manufacture of the barrels, the staves are jointed by a stave-jointing
machine to give each stave the proper shape and enlargement in the centre, but,
as the pieces of wood from which they are made are of different widths, the staves
vary in width as above stated, and it is, therefore, necessary to lay the staves side
by side, and measure for each barrel the exact quantity of material required; this
takes a considerable time and often is not correct. But according to the present
Invention I provide for measuring the staves as follows, that is to say, in Figures 7
and 8, W is a frame supported by a stand W¹ which is firmly secured to the floor
in front of the ordinary jointer which is also firmly secured to the floor. The
stand W is provided with grooves w corresponding with the ribs w¹ on the under-
side of the frame W, which slide therein. The frame W has two studs or pins w
which fit into slots and act as guide pins for the staves, and which are adjusted
before laying the staves on the table; the said table is pushed back a short distance
from the jointer, the staves are laid on the frame close together, the end one
resting against the said guide-pins, and the frame is filled up with staves until the
edge of the last stave near the jointer is on a line, or nearly on a line, with the
end of the frame; the last stave would only occasionally be on a line with the end
of the frame, it would generally be either too wide or too narrow.
If too narrow
it is replaced by a wider one, which, if it should project beyond the frame, is
trimmed off by the jointer. This is accomplished by pushing the frame forward
towards the jointer until the adjusting pins o¹ o' strike against the jointer frame,
causing the projecting portion of the stave to enter between the knives, and the
surplus to be immediately cut off. Thus the proper quantity of material is always
ensured for each barrel. When it is desired to use the jointer machine for shaping
staves, and not to use the measuring frame, the latter can be turned out of the
way by releasing the hand screw 26, or it may be pushed back sufficiently. The
frame can also be raised or lowered to adjust it to the proper height for the jointer
knives.
I provide a ring L made of iron or other suitable material and constructed as
shown in Figures 11 and 12, for holding the barrel together after it is formed.
One such ring is placed on each end, and after the ordinary hoops are put on the
barrel, the said rings are removed. The rings heretofore employed for this purpose
are solid and it is necessary to slip one of the rings over the collapsed barrel-
former, and lay it on the shaft and leave it there until the barrel is formed; this is
often forgotten by the attendant and thus a barrel is sometimes spoiled; to obviate
this difficulty I provide the rings with hooks 28 so that they can be placed over
the shaft; if necessary, after the barrel is formed.
Great difficulty has been experienced in putting the head in the barrel, as the
pieces ofton fall down. To make it positive and easy I provide a platform or base-
plate 29, and a shaft 30 provided with a screw-thread 31. The circular plate 32
has a hub 33 provided with a screw-thread corresponding with the screw-thread
on the said shaft, and the said hub is fitted on the said shaft. Lugs 34 are attached
to the base plate 29, to which are pivotted the arms 35 each formed at the top in
the shape of a hook. These arms are thrown back and held in place by the pro-

page_text: jections 36. The table 32 is elevated to the proper height and is held in place by
the hand-screw 37; the barrel is then placed over the table 32 and rests on the
platform 29 and the said arms 35 are moved until the hooks grasp the rim and
thus hold the barrel until the head is in its proper place; the table 32 preventing
it from being forced down too far. The head may be either hammered or
pressed in.
According to the modification of the collapsible barrel-former and its operating
mechanisin, shown in Figure 9; a block T of peculiar construction is firmly fixed to
the main shaft all by the set screw t and rotates with the said shaft. T' is a block
also carried by the main shaft, but made to slide freely upon a feather or key t¹,
fixed in the said shaft. This sliding block has four projections 2 (two of which
only are shown) provided with angular slots to one for each section of the collapsible
barrel-former. Pins or studs u are fixed to the projecting arms attached to the
said sections and are provided with friction-rollers, if desired, and arranged to
travel in the slots . Two of the said slots differ somewhat in forin from the other
two, to enable the plates B to properly clear each other when moving either inward
or outward, which movement is effected by the sliding block T¹ being moved
backward or forward upon the main shaft by means of a hand-lever t fitted to
the collar T².
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim-
First—A collapsible barrel-former having the segmental plates much shorter than
the staves, so that the ends of the said plates are within the points at which
external pressure is applied to the staves, and the removal of the barrel from the
machine is facilitated, substantially as set forth.
Second A collapsible barrel-former in which the segmental plates are attached
to screw-threaded shafts fitting into correspondingly screw-threaded bevel-wheels
carried by a plate or frame fixed on the main shaft, the said bevel-wheels gearing
with a bevel-wheel fixed on a sleeve carried by the said shaft and arranged to be
operated by a hand-wheel or other suitable moans to cause the barrel-former to be
expanded or collapsed, all substantially as set forth.
Third-The combination, with a collapsible barrel-former, of elastic retaining
mechanism, substantially as described, to permit the said barrel-former to bo
expanded to a size slightly larger than the actual internal diameter of the barrel
and thereby facilitate the insertion of the last stave, as above set forth.
Fourth-The elastic retaining mechanism consisting essentially of the two
pivotted arms having the semi-circular pieces secured thereto and carrying a
series of steel or other elastic bars provided with rollers, all arranged to operate
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth The cams provided with handles and pivotted to the supporting frames,
for holding or releasing the pivotted arms, substantially as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Sixth-The hopper for receiving the staves to be fed to the barrel-former or to the
feed wheels or rollers, in combination with the automatic feeding device consisting
essentially of the disc provided with the projections and fitting loosely on a shaft
and held, by means of a spring, in frictional contact with a disc fixed on the said
shaft, all substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Seventh-The modification of the collapsible barrel-former and its operating
mechanism, substantially as described with reference to Figure 9 of the drawings.
Eighth-The combination, with the collapsible barrel-former, of the platform or
table for the staves and a rope or chain provided with a hook or other suitable
device for engaging with the last stave and arranged to be wound upon a drum,
substantially as described with reference to Figure 13 of the drawings and for the
purpose specified.
Ninth The combination, with a jointing machine, of a measuring frame
substantially as described, whereby the exact amount of material required for

page_text: making a barrel or cask can be readily measured and the last stave cut, if necessary,
as above set forth.
Tenth-The machine for facilitating the insertion of the head in the barrel,
which machine consists essentially of a table or plate provided with a screw-
threaded stem fitting into a standard fixed to a bed-plate to which are pivotted
arms for holding down the barrel, substantially as set forth.
Eleventh The improved ring for securing the stavos in position while the barrel-
former is collapsed and until the hoops have been placed on the barrel the said
ring being made with hooks, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty first day of February in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
TERES