Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Casks or Barrels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Casks or Barrels.
We, ROBERT COLLEN, of 30 Pigott Street, Limehouse, in the County of London,
Engineer; and GEORGE MILLS of Castor Street, Poplar, in the said County,
Managing Director of Mill's Machine Cooperage Company, Limited, of the same
place, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide machinery for the manufacture of casks
or barrels whereby casks of various sizes and shapes may be made by the same
machinery, saving in time, labour and material is effected, and more perfect junctions
of the parts of the cask is obtained than is the case with cask-making inachinery
hitherto employed.
According to this Invention the blanks from which the staves are formed, after having
all being cut to the same length, are passed through a "jointer" or "jointing "machine
wherein their edges are shaped so that when the staves are put together to form a
cask or barrel, these said edges will make perfect joints and the said cask or barrel
may be of any pre-determined form; every stave has approximately the same
quantity of wood removed no matter what the initial width may be. After the staves
have been shaped in the "jointing" machine and built up to form the circular wall
or shell of a cask, and "trussed," this shell is placed in a machine (herein for
convenience termed the "crozing machine") which at a single operation, effects the
crozing, chimbing, and the "jiggering" operations, that is to say, forms the grooves
or crozes into which the heads are fitted, chamfers or rounds-off the ends of the
staves, and levels the inner faces of the staves adjacent to the crozes.
The "jointer" comprises a fixed frame to which is secured a suitable bed or
work-table, and in which frame is guided a movable frame carrying two inclined
cutter shafts. The movable frame is counterweighed by weights attached to it by
wire cords chains or equivalent passing over guide pulleys; or springs may be
provided instead of the counterweights. The cutter shafts are journalled in bearings
which are pivotted in blocks capable of being adjusted nearer together or further
from each other in the horizontal members of the movable frame; the position of
the upper bearings is altered only when the machine is to be adjusted for preparing
staves for casks or barrels of different diameters, the position of the lower bearings is
generally altered for each stave. The upper bearings of the cutter shafts may be
connected together by a right-and-left handed screw provided with lock-nuts for
securing the said bearings in position after adjustment; the lower bearings of the
cutter shafts may be connected together by a right-and-left handed screwed shaft
operated through bevel gearing, by means of a handwheel or equivalent mounted on
the fixed frame of the machine, a suitable sliding connection, for example, a key and
long key-way or groove, being provided between one of the gear-wheels and its shaft
to admit of the inovable frame ascending and descending while the hand wheel
remains stationary.
At the lower part of the fixed frame is mounted a shaft which may be rotated by
worm or equivalent gearing, and upon this shaft are mounted, two cams for raising

page_text: and lowering or allowing of the descent of the movable frame, and, a sprocket or
chain wheel which operates an endless chain passing over two rollers or wheels at
either end of the bed or work-table; one of the last named rollers is adjustable so
as to admit of the chain being slackened or tightened. The cams may be of various
shapes according to the form to be given to the staves and to the casks or barrels.
forined of said staves, and they are mounted so as to enable them to be readily
removed and others substituted for them when differently shaped staves are to be
produced. The cams may operate on anti-friction rollers mounted directly on the
movable frame but to extend the scope of adjustability of the machine and enable a
number of different shapes and sizes of staves, greater than would otherwise be
possible, to be produced in the same machine, the said anti-friction rollers are
preferably arranged so that their position on the frame may be adjusted or, so that
they may be removed and others (of the same or a different size) substituted for
them either in the same or a different position; one way of effecting this is to
detachably secure plates to the lower end of the movable frame and mount the
anti-friction rollers either on these plates, or remove the said plates and mount the
anti-friction rollers directly on the movable frame, the said rollers occupying different
positions in these two arrangements.
The before-mentioned chain works in a groove or slot in the work-plate so as to
secure it against lateral displacement, and at its outer side it is provided with
projections and blades or spikes, the former for engaging with the back ends of the
staves for pushing said staves forward through the machine, and the latter for
engaging or sticking into the staves at or near their front ends to prevent any
lateral displacement of the said staves at these parts; the pressure necessary for
inserting the blades or spikes into the staves is provided by an adjustably weighted or
loaded pressure, bar or foot mounted so as to slide in guides on the fixed frame.
On the shaft of the chain roller or wheel at the front end of the machine, that is
to say the end at which the stave blanks are inserted, is secured a cain which,
through suitable connections, moves two centreing arins outwards from each other on
the top of the work-table, this arrangement being such that when the centreing arms.
are afterwards swung towards each other under the influence of a weight or spring,
the blank then between them is brought to the centre of the work-table and in
proper position for being moved up to the cutters; the two centreing arms are
geared or connected together so that they always work in unison. If desired four
centreing arms may be used instead of two as last described, so as to operate on
opposite ends of the blank.
Between the centreing arms and the fixed or vertical frame are mounted two
guides or cheeks arranged so as to move transversely on the work-plate on either side
of the centre of said work-plate. These two guides are under the control of a
weight or spring, which tends to move them. together, and at proper intervals are
moved further apart by a cam or tapped on the last mentioned chain-roller shaft, so
as to allow the blanks to be inserted between thein.
To one of the last named guides is connected an index or pointer which, in
conjunction with another index or pointer connected to one of the before mentioned
lower bearings of the cutter shafts enables the operator, by means of the before
mentioned hand wheel to adjust the angle of the cutter shafts, so that the cutters
may always remove approximately the same quantity of wood whatever the initial
width of the blank may be. The connections between the index and the cutter-shaft
bearing which controls it, may be adjustable so as to provide for the efficient
gauging of staves of maximum or minimum width.
In front of the centreing arms a hopper or guide is provided for receiving a stack]
or pile of stave-blanks, and between the centreing arms, and the before mentioned
cheeks a preferably adjustable arch or guide is provided for allowing only one blank
at a time viz.: the lowermost one to be removed from the stack and fed through the
machine by means of the chain.
To indicate to the machine attendant when he is free to adjust the position of the
cutters (by means of the before mentioned hand-wheel, a bell or other automatically
operating signalling device is employed; this device, sounding or operating at or about

page_text: the time each stave leaves the cutters, prevents the cutters being accidentally
interfered with during the cutting operation.
The before mentioned "crozing machine".comprises a stationary frame in the
upper part of which is mounted a revolving vertical shaft and at the lower part is
provided a circular frame or cone, hereinafter termed the "lower cone," capable of
being moved upwards by hydraulic or other power. Another circular fraine or cone,
hereinafter terined the upper cone" is adjustably secured to the frame at or about
the level of the cutter head which is secured to the lower end of the
revolving shaft. Within the lower cone is fitted a table which, when the
said lower cone is in its lowermost position extends above the level of said cone,
the table then being supported on the floor or other suitable surface. When the
lower cone is raised, the table is received in the interior of the said cone. The last
described arrangement provides a readier means of getting the cask or barrel into
position than would be the case if the cask or barrel had to be lifted into and out
of the lower cone at the beginning and termination of the operations.
The cutter head carries the tools or cutters necessary for simultaneously effecting
the crozing, chimbing and jiggering operations, these cutters being attached to
screwed shafts all connected by bevel gearing to a vertical shaft hereinafter termed
the "inner shaft" extending axially through the cutter shaft, by which arrangement
all the tools while being rotated by the said cutter shaft, may be simultaneously moved
radially outwards for feeding the cutters up to their work or radially inwards for
moving them away from the work, at the completion of the cutting operations.
The cutter shaft is rotated by bevel or other gearing, and at the upper end of the
inner shaft is loosely mounted, a pulley rotated by a belt driven from the main shaft of the
machine, and at a lower part of the said inner shaft is secured a hand wheel which
is preferably formed as light as practicable so that it may not require appreciable
momentum nor present appreciable inertia. The last mentioned belt pulley, and the
hand wheel are provided with conical or other clutch surfaces presented towards each
other, and between these surfaces a clutch ring is "feathered" to the inner shaft, a
lever being provided for operating the clutch ring so as to either cause the inner shaft
to be rotated by the belt pulley, in which case the said inner shaft, outruns the
cutter shaft, or so as to cause the said inner shaft to be retarded and therefore be
outrun by the cutter shaft.
The
When the last described machine is at work, the cutter head is kept constantly
rotating and the previously trussed cask or barrel to be operated upon, has first
introduced into it an indiarubber diaphragm, which is for the purpose of preventing
the shavings from falling through the said cask or barrel on to the lower cone.
cask is then placed on to the table, and the lower cone raised, which forces the upper
end of the cask into the upper cone, and properly centres the cask and retains it in
position. The before mentioned clutch is then moved in one direction so as to cause
the inner shaft to be rotated in the direction necessary to move the cutters outwards,
and afterwards the clutch ring is moved in the reverse direction so as to cause the
cutters to be moved inwards, it being preferred to arrange this mechanism so that
the cutters shall move slowly outwards and quicker inwards. The lower cone is then
allowed or caused to descend, and the cask or barrel is then successively removed from
the table and emptied of the shavings inverted, and replaced on the table, after which
the before described operation is repeated.
When it is desired to employ the crozing machine for casks of a smaller size than
that which the before described cones are adapted to receive, other cones or rings of
smaller diameter may be fitted in those first described.
To limit the extent to which the tools are to cut into the cask or barrel, stops may
be provided in the guides in which the said tools or their holders move radially
outwards and inwards.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Casks or Barrels.
We, ROBERT COLLEN, of 30 Pigott Street, Limehouse, in the County of London,
Engineer and GEORGE BATT MILLS of Randwick, Léon Gate Gardens, Richmond, in
the County of Surrey, PERCY BATT MILLS, of Newyln, Hempstead Road, Walthamstow
in the County of London, and ERNEST BATT MILLS of 17 Belseze Square, South
Hampstead, in the said County of London Executors and Legal Representatives of
George Milis, deceased, late of Castor Street, Poplar in the said County of London,
Managing Director of Mills Machine Cooperage Co. Limited, of the same place, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention has for its object to provide machinery for the manufacture of casks
or barrels whereby casks of various sizes and shapes may be made by the same
machinery, saving in time, labour, and material is effected, and more perfect junctions
of the parts of the cask is obtained than is the case with cask-making machinery
hitherto employed.
"
According to this invention the blanks from which the staves are formed, after
having all been cut to the same length, are passed through a "jointer" or "jointing
inachine wherein their edges, are shaped so that when the staves are put together to
form a cask or barrel, these said edges will make perfect joints and the cask or barrel
may be of any pre-determined form; every stave has approximately the same
quantity of wood removed no matter what the initial width may be. After the staves
have been shaped in the "jointing" machine and built up to form the circular wall
or shell of a cask, and trussed," this shell is placed in a machine (herein for
convenience termed the "crozing" machine) which, at a single operation, effects the
crozing, chimbing, and the "jiggering" operations, that is to say, forms the grooves
or crozes into which the heads are fitted, chamfers or rounds-off the ends of the staves,
and levels the inner faces of the staves adjacent to the crozes.
The apparatus herein described is applicable for use in the manufacture of vessels
or bodies other than those ordinarily known as casks, for example tubs, vats, tubes, or
the like, and we wish it to be understood, that, whenever in this Specification and
claims, the context admits of such an interpretation, the word "cask or casks" is
intended to include all such structures.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation, a front end elevation and a plan
of the improved "jointer" or "jointing" machine, certain parts of the mechanism
being omitted from Figure 2 for the sake of clearness.
Figure 4 is an elevation and Figure 5 a vertical section on the line 5-5 of
Figure 4 of a detached portion of the "jointer.
"
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of signalling mechanism for use in connection
with the "jointer.
Figure 7 is a front elevation shewn partly in section and Figure 8 a side elevation
of the improved "crozing" machine.
Figure 9 is a vertical section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 but drawn to a scale
larger than that to which Figure 8 is drawn.
Figure 10 is an underside view of the cutter-head shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9
drawn to a scale the same as that to which Figure 9 is drawn.
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively an underside view and an elevation of the
table and Figure 13 is a plan of the lower cone of the "crozing" machine and
Figures 14 and 15 are views partly in elevation and partly in section of upper

page_text: and lower cone rings respectively, applicable to the "crozing machine as hereinafter
described.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the
drawings.
The jointer" as shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises a fixed frame A A1 to
which is screwed a suitable bed or work table B, and in the vertical portion A¹ of
which frame is guided a movable frame C, carrying two inclined cutter shafts D.
The movable frame C, is counterweighted by weights e attached to it by wire-cords,
chains or equivalent c', passing over guide pulleys c; or springs may be provided
instead of the counterweights. The cutter shafts D are journalled in upper
bearings d and lower bearings d pivotted by means of trunnions d' (shewn in dotted
lines in Figure 2) in blocks da capable of being adjusted nearer together or further
from each other in the horizontal members cc of the movable frame C; the position
of the upper blocks d³ is altered only when the machine is to be adjusted for prepairing
staves for casks or barrels of different diameters, the position of the lower blocks d³ is
generally altered for each stave. The blocks d supporting the upper bearings d of
the cutter shafts may be connected together by a right and left handed screw d
which is journalled in a bracket c' secured to the before mentioned horizontal
member , and engages with nuts d secured to the said bearings, lock-nuts d being
provided on the screw for securing the blocks in position after adjustment. The
blocks d appertaining to the lower bearings d' of the cutter shafts D may be
connected together, by a right and left-handed screwed shaft d' pivotted in the
movable franie C and operated through bevel gearing D D D by means of a
hand-wheel or equivalent D' which, like the bevel wheels D', is mounted on the fixed
vertical frame Al, a suitable sliding connection, for example a key or feather d'
(shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1) and long key-way or groove d' being provided
between the gear wheel D³ and the shaft D' to admit of the movable frame C, together
with the screw-shaft d' and wheels D D ascending and descending, while the bevel
wheels B, hand wheel D' and shaft D' remain stationary.
The upper ends of the cutter shafts D within the bearings d, and these bearings,
are ribbed and grooved as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 so as to prevent
any endwise movement of the shafts D in the said bearings; the shafts D, are however
free to move longitudinally in the lower bearings d', this being necessary when the
lower ends of the shafts are moved nearer together or farther apart. On the cutter
shafts D are secured flanged pulleys do and they are rotated through the medium of
belts (not shewn in the drawings) passed around these pulleys.
At the lower part of the vertical frame A¹ is mounted a shaft E which may be
rotated by worn or equivalent gearing E and upon this shaft are mounted, two
cams E2 for raising and lowering or allowing of the descent of the movable frame C,
and a sprocket or chain wheel which operates an endless chain F passing over two
rollers or wheels F2 F3 at either end of the bed or work-table B. The roller F3 is
adjustable so as to admit of the chain being slackened or tightened and for this
purpose the bearings f of the roller may be movable on fixed bars or guides fon
which are threaded nuts f by turning which latter the necessary tensioning of the
chain may be effected. The cains E may be of various shapes according to the form
to be given to the staves and to the casks or vessels formed of said staves, and they
are detachably and adjustably mounted on the shaft E for example by means of
bosses E'fixed on the shaft and bolts e screwing into the bosses and passing through
slots in the cams E so as to enable the latter to be readily turned slightly
backward or forward, or removed for the substitution of other cams when
differently shaped staves are to be produced. The cams E may operate on
anti-friction rollers G mounted directly on the movable frame C, but to extend the
scope of adjustability of the machine and enable a number of different shapes and
sizes of staves, greater than would otherwise be possible, to be produced in the same.
machine, the said anti-friction rollers are preferably arranged so that their position on
the frame may be adjusted, or, so that they may be removed and others (of the same
or a different size) substituted for them either in the same or a different position;
one way of effecting this is as shewn in the drawings (particularly Figures 4 and 5)

page_text: to detachably secure plates or brackets G to the lower end of the movable frame C
and mount the anti-friction rollers G either on the pins G2 fixed in these plates or
remove the said plates and mount the anti-friction rollers on the pins G3 secured in
the inovable frame C, the said rollers occupying different positious and the frame
being caused to operate between different limits in these two arrangements.
The before mentioned chain F1 works in a groove or slot b in the centre of the
work-table B so as to secure it against lateral displacement, and at its outer side,
which is adapted to work level with, or not project beyond, the face of the table B, it
is provided with dogs or projections f³ and blades or spikes the former for engaging
with the back ends of the staves or stave-blanks H for pushing said staves forward
through the machine, and the latter for engaging or sticking into the staves at or
near their frout ends to prevent any lateral displacement of the said staves at these
parts; the pressure necessary for inserting the blades or spikes into the staves is
provided by an adjustable pressure bar or foot J pivotted to the lower ends of two
vertical weighted bars J¹ which are free to slide in guides A2 on the vertical frame A¹.
The chain F, besides having the projections and blades, is also provided with
projections which serve to prevent the staves or blanks H from descending onto the
blades before the back ends of the said staves are engaged by the projections.
The chain wheel F2 at the front end of the machine, that is to say the end at or
near which the stave-blanks are inserted, is provided with a crank pin k which,
through suitable connections, such for example as a longitudinally movable rod k two
intermeshing toothed sectors (one connected to the rod ) and two vertical
shafts, intermittently moves two centreing arms & outwards from each other on the
top of the work-table B this arrangement being such that when the centreing arms
are afterwards swung towards each other under the influence of a spring or weight k*,
the blank H then between them is automatically brought to the centre of the
work-table and in proper position for being moved up to the cutters 16 on the cutter
shaft D; the two centreing arms are geared or connected together by the sectors
so that they always work in unison. Instead of employing only two centreing
arms as last described we prefer to use four such arms as shewn in the drawings so
as to operate on opposite ends of the blank, in which arrangement the arms may be
mounted two on tubular shafts ' and two on the solid shafts which pass through
the said tubular shafts, the two tubular shafts and the two solid shafts being
respectively geared together by sectors k' and one of the solid shaft sectors and one
of the tubular shaft sectors being operatively connected together by lever arms and
a link ki.
Between the centreing arms k and the vertical frame A¹ are mounted two guides
or cheeks L secured to plates I arranged so as to move transversely in guiding
grooves b' in the work-table B on either side of the centre of said work-table. These
two guides L are under the control of a spring or weight L2 which, through a crank
dise, to which it is connected, and two links connecting the crank disc with the
plates L, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, tends to move the said guides
together; at proper intervals the guides L are moved further apart to allow the
stave-blanks to be inserted between them, this operation being effected by a cam L
secured on the before mentioned shaft f the said cam being arranged to operate
the crank dise through a bell-crank lever connecting rod and link .
To one of the guides L. or plates 1. is connected an index or pointer adapted to
operate in conjunction with another index or pointer connected through a lever 1
and link L' to one of the before mentioned blocks d supporting the cutter shaft
bearings d'. These indices or pointers enable the operator by means of the
before mentioned hand-wbeel D' to adjust the angle or inclination of the cutter
shafts D, so that the cutters I may always remove approximately the same quantity
of wood whatever the initial width of the blank may be. If the stave blanks were
all of exactly the same width the two pointers would always come into correct
register with each other when the plates I. were pressing against the edges of the
said blanks and it would then not be necessary to operate the hand wheel D', as
however the stave blanks generally vary in width and the angles or bevels to be

page_text: forined on the edges of each stave requires to be varied according to the width of the
said stave the position which the pointer is automatically caused to take up
relatively to that occupied by the pointer l' serves to readily indicate the direction in
which the cutter shafts should be adjusted so that the desired bevel or angle may be
formed on the stave. Assuming for example that one of the staves is wider than
that immediately preceding it; this stave when pressed between the plates I will
cause the pointer to take up a position which in Figure 2 would be to the left of
the pointer and the attendant will then know that he has to turn the wheel. D' in
the particular direction necessary to bring the two pointers into register by which
operation the two cutter shafts Dare moved outwards from each other and the cutters D°
thereby caused to take up the positions necessary for giving the desired angles to
the edges of the staves. When a stave-blank is narrower than that which immediately
precedes it the pointer is caused to take up a position which in Figure 2 would be
to the right of the pointer and consequently the hand wheel D' has to be rotated
in a direction the reverse of that required in the example last previously cited,
whereby the two cutter shafts are moved closer together. The lever L3 is provided
with two or more holes or a slot so as to admit of the link L' being connected to it
at different parts and thereby provide for the mechanism being adjusted for efficiently
gauging staves for forming ensks or vessels of different sizes,
In front of the centreing arms ka hopper is, or two guide bars M are provided for
receiving a stack or pile of stave blanks H, and between the centreing arms and the
before mentioned cheeks L a preferably adjustable arch or guide M is provided for
allowing only one blank at a time, viz.--the lowermost one, to be removed from the
stack and fed through the machine by means of the chain F1; for the sake of
clearness the stave-blanks H and arch or guide M are omitted from Fig. 2.
To indiente to the machine attendant when he is free to adjust the position of the,
cutters D (by means of the before mentioned hand wheel D) a bell or other
automatically-operating signalling device is employed; this device, sounding or
operating at or immediately after the time each stave leaves the cutters prevents the
cutters from being accidentally interfered with during the cutting operation.
The last inentioned signalling device may be constructed as shewn in Figure 6,
wherein n indicates a crank pin or tappet fixed in one of the camn-bosses E' and
adapted at the proper time to engage and disengage a lever a connected through a
spring-controlled rod with a bell-hammer n which, when the lever al is released,
is caused to strike a gong n'.
The before-mentioned" crozing" machine as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 comprises
a stationary frame 0 in the upper part of which is mounted a revolving vertical
shaft P and at the lower part is provided a circular frame or cone Q hereinafter
termed the "lower cone," capable of being moved upwards on guide bars o by a
hydraulic ram Q¹ of which only a part is shewn if desired the "lower cone" may be
raised by power other than hydraulic. Another circular frame or cone Q, hereinafter
termed the upper cone," is adjustably secured on the guide bars o (which are
screw-threaded for a portion of their length) for example by nuts o' and clamping
screws o² of which latter only one is shewn though there may he one such screw for
each of the two front bars, or of each of the three bars o. The upper cone Q² is
generally secured a little below the level of the cutter head P' which is secured to
the lower end of the revolving shaft P. Within the lower cone Q is fitted a table q,
Figures 7, 8, 11 and 12 which, when the said lower cone is in its lowermost position,
as shewn in full lines in Figures 7 and 8 extends above the level of the said cone the
legs q' of the table then resting on the base plate O¹ or other suitable surface.
When the lower cone Q is raised, the table q is received in the interior of the said
cone as indicated in dot and dash lines in Figure 7. The last described arrangement
provides a readier means of getting the cask or barrel R (Figure 7) into positiur,
than would be the case if the cask or barrel had to be lifted into and out of the low. r
cone Q at the beginning and termination of the operations.
The cutter head Pi carries, tools or cutters pp' (the former forked as shewn and
the latter having a straight chisel edge) for formning the croze or groove for receiving

page_text: the cask-head, preferably two diametrically opposite tools 2 for effecting the
chimbing operation and a tool p' for effecting the jiggering operation all of which
operations are carried out simultaneously. The tools or cutters pp' ' and pare
detachably secured to tool carriers 2 engaging with screw threaded shafts pall
connected by bevel gearing 1 to a vertical shaft S hereinafter termed the "inner
shaft" extending axially through the cutter shaft Pby which arrangement all the
tools, while being rotated by the said cutter shaft, may be simultaneously moved
radially outwards for feeding the tools up to their work or radially inwards for moving
them away from the work at the completion of the cutting operations.
The cutter shaft. P is rotated from the main or first driven shaft P2 by bevel or
other gearing P and near the upper end of the inner shaft S is loosely mounted a
pulley a rotated by a belt a driven from the main shaft Pt and, on a conveniently
left-handed screw threaded collar S1, Figure 9, at a lower part of the said inner shaft
is secured a hand wheel S2 which is preferably formed with a wooden rim as indicated
in Figure 9, or is otherwise made as light as practicable so that it may not acquire
appreciable inomentum when rotated or present appreciable inertia when about to be
rotated, by which means the jamming of the screw-threaded shafts in their nuts
is prevented.
On the upper end of the inner shaft S is secured a conical friction cup Ss having
its mouth or open end presented downwards and adapted to receive the upper and
conical end of the boss of the above mentioned pulley 8. The hand-wheel S is
provided with an upwardly extending conical friction cup S adapted to receive the
lower and taper end of a non-rotating split sleeve S' whose two parts s' are connected
together near their upper ends by blade springs & which, when the sleeve S is clear
of the cup S', hold the two parts s' out of contact with the inner shaft S aud which
yield sufficiently to admit of the two said sleeve parts gripping the inner shaft when
they are forced downwards into the friction cup S. The split sleeve S' which, as it
were, constitutes a brake for the shaft S, is pivotted in or to a fork S which may be
raised and lowered by means of a hand lever 83. The pulley s rotates in the same
direction as, but at a higher speed than the cutter shaft P so that when the fork S' is
raised and the boss of the pulley & is consequently forced into the cup S, the inner
shaft S will outrun the cutter shaft P and through the bevel gearing and screw-
threaded shafts p', cause the tools or cutters p p 23 to be moved inwards; when
the fork S is lowered and the split sleeve S'is consequently forced into the friction
cup S' the inner shaft S is retarded or prevented from rotating so that during the
further rotation of the cutter head P₁ (the screw-threaded shafts p' being carried
round bodily with the said cutter head) the tools or cutters ppppare moved
outwards. As the engageinent of the sleeve S' with the cup S and of the pulley s
with the cup S' is frictional, these parts slip over each other when the limits of the
inward and outward movements of the tools or cutters are reached, even though
the lever a' be retained in either of its two operative positions. When the lever S
is free, both of the before described friction devices are disengaged and the inner
shaft rotates at the same speed as the cutter shaft so that the tools or cutters rotate
with the cutter head without being moved radially therein.
To reduce friction we prefer to provide ball bearings T between the upper end of
the cutter shaft P and the collar S¹ and between the upper end of the split sleeve S
and the pulley 8.
When the last described machine is at work, the cutter head P is kept constantly
rotating and the previously-trussed eask or barrel R to be operated upon, has first
. introduced into it an india-rubber diaphragm (which fits tightly into its interior) for
the purpose of preventing the shavings from falling through the said cask or barrel
on the lower cone Q or parts adjacent thereto. The cask is then placed on the
. table g and the lower cone Q raised by the ram Q1 which forces the upper end of
the cask into the upper cone-Q2 and properly centres the cask and retains it in
position. The before-mentioned split sleeve S' is then depressed so as to retard or
prevent the rotation of the inner shaft S and thereby, as previously described, cause
the cutters to move outwards to effect the cutting operations, and afterwards, the

page_text: split sleeve is raised so as to cause the cutters to be moved inwards, the relative
speeds of rotation of the cutter shaft P-and pulley a being preferably such that the
cutters are caused to move slowly outwards and quicker inwards. The lower cone Q
is then allowed, or caused, to descend, and the cask or barrel R is then successively
removed from the table g and emptiod of the shavings, inverted, and replaced on the
table, after which the before described operation is repeated.
When it is desired to employ the erozing machine for casks of a smaller size
than that which the before described cones are adapted to receive, other cones or
wings U U Figures 14 and 15, of smaller diameter may be fitted in those first
described. The removable upper cone or ring U is provided with an annular
shoulder with which bolts or screws in the upper cone Q may engage to retain it
in position therein, and the removable lower cone or ring U¹ is adapted to remain in
position merely by its own.weight and to receive a table smaller than that fitting
directly into the lower cone Q.
To limit the extent to which the tools are to cut into the cask or barrel, readily-
removable stops V Figure 9 of varying thicknesses may be provided in the guides or
slots P' in which the said tools or their holders inove radially outwards and inwards
in the cutter head P. The tools may be moved outwards and inwards for adjustment
when the machine is at rest, by rotating the hand-wheel S'.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
essential features of the invention for example although it is preferred to use a chain
such as for feeding the staves or stave-blanks through the "jointing" machine it
may be possible to use a perforated or other flexible band in place of the said chain
and we desire it to be understood that the word "chain" hereinafter employed in the
claims is intended to include all such alternative devices; and further, although it is
desirable to employ mechanism for intermittently moving the guides or cheeks L
outwards from each other to admit of the free insertion between them of the stave-
blanks, before the gauging operation as previously described, the said mechanism
may be dispensed with and the guides or cheeks caused to move outwards, by the
blanks being forced against and between their outwardly turned ends.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what inanner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1.. In a "jointer" or "jointing" machine for use, in the manufacture of casks the
combination with a chain for moving the staves or stave-blanks of blades or spikes
thereon for entering or engaging with the said staves or stave-blanks, substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a "jointer" or "jointing" machine for uso in the
manufacture of casks of mechanically-operated devices for automatically centreing
the staves or stave-blanks, substantially as bereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
3. In a jointer" or "jointing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the
combination with devices such as the guides or checks Lantomatically caused to bear
against the edges of, and gauge the width of each blank, of an index or pointer such
as l connected therewith, adapted, in conjunction with an index or pointer such as "
operatively-connected with an adjustable cutter shaft, to automatically indicate the
adjustment necessary to be given to the cutter shaft for providing that the edges of
the blank shall be angled or bevelled in strict accordance with its particular width,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a jointer" or "jointing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks
the combination with a rising and falling frame of cutters and cutter shafts and
means for adjusting the cutter shafts, mounted thereon substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5. In a "jointer" or "jointing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the
combination with a reciprocable frame such as C of a plate or bracket such as G¹
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. In a "crozing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the combination
with a revolving head carrying tools or cutters for effecting the crozing, chimbing
and jiggering operations, of means for simultaneously moving all these tools or
cutters towards or away from the surfaces to be operated upon, so that all of the said
operations may be simultaneously effected, substantially as herein before described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. In a "crozing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the combination
with a revolving cutter shaft, such as P, having within it an independently-rotatable
.shaft controlling the movement of a cutter towards and away from its work, of means
for either retarding or preventing the rotation of the inner shaft or accelerating the
speed of the said inner shaft beyond that of the cutter shaft, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. In a "crozing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the combination
with a reciprocable cone or ring, such as Q, of a table, such as q q', adapted to
occupy different positions in the cone or ring when the latter is raised and lowered,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
9. In a "crozing" machine for use in the manufacture of casks, the combination
with a ring or cone, such as Q or Q, of a ring or cone, such as U' or U, substantially
as and for the purpose herein beforé described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
10. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the "jointer" or
"jointing" machine substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
11. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the "crozing"
machine substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of April 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.