Improvements in Barrel Trussing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Barrel Trussing Machines.
I, SAMUEL WRIGHT of 5 Channing Terrace, Wandsworth Bridge Road,
Fulham, London in the County of Middlesex Machinist do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in barrel-trussing machines.
Such
machines are used for the purpose of closing in the ends of the barrels and
placing temporary hoops.upon them so as to allow of the permanent hoops being
fixed.
My improved barrel trussing machine is constructed as follows. A rectangular
base plate is provided with three grooves running from a common centre two of
these grooves are in line with each other and the third is at right angles to
them.
In each groove is fitted a suitable support capable of being fixed at any required
distance from the common centre and provided with steps on its inner face for the
purpose of supporting the temporary hoops used in trussing the staves to form the
barrels.
A fourth similar support is so made that it can be swung out of the way to
allow the barrel to be removed. Three columns stand upon the base plate and
support a fixed top cross plate parallel to the base plate and this top-plate carries
a bracket which supports a pulley. Keyed upon the same spindle which carries
this pulley is a bevel wheel which gears into a second bevel wheel on the spindle
of the trussing bell hereinafter described. On the base plate are fixed suitable
supports carrying a shaft upon which are four pulleys.
Of these four pulleys three form a reversing motion somewhat similar to that
used on planing machines for iron. One pulley is driven by an open belt, another
similar pulley by a crossed belt and both are keyed onto the shaft between these
two is a third pulley twice the width of one of the belt driven pulleys. Upon the
same shaft is keyed a fourth pulley which drives the pulley on the top plate of the
machine causing it to rotate in either a right or left handed direction.
The arrangement of the movable trussing bell is as follows. A hole is provided
in the top fixed plate through which passes the boss of the bevel wheel herein-
before mentioned and a collar is fixed to the wheel boss above the plate so that it
can only make a movement of rotation. The wheel itself has a thread cut upon it
inside the hole and acts as a nut for a vertical spindle which carries a horizontal
plate fixed to its lower end. The said plate is provided with guides which slide on
the three vertical columns hereinbefore referred to. The said plate carries on its
lower face three fixed vertical supports, which are directly above the supports in
the grooves in the base plate; these supports carry a plate bent into a figure
similar to that which would be given by cutting a bell at about half its height by
a plane at right angles to its axis and then cutting the lower portion by a plane
passing through the axis. One of the two similar figures resulting from the second
operation being the figure desired. One of the supports carries a hinge which
forms the joint upon which a plate bent into a similar figure works; the two
together form a bell mouthed frame when closed, the hinge being necessary to
allow of removing the barrel and inserting the truss hoops. Above the bell shaped
mouth piece are placed the temporary truss hoops which are supported in grooves
cut on the internal face of the supports.
The action of the machine is as follows.
are placed upon the lower supports and the
the trussing bell is at the top of its stroke.
Three or more temporary truss hoops
staves are placed inside them, while
The belt now causes the top pulley to

page_text: revolve & by means of the pair of bevel wheels and the screwed spindle the bell
descends and collects the staves together at the top causing them to enter the top
truss hoops & when they are pressed home at the top it forces all the staves
together into the bottom truss hoops until the barrel is completely trussed at both
ends.
When the bell has reached the end of its downward stroke it strikes a lever
which actuates a double belt fork moving the belt wheel which has been driving
the machine on to the loose pulley and allowing the other belt to drive it in an
opposite direction causing the bell to rise. At the same instant the bell has struck
a catch which allows the hinged half of it to open and immediately it begins its
upward stroke it releases a catch which tips the trussed barrel over and swings the
pivotted support on the base plate aside leaving free passage for the barrel to roll
away.
During the upward stroke of the trussing bell, truss hoops are again inserted
and the hinged half of the bell closed and on reaching the end of its upward stroke
it strikes a lever which actuates the belt fork and again reverses the motion.
During this time the barrel, ready set up with truss hoops upon it at the lower end
has been placed upon the bottom supports.
Upon the trussing bell supports, are hinged pawls or dogs in such positions as to
press home the permanent hoops.
Dated this 4th day of November 1890.
JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL,
Agent for said Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Barrel Trussing Machines.
1, SAMUEL WRIGHT of 5, Channing Terrace, Wandsworth Bridge Road,
Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, Machinist, 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:--
My invention relates to improvements in barrel trussing machines which are
used for the purpose of closing in the ends of the barrels and placing temporary
hoops upon them so as to allow of the permanent hoops being fixed.
The machine is intended to be used for treating the separate staves from which
the complete barrel is to be formed. The staves being arranged in a circle it is
necessary to close in the ends in order to allow of the hoops being placed thereon
and in order to give the barrel the usual tapering form.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to similar
parts throughout the different views:
Figure 1 represents an elevation of the complete machine.
Figure 2 is a view of the counter-shaft and belt moving gear for driving the
machine.
Figure 3 is a plan of the entire machine, and,
Figure 4 is a side elevation in which the counter-shaft is not shewn.
The machine consists of a base plate a of cast iron in which are arranged three
grooves of dove-tail section which radiate from the centre.
In these grooves
three uprights c are so formed as to slide freely therein, and provided with screw
or wedge attachments by which they may be fixed in any suitable position. The
uprights are provided on their inner face with steps or brackets d and a fourth
upright e is so constructed in a similar manner but instead of being placed in one
of the grooves b is formed with a large attachment which can swing upon a fixed
pivot The four uprights are intended to be fixed at such a distance from the
centre of the machine as to allow of the temporary truss hoops being placed upon
the steps.

page_text: The staves which it is intended to form into a barrel are then placed in a circle
inside the temporary truss hoops g and it will be obvious that when their lower
tapering ends are close together in a circle, their upper ends will stand apart from
one another.
Considering now the remaining portion of the machine; it consists of three
pillars which are fixed firmly into the base plate a and themselves support a
cross-casting which is made sufficiently strong to stand the whole of the strain
which is put upon the machine when at work. It is for this purpose provided with
ribs which run from the centre to each of the pillars and also to the side which
carries the driving pulley.
The driving pulley is carried upon the shaft k which also carries the bevel
wheel, the shaft being carried itself upon plummer blocks of the ordinary well
known type. In the centre of the machine is arranged a vertical screw upon which
is cut a double thread or other screw of rapid pitch. The screw m carries at its
lower end the cross-head n to which it is attached by screws or bolts. The cross-
head itself consists of a casting having three arms at the end of each of which is
constructed a guide with a loose cap. The three guides o thus formed being so
made as to fit the pillars and to slide freely thercon. The screw m is supported
by the bevel wheel which is formed with a long sleeve fitted with a nut or collar
at its upper end & passing through the cross-casting i. The bevel wheel is thus free
to rotate upon its own axis and a thread is cut upon it internally which agrees with
the thread upon the screw m. It will thus be seen that when the bevel wheel p is
rotated the screw m is caused to rise or descend and with it the cross-head n rises
and descends also.
Power is transmitted to the machine by means of belting acting upon the pullies q
and upon the lower countershaft. The belt upon one of the pullies being open
the other being crossed. Both of the pullies are loose upon the shaft and either
of the belts can in turn be thrown from one of the pullies on to the pulley "
which is keyed upon the shaft. It is thus obvious that the pulleys can be caused
to rotate in either direction and this is coupled by belting to the upper pulley j.
It will be seen that the upward or downward motion of the cross-head n can be
obtained by the movement of the lever which through the bar u acts upon the
belt-forks. To the cross-head n is attached the bell which is so constructed as to
close in the ends of the staves and enable the temporary truss hoops to be slipped
over the barrel. The bell consists of two halves one half being fixed to the
casting and the other half being hinged to the fixed half. The bell consists of
supports which are somewhat similar to the uprights which slide in the foundation.
Each support is provided with a screwed end arranged to slide in a slot provided
in the casting so that the distance of the supports from the centre of the machine
can be easily regulated. For any particular size of barrel there is of course a
particular position in which the supports must be fixed.
The fixed half of the bell consists therefore of three supports which are so
coupled and held together by thin iron bands w, the lower one of which is made
curved and of a bell-mouth shape so that the ends of the staves may more easily
enter it. The temporary truss hoops a rest in notches cut to receive them. The
other half of the bell is constructed in a similar way and is hinged upon one of the
supports and the two halves are held together when closed by the hook y.
action of the machine when at work is as follows:
The
The lever is placed in such a position that one of the belts acts upon the fast
pulley, and the bell is caused to rise to the top of its stroke. It is then opened
and the temporary truss hoops are placed in position and the hinged half is closed
and hooked. The staves are arranged as previously described (after having been
heated) in a circle inside the lower truss hoops, the motion of the machine is now
reversed, the trussing bell descends, closes the staves to the required extent until
they enter the truss hoops to the required distance.
It is then necessary to stop the motion of the machine, open the trussing bell,
draw away the bottom support and thus enable the barrel to be rolled away and

page_text: preparation made for trussing another. It is. of course possible to construct an
automatic arrangement to obviate the necessity of moving the lever t and belt-forks
by hand.
In this case the trussing bell striking upon a lever fixed to one of the pillars, is
opened and the motion of the lever reverses the belt-fork and causes the bell to
rise when at the top of the stroke a similar arrangement of levers causes it to
descend automatically. The speed of ascent is intended to be about double that
of the descent in order to enable more work to be performed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
- (1). In barrel trussing machines the combination of uprights so formed as to
support the temporary truss hoops, with a bell in which other temporary truss
hoops may be placed and which by its descent collects the staves and by the
common action of itself and of the uprights, forms the barrel, the whole substantially
as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(2). In a machine for barrel trussing, the arrangement of a trussing bell, moving
upwards and downwards in a vertical direction and actuated by means of bevel
gearing, and of a vertical screw for the purpose of collecting the staves and placing
thereon the temporary truss hoops, as hereinbefore described and illustrated."
(3). In a barrel trussing machine the combination of a vertical screw so arranged
as to give upward motion to a trussing bell consisting of two halves mutually
hinged together and provided with grooves in which can be placed the temporary
truss hoops, as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of September 1891.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, S.W., Agent for the said Applicant.