IMPROVEMENTS IN BULGE BARREL MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Griffith Brewer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1882. Communicated
to him from abroad by Robert Hinchliffe of Hamilton, Province of Ontario
Dominion of Canada
"
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BULGE BARREL MACHINES (A Communication to me from
abroad by Robert Hinchliffe of Hamilton, Province of Ontario, Dominion of
Canada)
This invention relates to the improved design and construction of a Bulge
Barrel machines, which will possess all the qualities calculated to produce the
desired result that is reducing an inconvenient, cumbersome unhandy, ill con-
structed and badly designed machine to a compact, convenient, durable, properly
proportioned strong and well made machine, and made entirely of iron, which will
give it that amount of strength required for faithful and rapid work.
The first part of the invention relates to the construction and new design of an
iron bed or base frame to which the whole machine is attached; the swing frame,
and circular frame for keeping staves around the collapsing drum, by which the
efficiency and stability of the machine is increased to a very great extent.
The second part of the invention relates to substituting an eccentric shaft for
carrying pinion gear and driving pulley, which shaft is short and as it does not
extend beyond the standard to which it is attached makes it much lighter than the
old one which extended from standard to standard, and limited the belt room for
saw countershaft. Its action being circular but little motion is required to throw
the pinion into action in the large wheel, the weight of the levers attached to the
eccentric shaft together with a small spiral spring acting in the opposite direction
readily severs the connection of the two gears making it very quick and easy of
operation.
The third part of the invention relates to the construction of a toothed pinion
and driving pulley of one piece and arranging them outside of standards.
Fourth. Substituting a short fixed stud which is also confined to standard to
which it is attached, and does not extend any beyond the same; on which a
toothed pinion which gears into gear wheel on barrel shaft and large gear wheel
revolves, this takes the place of a shaft which extends from standard to standard
and which also gives more latitude to belt for saw-countershaft

page_text: :
Fifth Making large gear wheel and toothed pinion for driving gear on barrel
shaft of one piece.
Sixth Reducing the lever which gives sliding motion on the barrel shaft to a
clutch with parts attached to collapsing drum, and which collapses and expands
the same, from a compound to a simple lever, and constructing the parts so that
the said lever will be contiguous to and handy to the operator enabling him to
operate the same without moving his position; in the old way he had to go balf
way around the machine to operate this lever.
Seventh Constructing the machine in such a manner that the levers on the saw
frames will be placed in a horizontal position, near to and convenient to the
operator so that he can use them without moving his position in front of the
machine.
Eighth Heretofore a great deal of time was lost in sharpening and adjusting
the old style of cutters, being three separate ones for champering and crozing the
ends of barrels as they were made on the machine; in order to avoid this objection
the Inventor has constructed a single solid cutter with three (or more or less)
cutting edges which are made to screw on the end of each saw mandril, and is so
convenient that it can be quickly taken off and sharpened and as it needs no
adjusting the whole operation can be performed in a very few minutes, thus
avoiding the consequent delays occasioned by the use of the old style of cutters.
An emery wheel attachment is also added on the end of the saw spindle for
convenience in sharpening the said cutters which obviates an expensive device for
that purpose and makes the Barrel machine more complete.
Ninth. An automatic and adjustable attachment is constructed to circular
frames which surround the collapsing drum, whereby said framing is opened and
closed automatically by motion of the swing frame the said attachment consists of
a post rising from the bed or base frame, a lever with a long curved arm a straight
short one nearly at right angles to one another and a straight short projecting arm
opposite the long curved arm for attaching a compensating balance spring, or
weight the short and long arms of said lever are attached to the said swing frame
and said circular frame respectively by means of two adjustable studs in slots in
the ends of arms and two pins and two connection pieces. The lever swings on a
stud in the top of the post the said stud passes through the elbow of the lever
formed by position of long and short arms
The compensating spring is spiral or other suitable form (or a weight if
preferable) and is attached at one end to a projecting arm in lever and at the other
end to the base of the bed plate.
The swing and circular frames are adjusted and limited in opening to their
requirements by the slots in the ends of arms on lever and the slot in the top of
the said post.
This device effects a great saving of labour on the part of the operator greatly
facilitates the operation of the machine and does away with all other stops used in
connection with the opening and closing of the swing and circular frames.
Tenth. Adjustable and anti friction rollers are constructed on eccentric studs
attached to circular frames immediately below the centres of Barrel shaft and saw
mandrils for the purpose of adjusting the staves to facilitate the operation of
champering and crozing and cutting to length.
The eccentric studs upon which the rollers work are fastened to the circular
frame on the inside of the outer part of that portion of which projecting downward
forms the joint by a nut and are thus held wherever set; the turning of this
eccentric stud the collar of which is flattened on two sides for the application of a
wrench elevates or depresses the edge of the rollers at the will of the operator.
This device relieves the staves of the sliding motion on the circular frame and
imparts a rolling motion during the performance of the work done by the cutter
and saw and also saves the said frame from the wear which would otherwise take
place at that spot.

page_text: Their adjustability enables the operator to set the staves with great nicety for
the operation of champering and crozing.
Eleventh. The barrel or collapsing drum is constructed in such a manner that it
is totally changed. The parts of each drum are fitted together and the seats for
link brackets are then bored out and each end of drum and the seats are faced to a
fixed length.
Holes are then drilled for the screws which holds the brackets by means of
special tools which divide them exactly 90° apart the brackets are then turned
with suitable tools to correspond and a shoulder is left on each to fit against the
face of the seats in the drum a bole is then drilled for the screw that connects it
with the drum through a perpendicular which bisects the chord of the arc of the
circle to which they are turned.
The inner faces of the lugs which hold the links are then planed with a circular
cutter equidistant from and parallel to the perpendicular which passes through the
axis of the screw hole they are then drilled for the link pins.
The links are then planed by a rotary planer to fit between the lugs on the
brackets and the link head-the pin holes are then drilled which operation completes
the links. The link head is then passed through the rotary planer in such a
manner that the four divisions in it corresponding to the four pieces which forms
the drum (for the reception of the links) are planed on the inner side exactly at
right angles to one another and equidistant from the axis of the hole which is
bored to fit the barrel shaft they are then drilled through each lug equidistant
from and at right angles to the above mentioned axis and are then ready to be put
together all the operations herein mentioned are done by tools especially designed
for the purpose making them all perfectly uniform and exactly alike in every
particular.
Twelfth: An adjustable swinging gauge is constructed to regulate the position
of the staves when entering the mouth of the opening in the circular frame as it
swings it enables the operator to push it out of the way of the hoop which keeps
the staves in barrel form after being "set up" on the drum and champered and
crozed.
Thirteenth. A stave feeding device is constructed to ensure the uniform and
regular feeding of the staves into the machine.
Fourteenth. New device for a drum which is divided into six segments which
are opened and closed radially by cam discs worked by gear set in motion by a
band wheel which turns upon the barrel shaft the whole drum is constructed so as
to be collapsed and expanded by radial and circular motions.