IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PAPER PULP, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS AND OTHER ARTICLES
FROM PAPER PULP, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by George Washington Laraway, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States
of Amering
Sealed the 30th November 1877, and dated the 25th June 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1877.
ss
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BARRELS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PAPER PULP, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR."
A communication from abroad by George Washington Laraway, of Hartford,
Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention consists generally in a mode of making articles of paper pulp
produced in any suitable manner from animal or vegetable fibre, whether wood,
rags, straw, or other proper material be used whereof to make the pulp, and
whether the pulp be used in a greater or less state of fineness or division of parts.
The said Invention includes machinery for the practical application of the general
principle to the production of barrels and kegs, and a form and shape of barrel or
keg, particularly adapted to production by the application of the said general
principle.
In the Drawings,-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine for working the body of a barrel; Figure 2
is a plan view of the same, with the top plate removed, and with a part broken
away to show parts beneath it.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the same machine from the lower plate
downward.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a machine for making a barrel head.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the machine, shown in Figure 4, from just above the

page_text: I remark here that Figure 3 shows substantially also a central sectional elevation
of the machine for making the barrel head, with the exception that it does not
show the rod [711].
Figure 6 and 7 are side and sectional elevations of the form of package made by
these machines.
Figure 8 and 9 are side and sectional elevations of another form of a barrel
or keg.
Description of the Machine for Making the Body of the Barrel.-The free pulp
is contained in an overhead tank [not shown in the Drawing], and descends by
gravity [or the reservoir of pulp may be located overhead, or otherwise, and the
pulp forced into the machine], through feed pipe a, having gate a¹ into the chamber
b, and by opening the annular gate c, which is done by lowering it through medium
of lever d and rods e, the pulp finds access to the matrix of the mould. This matrix
is bounded on the bottom by the round plate f, perforated for the escape of the
water; on the inner side by the hinged annular sections g, bored through and
through with small holes, and covered on the face with metallic gauze, soldered on or
otherwise attached, for the escape of the water, kept extended by discs h hung on a
rod; these discs are lifted out of the machine at will. The matrix is bounded on
the top by flange ; hung on rod i. The matrix is bounded on the outer side by
separate plates %, which, from a certain similarity in position, I will call "staves;"
they may well be six in number. They are radially movable; this movement is
attained by a toggle-joint arrangement; from the upper part of each stave a toggle-
arm extends to the upper ring m, and lower down another toggle-arm kell extends
to the lower ring n. [I contemplate the use of direct action screws in the place of
the toggles mentioned herein.] Both these rings m, n, are hung on the same vertical
screw shafts o, all of which bear a right-hand screw thread for ring m to travel on,
and a left-hand thread for ring n. All these screw shafts are made to rotate
synchronously by pinions p, which they bear, meshing into the internal gear on
wheel 7.
رو
Rotary movement in either direction is given to wheel ", by [reversible motion]
belt, not shown, running on pulley s, acting through common gearing; when wheel
rotates in one direction the two rings m, n, approach each other, and the staves
advance radially toward the common centre; this is the movement which com-
presses the pulp and expresses the water. When wheel rotates in the opposite
direction, rings m, n, separate from each other, and the staves retract radially; this
is the movement had when a barrel body has been made, and it is desired to remove
it. These staves are perforated from inside to outside with numerous small holes,
and their faces are covered with metallic gauze soldered on them for the escape of
the water. These staves may be grooved or corrugated longitudinally or laterally,
and faced with perforated metallic plates; the latter in turn are faced with metallic
gauze, or thin sheet metal, pierced sufficiently fine to prevent the escape of any
fibrous material, the water passing through them, also through the larger perfora-
tions in the plate mentioned above into the groves in the staves, and thence flowing
off and escaping. There are spaces between the staves; these are provided for by
inner staves, perforated and lined with metallic gauze overlapping the inner faces
of the staves, and held to place by springs u, or other proper fastenings, which
do not interfere with the radial movement of the staves, but close the interspaces at
all times.
In making a barrel body, the annular sections g are put in place properly extended,
and then supported by the discs h; by the same action the flange j, for forming the
top, goes in place. The staves being drawn back, the pulp is let in through the
annular gate, and the gate closed. The staves are now advanced, compressing
the pulp, expressing the water, and forming the barrel. The discs h are now with-
drawn, the annular sections g curled into a small roll, the annular gate opened [first
shutting gate a¹], and the staves retracted, when the barrel is readily lifted out.
The annular sections g rest on the perforated floor f, through which all "inside
water" falls and goes off through escape pipe w. All outside water" flows off on the
.

page_text: surface of plate x, which forms the top of chamber b, and a floor for a radial move-
ment of the staves.
The recess y, under the annular gate, into which this gate drops when opened,
performs an important office at the time of removing a barrel. The gate a¹ is shut
at such time, and before drawing back the staves the annular gate is dropped with
the effect of removing surplus water and pulp from around the base of the barrel,
which would otherwise wet and destroy the base. The dropping of the annular
gate into recess y, gives space for surplus water, and leaves no foundation for water
around and next the barrel body. A ring z, fitting on the top of the hinged
annular sections, forms a recess and shoulder in the top of the barrel body for the
reception of the barrel head.
Description of the Machine for Making the Barrel Head.-This machine has an
overhead reservoir for pulp, a feed pipe and gate therein, and an annular gate,
the same as the barrel body machine. It has a compresser head b¹ worked by toggle
joint arms c¹ pivoted to nuts d' on screw shafts c¹, rotated by belt, not shown,
running on pulley f. On the same screw shaft are nuts g¹ with toggle arms h¹
operating to raise and lower ring i', which by toggle arm c¹ radially advances and
retracts, the side compressors answering to the staves in the barrel body machine,
with interspace pressers m' answering to the interstaves in the barrel body machine.
This machine has the vertically moving mould cover n', operated by the rods o¹ and
hand screw p¹. It has a chamber answering to chamber 6 of the barrel body
machine, and a vertically moving remover attached underneath to a rod i
running down and out at the bottom of the machine, where it is operated by lever
8 being raised to lift the formed head for removal; it also auswers to form and
shape the head. Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 show how body and head of barrel go
together, the body having a shoulder, a homogeneous enlargement for the head to
rest on. This shoulder, as a part of the body, serves the important purpose of
saving the attachment of a ring or other device to and within the barrel for the
the head to rest on.
In Figures 8 and 9 I show a ring separate from the head and outside of it. In
Figures 6 and 7 I show the ring and head in one piece.
The heads may be fastened in place by ceinenting, riveting, or any other proper
and known method.
It is apparent that other articles than barrels can be made by the same process
involved in producing a barrel, the cavity of the mold being shaped to correspond
to the desired shape of article.
The shape of head shown as produced by the machine for making the head,
indicates how a pail or barrel, or other vessel closed at the bottom or one end and
all in one piece may be produced.
It is well in some cases to protect the chimb of a barrel or keg made of paper by
a metallic ring preferably of soft metal, which should cover the end and lap down
on one or both sides, fastened on by nails or in any other suitable manner.
I indicate as my Invention,-
1. The manufacture consisting in first reducing animal or vegetable fibre, or
both, to a pulp, and then subjecting the free pulp to pressure in a mould which
compacts the pulp into a solid, forces out the water, and gives the desired shape of
article, substantially as herein described.
2. A mould for making barrels or other articles from pulp having movable walls
for the retention and compression of the solid matter perforated for the escape of
water, substantially as described.
3. The connected and hinged sections g, for forming the inner side of a hollow
article.
4. The combination of the radially moving "staves" and the radially moving
interstaves t, for forming the exterior of an article.
5. In combination, the "staves" k, toggle arms k¹, k¹, rings m, n, and screw shafts.
o, all operating, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. The annular gate having the recess y for its reception, substantially as and for
the purpose
set forth.
7. In combination screw shaft e', nuts g', toggle arms, ring ¹, toggle arms j¹,
and side compressors, all operating substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
8. In combination with the radially moving side compressors U, the vertically
moving mould closer n¹, all operating substantially as and for the purpose set
..forth.
9. In combination with the radially moving side compressors 1, the remover v
and its operating rod 11.
10. A moulded pulp barrel having homogeneous enlargements and body, sub-
stantially as shown.
11. A moulded compressed pulp bilged barrel, substantially as shown.
12. A moulded pulp barrel having a shoulder for the head formed in or on the
body, substantially as shown and described.
13. A barrel head, substantially as shown in Figures 6 and 7, having the flange
fast to and in one piece with the head proper.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WM RORT LAKE (LS)
WM PORT LAKE
(LS)