IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CASKS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Slater, of St. Agnes Terrace, Victoria Park Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CASKS."
Sealed the 20th March 1877, and dated the 28th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Slater at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1876.
JAMES SLATER, of St. Agnes Terrace, Victoria Park Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CASKS."
My Invention relates to that part of cask-making machinery in which the
operations of " backing" and "hollowing" the staves take place, and consists in a
novel arrangement of the parts whereby these operations are performed in a more
effectual manner than heretofore.
Hitherto the staves having been placed upon an endless chain provided with lugs
are passed between three suitably formed cutters, and these cutters have been
placed one above the stave for "hollowing" and two below (one on either side of
the chain) for "backing" the stave, the two operations being performed at the same
moment. But this arrangement has not been found to answer inasmuch as the
stave as it issues from between the cutters has a ridge or flat part along the centre
of the back where it rested on the endless chain, which ridge has to be shaved down
by hand when the cask is put together.
The top cutter is raised from and caused to descend on to the stave by means of
cams of various sizes and shapes formed to suit the various lengths of staves to be
cut, and every time a different length of stave is required the corresponding cam
must be fitted to the machine and connected with the raising and lowering
apparatus.
"
In carrying out my Invention I make use of the endless chain as above described
to carry the stave forward while it is being operated upon by the top or "hollowing
cutter. After leaving the cutter the endless chain passes over a pulley and thence
down below the table and round a wheel provided with teeth which take into the
links of the chain for the purpose of driving the same. This wheel is mounted on
the same shaft as that on which the cams for raising and lowering the top cutter
DA

page_text: are mounted. The stave being operated upon is then drawn forward over a suitably
shaped cutter for "backing" the stave.
A weighted roller is placed over this "backing" cutter to press the stave on to
it, and a pair of gripping rollers are placed behind the cutter, which rollers will
answer a two-fold purpose, viz., that of drawing the staves forward and of pressing
them against the cutter. By this means I am enabled to give the staves a proper
convex and concave form without the necessity for hand finishing as heretofore.
Instead of a number of single cams for raising and lowering the cutters as above
described, I cast a number of suitably shaped cams in one, by which means I am
enabled to regulate the rise and fall of the "hollowing" cutter with the greatest ease
to cut any required length of stave and without the necessity of exchanging the
cams, thus obtaining a great saving of time and labour. The rollers, cutters, and
cam, are mounted in a framing in any suitable manner, and the various parts are
driven by suitable gearing or belting or in any other convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said James Slater in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th March 1877.
JAMES SLATER, of St. Agnes Terrace, Victoria Park Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CASKS."
<<
My Invention relates to that part of cask-making machinery in which takes place
the operations of "backing" and "hollowing" the staves of which the casks are
composed. The improvements consist in a novel arrangement of the parts whereby
these operations are performed in a more effectual manner than heretofore, and also
in an improved construction of some of the working parts, the object being to
economize time and labour in adjusting the machinery.
Hitherto the staves having been placed upon an endless chain provided with lugs
are passed between three suitably formed, cutters, and these cutters have been
placed one above the stave for "hollowing," and two below (one on either side of
the chain) for "backing" the stave, the two operations being performed at the same
moment. But this arrangement has not been found to answer inasmuch as the stave
as it issues from between the cutters has a ridge or flat part along the centre of the
back where it is rested on the endless chain, which ridge has to be shaved down by
hand labour when the cask is put together.
In the stave cutting machines heretofore employed the top cutter is raised from
and caused to descend on to the stave by means of cams of various sizes and shapes
formed to suit the various lengths of staves to be cut, and every time a different
length of stave is required the corresponding cam must be fitted to the machine
and connected with the raising and lowering apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan view;
and Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section of a stave-cutting machine constructed
according to my Invention; it will be seen that I make use of the endless chain a
provided with lugs or clutches as above described to carry the stave b forward
while it is being operated upon by the top or "hollowing" cutter c. After leaving
the top cutter c the endless chain passes over a pulley or roller a¹, and thence down
below the table d, under the bottom cutter e, as seen best in the diagram and round
a guide wheel, Fig. 1, and then under a wheel g provided with teeth which take
into the links of the chain a for the purpose of driving the same. This wheel g is
mounted on the same shaft as that on which the cams h for raising and lowering
the frame i, i, of the top cutter are mounted. The stave b, which is being operated
upon is drawn forward between the guide springs d', d¹, Fig. 2, and passed over the
suitably shaped cutter e for "backing" the stave. A presser finger e¹ is pendant
from the rocking shaft e³, which is provided with a weighted arm e³, and by this
means the front end of the stave is held down to the table of the machine until it

page_text: "
has entered under the top cutter c. A weighted roller e* is placed over the
backing" cutter so as to press the stave b into it, and a pair of gripping rollers
jj, are placed behind the bottom cutter e. These gripping rollers j, j, Fig. 4, will
answer a twofold purpose, viz., that of drawing the staves forward and also of
pressing them against the bottom cutter e.
By this means I am enabled to give the staves the proper convex and concave
form without the necessity for hand finishing as heretofore.
Instead of being obliged to use a number of single cams, which must be
separately adopted and adjusted with accuracy for raising and lowering the
frame i, i, which carries the top cutter c as heretofore. I sometimes cast a number
of suitably shaped cains in one piece, as shewn at h, in Fig. 3, and I adapt them to
the central part of the machine, by which means I am enabled to regulate the rise
and fall of the "hollowing" cutter c with the greatest ease so as to cut any required
length of stave without the necessity of exchanging the cams.
As I prefer to use my improved machine for operating upon large or small staves,
provision must be made for sets of cams to suit the different lengths of staves, for
instance, between the lugs or clutches on the endless chain a may be such as to
admit not only the longest stave but also two staves of smaller dimensions one
after the other. Such being the case the cams for actuating the rising and falling
cutter frame i must be constructed accordingly. It will be found convenient that
the cams for operating the cutter frame for long staves should be made separate
from those which are required for short staves, although all are mounted on the
same shaft.
Figures 5 and 5ª represent various views of these compound cams g detached,
although I prefer to construct the compound cams in one piece as above mentioned;
it will be evident that they may be made in several pieces which may be connected
together in any convenient manner. Figs. 5 represent the cams for long staves, and
Figs. 5ª the cams for short staves. The cams Figs. 5ª, it will be seen, are made
double so as to act twice for every revolution, as the frame i must be lifted twice
for two short staves and only once for one long stave. At the lower part of the
moveable frame i, i, there is a forked bearing i¹, ¹, in which is mounted the short
shaft k. A small wheel or roller k¹ is mounted loosely on this shaft k so that it
may be moved laterally thereon in either direction in order that it may be brought
over any desired part of the compound cams h, on the face of which it bears, as
shewn at Fig. 3. The wheel or roller k¹ is held in any desired position on the
compound cam h by means of a forked guide pendant from the under side of the
moveable slotted bar 1.
It will now be understood that in order to adjust the rise and fall of the cutter
frame i, i, to the length of the stave to be operated upon it will only be necessary
to shog the roller k¹ into the proper position, that is to say, to bring it over the
proper part of the cam by means of the forked guide and slotted bar which is
then clamped in the altered position by means of tightening screws, as shewn in
the Drawing. By this arrangement of parts a great saving of time and labour in
changing the working parts of the machine to suit different length of staves is
effected.
The shafts of the rotary cutters cand e are driven by belts from a pair of
pullies m, m, on a shaft which is actuated by a belt from any prime mover.
Another belt from the same prime mover passes round a large pulley n, on the
shaft n', which is provided with a clutch worked by the lever o, whereby rotary
motion may be communicated to a small toothed pinion (indicated by dots in Fig. 1)
which is mounted loosely on the shaft n'. The small toothed pinion on the shaft n¹
gears into and drives a large toothed wheel p on the axle g¹ which carries the chain
wheel'g and the compound cams h. On this same shaft is also mounted the bevil
wheel q which gears into and drives a bevil pinion on the lower end of the inclined
shaft which carries at its upper end a similar wheel which drives a bevil pinion
on the end of the axle of the lower gripping roller j.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Machinery for

page_text: Making Casks," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid,―
First. The combination of the endless chain (for carrying forward the staves) with
the guide rollers and top and bottom cutters and gripping rollers arranged as above
described, so that the under cutter may operate on the entire under surface of the
stave as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. I claim constructing the compound cams h for raising and lowering the
cutting frame i, i, as herein set forth, and placing them in the central part of the
machine as and for the purpose herein set forth.
I also claim the combination of the forked bearings i, i, the fork l, and slotted
for guiding the wheel k¹ as and for the purpose herein set forth.
bar
In witness whereof, I, the said James Slater, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
T
ST
MOD
J. SLATER. (L.B.)