Improvements in Making Staves for Casks, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1894
Improvements in Making Staves for Casks, and in Apparatus
therefor.
I ALEXANDER DUNBAR of 66 South John Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The invention relates to the manufacture of staves for casks, when the billets or
blocks of wood, of sufficient thickness and length to permit of two staves being
made therefrom, are used.
The objects are first, by an improved system of cutting, to obtain staves from the
blanks more rapidly and with greater accuracy than heretofore, and second, to
provide apparatus for carrying my improvements into effect.
Wood blanks under my invention are first gauged or brought to a uniform
thickness, the ends are then cut off at the same angle in one direction; at equal
distances from the ends the said blanks are nicked angularly in the reverse direction
to the ends; the pieces are removed longitudinally between the nicked portions
and the ends; and the main body is divided longitudinally from one removed
portion to the other, after which the separated pieces are rounded and finished.
Machinery or apparatus under my invention consists :-
First. For the purpose of obtaining billets, blocks, or blanks of uniform thickness,
I combine a travelling carrier for the blanks with stationary cutters, one behind
the other and each one nearer to the carrier than the preceding one.
Second. For the purpose of cutting off the ends, nicking and removing portions
of the ends, I employ in combination travelling carriers having self-acting gripping
and releasing appliances with three pairs of adjustable rotary cutters. The first
pair for cutting off the ends; the second pair for nicking; and the third for removing
longitudinal end pieces.
Third. For dividing the shaped blanks longitudinal I employ in combination
with travelling grippers, suitably shaped guides, and a band saw.
Dated the 10th day of la 1802
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Making Staves for Casks, and in Apparatus
therefor.
I ALEXANDER DUNBAR of 66 South John Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :―
The invention relates to the manufacture of staves for casks when billets or
blocks of wood of sufficient thickness and length to permit of two staves being
made therefrom are used.
The objects are, first, by an improved system of cutting, to obtain staves from
the blanks more rapidly and with greater accuracy than heretofore; and second,
to provide apparatus for carrying my improvements into effect.

page_text: Wood blanks under my invention are first gauged or brought to a uniform
thickness, the ends are then cut off at the same angle in one direction at equal
distances from the ends, the said blanks are nicked angularly in the reverse direction
to the ends; the pieces are removed longitudinally between the nicked portions
and the ends; and the main body is divided longitudinally from one removed
portion to the other after which the separated pieces are rounded and finished.
Machinery or apparatus under my invention consists :-
1
First. For the purpose of obtaining billets, blocks or blanks of uniform
thickness, I combine a travelling carrier for the blanks with stationary cutters one
behind the other and each one nearer to the carrier than the preceding one.
Second. For the purpose of cutting off the ends, nicking and removing portions
of the ends, I employ in combination travelling carriers having self acting gripping
and releasing appliances with three pairs of adjustable rotary cutters. The first
pair for cutting off the ends; the second pair for nicking, and the third for
removing longitudinal end pieces.
Third. For dividing the shaped blanks longitudinally I employ in combination
with travelling grippers suitably shaped guides and a band saw.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of apparatus used in gauging or bringing stave
blanks to a uniform thickness. a is the frame of the machine made with a table b,
on which the stave blanks rest, c are shafts carried in bearings at each end of the
frame and having secured thereon near each side of the frame chain wheels d.
e, are chains, one at each side of the table b passing around the chain-wheels d. f, are
bars or carriers secured to the chains at suitable intervals apart greater than the
length of the stave blanks. g, is a pulley on one of the shafts c for giving motion
to the chain wheels and bars or carriers f. h, 1, 12, are lower cutters secured. in
brackets to the frame a, and having their cutting edges projecting through slots
in the table b. The cutter projects a less distance through the table than the
cutter', and 'a less distance than .,,, are upper cutters carried in
brackets secured to the frame and having their cutting edges so far above
the cutters h, h1, h2, that stave-blanks passing between the said cutters will
be reduced to the required thickness. The cutter j is further from the face of the
table than the cutter j', and the cutter j¹ than the cutter . I are screws. for
adjusting the positions of the cutters. m is a roller secured to a shaft n carried
in bearings o free to rise and fall in slots in the standards secured to the frame a.
are weights attached to the bearings o so as to cause the roller m to press on
the stave blanks and hold them against the table a. When in use, the chain-wheels
are constantly in motion and the blanks are placed on the table one after the other
and are carried forward by the bars beneath the roller m and through between the
cutters and so that blanks of uniform thickness are obtained. q, represent the
blanks.
a is
Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations at right angles to each other and Fig. 4 is a plan of
apparatus for cutting off the ends, nicking the ends, and removing portions of the
ends of stave blanks brought to a uniform thickness as hereinbefore set forth.
the frame of the apparatus. b, are chains passing around chain-wheels c, on
shafts d, d. The shafts d, d', are carried by standards e, e', secured to the frame a.
The shaft d is provided with a spur wheel, which gears with a pinion on a shaft g
carried in bearings in two of the standards e'. h, driving pulley on the shaft g.
i, are L-shaped pieces secured to the chains at convenient distances apart resting
on the rails, and such. pieces are provided with weighted levers ; pivotted thereto
at k. are gripping pieces pivotted to the weighted levers at m, and provided
with pointed catch pieces or projections n which press on the blanks and retain
them in position in the pieces i. o are circular saws carried in bearings p, on
diagonal frames r,.capable of being moved along the frame a by screws and nuts, s,
so that the said saws may be moved nearer together or further apart. As the

page_text: blanks are carried along by the chains b, past the said saws the ends of the blanks
are cut off. t, are circular saws carried in bearings u, on diagonal frames v, thej said
frames are movable along the frame a in the same manner as the frames r. and
the bearings u, are also movable along the diagonal frames so that the saws t,
may be brought nearer together or further apart, and also be raised or lowered
so as to nick the ends of the blanks a greater or less depth and at a greater or less
distance apart as they are carried past the said saws by the chains, one of the
saws t¹ has cutters attached to it which make a recess q¹ in each blank for the
reception of a band saw as hereinafter mentioned. 10 are circular saws carried in
adjustable bearings on the frame a arranged parallel to the chains & so as to cut
off the pieces of the blanks q. The frame a is by preference at a higher level
at the back than at the front to allow of easy discharge of the blanks. y are driving
pulleys for the circular saws.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 6 is a plan of apparatus for dividing
longitudinally under my invention stave blanks. a is the framework of the machine.
b, are guide rails secured to the said framework. The said rails are straight or
curved according as it is desired to make a straight or curved cut through the
blanks. is the frame of a carriage which is carried by wheels d on the rails b.
e, is one edge of a band-saw which is carried over pulleys and driven in any usual
way. is a catch piece or gripper adjustable by bolts and nuts g in a slot h, in
the carriage c, so that when the bevelled edge of the blank is caught by the
said catch piece or gripper f, the band saw e is in the proper position in the recess q²
of the blank. is a sliding piece moved to and fro on the carriage c by means of
the rack j, and pinion wheel k, so as to abut against the bevel end q³ of the blank q
and force the said blank q up against the piece f. is a spring attached to the
sliding piece i, so as to retain the end q³ of the blank q in position against the
lateral extension of the sliding piece. The pieces i and are connected by
the framework of the carriage c. When the blank is secured in position, the
carriage is moved forward along the rails and the blank is divided into two pieces
each suitable for a stave.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I,
claim is-
First. The improvements in making stave blanks for casks substantially as
herein set forth.
Second. The improvements in apparatus for making stave blanks for casks
substantially as herein set forth.
Third. Making stave blanks for casks by thicknessing, nicking, and dividing,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of rotating adjustable cutters substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of October 1893.
Per pro J. T. KING.
Per pro L. T. KING.
J. Johnson,
Agent.