CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FORMING STAVES POR BARRELS, CASKS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MILES
BERRY, of 66, Chancery Lane, in the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent and Mechanical Draftsman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the seventh year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Miles Berry, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Miles Berry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Miles Berry, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
FORMING STAVES POR BARRELS, CASKS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," being a communi-
cation from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Miles Berry, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in. and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in, compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Miles Berry, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the 5
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say)-
These improvements in machinery or apparatus for forming staves for
barrels, casks, and other purposes are designed for cutting out and shaping
such staves from a solid piece or block of timber in a more expeditious and
perfect manner than has heretofore been effected by machinery; they apply to
the several operations,―
Firstly, of cutting off or severing tho requisite thickness from the block
to form the stave.
Secondly, in bevelling and properly shaping the edges of such portions or
staves, in order that they may fit accurately together at the junctions when
combined to form a cask.
And, thirdly, in dressing or finishing and shaping the outer surfaces of such
staves to suit the proper rounded form of the barrel when completed.
} The improvements are embodied in what may be considered three distinct
machines, although the requisite parts for performing two or more of tho
operations may be united in one framing, if considered desirable, as will be
shewn in the accompanying Drawings. The piece of timber to be operated
upon is first: rendered or. prepared; by sawing or otherwise, and brought to.
a proper parellel and equal thickness to suit the proposed width of the stave,
the breadth of the block being in accordance with the proposed length.of-the
stave; and it is to be understood that the fibres of the-wood are to be kept as
.nearly as possible in the longitudinal-direction of the stave.
Fig. 1 is a plan-or horizontal view of one of these improved machines for
cutting off or severing the réquisite portions to form the staves, the platform
.or carriage which contains the timber-being just about to start and bring the
block under the operation of the saw to cut off a stave; Fig. 2 is a front
elevation, with the block of timber shewn in its proper situation; and Fig. 3 is
a similar view to Fig. 2, the. sliding carriage on which the block of timber is
placed being removed to expose the parts below; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the
timber carriage or platform detached from the machine, the parts being shewn
in a different position to Fig. 1, that is, with the sliding lever clamps opened, and

page_text: drawn back ready to take a fresh hold of the block, as will be hereafter explained,
the cross beam of the carriage being removed to expose the parts beneath.
a, a, a, is the framework and standards of the machine, which may be con-
structed of wood or metal in any convenient manner; b, 6, is the carriage and
platform upon which the block of timber is placed; c, c, are the curved
guides or beds upon which the carriage travels (in the direction of the arrows),
as the portions intended to form the staves are severed from the block by the
circular saw d, which is made concave on its side next the block, and convex
on the other, so as to suit the curve or bilge of the stave, but it should be
parallel in thickness or nearly so. The saw is mounted on the end of the shaft
or axle e, turning in proper bearings in the framework, and is put in rapid
rotary motion by a band passed from a steam engine or other first mover
to the rigger f. The carriage is actuated by an endless band 9 passed
around a small pully on the axle e, and over guide pullies to the rigger h,
mounted on the end of the shaft i, which turns in a proper bearing in the
framework at its outer end, and at the opposite extremity in a bearing mounted
on the rocking lever k, the fulcrum of this rocking lever being in the centre
pins of the cross bar I, to which it is attached. This shaft i carries an endless.
screw or worm m, which takes into a toothed rack n mounted on the under-
side of the carriage, and thereby causes it to travel progressively in the
direction of the arrows until a stave has been severed from the block; when
this has been done, the endless screw is thrown out of gear with the rack, and
the carriage is allowed immediately to run back to its first position (as shewn.
in Fig. 2), which it is caused to do by a weight suspended from a cord o,
passed over a pulley and attached to the carriage. The endless screw is kept
in gear with the rack n by a projecting stud or picce p on the sliding bar I the
stud being held down by a projecting spring catch r on the framework. The
sliding bar is attached to the rocking lever k by screws and slots, so as
to allow it to slide freely in the direction of its length. The block of timber is
placed upon the carriage, resting upon the cross rails s, s, its inner edge.
projecting over from the carriage a sufficient distance so that the saw d may,
in the first instance, cut of a sufficient quantity without wasting more of the
timber than necessary to give the proper curved or bilged form to the outer
surface of the stave next to be severed from the block, care being taken in the
first instance to place the timber in its proper position upon the platform.
t is a guide pin or stop, against which one edge of the timber is placed to assist
in adjusting its position. The block is held on the carriage by the weighted
lever clamp u, which is raised to admit of the timber being placed upon the
cross rails. This weighted lever clamp is mounted so as to turn freely on.

page_text: a joint in an adjustable bearing on the cross beam v of the carriage; it has
at its fulcrum end a cam or curved arm, which acts upon a spring pieco w,
furnished with claws or teeth, which are pressed into the block when forced
down by the lever clamp, and thereby holds it firmly. The machine being then
put into operation, it continues to cut off the required portions for the staves, and
feed in or shift the timber forward each time the carriage and platform returns
after a stave has been cut off. This is effected in the following manner :-
On the piece of timber being placed upon the carriage in the position shewn
by the dotted lines a, a, in Fig. 1, and secured by the lever clamp, the endless
screw m is thrown into gear with the rack n, by first pushing and then
depressing the bandle of the sliding bar 9, which will move the stud p from the
upper side of the spring catch r; a spring j, attached to the bar, returning
it and bringing the stud under the catch. This movement will raise the other
end of the rocking lever, and keep the worm and rack in gear. On this being
done, the carriage with the timber will immediately begin to travel along the
guide beds c, c, and bring the timber under the operation of the saw d, the
carriage continuing to travel in the direction of the arrow until the stave is
severed from the timber. At this time the stop piece on the under side of
the carriage comes in contact with another stop piece y in the sliding bar q,
whereby the stud p on the sliding bar will be withdrawn and disengaged from
the catch r, when a spring z, placed on the under side of the carriage, will
immediately depress this end of the rocking lever k, and throw the endless
screw m out of gear with the rack n, and the carriage will be free
to be run back into the position shewn in Fig. 1, which it will be
The stud of the weighted lever
caused to do by the weight on the cord o.
clamp u, as the carriage runs back, passes up the inclined plane 15, whereby
its longer end is raised, and the timber released from the pressure; the
inclined plane 15 being connected by a joint to its standard 16, so as to allow
the stud passing under it as the carriage travels the reverse way. The timber
must now be moved inward the proper distance for another stave by the
feeding apparatus, which I shall proceed to describe:-1, 1, are sliding lever
clamps, placed one on each side of the carriage, and held in their proper
situations by screws and slots; they are furnished with claws or clamps
formed on their inner ends, and have a parallel and longitudinal sliding
motion given to them, as well as an opening and closing movement to the
claws or clamps, by the following means:-The sliding lever clamps are
connected by joints to the bars 2, 2, which are also jointed at their other
extremities to the inner end of the centre lever 3, and as the outer end of
this lever is moved from side to side, governed by its pin 25, sliding in the

page_text: parallel slot 26, during the travelling of the carriage the claws or clamps
of the sliding levers 1, 1, are brought nearer to or further from each other,
and are thereby made to take fast hold of the block in order to carry it
forward a proper distance, and then release it for the purpose of taking fresh
hold, and so on. The carrying in of the plank or feeding is effected by the
T-shaped lever 4, having its fulcrum on the pin 5. The end of one of the
arms of this lever is connected by a pin and slot joint to the right-hand lever
clamp, the other end being connected by a knuckle joint to another lever 6
having its fulcrum at 7, and its reverse end connected by a pin and slot joint
to the left-hand lever clamp. The third or outer arm of the lever is acted
upon by a stop piece fixed on to the framework, and is thereby caused (as
the carriage returns) to act upon the clamp levers, and make them carry
forward the block. These two movements of the lever clamps are effected in the
following manner :-Suppose the carriage to have proceeded in the direction
of the arrow, and the saw has nearly cut off a stave, the end of the centre
lever 3 will have come in contact with the upper end of the weighted stop
lever 8, which is forced towards the left hand by the weight and cord 9, and
as the carriage continues to move towards the right hand, the stop lever 8
will arrest the progress of the end of the centre lever 3 as the carriage travels
past, and cause it to draw the clamps together by means of the connections
at its inner end, and thereby cause them to close upon the block, and when
they have taken a sufficiently firm hold, the stop lever 8 will give way. The
end of the centre lever is retained in this position by a pall or tooth on its
under side taking into the teeth of a rack 10, formed on the upper side of the
lever 11, which lever has its fulcrum at one end in the pin 12, the other
end being held up towards the centre lever by a spring 13. On the carriage
nearly finishing its motion towards the right hand, that is, as soon as the
stave is cut off, the adjustable stop x, on the under side of the carriage, comes
into contact with the catch piece y on the bar q, and by sliding that bar
longitudinally draws the catch p from under the spring catch r, when the
spring, on the under side of the carriage, will depress this end of the
rocking lever k, and draw the endless worm out of gear with the rack n.
The carriage will now be made to run quickly back by the weight on the
cord o, and the stud of the lever clamp d will now come in contact with
the inclined plane 15, by which it will be raised, and the timber freed from
the pressure. At this time the outer arm of the T lever comes in contact
with the fixed stop piece 17 of the framework, and the arm of this lever is
thereby arrested, which causes its other arms, by their connection with the
sliding lever clamps to force them forward, and carry with them the timber

page_text: the proper distance for the thickness of a stave; when this is done the stud
of the lever clamp has passed away from the upper side of the inclined
plane 13, and the weighted end of the lever clamp has fallen down and has
again firmly secured the block. At this time the projecting stop piece x, on
the under side of the carriage, comes into contact with the spring catch r of
the framework, and forcing it back releases the projecting stud p of the
sliding bar q, by which means this lever is freed, and the spring ≈ of the
carriage immediately forces this end of the rocking lever down and raises
the other end, which brings the endless screw into gear with the rack, when
the carriage again begins to move in the direction of the arrow; the stud
of the lever clamp u passing under the inclined plane 15, which is jointed to
its standard 16, thereby allowing it to be raised so as to permit the stud to
pass, when it falls into its former position, to receive the stud on its upper
side on the return of the carriage. And as the carriage progresses, the
stud 18 of the lever 11 comes in contact with the under side of the inclined
plane of the trip lever 19, which is mounted on a pin joint on the side of
the framework. By these means the stud 18 and lever 11 will be depressed,
which will withdraw the teeth of the rack 10 from the pall or catch of the
centre lever 3, and leave it free to be moved back again, and the clamps
opened by the spring 20, connected at one end to the centre lever, and at
the other to the frame of the carriage. The lever clamps are thereby opened
for the purpose of releasing the timber, when they are drawn back ready_to
take hold of another part of the timber by the springs 21, 21, at their
sides connected by pins to the levers and to the frame of the carriage; the
distance they are brought back being according to the thickness of the
stave, which is determined by the adjusting screw 22 on the right-hand
sliding lever clamp, the stop piece 23 on the frame of the carriage. The
progress of the carriage containing the end of the centre lever again comes
in contact with the weighted stop lever 8, when the lever clamps are made
to take a fresh hold on the timber, and the other parts will go through the
same motion as before described, continually cutting off a fresh portion to
form a stave until the timber is used up, when the carriage must be stopped,
and a fresh piece of timber introduced. In concluding the description of
this machine, I would remark that the cross beam of the carriage is mado
adjustable by screws and nuts upon the vertical standards supporting it, in
order that the lever clamp may be made to press with proper force upon
pieces of timber of different thickness, and that the curve of the guide beds of
the carriage should be the segment of a circle, or nearly so, and adapted to
suit the intended bilge of the stave or cask. Also I would remark, that there

page_text: may be a revolving fan or blower 21, and proper guides or partitions placed
in connection with the machine under the saw, in order to blow off the saw-
dust in one direction.
The next operation I shall describe will be that of bevelling and properly
shaping the edges of the now cut staves, that is, giving them the required
"head rake" or narrowing form from the centers towards the ends, which is
also effected by a circular saw; the mechanism for effecting which is exhi-
bited in the several Figures in Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, and is
mounted in conjunction with the machinery for rounding and shaping the
outer surface of the staves in one framework. Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal
view of this double machine, the mechanism for bevelling and shaping the
edges being situated on one side of the framework, and that for rounding the
outer surface on the other side; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine,
taken on that side next the rounding machinery; and Fig. 3 is a transverse
section taken through both machines in the direction of the dotted line a, b, in
Fig. 1. a, a, is the framework and standards of the machinery; b is the plat-
form or carriage upon which a number of unfinished staves are placed, the
carriage travelling along the curved bed or rail c. The staves are placed on
the carriage with their outer or bilging side downwards, and are held firmly
thereon by a lever clamp d, mounted in the adjustable cross beam e of the
carriage. The lever acts upon the spring piece f as in the former instance,
but the teeth or claws are dispensed with. The staves are sustained in the
carriage by their ends resting on projecting ribs, being pressed downwards in
the middle; the edges are cut to nearly the required bevel and head rake, the
staves being bent into the form (or nearly so) they will be when hooped
together. g is the circular saw, which in this instance is of the ordinary con-
struction, and is mounted on the main driving shaft h, which turns rapidly in
proper bearings in the framework, and is set at a slight angle with the horizon,
to give, in conjunction with the adjustable position of the carriage hereafter
described, the proper bevel to the edge of the stave. Motion is communicated
to the main shaft h a band passed from any first mover to the rigger i, which
gives motion to the saw g; and through an endless band k passing over guide
pullies to the rigger l on the end of the shaft m, carrying an endless worm or
screw n, as in the former machine. The shaft m is mounted at its outer end
in a proper bearing in the framing, its other extremity turning in a bearing on
the end of the lever o, having its fulcrum in the side frame, which lever acts
in conjunction with a spring catch p, by which the endless screw is thrown
into or out of gear with a rack q, placed on the under side of the carriage, as
before. r is a spring adapted to the shaft, tending, to keep it pressed down

page_text: with the endless worm when thrown out of gear, the spring catch p keeping it
in gear when the carriage is in operation. The carriage is placed on the frame-
work with its inner edge resting on the curved guide bed or rail c, and its other
or outer edge is supported by the adjustable tail pieces, which works in a groove
t in the framework. By inspecting Fig. 3, it will be seen that by means of this
adjustable tail pieces the platform or carriage with the staves can be set at any
required angle to the horizon, that is, with the inner edges of the staves inclining
over towards the circular saw, and by these means, and also the inclined position
of the axis of the saw, the edges of the staves are cut to any required bevel. At
the same time, from the curved or bilged form of the staves and their position
in the carriage, the proper head rake or narrowing towards the ends is given
to them, thereby producing staves nearly of the proper shape for putting
together and forming a cask, for they will thereby be prepared nearly ready
for the cooper, and will require but little adjusting or finishing by hand. The
operation of this mechanism is as follows:-The carriage being situated at
one end of the machine, as shewn in Fig. 1, and the worm and rack out of
gear, a proper number of unfinished staves are placed on the carriage with
their bilged or outer sides downwards, their edges being pressed in contact
with the guide stops u, u, fixed on the framework, the handle of the lever
clamp d is then moved over to the other side and depressed, when the staves
will be held firmly in the carriage. The attendant then throws the worm and
rack into gear by depressing the outer end of the lever o; this will raise the
end of the shaft m, and bring the worm into gear with the rack, in which
position it will be held by the spring catch p. The carriage will now imme-
diately begin to move in the direction of the arrow, bringing the staves under
the operation of the saw, when the superfluous parts will be cut off, and as
soon as this is effected the projecting stud or stop piece v on the side of the
carriage comes into contact with the upper end of the spring catch p, which
will thereby withdraw the catch from the end of the lever o, and consequently
release it. The spring r of the shaft m will then depress the worm and draw
it out of gear with the rack, and the progress of the carriage will be stopped,
when it may be returned to its former position by hand or a weight, as in the
first machine. The end of the lever clamp d is then to be raised and turned
over, when the staves will be released; they are then to be removed and
reversed in the carriage, and their other edges brought under the operation of
the saw, as above described.
I shall now proceed to explain the mechanism for shaping or rounding off
the outer surface of the staves to suit the rounded form of the casks or barrels.
A number of the staves are brought to this machine and placed upon a platform

page_text: between guides, with their outer or bilged surface upwards, and are severally
carried by means of an endless chain furnished with claws under the operation
of a series of rapidly revolving cutters or adzes, which remove the super-
fluous portions of the edges of the staves and shape them to suit the outer or
rounded form of the barrel, the platform with the staves being brought
up to the action of the revolving cutters by weighted levers. A, A, is the
platform, upon one end of which the staves B, B, are placed between the
upright guides C, C, C, as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3, the other end of the platform
being used for the delivering thereof. This platform is attached to strong legs
D, moving vertically between proper guides on the ends of the frame or by screw
and slot connections. The platform with the staves is supported upon the shorter
ends of two weighted levers E, E, having their fulcrums in the framework,
and carrying heavy weights F, F, at their other extremities. G, G, G, are the
revolving adzes or cutters secured to discs H, H, mounted on the shaft I,
which shaft turns in proper plummer boxes or bearings in the metal framing
K, K, fixed on the framework of the machine. The cutters and shaft are
put in rapid motion by a band or strap passed from the pulley or rigger L (on
the main driving shaft h) to another rigger M, on the end of the shaft I.
N, N, is the endless chain moving in a guide groove on the upper side of the
platform, its claws or hooks projecting up through the groove so as to take
hold of the staves, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. The chain is passed over
proper guide pullies in the platform at one end of the machine, and over the
toothed carrying or spur pulley o at the other end of the machine. The chain
carries two or more hooks or claws P, which take hold of the staves and bring
them under the operation of the rotatory cutters, the chain being put in
motion in the following manner :-Q is an endless band passed from a small
rigger or pulley on the end of the shaft I, and over the pulley R. mounted but
turning loosely on a centre pin or stud fixed in the framework, and carrying
another smaller pulley S on its boss, from whence another endless band passes
to the other pulley T, also turning loosely on a projecting centre stud or pin,
and carrying a small toothed wheel U, which takes into the larger toothed
wheel V on the end of the axle of the spur pinion O of the endless chain.
The staves being placed in the machine as shewn in Fig. 2, the hooks or claws
of the endless chain come in contact with the ends of the undermost stave of
the pile and carry it forward. It is thus brought under the operation of the
cutters, which takes off the superfluous parts of the outer surface of the staves,
and when that is done they are delivered in a nearly finished state from the
opposite end of the platform. W, W, are spring guides, which serve to assist
in conducting the staves properly under the operation of the cutters; and

page_text: X, X, are retarding springs, which receive the stave and prevent it being
dragged out of the machine by the cutters; this may also be accomplished by
weighted friction rollers pressing upon the staves, if thought desirable. Y, Y,
are studs or pins placed on the legs D of the platform, which prevent the
staves being carried up too near the rotatory cutters.
Having now described the construction and operation of these several
machines, I wish it to be understood that I do not mean or intend to confine
myself to the precise form or dimensions of the parts herein shewn, as they
must be varied to suit staves of different sizes, and adapted for different shaped
barrels, pipes, or hogsheads, and also in some measure to the nature of tho
wood to be operated upon. And in conclusion I do not mean to claim any of
the working parts separate, as some of them may have been before used for
such or similar purposes; but I claim as the essential features of these
improvements,
Firstly, the arrangement or construction and adaptation of the machinery
first above described for cutting off curved or bilged formed portions from a
piece of timber to form staves by means of a circular concave convex saw
adapted to a carriage or platform carrying the timber, and travelling upon
curved beds or guide rails, and having a proper feeding apparatus and
mechanism for throwing the machine in and out of gear, and running the
carriage forwards and backwarks during such operation, however the driving
may be effected or the forms of the framework varied.
Secondly, the machinery second above described for shaping the sides of the
staves to the proper curve or head rake, and bevelling their edges by means of
the platform or carriage travelling upon rails placed at an inclination to the
horizon and adapted to a circular saw, the axis of which may also be at an
inclination to the horizon if desired, for the purpose of cutting the edges of the
staves at the required angle or bevel, and at the same time, (from the bent or
bilged form of the staves placed upon the carriage,) tho saw is made to give
them the required shape or "head rake," that is, rendering them narrower at
the ends than in the middle.
And thirdly, in the mechanism or apparatus third above described, by which
the outer surfaces of the staves are brought under the operation of rapidly
revolving cutters or edges, which take off the superfluous parts, bringing them
to accord with the rounded shape of the barrel when completed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Miles Berry, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and thirty-seven.
MILES (L.s.) BERRY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of January, in
the seventh year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the
said Miles Berry came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year
of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-seven.