CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BARRELS AND OTHER VESSELS OP CAPACITY
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILD, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Moulder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of October, in the tenth year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Wild, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Wild, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Wild, 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 expressed, should aud
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BARRELS AND OTHER VESSELS
OP CAPACITY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said William Wild, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next

page_text: 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
William Wild, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
My Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Manufacturing Barrels
and other Vessels of Capacity consist of a novel and particular arrangement
and combination of mechanism suitably adapted to perform the various ope-
rations necessary for the complete formation or construction of barrels and
other similar vessels. These operations are consecutively performed by
separate machines, each being suitably constructed to effect the several
purposes required, and may be described, by way of introduction, as follows:-
Firstly, a "surfacing" machine for hollowing the interior surface of the
staves (of which the barrels are to be formed), and rounding the exterior
surface of the same so as to suit the circular form of the barrel or other
vessel.
Secondly, a machine for bending the said staves to the required curve or
"bilge" of the barrel or other vessel.
Thirdly, a "shaping" machine, consisting of an arrangement of machinery
or apparatus for bevilling the edges of the staves, and at the same giving the
required "head rake" or tapering form from the centre towards the ends.
Fourthly, a machine for cutting the staves of one uniform length, at the
same time bevilling the ends of the same, and forming a groove in which the
heads or ends of the barrel or other vessel, when finished, are to be fitted.
Fifthly, my Invention consists in a machine for drilling holes in the lags or
pieces of timber, of which the heads or ends of the barrels or other vessels are
formed for the purpose of "dowelling" them together; and,
Sixthly, in a machine designed for the purpose of putting the staves toge-
ther, and hooping and heading the barrel or other vessel simultaneously, and
thus completing the manufacture.
In order that the several novel arrangements of machinery constituting my
said Invention may be better understood and more minutely explained, with
reference to their particular application and use, I have attached to these
Presents five Sheets of Drawings, representing different views of each of the
above-mentioned machines, and marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following description thereof, which

page_text: machines are particularly arranged and adapted to construct vessels or barrels
of thirty-six gallons in capacity.
"
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a plan or horizontal view, as seen from above, of a
'surfacing" machine for hollowing and rounding the interior and exterior
surfaces of the staves. Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 a vertical
section of the same, being drawn to a scale of about one inch and a half to
the foot. a, a, is the side framing of the machine, and b, b, the table upon
which the lag of timber is laid. c and d are the two cutters (the cutting edge
of one is formed concave and the other convex) which are mounted upon the
cross shafts e and f, revolving in bearings fixed to the side framing a of the
machine. These cutters are caused to revolve at a high velocity by means of
bands passing round the pulleys 9 and h, or in any other convenient manner.
Upon the shaft e a worm i is fixed, which communicates motion by means of
the gearing k to the pair of fluted feed rollers 1, l. The operation of the
machine is as follows:-A piece of timber A, of about the required width and
thickness, and of sufficient length for one, two, or more staves, is passed
between the pair of feed rollers 1,-1, which are pressed firmly together by the
springs m, m. The piece of timber A is held against the guide or fence n, n, by
means of the springs o, o, and is held flat upon the table 6 by the springs and
rollers p, p. It is advanced by the revolution of the feed rollers to the convex
cutter d, which works through an aperture formed in the table b for that
purpose. This cutter d hollows the inner surface of the stave A, which then
comes under the operation of the concave cutter c, which forms the outer
surface of the stave. The timber A, after having passed once through this
machine, is cut into lengths suitable for the staves, which must be heated
in a stove or on a steam chest or cylinder, or in any other convenient manner,
and then taken to the bending machine, which is shewn in Sheet 2 of the
Drawings, being drawn to a scale of about one inch and a half to a foot, in
which Figure 1 is an end view of the bending apparatus; Figure 2 is a vertical
section, and Figure 8 a front elevation of the same. a, a, a+, a+, is the
main framing of the apparatus, to which the rails b, b, are fixed. These
rails support in bearings the shafts c, c+, the end c of the shaft having
a right-handed, and the end c+ a left-handed screw cut upon it, which
screws work in nuts fixed to the rails d, d, which carry the upright
shafts e, et, which have also right and left-handed screws cut upon
them working in nuts in the rails f, f. The shafts c, c+, have each
a worm wheel g fixed upon them, which is worked by a worm h upon

page_text: the horizontal shaft i, to which motion is communicated from the main.
driving shaft by the gearing 1, l. The rails ff, may be adjusted to the
required distance apart by turning the hand wheels m at the upper end of the
shaft e, e+. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The staves, heated
as before described, are to be placed between the guides or studs upon the
rails f,f, with their ends behind the rails at, a+, which form part of the main
framing of the apparatus. A strap is then passed around the driving pulley o,
thus giving motion through the gearing 1, 1, to the shaft i, i, which, by means
of the worms h, h, and worm wheels g, g, will cause the screws c, c+, to revolve,
thus forcing the rails f, f, outwards, and bending the stave A, A, until the
required curve has been given them, when the strap must be thrown on to the
loose pulley. When the staves have remained in the apparatus about half an
hour, or until they are set firm to the curve and cooled, a crossed strap must be
passed around the reversing pulley n, which, by turning the screws c, c*, in
the reverse direction, will release the staves A, A, which will retain the curved
from thus imparted to them. In order to adjust the curve of the staves the
rails f,f, may be moved nearer to or further apart from each other by means
of the band wheels m, m. The staves A thus curved are then taken to the
shaping machine, exhibited in Sheet 3 of the Drawings, drawn also to a scale
of about one inch and a half to a foot, Figure 1 being a plan or horizontal
view of the machine as seen from above; Figure 2 a side elevation, and
Figure 3 a vertical section of the same. a, a, is the main framing of the
machine, and b, b, is the moveable carriage sliding in a V groove in the main
framing. c, c, are the cutter blades or plane irons mounted upon the shafts d, d,
which are set at an angle corresponding with the bevil to be given to the edges
of the staves. These shafts are caused to revolve quickly by means of bands
passing around the pullies e, e. f, f, is a rack fixed to the under side of the
carriage b, and actuated by the wheel g, which is connected by gearing to the
pulley h, around which a strap is passed. A bent or curved stave A is placed
upon the carriage b, and the upper part 6+ of the carriage screwed down
tightly upon it by turning the hand wheels i, i. The machine is then set in
motion, and as the wheel g draws the carriage (containing the stave A) through
the machine, the cutters c, c, revolving at a high velocity, will trim or plane
the edges of the stave to the required bevil, the curved form of the stave
giving to it the required "head rake" or tapering form from the centre
towards the ends. It will be observed that the wheel g is furnished with teeth
around parts of its circumference only, and that the remaining portion of the
circumference of the said wheel, marked X, has no teeth upon it. By the
time the carriage c has passed through the machine, and the workman has

page_text: removed the stave, the plain part × of the wheel g will have arrived opposite.
the rack f, and having no teeth upon its circumference, will allow the counter-
balance weight o to draw the carriage back into its original position. The
workman then places another state in the carriage, and the operation proceeds
as before.
The fourth part of my Invention is exhibited in Sheet 4 of the Drawings,
and is drawn to a scale of one inch and a half to a foot, Figure 1 being a plan
view, Figure 2 a front elevation, and Figure 3 a section, of a machine designed
for cutting the staves of one uniform length, at the same time bevilling the ends
of the same, and cutting the grooves to receive the heads or ends of the barrel or
other vessel. a, a, is the main framing of the apparatus, and 6, 6, the main shaft,
upon which are mounted two saws c, c, for cutting the staves to the required
length, two cutters d, d, for bevilling the ends of the same, and also two says e, e,
for cutting the grooves in which the heads or ends of the barrel or other vessel.
rests. The shaft b, b, is actuated by means of a band passing around the
pulley f; g is a curved table upon which the stave A is laid (and secured by
means of the holdfast Z), and which may be raised or lowered by means of the
racks h and pinions i by depressing or raising the lever k. A stave being laid
upon the table 9, , the band is passed around the pulley f, thus actuating the
shaft b, which carries the saws and bevilled cutters. The handle k is then
depressed, which will then raise the table g until the grooves in the staves aro
cut sufficiently deep, when the lever k must be raised and another stave placed
the table g.
7 is a hand wheel for raising or lowering the shaft b by
means of the mitre wheels m, m, and screws n, n, for the purpose of regulating
the depth of the groove.
upon
The fifth part of my Invention is shewn in Sheet 1, and drawn to a scale of
about two inches to a foot, Figure 4 being a plan view, Figure 5 a side
elevation, and Figure 6 a section of a machine designed for drilling holes
in the lags or pieces of timber, of which the heads or ends of barrels
or other vessels are formed, in which to insert the pegs or pins for the
purpose of dowelling them together. a, a, is the main framing of the
machine, and b, b, the bed upon which the piece of timber A to be drilled
is laid. This table slides in V grooves, and may be moved by means of
the rack c and pinion d by turning the handle e. The drills f,f,f, are fixed
in the sockets in the ends of the shafts 9, 9, 9, which are caused to revolve by a
band passing around the pullies h, h, h. These shafts are mounted in head
stock i, ix,i, the centre headstock i* being fast to the frame, and the two outer
ones sliding or capable of being adjusted upon it. These two headstocks i, i
are furnished with nuts or bushes k, k (sce Figure 6), through which the right

page_text: and left-hand screws, cut upon the shaft 7, pass. Thus the headstocks i, i, may
be caused to approach or recede from each other by turning the band wheel m
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The drills f,f,f, being set to the
required distance, the band is passed around the pullies h, h, h, which will
cause the drills to revolve rapidly. The table b, upon which the work is laid,
is then advanced by turning the handle e until the holes are drilled to tho
depth required; the handle e must then be turned back and another piece
of timber be substituted, and the operation proceed as before. Figuro 7
represents two pieces of timber thus drilled, n, n, n, being the pegs or pins for
fastening or dowelling the same together.
The sixth and last part of my Invention is shewn in Sheet 5 of the
Drawing, and is drawn to a scale of one inch to a foot, Figure 1 being a plan
view, Figure 2 an horizontal section, Figure 8 a front elevation, and Figure 4 a
side view, of a machine for putting the staves of the barrel or other vessel
together, and hooping and heading the same simultaneously. a, a, is the main
framing of the machine; b, 6*, are the top and bottom plates, which are furnished
with pins (see sectional Figure 5) for holding the heads or ends of the barrel or
other vessel, and c, c*, are the top and bottom clamps containing the hoops d, d,
which are held in their respective situations by the springs e, e (see Figure 6).
A ring of metal e* (see Figure 5) being placed around the lower plate:6*, the
two heads or ends of the barrel are laid within it, and both heads or ends of
the barrel being thus placed exactly concentric with the centres of the
plates 6, 6, the upper plate 6 is lowered by means of the rack f and pinion
g (being actuated by turning the handle h) until the pins upon the upper
plate 6 take hold of the upper head of the barrel, when the upper plate b
must be raised by turning the handle h in the reverse direction, the pins upon
the lower plate 6* retaining the other head or end. The ring ex is then
removed; and as soon as the upper plate 6 has been raised until the distance
between the barrel heads or ends corresponds exactly with the distance between
the grooves which have been previously cut in the staves by the machine shewn
in Sheet 4 of the Drawings, and above described, the first stave A of the
barrel is placed by hand, so that the edges of both heads or ends rest in the
grooves cut in the same, and is held in this position by the forked hook i
attached to the upper plate 6, and the spring k upon the lower plate 6*. This
is the bung stave, and in the bung hole is inserted a hook attached to one end
of the strap 7, which, after passing over carrier pullies m, m, has at its other
end the counterbalance weight n. The handle o is then turned, which, by
means of the spur wheels p, p, will cause the main driving shaft to revolve,
thus setting in motion the train of gearing 7, 9, 9, 9, and driving the four

page_text: upright shafts r, r, r, r*. The shaft r* is furnished with two spur pinions which
will, by means of the spur wheels 8, s, mounted upon the swing shaft t, taking
into the spur wheels u, u, upon the top and bottom plates b, 6*, cause these
plates to revolve simultaneously, carrying between them the stave A. The
other staves are then fed in successively by hand underneath the strap or belt I,
the counterbalance weight u causing the strap to bind and hold the staves
firmly against the heads or ends of the barrel. When the whole of the staves
have thus been placed around the heads or ends the swing shaft t is to be
thrown out of gear, and the strap passed around the driving pulley v, thus
causing the four upright shafts r, r, r, rx, to revolve rapidly, which, having
right and left-hand screws cut upon them working through bosses or nuts
w, w, w, w, attached to the upper and lower clamps c, c* (in which the
hoops d, d, have been previously placed), will cause these clamps to approach
each other, and firmly compress the staves and heads or ends of the barrel or
other vessel together. The driving strap must then be thrown on to the loose
pulley, and a cross strap passed around the reversing pulley x, which, by causing
the shafts r, r, r, r, to revolve in the opposite direction, will cause the clamps
c, cx, to recede from each other, the springs e, e, giving way, and leaving the
hoops d, d, in their respective places upon the now finished barrel. The upper
plate 6 is then to be raised by means of the handle h, when the finished barrel
may be removed, and the operation proceed as before.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wild, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
WILLIAM (L.S.) WILD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirty-first day of
March, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Wild came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
written.
Inrolled the First day of April, in the year above written.