IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING STAVES FOR BARRELS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR MAKING STAVES FOR BARRELS." A communication from
abroad by Edward Holmes and Britain Holmes, both of the City of Buffalo,
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1880.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue
Laffitte, Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING STAVES FOR BARRELS."
[A communication from abroad by Edward Holmes and Britain Holmes, both of the
City of Buffalo, State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to the means for hollowing out the insides of staves for
barrels so as to leave the ends the required thickness, and it consists of a suitable
bed cutting apparatus and feeding device in combination with an inclined bed for
regulating the depth of the cut and its distance from the ends of the stave.
It further consists in the process of hollowing out the inside of the stave by
feeding it over a horizontal bed under rotary cutters and over an inclined bed,
whereby the end of the stave is lifted at the proper time to reach the cutters at
the required distance from the end, and continues so to rise until the necessary
depth is reached, and is then carried forward in a straight line under the cutters,
having its support on the extreme ends of the beds until the opposite end reaches
and passes along the horizontal bed, when it gradually recedes from the cutters and
then passes out of the machine, which causes that end of the stave to leave the
cutters in a similar way the first end approached them, so that both ends of the
stave may be cut alike.
The frame of the machine supports a driving wheel and shaft, and a pinion
and spur wheel provided with a clutch for starting and stopping; from these wheels
gearing is provided to move the feeding rollers which are geared together. A
horizontal bed is provided under the cutters to carry the staves; an equal portion
of it is made to rise and fall by adjusting screws or other means to allow for

page_text: different sized stavos. If one size of staves only were to be made the two beds
could be fixed at their relative angles,
Yielding pressure rollers are provided to hold the staves down against the beds
by means of weights and rods connected with the rollers. A smooth bar hold
down by weights or springs could be used, or a simple spring having its end
pressing on the inclined bed near its upper end, so that the stave would be forced
between it and the bed. In either case the pressure rollers could then be dispensed
with and the same result obtained, and in some cases the weight of the stave alone
would answer the purpose, the object being to hold the staves toward the beds and
prevent it from being drawn too far into the cutters.
The cutter beads and cutters are of the usual form of rotatory cutters and are
driven by a belt and pulley.
The upper feeding roller is held upon the stave by arms and a weight. Other
devices may be employed for feeding. The essential feature of the Invention is the
horizontal bed and inclined bed for raising the staves to the cutters, as in this way
any desired form of curve or hollow can be procured.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
August 1880.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue
Laffitte, Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING STAVES FOR BARRELS."
A communication from abroad by Edward Holmes and Britain Holmes, both of the
City of Buffalo, State of New York, United States of America.
In conjunction with the accompanying Drawings attached and forming part of
this Specification, in which―
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a front elevation; Figure 3, a vertical
longitudinal section through line X, X, Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 show the
positions of a stave as one end reaches the inclined bed and the other end leaves
the horizontal bed.
The object of this Invention is to provide the means for hollowing out the
insides of staves so as to leave the ends the required thickness, and it consists of a
suitable bed, cutting apparatus, and feeding device, in combination with an inclined
bed for regulating the depth of the cut and its distance from the ends of the
stave.
The Invention further consists in the process of hollowing out the inside of a
stave by feeding it over a horizontal bed under rotary cutters, and over an inclined
bed, whereby the end of the stave is lifted at the proper time to reach the cutters
at the required distance from the end, and continues so to rise until the necessary
depth is reached, and is then carried forward in a straight line under the cutters,
having its support on the extreme ends of the beds until the opposite end reaches
and passes along the horizontal bed, when it gradually recedes from the cutters and
then passes out of the machine, which causes that end of the stave to leave the
cutters in a similar way the first end approached them, so that both ends of the
stave may be cut alike, as will be more clearly hereinafter shown.
In the Drawings A represents the frame of the machine; B, B', the driving
wheel and shaft; C, C₁, a pinion and spur wheel provided with a clutch D, D', for
starting and stopping the machine. The shaft of the spur wheel C¹ is provided
with a pinion E, which gears into the large wheel E' for moving the feeding
rollers F, F; they are geared together by the wheels G, G'.
H represents the bed, and H' the inclined part. The bed H is set horizontal or
at the proper angle with reference to the bed H', and both beds should be of the
same length when both ends of the stave are required to be alike.
The inclined bed is arranged so that its inclination may be varied if desired by
means of the screw bolts I, I, I', the operation of which is plainly shown in Figure 2.
Where staves of one size only are to be hollowed out the inclined bed could be
made rigid, and the adjusting screws could in that case be dispensed with.
J, J, represent yielding pressure rollers for holding the stave down against the
beds by means of tho weights K, K¹, L, L², which are connected with said rollers,
as shown. A smooth bar held down by weights or springs could be used as an
equivalent, or a simple spring having its end pressing on the inclined bed near its
upper end, so that the stave would be forced between it and the bed. In either
case the pressure rollers could be dispensed with and the same result obtained, and
in some cases the weight of the stave alone would answer the purpose, the object
being to hold the stave toward the beds and prevent it from being drawn too far
into the cutters.
M, M, represent the cutter heads and cutters. They are driven by a belt and
nulley N.

page_text: The upper feeding roller is held by the arms P, P', and weight R. Instead of
the feeding rollers a pushing device, a belt, or an endless chain may be used for the
purpose, or the staves may be pushed into and through the machine one after the
other, so that when a cheaper machine is required the feeding rollers may be
dispensed with, and the bed H, H', may be made in one piece if desired.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I claim,―
First. In a machine for hollowing out the insides of staves, the combination with
a rotating cutter of a horizontal bed H having an inclined part H¹ for raising the
staves to the cutters, substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination of a rotating cutter, the horizontal bed H and inclined
bed H, and suitable devices for feeding and preventing tho staves from being
drawn into the cutters, substantially as specified..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.