IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Theyson, of Hanover, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY."
Scaled the 25th September 1862, and dated the 9th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Theyson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
April 1862.
1, ROBERT THEYSON, of Hanover, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY," to be as
follows:-
The cork wood to be cut into corks by the machine is selected from the
bales according to its thickness; it is cut by hand into strips as broad or as
high as the length of the corks, and as long as they can possibly be got.
The thickness of these strips must be equal to the diameter of the corks;
these strips are then put into the machine, which is self-acting in all its
parts, viz., cutting the cork and feeding the cork wood to the knife after every
cut.
The machine, as shewn in the annexed Drawing, consists of an iron frame,
of the cutting apparatus, and of the feeding motion. A single machine can
easily be driven by hand by means of a crank handle and fly wheel. More
than one machine may be geared either to a caloric engine or to a small
steam engine: Motion is given to the machine through the two pulleys b, b,

page_text: mounted upon the horizontal main shaft a, a, which is supported by the two
standards of the frame, and through which motion is transmitted to all the
other ports of the machine.
The framework can be easily understood from the Drawing, and scarcely needs
any further description. It consists of the two cast-iron standards, which are
connected with one another at the top by a cross beam, in the middle by the
table Q, and near the foot by a strong cross bar.
The cutting apparatus consists of the knife and the requisite mechanism for
giving the knife-a-rising and falling as well. as a revolving motion. The
knife consists of a thin cast-steel cylinder, which has a cutting edge at one
end; at the opposite or top end a brass cone is soldered, which accurately fits
into a socket soldered to the lower end of the tube g, g. The cone of the
knife has an annular projecting rim, against which a nut is screwed, which
works on the socket of the tube g, g, and by means of which the knife is
screwed tight to the socket. The revolving motion is given to the knife
through the vertical shaft c, c, which at its lower end carries a bevil wheel,
which works into a larger bevil wheel on the main shaft a, a, so that while
a, a, makes 200 revolutions, c, c, will make 320 revolutions in a minute.
The top of c, c, carries a tooth wheel d with 51 teeth, which gears into the
pinion with 34 teeth fixed upon the hollow spindle f, and making 480
revolutions per minute. The bushes for the spindle f are supported by
brackets screwed to the right standard of the frame. The tube g, g, to which
the knife is fixed, passes through f; it has a vertical nose or rib, for which a
groove is provided in f, so that g, g, can rise or fall in. f, while it follows the
revolving motion of the latter. The falling and rising motion is given to the
knife through the beam m, which is supported by the cross beam at the top
of the frame, and to which motion is given through the connecting rod p, the
tooth wheel q, and the main shaft a, a. The rod p is connected to the crank
of the tooth wheel 9, which being fixed on the countershaft t, works into a
pinion r on the shaft a, a. The other end of the beam m is connected with
the knife in the following manner :-The tube g, g, is suspended in the guide
ring by means of the guide rod h, which through the connecting rod k is
attached to the beam m. The knife makes about 44 cuts, while it revolves
480 times in a minutes. The cork is removed from the knife after every cut
through the wooden pin d', which passes through g, g, and which being sus-
pended by its top end in a spiral spring, is kept in its place and prevented
from rising with the knife by the pin l.
The feeding motion is as follows:-On the table, which is fixed to both the

page_text: standards of the frame, rest the two jaws C and C₁, the width between which
can be adjusted according to the diameter of the corks by means of the set
screws S, and S. The jaws are inside horizontally fluted, in order to prevent
the cork strips from rising with the knife, and the space between them is a
little wider in front so as to facilitate the putting in of the strips. Into both.
jaws two vertical feed rollers w, w, vertically fluted, are inserted, which slightly
project beyond the fluted surfaces of the jaws. These feed rollers are worked
by small vertical shafts, which are connected by bevil wheels to the horizontal
countershaft a', a'. The bevil wheels on a', a¹, are so arranged as to follow
the adjusting motion of C and C, and at the same time to revolve with a', a'.
Upon a', a', a ratchet lever K is fixed, which is acted upon by the friction
roll of the lever or crank s. The latter (s) is keyed upon the same shaft t
which gives motion to the beam m and to the knife, the return motion of the
lever K is given through the counterbalance weight P.
able by the set screw S³, arrests the lever K on its return stroke, and thus
regulates the feed of the work to the knife by the number of teeth of the
ratchet wheel on a', which it allows the catch of the ratchet to overleap.
Crank s is keyed upon the shaft t in such a manner that the cork wood is fed
when the knife is up. The cork strips rest on the table G, which is adjust-
able to the length of the corks by means of the set screws S¹, S².
The stud V, adjust-
An apparatus V for grinding the knives is attached to the outside of the
left standard of the frame; it is driven by a driving band from the main
shaft a, a. The knives are fixed to this apparatus same as to g, 9, and they
are sharpened by means of a lead socket, a copper cone, and some fine emery
and oil, a small oilstone being provided for taking the beard off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Theyson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
THEYSON, of Hanover, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: Robert Theyson, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Theyson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Theyson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING
MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Theyson, my executors or adininistrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Theyson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment
This Invention is a machine which cuts corks by means of thin steel cylin-
ders sharpened at one end being made to pass perpendicularly through cork
wood. which has previously been cut into strips as long as they possibly can be
got. The width or height of the strips will give the lengths of the corks, and
their thickness will correspond with the diameter of the cylindrical knives, for
each of which the strips suitable must be sorted. These assorted strips are
then put into the machine, which is self-acting in all its parts, that is, cutting
the corks and feeding the cork wood to the knife after every cut. By this
machine cylindrical corks of all lengths and thicknesses can be cut at the
rate of from 30 to 60 per minute, according to the size of the corks to
be cut.
Having thus given an outline of the Invention, I will now proceed to
explain the Drawings.
No. 1 is the elevation of the whole machine seen from the side opposite to
that on which one must stand in order to feed it...
No. 2 is a sectional elevation passing through the vertical shaft, cylin-
drical knife, &c., and taken at right angles to the position of the machine in
Drawing No. 1.
No. 8 is the elevation of the machine seen from the front of the right
standard according to Drawing No. 1.

page_text: A single machine can easily be driven by one man turning a crank handle
and fly wheel, or several by a caloric or small steam engine. Motion is given
to the machine by an endless band passing over two pulleys (b, b,) one being
to throw it out of gear without stopping the working force. These two pulleys
(b, b,) communicate motion to a main shaft (a, a,) which is supported by the
two standards of the frame, and this main shaft puts all the other parts of the
machine in motion. The framework, as per Drawing No. 1, consists of two
strong cast-iron standards connected with one another at the top by a cross
beam, in the middle by the table (Q, Q), and at the bottom by a strong cross
bar. The main shaft (a, a,) by means of the bevel wheels communicates a
revolving motion to the vertical shaft (c, c,) which is fixed to the right standard..
The proportion between the bevel wheel on the main shaft and the bevel
wheel on the vertical shaft is as 8: 5, so that when the main shaft revolves at
a medium velocity of 200 times per minute, the vertical shaft will revolve 320:
times per minute. The top of the vertical shaft carries a tooth wheel (d) with;
51 teeth, which gears into the pinion (e) with 34 teeth, fixed upon the hollow
spindle (f), which therefore makes 480 revolutions per minute. The bushes.
for the spindle (f) are supported by brackets screwed to the right standard of
the frame. (The knife consists of a thin cast-steel cylinder, which has a
cutting edge at one end; at the opposite or top end a brass cone is soldered,
which accurately fits into a socket soldered to the lower end of the tube (g, 9).
The cone of the knife has an annular projecting rim, against which a nut is
screwed, which works on the socket of the tube (9,9), and by means of which
the knife is screwed tight to the socket). The knife is fixed to a tube (g, I,)
which passes through the spindle (f), and has a vertical rib that fits into a
groove in (f), so that although the tube (9, 9,) must revolve with the spindle
(f) it can at the same time rise and fall. Thus much for the revolving
motion of the knife.
. The rising and falling motion is given to the knife through the beam (m), .
which is supported by the cross beam at the top of the frame, and to which.
motion is given through the connecting rod (p, p,) which is connected with
the crank of the tooth wheel (9), which again, being fixed on the countershaft.
(t), is made to revolve by means of the pinion (r) on the main shaft (a, a).
The other end of the beam (m) is connected with the knife in the following
manner-The tube (g, g,) is suspended in the guide ring (i) by means of the
guide rod (h), which is connected with the beam (m) by the driving rod (k,k).
The knife makes about 44 cuts while it revolves 480 times in a minute. The
cork is removed from the knife after every cut by the wooden rod (d, d,) which

page_text: passes through (9, 9,) and being suspended by its top end in a spiral
spring, is kept in its place and prevented from rising with the knife by
the pin (1).
The feeding motion is as follows:--On the table (Q), which is fixed to both
the standards of the frame, rest the two jaws (C and C), the width between
which can be adjusted according to the diameter of the corks by means of the
set screws (S' and S2). The jaws are made horizontally fluted in order to
prevent the cork strip from rising with the knife, and the space between them
is a little wider in front, so as to facilitate the putting in of the strips. Into
both jaws two vertical feed rollers (w, w,) vertically fluted, are inserted, which
slightly project beyond the fluted surfaces of the jaws. These feed rollers are
worked by small vertical shafts, which are connected by bevel wheels to the
horizontal countershaft (a', a'). The bevel wheels on (a', a¹,) are so arranged
as to follow the adjusting motion of (C and C), and at the same time to
revolve with (a, a¹). Upon (a', a',) a ratchet lever (K) is fixed, which is
acted upon by the friction roll (u) of the lever or crank (s). The lever or
crank (s) is keyed upon the same shaft (t), which gives motion to the beam
(m) and to the knife;) the return motion of the lever (K) is given .through
the counterbalance weight (P). The stud (V), adjustable by the set screw S³,
arrests the lever (K) on its return stroke, and thus regulates the feed of the
cork to the knife by the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel on (a¹), which
it allows the catch of the ratchet to overlap. Crank (s) is keyed upon shaft in
such a manner that the cork wood is fed when the knife is up. The cork
strips rest on the table (G, G,) which is adjustable to the lengths of the corks
by means of the set screws (S, S).
An apparatus (V) for grinding the knives is attached to the outside of the
left standard of the frame; it is driven by a band from the main shaft (a, a).
The knives are fixed to this apparatus same as to tube (9.9,) and they are
sharpened by means of a lead socket, a copper cone, some fine emery, and oil,
a small oilstone being used to give it the last smooth-cutting edge.
In order to cut corks you must proceed as follows:-After having taken
strips of cork wood sorted for a certain knife, you screw that knife on to the
tube (9,9); you then adjust the jaws (C, C,) and the table (G, G,) which
has a soft wood surface, is raised so that the knife just cuts into it when at its
lowest point; then the vertical feed rollers are adjusted so that they push
forward the cork wood just enough to allow of the one cork being cut next to
the other with not more than 2 inch space in between. If the strips are not
quite long enough to cut a certain number of corks exactly, the last piece

page_text: which would not make a whole cork of that size is pushed forward by means
of the wheel (H), so that it is not touched by the knife at all. The knives
must be sharpened every now & then, nevertheless, if the edge is once good, a
thousand corks or more can be cut before the knife need be changed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Theyson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ROBERT THEYSON. (L.S.)