Improvements in Barrel-making Machinery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Barrel-making Machinery.
I, JOHN PARKER, of 1332 Tiernan Street, in the City of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of barrel setting-up machines in which the heads
are held in position while the staves are fed around the head assuming the form of a
barrel, and it consists of certain improvements in the construction of such a machine
with a view to its simplicity of action and economical construction, as fully described
hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of my improved barrel setting up machine;
Fig. 2. is an elevation of a portion of the machine on a larger scalo ;
Fig. 3, is a plan of that portion of the machine shown in Fig. 2 ;
Fig. 4, is an end elevation ;
Fig. 5, is a transverse sectional elevation on the line, 1,-2, Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a face view, partly in section, of one of the stave receiving heads, drawn
to a larger scale;
Fig. 7, is a section of one of the stave receiving heads, on the line, 3,-4, Fig. 6;
Fig. 8, is a section of a portion of the head on the line, 5,-6, Fig. 6, on a still
larger scale; and Figs. 9, 10 and 11, illustrate details of a portion of the machine.
My invention relates mainly to the construction of the heads for receiving the ends
of the staves, said heads being formed of a number of segments movable in a radial
line, so that the diameter of the heads may be increased or diminished during tho
operation of the machine, the heads being opened to their greatest diameter while
the staves are being fed thereto, and when the full number of staves necessary to make
the barrel have been placed therein the segments are drawn closely together, and the
heads thus collapsed draw the ends of the staves closely around the head of the barrel,
which latter has previously been placed in position; the hoops may then be driven on
by suitable pushing arms of any desired construction.
My improvements further relate to mechanism for automatically collapsing and
extending these segments; to adjusting devices by which the heads inay be moved to
a greater or less distance from each other for the purpose of forming barrels of
different lengths; to the construction of the head carrying the hoop drivers, by which
an excessive strain upon the hoop while being driven upon the barrel is avoided;
and to the general construction of the machine as a whole as fully set forth herein-
after.
In machines of this class heretofore constructed, it has been a common practice to
rive a single truss" hoop upon each end of the barrel after the staves have been
set up" in the machine, but this process is expensive, for the reason that coopers
must be employed to remove these truss hoops after the barrel comes from the
machine, and to place ordinary hoops upon the finished barrel.
To overcome this difficulty I propose to drive upon the barrel, while it is yet in the
machine, the finishing hoops, and any number of such hoops may be placed upon each
end of the barrel, according to the character of the barrel to be made.
The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is especially designed for the
manufacture of that class of barrels used for packing sugar and known in the market
as slack" barrels.
::
In a barrel of this character six hoops are used, three on each end of the barrel and
of this number I propose to drive upon the barrel, before it leaves the machine, the

page_text: four inner hoops, leaving the end hoops which serve to hold the head of the barrel in
place to be fixed in position after the barrel has been packed.
The fixed frame of the machine consists of end standards, A, connected together by
longitudinal side beams, B, the end frames serving to support the driving shafts and
mechanism, while the connecting beams guide and support the stave receiving and the
hoop driving heads.
Each stave receiving head, as will be seen more clearly on reference to Figs. 5, 6,
and, 7, consists of two main portions, C, and, D, the portion, C, being solid and
provided with guiding extensions, c, at each side, the extensions being grooved and
provided with suitable antifriction bearing blocks, c', resting upon the beams, B, so
that said head may be freely moved from and towards its fellow.
The portion, D, is formed of any suitable number of segments E, twelve in the
present instance, which are provided with dove-tailed slides, d, (Fig. 9,) working in
suitable radial slideways, d', in the portion, C.
Each of the segments, E, is connected by a radial arm, e, to a central hub, E',
mounted upon a shaft, E2, and to which said hub is keyed or otherwise secured, and
each segment, E, is provided with a curved groove, F, of the character more clearly
shown in Figs. 6, and, 7, so arranged with reference to the grooves of the other
segments that when all the parts are assembled to form a complete head, these grooved
portions will form a complete annular stave receiving groove.
In this annular groove is placed a ring,, upon which the ends of the staves are
adapted to bear, the ring being split and having its ends overlapping to permit the
head to expand or contract, the ring being backed by a number of antifriction
rollers, f, carried by the various segnients, E, and being held to its proper position
in the groove by an outer ring, G, suitably secured to the portion, C, of the head by a
number of bolts, g. Each segment also carries upon the outer flange which surrounds
the groove, F, a number of conical rollers, /, mounted upon studs projecting from
the flange, or, as in the present instance, upon pins extending from the flange to an
outer segment, 3, as shown more clearly in Figs. 8, and, 9.
These rollers,, are made in the form of cones which taper from the apex to the
base in a degree corresponding with the bend of the barrel staves and serve to prevent
excessive friction between the staves and the outer flange.
At, fx, a portion of the outer flange of one of the segments is removed to permit
the entrance of the staves to the groove, F, from any suitable feeding device.
The shaft, E2, is mounted centrally in the fixed portion, C, of the head, and extends
for a short distance beyond the same, and at the rear end is provided with a crank, H,
the outer end of which is connected by a link, h, to an operating arm, H', fulcrummed
upon a rock shaft H2 suitably mounted in bearings on the machine.
Upon this shaft, H2, at some distance from the operating lever, H', is secured a
toe i, adapted to be acted upon by a tapering block, I, carried by the head, L, to
which the hoop driving arms are affixed, and as this head is moved to-and-fro during
the operation of the machine, the tapered block, I, carried thereon will act upon the
toe, i, of the shaft, H₂, giving said shaft a partial rotation, which movement acting
through the operating lever, H¹, and the crank, H, serves to collapse or to expand
the head according to the direction in which the hoop driving head is moved.
The hoop driving head is of any desired shape and is provided with guiding
extensions, 1, of a character similar to those upon the portion, C, of the stave
receiving head, extending transversely to the beams, B, upon which they are supported
and guided.
In this head, L, are formed a number of radial slots, m, (shown by dotted lines in
Fig. 3.) through which pass the hoop driving arms, M, said arms being secured to
the head, L, by nuts, m, upon their threaded ends, the radial slots permitting the
adjustment of the arms to suit barrels of different diameters.
The inner ends of the arms, M, are provided with blocks, n, from which project
springs, n, serving to hold the hoops in position before they are driven upon the
barrels.

page_text: At a short distance from the rear of these blocks the arms, M, are provided with
adjustable pushing blocks, p, which carry another hoop these blocks being aljustable
to suit different lengths and diameters of barrels.
On reference to fig. 11, it will be seen that the connecting rod 7, which extends
from the driving crank, Q, to the hoop driving head is not directly connected to the
latter, but that the driving pressure is first exerted upon a number of springs, r, and
through them transmitted to the head.
Such a construction while not absolutely necessary to the proper working of the
machine, adds greatly to its effectiveness, inasmuch as the wooden hoops which are
driven upon the barrels are of such a slight character that any excessive pressure due
to the varying diameters of the hoops, or to the slight variation in the diameter of the
barrel would break the hoop and thus add to the cost of manufacture.
By the aid of this spring cushion, however, the amount of pressure brought upon
cach hoop can be adjusted and if the breaking strain of the hoop be first ascertained
the pressure in driving need never exceed that limit.
The driving mechanism of the machine is of very simple character, consisting of a
longitudinal shaft, S, to which the driving power is applied, this shaft being connected
at each of its ends to transverse shafts, T, carried in suitable bearings upon the
end of the frame by bevel gearing, and these shafts, T, communicating with the crank
shaft, V, by spur gearing, w, w, so that the movement of the heads towards each other
is simultaneous.
The reciprocative movement is imparted directly to the hoop driving head, the little
reciprocating movement which it is necessary to give the stave receiving heads to
release the finished barrel being transmitted to said head by a pawl bar, U. passing
through the hoop driving head and having one of its ends connected to the crank, U
upon a rock shaft, u, said shaft communicating with the stave-receiving head through
the toggle levers, u¹.
The head, L, engages with the pawl bar, U, each time said head is reciprocated,
and through this bar transmits a similar reciprocating movement to the stave receiving
head, any excessive backward movement of the stave receiving-head being prevented
by a tapering block, v, extending from the framework of the machine and adapted to
engage with the end of the pawl bar, U, and lift said bar out of engagement with the
head, L, thus preventing any further rearward movement of the stave receiving
head.
The shaft, u, is held in bearing blocks, a, in a guide-way, Y, vide Fig. 2, upon the
beams, B, and this block is adjustable by means of set screws, e, in order that the
stave receiving heads may be moved from or towards each other for the manufacture
of barrels of different lengths.
After the stave receiving heads have been drawn back to allow the finished barrel
to be removed they are again forced to the working position by means of springs, ≈,
operating from a rod, Z, the upper end of which is secured to the toggle levers, ul.
The operation of the machine is as follows:--Considering the stave receiving heads
to be in working position with the segments open to their fullest extent, the hoop
driving head being drawn to the limit of its rearward movement, the staves are fed
one by one through the opening in the outer flange of the head D; then, when the full
number of staves necessary to make the barrel have been fed to the head the
operator after stopping th feed and lifting from the path of the hoop driving arms the
apron which usually forms a part of such feeding devices, starts the machine, and
the hoop driving arms are moved towards each other. The block, I, will first act upon
the toe, i, and through the medium of the operating lever, H, and the crank, H, will
draw the segment composing the head toward the centre and forcing the staves upon
the barrel head, which has previously been placed in position; then the hoop driving
arms continuing their forward movement force the hoops upon the barrel, and when
the hoops are in place the drivers are reversed and return to their first position. The
toe, i, is released from the control of the block, I, and the head is permitted to expand.
Then the pawl bar, U, is caught by the hoop driving head and the stave receiving
heads are trawn back, permitting the finished barrel to fall from the machine.

page_text: Upon continuing this rearward movement the pawl bar, U, engages with the
tapering block, V, the pawl bar is released, and the spring, , is permitted to act upon
the stave receiving beads and force it to its first position.
Each of the stave receiving heads is preferably provided with an air passage,
vide Figs. 6 and 7, which is an exhaust pipe as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7,
communicating with an exhaust fan, so that the air in the portion, D, may be removed
therefrom, and the heads of the barrel when once placed in position against the stave.
receiving heads, will be held closely thereto by atmospheric pressure
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The combination, in a barrel setting-up machine, of the stave receiving heads,
grooved segments thereon adapted to receive the staves as they are fed into the machine,
radial guides for said segments, and mechanism for simultaneously moving said
segments towards a::d from the centre of the head, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. The combination, in a barrel setting-up machine, of the hoop driving arms and a
stave receiving head composed of a number of radial movable segments, grooved for
the reception of the ends of the barrel staves, with a split ring adapted to said grooves,
and by which the end thrust of the staves is taken, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of the hoop driving arms and a stave receiving head composed
of a number of radially movable segments grooved for the reception of the staves, with
a central hub, bars connecting the hub and the said segments, whereby the said
segments may be moved radially substantially as specified.
4. The combination of the stave receiving heads, and hoop driving mechanism with
a transverse shaft, toggle levers connecting the shaft with the slave receiving head, a
pawl bar secured to said shaft and adapted to be acted upon by the hoop driving head
on its rearward movement, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of the stave receiving head, and hoop driving head, the trans-
verse shaft in the rear of said stave receiving head and connected thereto and to the
hoop driving head, bearing blocks for said shafts longitudinally movable on the frame
of the machine, with devices for adjusting said bearing block, substantially as
specified.
6. The combination of the stave receiving head with a hoop driving head carrying
a number of rigid arms, each of said arms terminating in a driving block and springs
carried thereby for holding the hoop in position against said block, substantially as
specified.
7. The combination, in a barrel setting-up machine, of the hoop driving head, with
a stave receiving head composed of a number of radially movable segments the central
hub and its shaft, radial arms extending from said hub to the said segments, a rock shaft
mounted on the frame and connected to the central hub and carrying a toe and a
tapered block on the hoop driving head adapted to act upon said toc, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of April 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.