IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND THE LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Des Voeux, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS FOR
BOTTLES, JARS, AND THE LIKE PURPOSES." A communication from abroad
by Ernest Gaston, of Castres, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Des Vœux at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1881.
FREDERIC DES Vœux, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF CORKS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND THE LIKE PURPOSES."
A communication from abroad by Ernest Gaston, of Castres, in the Republic of
France.
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the
manufacture of corks, and consists in submitting cork (previously cut into squares
or blocks) to two operations.
The one serves to change the square or block of cork into a cylindrical shape;
the other, to finish the cork so changed, that is to say, dress or trim such, cutting
from its surface a chip or chips of more or less thickness, or if desired make it
conical.
The first apparatus consists in a suitable foundation or framing having a bed-
plate on its upper surface carrying the cork cutting devices, and carrying below it
bearings for the gearing, serving to operate such.
A longitudinal driving shaft is suitably fitted and driven, and at the centre of
the table or bed-plate operates by bevel gearing an upright shaft, supported by a
footstep and carrying an eccentric revolving within a slot or yoke formed in a part
of a double-ended plunger working horizontally on suitable guides, and by such
means having a reciprocating motion imparted to it.
Opposite each end of the plunger is a long vertical trunk or case open at each
end and carried by a bracket to receive the squares or blocks of cork. Below the

page_text: end of each trunk is a small block or abutment, and working on each side of it is
a pair of jaws connected to levers pivoted scissors-fashion, and which are opened
and closed by means of sets of double cams fixed on the auxiliary shaft driven
by the main.
Each jaw carries a spike or tooth to enter holes in the trunks or cases, and
support the squares of cork therein by entering the lowest one in the case, while the
one below is on the block being moulded by the jaws, which give it a double
truncated conical form.
Opposite the lower end of each trunk is a table on which a moulded cork is
alternately pushed by the movement of the double plunger into a hollow shaft or
drum running in bearings and driven by chain or worm gearing from the main
shaft, and formed with a conical end facing the table, and carrying a suitable
cutting die against which the moulded cork is pushed by the further advance of
the plunger, cutting it of the required cylindrical form and expelling it through the
hollow shaft or drum.
The apparatus is thus duplicated, a cork from one trunk being moulded while
one from the other is cut to shape.
The second part of my Invention relates to the machinery or apparatus for
finishing the cork. It consists of a suitable framing fitted with a driving wheel
operating a shaft driving two vertical cylindrical drums. In the interior of each
of these drums is a grooved wheel fixed on the shaft, and so driven as to receive a
continuous rotary motion in a contrary direction to that of the drums, which
receive from the: driving shaft intermittent rotary motion through gear wheels
having suitably arranged spaces left between the teeth, so arranged that both drums
are coupled together by four rods fixed in curved slots in the face of the main
intermittent toothed wheel carried by the left drum. A ratchet prevents motion in
the wrong direction. Openings are made in the periphery of each drum and the
corks are placed in these. The supply is regulated in proportion as two openings
stop the last time before passing the knife. This knife is mounted on axes above
the drum, is free to oscillate thereon, and is suitably counterpoised, and which also
receives a reciprocating motion from racks operated by a toothed segment on the
main driving wheel. Above the openings at the top of each drum are driven two
small slightly roughened cylinders in front of and partly over the knife. As the
drums revolve the corks are raised by such movement, and the drums stop when
the corks are under the edge of the knife.
During this movement the knife and its mechanism are raised by a wheel or
other gearing to allow the corks to pass under the small roughened cylinders. This
being effected the knife and its framing fall by their own weight on the corks,
which are passed between the grooved wheels revolving on the drums and the small
roughened cylinders which feed or press the corks up against the knife edge which
at this moment executes its rectilinear movement and cuts a chip or chips off the
cork, the thickness of which is regulated by the distance from the knife (which is
also capable of regulation) to the small roughened cylinders. As the drums again
revolve the finished corks are ejected and fall into a receptacle placed to receive
them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederic Des Voeux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th August 1881.
_FREDERIC DES VEUX, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF CORKS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND THE LIKE." (A com-
munication from abroad by Ernest Gaston, of Castres, in the Republic of
France.)
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the
manufacture of corks, and consists in submitting cork (previously cut into squares
or blocks) to two operations.
The one serves to change the square or block of cork into a cylindrical shape;
the other to finish the cork so changed, that is to say, dress or trim such, cutting
from its surface a chip or chips of more or less thickness, or if desired make it
conical.
The first apparatus consists in a suitable foundation or framing having a bed-
plate on its upper surface carrying the cork cutting devices, and carrying below it
bearings for the gearing, serving to operate such.
A longitudinal driving shaft is suitably fitted and driven, and at the centre of
the table or bed plate operates by bevel gearing an upright shaft, supported by a
footstep, and carrying an eccentric revolving within a slot or yoke formed in a part
of a double ended plunger working horizontally on suitable guides, and by such
means having a reciprocating motion imparted to it.
Opposite each end of the plunger is a long vertical trunk or case open at each
end and carried by a bracket to receive the squares or blocks of cork. Below the
end of each trunk is a small block or abutment, and working on each side of it
is a pair of jaws connected to levers pivoted scissors-fashion, and which are opened
and closed by means of sets of double cams fixed on the auxiliary shaft driven by
the main.
Each jaw carries a spike or tooth to enter holes in the trunks or cases and support
the squares of cork therein by entering the lowest one in the case, while the one
below is on the block being moulded by the jaws, which give it a double truncated
conical form.
Opposite the lower end of each trunk is a table on which a moulded cork is
alternately pushed by the movement of the double plunger into a hollow shaft or
drum running in bearings and driven by chain or worm gearing from the main
shaft, and formed with a conical end facing the table, and carrying a suitable
cutting die against which the moulded cork is pushed by the further advance of
the plunger cutting it of the required cylindrical form and expelling it through the
hollow shaft or drum.
The apparatus is thus duplicated, a cork from one trunk being moulded while
one from the other is cut to shape.
The second part of my Invention relates to the machinery or apparatus for
finishing the cork.
It consists of a suitable framing fitted with a driving wheel operating a shaft
driving two vertical cylindrical drums. In the interior of each of these drums is a
grooved wheel fixed on the shaft, and so driven as to receive a continuous rotary
motion in a contrary direction to that of the drums, which receive from the driving
shaft intermittent rotary motion through gear wheels having suitably arranged
spaces left between the teeth, so arranged that both drums are coupled together by
four rods fixed in curved slots in the face of the main intermittent toothed wheel

page_text: the jaws, inserting the same two thirds into the die J, the other part of the cork
being held in the block L, L, having the teeth ƒ³, f³, of the jaws awaiting the
opening for the square of cork following.
The supports L, L, not being absolutely necessary may be dispensed with, and
the piece of cork pushed entirely into the interior of the die by the plunger D.
When this advances to push the square of cork held by the jaws to the right, the
jaw on the left opens to receive one of the the squares which is pushed in its turn
into the die on the left by the return stroke of the plunger D.
The pieces of cork cut into cylinders traverse the hollow shaft I and fall into
a bag or other receptacle, whence they are removed to undergo the second operation
described above, which is performed by means of the machine shown in Figs. 5
to 11.
The mechanism is supported on a frame or bed plate M of wood or metal.
Motion is imparted to a pulley N fixed on the shaft n and communicated by
means of bevel wheels n', n2, to the shaft O. This causes the shaft P to run in
the same direction by toothed wheels 1 and 3 geared by an intermediate wheel 2.
On the shaft P are loosely mounted the two moveable drums Q, Q, enclosing
two grooved wheels R, R, keyed on the same shaft. One of the drums carries on
its interior surface a spur wheel Q¹ equal to 80 teeth, but really having only 64,
because after each space of 10 teeth two of them are cut out to facilitate engage-
ment with the spur wheel Q2 mounted on the shaft O and having a diameter half as
large. It only carries two groups of nine teeth each, as eleven teeth are cut out
after each space of nine teeth; consequently the drums coupled by four rods q², q³,
have a circular intermittent motion imparted to them in a contrary direction to
that of the grooved wheels R, R, a pawl q preventing reverse motion. The
cylinders of cork are placed one by one in the openings y, y, (usually 8 or more) on
the circumference of each drum.
The corks are supplied to the wheel as two holes stop the last time before passing
under the knife S.
This knife is mounted on the frame T sliding in the guides U, U, which pivot
on the axes u¹, u¹, of the pillars U2, U2, and which are connected by the tie bars
u, u, on which are fixed cross beams u, u, carrying the shaft V.
The beams x, x, serve to hold the brackets ², ³, in place and carry the stones
x, x¹, above to sharpen the knife, and a rod t furnished with a counterweight t¹.
The shaft V carrying two small cylinders V1, V₁, having slightly roughened
surfaces or surrounded with a cord, receives its motion through the pinion 4 mounted
on the shaft O and by the wheels 5, 6, 7, 8, and V2. The shaft 11 carrying the
wheel 8 revolves in the bearings 12, 12.
When the gearing Q2 of the shaft o acts on the gearing Q¹ the drums move in
the direction of the arrow 9; and then the cork cylinders placed in the holes y, y,
are raised and drawn along by the drums which stop just when the cork cylinders
are under the edge of the knife.
During this movement the knife-frame T and all the parts held on the guides
U, U, (carried and moveable on the axes u¹, u¹) are raised from (say) 1 to 2 centi-
metres to allow the cork cylinders to pass (which otherwise would have touched
the small cylinders V¹, V¹), which must be cleared in order to get under the knife.
The knife P and other parts now fall by their weight on the cork cylinders,
which are pressed between the grooved wheels R, R, and the small cylinders V¹, V¹.
The oscillation of the knife-frame T and its accessories is caused by means of
the cam-wheel Z fixed on the shaft P between the drum on the right and the
pillar U2 acting on the head of a bolt fixed at the bent extremity of the moveable
bearing U.
The wheels R, R, revolving in the direction of the arrow 10, and the small
cylinders cause the cork cylinder which they press to undergo a rotary motion
which impels it on to the edge of the knife, which at this moment executes its
rectilinear movement from left to right, sliding in the guides U, U, and cutting
from the surface of the cork cylinders a chip, the thickness of which varies according

page_text: as the edge of the knife is nearer to or farther from the small cylinders V1, V¹. In
their rotary movement the cork cylinders abut against the small stops y¹, y',
turning on the studs to the left side of the holes y and having a smaller diameter
than that of the cork cylinders.
The small projections ', z¹, of the knife frame T serve to regulate the action of
the knife by causing it to return under the corks into the guides U, U.
The reciprocating motion of the frame is as follows:-On the side of the shaft (n)
opposite to the pulley N is fixed a wheel N¹ having teeth on nearly half of its
circumference, and acting alternately on the teeth of the racks N2 and N³. These
racks. are connected by the cross pieces n¹, n³. To facilitate the passage of the
wheel N¹ from the toothed portion of one rack to that of the other interdental
spaces are provided on N2 and N³.
The reciprocating motion of this surface is transmitted to the knife frame T by
the bell crank s¹ which is fixed to it and takes loosely into a fork 82 formed by the
upper part of the cross-beam no.
The corks are finished at the moment when the gearing Q2 acts again on the
gearing Q to bring two other cut cork cylinders under the knife.
The finished corks follow the movement of the drum until they fall into a box
placed under the machine. The proportion between the grooved wheels and the
small cylinders should be approximately as 1 to 8.
With a grooved wheel of 88 centimetres and a small cylinder of 11 centimetres
corks of different diameter could be made, but not exceeding 3 centimetres in
diameter.
c
Having now described the nature of the said Invention communicated to me from
abroad, and the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that
what I claim on behalf of the said Ernest Gaston is,-
Firstly. In machines for forming corks into cylindrical or taper form supplying
the corks (previously cut into approximately square form) to gripping jaws roughly
compressing the cork in combination with rotating hollow dies for shaping the
same, as and for the purposes described.
Secondly. The method of alternately feeding the corks to the jaws and dies by
the double ended plunger, substantially as described.
Thirdly. In machines for polishing or finishing corks revolving drums having
internally and oppositely rotating cylinders or wheels to hold and guide corks held
by them against a sliding knife or knives to cut or finish the same, as and for the
purposes described.
Fourthly. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
for shaping, cutting, and polishing or finishing corks, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Des Voeux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.