IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY POR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS AND BUNGS
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michael Henry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st July
1859. A communication from abroad by Paul Alexis Adolphe Dalverny,
of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France, Merchant.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent.
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY POR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS AND BUNGS,"
communicated to me from abroad by Paul Alexis Adolphe Dalverny, of
38, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France, Merchant, to be as follows:-
In this improved arrangement the cork is cut by a set of cutting tubes. Tho
apparatus is supported on a table, platform, or framework, on which is a bed
or plate resting preferably on two cross beams, and on this plate two smaller
plates are free to move, one sliding in guide grooves thereon, while the other
works in a contrary direction, and carries two cross pieces or bars, one of which
is fixed to the lower plate, and the other works on itself by pins connected to
the plate, but may be fastened when required, as by forcing a block. under a
staple screwed to it; between these bars and covering the plate is an apron of
leather or suitable material, which supports the cork to be cut, and protects
the edges of the cutting tubes after they have passed through,, it is composed
of several thicknesses of material, and has as many holes as there are corks or
bungs to be produced. The blank or cork to be cut up preferably consists of
a number of oblongs held tightly together in a frame by a screw connecting its
ends at one side, the frame being of a size to precisely fit the space between
the bars. Along supports fixed to the lower plate clamped to the walls, and

page_text: connected at top by tiers or otherwise suitably supported and held an upper
plate is free to move, being preferably supported by beams so connected at the
centre as to leave room for the passage of a moveable rod connected there, and
thereby attached to the plate and carrying a lever at one end (this rod is also
fitted into a nut attached to the supporting tiers); this plate carries on its
under side a number of screw rods, each of which carries a toothed wheel
threaded on the inside, and to the under side of each wheel is fitted a cutting
tube, the whole set of wheels is in gear, and they with their rods are threaded
alternately in different directions, i.e., one to the right, the next to the left,
and so on, so that when any one wheel of the train is set in motion, the whole
will be in work, and so raise or lower the whole set of cutting tools together, a
self-acting break-wheel or check is provided, so regulated as to stop the wheels
as soon as the tubes have completed one cutting operation. The wheels may
be driven through a toothed driving wheel to which motion is communicated
from any convenient motor, and the table or stand cut away in front for the
driving shaft to pass through. The cutters are guided in their travel and kept
steady and balanced, and the wheels held in gear by a guide plate formed
with orifices, one for each tube; at the end of every screw rod is a plug for
keeping the tubes straight, and preventing them from working sidewise or
out of register, and likewise for holding down the corks which have been cut,
and preventing them from following the tubes in their up-stroke. The cutting
tubes (preferably formed of thin tempered steel) are set at such distances apart
as to cut out at one stroke as many corks or bungs as there are tubes from a
material of sufficient surface and bulk for, say, four times the number, so that
by depressing the cutters four times, and moving the cork to be cut in a
suitable direction, and to a sufficient extent to present a fresh surface for
them to act on at each down-stroke, the material will be cut up into the full
complement of corks.
To work the apparatus the top or cutter carrier-plate is raised by its lever,
thereby raising with it all the wheels and tubes, and the moveable bar before
referred to is turned round (its block or key being withdrawn), and the frame
holding the cork blanks pushed between the bars, the bar is then returned
and tightened on the frame by its stop block, the cutter carrying plate is
depressed by means of the lever, thereby bringing down the tubes and
plugs, and causing them to press upon the surface of the cork, the driving
shaft is then set in motion, so as to actuate the train of wheels, and drive the
cutters down into the material, and thus cause them to cut out a batch of
corks; when this is done the check or break wheel stops the action. The
shaft is then reversed, so as to draw the tubes up again flush with their plugs.

page_text: Now supposing, for example, there are a hundred cutters acting on
material sufficient for 400 corks, after having cut out the first hundred as
described, the cutter carrying plate is again raised, and the screw of the lower
moveable plate worked forward to move the plate until stopped by studs or
pins, and so bring the interstitial parts left, or fresh surface, to be acted upon
under the cutting tubes, by actuating which by their wheels as before, a second
batch or hundred will be cut out. For the third hundred the other lower
moveable plate is moved from right to left by the other screw until stopped
by the pins, and the tubes are worked as before, while for the last hundred the
under plate is pushed back, and the cutters again depressed. A "tell-tale'
or other apparatus removes the four lots of corks at one operation.
A number of similar cutting machines, each for a different dimension or
gauge may be combined and worked together by one motor; a self-acting wheel
work or break arrangement may be fitted to each to stop any one machine
without interfering with the others at the end of each stroke, or at any other
part of the operation.
For small sizes the cutter carrying rods and their wheels may be smooth
instead of threaded; each wheel is formed of two detachable pieces, the lower
toothed and the upper smooth; the pieces are of very contracted diameter at
their junction, and are separated and fitted into an orifice in a plate having an
orifice for each wheel, and are then put together again, and attached by screws,
but the wheels are nevertheless free. to turn on their axes, and work in gear as
before described. The cutting tubes are moved up and down by raising and
lowering the plate by its arms, which may be actuated by screws driven by the
main wheel.