Improvements in Machines for use in the Manufacture of Corks.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for use in the Manufacture of Corks.
I, GEORGES ALBERT BOUCREL, of 95, Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to a new cork turning machine.
The following are the different operations effected by our machine:
The cork is first cut into rectangular parallelopipeds which are successively fed
into the machine in an automatic manner. Each of these parallelopipeds is then
seized by two jaws mounted upon a circular plate which effects a complete revolu-
tion with four equally spaced stoppages. At the end of each quarter revolution,
when the first stop takes place, the parallelopiped is dressed and made circular in
section; at the end of the second quarter revolution, when the second stop occurs,
the cork is actually turned, and receives the form which it is finally intended to
have; at the end of the third quarter revolution, when the third stop occurs, the
cork is seized by pincers and freed from the jaws which continue the movement of
rotation in order to take a fresh parallelopiped when the fourth stop is made. The
cork which has been seized by the pincers is then submitted to the action of two
parallel circular knives which cut the extremities; after this has been etrected,
the cork is expelled from the apparatus.
Having thus described in a general manner the operations as a whole which are
effected by my machine, I will now proceed to describe successively the different
parts of which it is composed.
The parallelopipeds of cork are introduced into a passage and proceed to the
feed apparatus.
Opposite the square of cork is arranged a plate fixed to the extremity of a feed
rod. This rod receives its motion from a cam, which acts, by means of the roller,
upon a feed lever pivoted upon the support of the apparatus. The upper end of
the feed lever is pivoted upon the part, which is rigidly fixed to the rod, by means
of a connection. As is evident, at each revolution of the cam, which is driven by
spur gear wheels, the parallelopiped of cork is pushed by the plate to the feed
position; this plate then moves back under the influence of a spring.
As the cork parallelopipeds are not all of exactly the same dimensions, I arrange
between an angle piece and the plate springs which give to the plate sufficient play
to allow for the differences which exist between the different pieces of cork.
Upon the feed rod is fixed an angle piece which receives a rod carrying a plate
which serves to press the square of cork, when it is advanced, against the fixed
reglet. The rod carries at its upper extremity a roller which, when the feed rod is
advanced, slides upon an inclined plane. The rod, acted upon by a spiral spring,
presses the parallelopiped of cork against the reglet, by means of the plate, until it
assumes a position against the square which is screwed upon the fixed reglet.
A platform allows the cork, during its advance, to place itself on a level with the
points of the lower jaw or chuck. When the upper jaw or chuck descends upon the

page_text: cork parallelopiped, the platform, owing to the action of the spring descends like-
wise thus permitting the cork to enter the lower jaw without being broken.
The lowering motion is imparted to the upper jaw by a cam mounted upon an
horizontal shaft, which is actuated by a gear wheel which carries a double set of
teeth. This gear wheel is in turn actuated by a second gear wheel having, for
example, twenty teeth.
This second gear wheel is fixed upon a vertical shaft which is driven by means
of a third gear wheel actuated by a fourth gear wheel, mounted upon the shaft
which carries the driving pulley.
The vertical shaft turns constantly and thus transmits a motion of continuous
rotation to the first mentioned gear-wheel. This latter, as has been already
explained, carries a double set of teeth. The first, which is complete, corresponds
to that of the second gear wheel; the second set of teeth only comprises a quarter
of the number of teeth possessed by the first, that is to say five in the example
given. These five teeth, which are consecutive, impart to the fifth gear wheel,
which is completely toothed, an intermittent motion; consequently, each time the
second gear wheel makes a complete revolution, the fifth gear wheel makes only a
fourth of a revolution. This fifth gear-wheel is rigidly fixed to the plate or carrier
which carries with it the corks. This plate is mounted loose upon the vertical
shaft, and travels upon a number of rollers. A cam mounted upon the horizontal
gear shaft, causes the slide which carries the upper jaw to rise, such rising taking
place when the cork is turned, as will appear later.
When the vertical shaft turns, the plate makes a quarter turn. The cork reach-
ing its new position is presented to an endless band or knife which trims it. This
knife is stretched upon two wheels, one of which, the lower wheel, is mounted upon
the spindle provided with a bevel pinion which gears with the pinion fixed upon a
spindle receiving its rotary motion from driving pulleys. The wheels receive a
movement of rotation as a whole, and consequently the endless knife is given
a continuous motion.
In order that the endless knife may be inclined to the vertical, the spindles of
the two wheels are mounted in bearings which can be displaced horizontally by
means of the screws.
This inclination which may be given to the knife permits of turning conical
corks.
In addition to this the bearing of the upper band wheel upon which passes the
endless band or knife can be vertically displaced in a slot, in order to permit the
desired tension to be given to the band.
In order that the cork may be cut or trimmed under the action of the endless
knife, it is necessary to impart to it a rotary movement. With this object, the
lower jaw is firmly fixed to a screw of very wide pitch, whose nut carries at its
lower portion a roller which is actuated by a cam. This cam is fixed upon the
spindle which receives a movement of rotation by means of bevel pinions one of
which is fixed upon the vertical shaft. When the cam raises the roller the nut rises
and imparts a rotary motion to the screw and consequently to the lower jaw, whose
rod turns freely in the plate or carrier; the cork thus turns upon itself, because the
upper jaw is also able to turn in the slide which supports it. This upper jaw is,
for this purpose, supported by a rod provided at a certain point of its length with
a circular groove in which a pin engages.
The pin, which passes through the wall of the slide, allows of the removal of the
upper jaw.
The first operation, which is that of trimming the cork, is effected in the manner
described, and I will now pass to the second operation which consists in giving to
the cork the final shape which it is to have.
The first gear wheel again causes the fifth gear wheel to make a quarter revolu-
tion, and the cork passes in front of a second band or knife mounted upon wheels
which, in the same way as the band wheels previously described are mounted in
bearings which are adjustable in a horizontal direction.

page_text: The bearing of the upper wheel can, in addition be displaced vertically in a
slide, with the object of allowing the required tension to be given to the band or
knife. This band or knife gives to the cork its final shape.
During the time the knife is acting upon the cork, this latter turns upon itself
owing to the action upon the roller of a cam similar to the cam hereinbefore
mentioned, but placed at an angle of 90° from the latter.
The sides of the cork being thus finished off it becomes necessary to cut it to the
desired length. For this purpose two horizontal and parallel knives which may
be approached to and withdrawn from one another at will, according to the height
of which the cork is to be, are mounted upon a vertical shaft. A continuous rotary
motion is given to this shaft in the following manner:
Upon the said shaft is mounted a pulley, which is driven by a belt passing
round the pulley fixed upon a counter shaft. This counter shaft carries a pulley
which, by means of a belt, receives a movement of rotation from the pulley mounted
upon the driving shaft.
During the action of the horizontal knives upon the cork, this latter must be
released by the jaws, but must be otherwise supported. For this purpose, upon an
intermediate shaft, which is driven by means of spur gear wheels one of which
is fixed upon the shaft carrying the aforesaid fourth gear wheel and of the
bevel wheels, a gear wheel is keyed which gears with another wheel, fixed upon a
socket surrounding the fixed spindle.
This spindle carries at its upper portion, a part which constitutes a kind of
cam, full in one portion but recessed at another portion. Beneath this cam is
placed the said socket which turns with the said wheel and which carries two
prolongations placed at an angle of 180° one from the other. These
prolongations terminate in semi-cylindrical parts. Between the socket
and the aforesaid part or cam are arranged two slides which are provided with a
groove the width of which is equal to that of the full portion of the cam.
may arise;
Two cases
1st. The full portion of the cam may not be within the groove of the slide in
question; this latter is not in this case maintained and will be acted upon by the
spring which tends to press it against the cylindrical portion of the prolongation.
If, under these conditions, a cork is within this portion, it will be held and will
take part in the rotary motion of the socket and slides.
2nd. The full portion of the cam may be within the groove of the slide under
consideration; this latter is in this case held and the spring can exert no influence
upon it, the slide no longer presses the cork against the cylindrical portion of the
prolongation in question, and the cork can drop.
The different parts which we have been considering, are regulated in such a
manner that one of the slides takes a cork from the jaws in pressing against the
cylindrical portion of one of the prolongations when this cork has taken part in
the three quarter revolutions of the plate or carrier. In consequence of the rotary
motion of the slides and of the prolongations of the socket, the cork thus held in
one of the prolongations is carried round and submitted to the action of the knives
which turn upon themselves. Immediately this action is terminated and the heads
are cut, the groove of the slide in question arrives before the point of the full
portion of the cam; little by little, the full portion engaging in the groove brings
back the slide towards the spindle and this latter abandons the cork which then
falls out of the machine. At the moment when the finished cork is released, the
other prolongation takes a fresh cork between the jaws. It results from this, as
will be readily understood, that the slides and the prolongations make half a revo-
lution whilst the plate or carrier makes a complete revolution.
At the moment when the prolongations seize the corks held between the jaws it
is indispensable that these jaws should be further separated in order that the corks
may be carried away by the prolongations. This separation of the two jaws is
effected by merely raising the upper jaw. In order to raise this jaw, we employ
the cam on the horizontal shaft above referred to.

page_text: This cam is mounted upon the said shaft and acts upon the extremity of the
lever which produces the rising motion of the slide.
This slide, which is notched or recessed upon its two lateral faces, moves in the
upper portion of the plate or carrier. Springs serve to provide for any wear which
may take place.
The lever acts upon a projection carried by a metal part and the lever bears
against the lower part of this projection.
The metal part is rigidly connected with a collar into which a screw is fitted.
When rotary motion is imparted to this screw, the head of which is in four parts
or divisions, the metal part is raised or lowered.
A plate, screwed upon the slide, prevents the said screw from moving in a longi-
tudinal direction and allows it to turn only upon its axis.
In order that the cork may certainly be disengaged from the lower jaw, when the
upper jaw rises, a collar surrounding the lower jaw and rigidly connected with the
slide, acts upon the bottom of the cork and carries the latter up with it.
The cork freed in this manner from the lower jaw is then seized by the pincers
and, as the slide continues to rise slightly and as the cork cannot follow it being
held by the pincers, the cork is necessarily released from the upper jaw. After this
has taken place it may be carried away by the pincers in their rotary motion without
being broken or damaged.
The horizontal knives are continuously ground during their rotation. With this
object their sharpened edges rest upon two small grindstones which are mounted
loose upon spindles; springs keep the grindstones constantly bearing upon the
knife edges.
As has been already stated when considering the parts of the plate or carrier
upon which the pieces of cork which it is desired to operate upon are placed, this
latter should stop when each quarter revolution is completed. Now, owing to its
weight, the plate, acting as a fly-wheel, might continue to rotate by reason of its
inertia.
In order to provide against this I fix above the fifth gear wheel a plate in which
are provided a number of slots or recesses equal to the number of stoppages which
it is intended that the plate should make with each revolution of the gear wheel.
Upon the first wheel I also fix a plate provided with a single recess. From the
preceding description it will be understood that the fifth wheel is only able to
turn when the recess in the first wheel plate happens to be opposite one of the
recesses in the fifth wheel plate, and it is precisely at this moment that the teeth
of the sector of the first wheel plate will be in gear with the teeth. of the fifth wheel.
The contact of those edges of the first wheel plate which are not recesses with one
of the recessed portions of the fifth wheel plate, forms a stop and thus prevents all
rotary movement on the part of the plate or carrier.
In order to the more completely ensure the exactitude of the stoppages of the
plate or carrier this latter has four recesses.
Each of these recesses comes in turn,
as a result of the rotation of the plate, in contact with a cam mounted upon a
spindle to which rotary motion is imparted by means of gear wheels.
The gear wheel which drives the assemblage is mounted upon the intermediate
shaft which receives a movement of rotation, as already explained.
When one of the carrier recesses corresponds with the recessed portion of the
the plate or carrier is free to rotate, but when the opposite is the case the
plate is locked.
cam,
It will of course be understood that the action of the plates of the first and fifth
wheels, and that of the recesses of the plate or carrier upon the cam, is simultaneous.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, GEORGES ALBERT BOUCREL, of 95, Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a machine for turning corks, and is illustrated by the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a right hand side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the machine.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line
y of Figure 5.
Figure 5 a horizontal plan view partly in section.
Figure 6 is a half sectional elevation showing the feed mechanism.
Figure 7 is a detail sectional view showing the driving mechanism of the
movable plate.
Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of the stop plates or parts, which are shewn in
section in Figure 7.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are detail views shewing the support of the upper jaw, and
Figure 13 represents the parts producing the movement of the clamps or pincers.
The following are the different operations effected by my machine:
The cork is first cut into rectangular parallelopipeds which are successively fed
into the machine in an automatic manner. Each of these parallelopipeds is then
seized by two jaws mounted upon a circular plate which effects a complete revo-
lution with four equally spaced stoppages. At the end of each quarter revolution,
when the first stop takes place, the parallelopiped is dressed and made circular in
section; at the end of the second quarter revolution, when the second stop occurs,
the cork is actually turned, and receives the form which it is finally intended to
have; at the end of the third quarter revolution, when the third stop occurs, the
cork is seized by pincers and freed from the jaws which continue the movement
of rotation in order to take a fresh parallelopiped when the fourth stop is made.
The cork which has been seized by the pincers is then submitted to the action of
two parallel circular knives which cut the extremities; after this has been effected,
the cork is expelled from the apparatus.
Having thus described in a general manner the operations as a whole which are
effected by my machine, I will now proceed to describe successively the different
parts of which it is composed.
As shewn in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings the parallelopipeds of cork are
introduced into the passage or guide A and proceed to the point c in the feed
apparatus.
Opposite the square of cork at e is arranged a plate B fixed to the extremity of
the feed rod C. This rod receives its motion from a cam D, which acts, by means
of the roller, upon the lever E pivoted at e upon the support F of the apparatus.
The upper end of the lever E is pivotally attached to the part e¹ which is rigidly
fixed to the rod C, by means of the connecting link el.
As is evident, at each revolution of the cam D, which is driven by the spur gear
wheels 100, 101, 102 and 103, the parallelopiped of cork is pushed by the plate B
to the feed position c¹ (Figure 5); this plate then moves back under the influence
of the spring f.
As the cork parallelopipeds are not all of exactly the same dimensions, I arrange

page_text: between an angle piece G and the plate B springs which give to the plate B
sufficient play to allow for the differences which exist between the different pieces
of cork.
Upon the feed rod C is fixed an angle piece G which receives a rod g carrying
a plate b Figure which serves to press the square of cork, when it is advanced
against the fixed stop or distance piece d¹. The rod g carries at its upper extremity
a roller which, when the feed rod C is advanced, slides upon an inclined plane h.
The rod acted upon by a spiral spring k, presses the parallelopiped of cork
against the stop by means of the plate b until it assumes the position c¹ against
the square which is screwed upon the fixed stop or distance piece d¹.
A platform H allows the cork, during its advance, to place itself on a level
with the points of the lower jaw or chuck J. When the upper jaw or chuck J¹
descends upon the cork parallelopiped, the platform H, owing to the action of the
spring ¹ descends likewise thus permitting the cork to enter the lower jaw J
without being broken.
The lowering motion is imparted to the upper jaw J¹ by the cam 1 (Figures 4
and 7) mounted upon the horizontal shaft 2, which is actuated by a gear wheel 3
which carries a double set of teeth. Said gear wheel 3 being in turn actuated by
a gear wheel 4, having for example, twenty teeth.
The gear wheel 4 is fixed upon a vertical shaft. 5 which is driven by means of a
gear wheel 6 actuated by the gear wheel 7, mounted upon the shaft 8 which carries
the driving pulley 9, Figures 1 and 3.
The vertical shaft 5 turns constantly and thus transmits a motion of continuous rota-
tion to the gear wheel 3. This latter, as has been already explained, is provided with a
double set of teeth. The first, which is complete, corresponds to that of the gear
wheel 4; the second set of teeth only comprises a quarter of the number of teeth
possessed by the first, that is to say five in the example given. These five teeth, which
are consecutive, impart to the gear wheel 10, which is completely toothed, an inter-
mittent motion; consequently, each time the gear wheel 4 makes a complete
revolution, the gear wheel 10 makes only a fourth of a revolution.
This gear
wheel 10 is rigidly fixed to the plate 11, which carries with it the corks. This
plate is loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, and travels upon a number of rollers 12.
The cam 13 (Figures 4 and 7) mounted upon the horizontal shaft 2, causes the
slide 3, which carries the upper jaw J to rise, such rising taking place when the
cork is turned, as will be hereinafter set forth.
When the vertical shaft 5 turns, the plate 11 makes a quarter turn. The cork
reaching its new position is presented to an endless band or knife 16, (Figures 1, 2)
which trims it.
This knife is stretched upon two wheels 17 and 18, one of which, the lower
wheel 18, is mounted upon the spindle 19 provided with a bevel pinion 20
(Figure 3) which gears with the pinion 21 fixed upon the spindle 22, receiving its
rotary motion from driving pulleys 23. The wheels 17 and 18 receive a move-
ment of rotation as a whole, and consequently the endless knife 16 is given a
continuous motion.
In order that the endless knife 16 may be inclined to the vertical, the spindles
of the two wheels are mounted in bearings (Figure 1) which can be displaced
horizontally by means of the screws.
This inclination which may be given to the knife permits of turning conical
corks.
In addition to this the bearing of the upper band wheel 17 upon which passes
the endless band or knife 16, can be vertically displaced in a slot 80, in order to
permit the desired tension to be given to the said band, 16.
In order that the cork c¹ (Figure 4) may be cut or trimmed under the action of
the endless knife 16, it is necessary to impart to it a rotary movement. With this
object the lower jaw J (Figure 4), is firmly fixed to a screw 24 of very quick pitch,
whose nut 25 carries at its lower portion a roller 26 which is actuated by a cam 27,

page_text: This cam is fixed upon the spindle 28 rotated by means of the bevel pinions 29
and 30; one of which is fixed upon the vertical shaft 5. When the cam 27 raises
the roller 26 the nut 25 rises and imparts a rotary motion to the screw 24 and conse-
quently to the lower jaw J, whose rod turns freely in the plate or carrier, the
cork c¹ thus turns upon itself, because the upper jaw J¹ is also able to turn in the
slide 31 which supports it. The upper jaw J¹ is, for this purpose, as shewn in
Figures 10, 11 and 12, supported by a rod 32 provided at a certain point of its
length with a circular groove 33 in which a pin 32 engages.
The pin, which passes through the wall of the slide 31, allows of the removal of
the jaw J.
The first operation, which is that of trimming the cork, is effected in the manner
described, and I will now pass to the second operation which consists in giving
to the cork the final shape which it is to have."
The gear wheel 3 again causes the gear wheel 10 to make a quarter revolution,
and the cork cl passes in front of a second band or knife 35 Figure 2, mounted
upon wheels 36 and 37, which in the same way as the band wheels 17 and 18
previously described are mounted in bearings which are adjustable in a horizontal
direction.
The bearing 81 of the wheel 36, can, in addition be displaced vertically in a
slide 82, with the object of allowing the required tension to be given to the band
or knife 35. This band or knife 35 gives to the cork its final shape.
During the time the knife 35 is acting upon the cork, this latter turns upon itself
owing to the action upon the roller 26 of a cam similar to the cam 27 herein before
mentioned, but placed at an angle of 90° from the latter. (This second cam is
not shewn in the accompanying drawings).
The sides of the cork being thus finished off it becomes necessary to cut it to the
desired length. For this purpose two horizontal and parallel knives 40 and 41
(Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) which may be approached to and withdrawn from one
another at will, according to the height of which the cork is to be, are mounted
upon a vertical shaft 42. A continuous rotary motion is given to this shaft in the
following manner:
Upon the said shaft 42 is mounted a pulley 43, which is driven by a belt. 45
passing round the pulley 46 fixed upon a counter shaft 47. This counter shaft
carries a pulley 48, which, by means of a belt 50 Figure 2, receives a movement
of rotation from the pulley 49 mounted upon the driving shaft 22.
During the action of the horizontal knives 40 and 41, upon the cork c¹, this
latter must be released by the jaws J and J¹, but must be otherwise supported.
For this purpose, upon an intermediate shaft 51 (Figures 4 and 5) which is driven
by means of gear wheels 52 and 54, the latter of which is fixed upon the shaft. 8,
and the back wheels 55 and 56, a gear wheel 57 Figure 6 is keyed which gears
with the wheel 58, fixed upon a socket 63 surrounding the fixed spindle 59.
This spindle carries at its upper portion, a part 60 (Figs. 4 and 13) which consti-
tutes a kind of cam full in one portion 61 but recessed at another portion 62.
Beneath this cam is placed the said socket 63 which turns with the said wheel 58
and which carries two prolongations 64 placed at an angle of 180° one from the
other. These prolongations terminate in semi-cylindrical parts (Figure 13).
Between the socket 63 and the aforesaid part or cam 60 are arranged two slides 65
which are provided with a groove 66 (Fig. 4) the width of which is equal to that
of the full portion 61 of the cam. Two cases may arise:
1. The full portion 61 of the cam may not be within the groove 66, of the
slide 65 in question; this latter is not in this case maintained and will be acted
upon by the spring 67 which tends to press it against the cylindrical portion of the
prolongation 64. If under these conditions a cork is within this portion, it will
be held and will take part in the rotary motion of the socket and slides.
2nd. The full portion 61 of the cam may be within the groove 66 of the slide 65
under consideration. This latter is in this case held and the spring 67 can exert

page_text: no influence upon it, the slide no longer presses the cork against the cylindrical
portion of the prolongation 64 in question, and the cork can drop.
The different parts which we have been considering, are regulated in such a
manner that one of the slides takes a cork from the jaws J and J¹ in pressing
against the cylindrical portion of one of the prolongations 64 when this cork has
taken part in the three quarter revolutions of the plate or carrier 11. In conse-
quence of the rotary motion of the slides and of the prolongations of the socket,
the cork thus held in one of the prolongations is carried round and submitted to
the action of the knives 40 and 41 which turn upon themselves. Immediately
this action is terminated and the heads are cut, the groove 66 of the slide in
question arrives before the point 611 of the full portion 61 of the cam 60; little by
little, the full portion engaging in the groove brings back the slide towards the
spindle and this latter abandons the cork which then falls out of the machine. At
the moment when the finished cork is released, the other prolongation 64 takes a
fresh cork between the jaws J and J¹. It results from this, as will be readily
understood, that the slides and the prolongations make half a revolution whilst the
plate or carrier 11 makes a complete revolution.
At the moment when the prolongations 64 seize the corks held between the
jaws J, J, it is indespensable that these jaws should be further separated in order
that the corks may be carried away by the prolongations. This separation of the
two jaws JJ is effected by merely raising the upper jaw J. In order to raise this
jaw, we employ the cam 13 above referred to.
This cam 13 (Figures 4 and 7) is mounted upon the shaft 2 and acts upon the
extremity of the lever 71 which produces the rising motion of the slide 31
(Figure 10).
As shewn in Figures 10, 11 and 12 this slide, which is notched or recessed upon
its two lateral faces, moves in the upper portion of the plate or carrier 11.
Springs 72 serve to provide for any wear which may take place.
The lever 71 acts upon a projection 73 carried by the metal part 74 and the lever
bears against the lower part of this projection
The metal part 74 is rigidly connected with a collar 75 into which is fitted the
screw 76. When rotary motion is imparted to this screw, the head 77 of which
is in four parts or divisions, the metal part 74 is raised or lowered.
A plate 78, screwed upon the slide 31, prevents the said screw 76 from moving in
a longitudinal direction and allows it to turn only upon its axis.
In order that the cork may certainly be disengaged from the lower jaw J, when
the upper jaw J¹ rises, a collar 79 Figure 4 surrounding the lower jaw and rigidly
connected with the slide 31, acts upon the bottom of the cork and carries the latter
up with it.
The cork freed in this manner from the lower jaw is then seized by the pincers
formed by the parts 64 and 65, and, as the slide 31 continues to rise slightly and
as the cork cannot follow it being held by the pincers, the cork is necessarily
released from the upper jaw. After this has taken place it may be carried away by
the pincers in their rotary motion without being broken or damaged.
The horizontal knives 40 and 41 are continuously ground during their rotation.
With this object their sharpened edges rest upon two small grindstones 83 and 84
which are mounted loosely upon spindles 831 and 84' (Figure 1); the springs 85
and 86 keep the grindstones constantly bearing upon the knife edges.
As has been already stated when considering the parts of the plate or carrier 11
upon which the pieces of cork which it is desired to operate upon are placed, this
latter should stop when each quarter revolution is completed. Now, owing to its
weight, the plate, acting as a fly-wheel might continue to rotate by reason of its
inertia.
In order to provide against this I fix below the gear wheel 10 a plate 90 (Figure 7)
on which are provided a number of slots or recesses equal to the number of stoppages
which it is intended that the plate should make with each revolution of the gear
wheel 10. Upon the wheel 3 (Figures 4, 7 and 8) I also fix a plate 92 provided

page_text: with a single recess 93. From the preceding description it will be understood
that the wheel 10 is only able to turn when the recess 93 happens to be opposite
one of the recesses 91, and it is precisely at this moment that the teeth of the
sector of the wheel plate 3 will be in gear with the teeth of the wheel 10.
The contact of those edges of the plate 92 which are not recessed with one of
the recessed portions 91 of the wheel plate 90, forms a stop and thus prevents all
rotary movement on the part of the plate 11 or carrier.
In order to the more completely ensure the exactitude of the stoppages of the
plate or carrier 11 this latter has four recesses 94 (Figure 5). Each of these
recesses comes in turn, as a result of the rotation of the plate, in contact with a
cam 95 mounted upon the spindle 96 to which rotary motion is imparted by means
of gear wheels 97, 98 and 99 Figures 5 and 6.
The gear wheel 99 which drives the assemblage is mounted upon the intermediate
shaft 51 which receives a movement of rotation, as already explained. When
one of the carrier recesses 94 corresponds with the recessed portion of the cam 95,
the plate or carrier 11 is free to rotate, but when the opposite is the case the plate
is locked.
It will of course be understood that the action of the wheel plates 90-92, and
that of the recesses 94 of the plate or carrier 11 upon the cam 95, is simultaneous.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A cork turning machine characterised by the combination of a feed mechan-
ism and a plate upon which parallelopipeds of cork intended to be turned are
successively fed, the said plate being given a rotary movement with four stoppages;
each parallelopiped during the first two stoppages being submitted to the action of
endless bands or knives which impart to them a cylindrical or conical shape, the
corks so turned being then removed from the plate during the third stoppage by
pincers which feed them into contact with two horizontal and parallel knives
which cut the heads, as above specified.
2. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, a feed mechanism com-
prising a vertical duct or passage into which are introduced the parallelopipeds
of cork, which, falling one after the other upon a lower slide-way, are fed into the
desired position upon the plate by means of an arm actuated by a lever oscillating
under the action of a cam, the said arm being brought back under the influence
of a suitable spring in order to press forward a fresh piece of cork, when the
movable plate has completed a revolution.
3. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, two vertical jaws each
placed in a prolongation of the other and mounted upon the movable plate, these
two jaws, which hold the parallelopipeds of cork whilst they are being operated
upon, separating one from the other at the moment when the pieces of cork, after
having been turned, are to leave the plate, and approaching one another in order
to seize a parallelopiped at the moment when this latter is fed onto the plate by the
action of the feed mechanism.
4. In connection with the movement of the jaws described in Claim 3, the
arrangement of two cams placed at an angle of 180° from one another, which act
upon the upper jaw upon its passage beneath these cams; one of these cams
acting upon the lower edge of the slide which carries the upper jaw with the
object of raising it so as to separate it from the lower jaw, and the other cam
acting, on the other hand, above the slide in order to approach the upper jaw to the
lower jaw so as to force the points of these jaws to enter the two faces of the
parallelopiped placed between them.
5. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, the method of mounting
the lower jaw, which slides easily through the plate forming the jaw holder, upon
a rod on which is formed a screw thread of quick pitch upon which travels a nut
which is raised at the desired moment by cams provided for that purpose, this

page_text: raising of the nut producing the rotation of the lower jaw, and consequently of the
parallelopiped of cork which it holds also, when the action of the endless ribbons
or knives upon the said parallelopiped is taking place.
6. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement of two
horizontal knives capable of being made to approach or separate one from the
other according to the height of the pieces of cork to be fashioned, the said knives
having imparted to them a motion of continuous rotation upon themselves.
7. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement of two
pairs of pincers to which a rotary motion is given which successively seize the pieces
of cork which have been turned when these latter are released from the jaws upon
the third stoppage of the plate; these pincers being mounted in such a manner
as to make a half turn upon their spindle whilst the plate is making a complete
revolution, and each of them opening in order to allow the cork to fall after the
latter has been submitted to the action of the horizontal knives.
8. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement of the
notched or slotted safety plates in order to ensure the stoppages of the jaw holding
plate at the required moment, the said notched or slotted plates being at right
angles to one another and arranged in such a manner that they cannot rotate
except when one of the notches in one of the plates is opposite the single notch
in the other plate.
9. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, four notches or recesses
formed in the jaw holding plate which successively come in contact with a cam
to which rotary motion is imparted, with the object of ensuring, in concurrence
with the arrangement described in Claim 8, the stoppage of the jaw holding plate
at the required moments.
10. In the cork turning machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement of the
pulleys round which pass the endless knives serving to trim and finish the corks;
the bearings carrying the said pulleys being capable, on the one hand, of displace-
ment in a horizontal direction in order to give the knives a certain degree of
inclination for the production of corks of conical shape and, on the other hand, in
a vertical direction so that the required tension may be given to the endless
knives.
1
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30
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HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.