Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Casks, Barrels, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 65, South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus of the kind
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me viz., No. 1171
A.D. 1888, for the manufacture of casks barrels and the like.
According to the above mentioned Specification I employed a levelling plate
suspended in front of the larger end of the opening trussing head and liner for
levelling the ends of the staves and trussing one end of the barrel rim, but in
practice I have found that when the levelling plate is removed the other end of the
barrel rim trussed the first trussed end is liable to be pressed too far through the
first liner, and occasionally the stave ends will not be level thus causing a waste of
wood.
To obviate this difficulty I according to my present invention employ a levelling
ring secured in any convenient manner so as to allow of its position being quickly
adjusted with respect to the back end of the liner. The levelling ring may be
carried by two or more screw threaded pillars taking into screw threaded nuts
provided in the trusser head fixing and caused to revolve simultaneously by
toothed wheels pitch chains or the like for adjusting the position of the said
ring.
The levelling ring is placed at a distance from the back end of liner about
equal to the distance the first trussed end of the barrel rim is intended to project
through so that any staves projecting beyond or in advance of others will press
against the levelling ring until such others are also brought up. The levelling
plate in front of the opening liner is then removed and the flared or other end of
the rim is also trussed lightly. The levelling hoop may then be moved a little
further from the liner to allow the first end to be still further trussed if desired.
By these means the trussed rim may be quickly and accurately set in position with
the cutters for dressing the ends without loss of wood.
I have also found that when the levers carrying the cutting, chamfering, crozing
and howelling tools are brought into operation at any speed the operator chooses an
inferior quality of work is done and a longer time occupied than when the tools are
brought automatically into operation and worked at a regular or constant speed.
For automatically cutting the ends of a trussed barrel rim whilst revolving in the
machine I provide an arrangement as follows:-At each end of the machine is a
bell crank lever pivoted to the trussing head fixing and provided with the requisite
cutting tools. To the longer arms of the bell crank levers which project outwards
to the back of the machine pendent links are pivoted. Their lower ends have holes
into which take suitable crank pins secured to two cranks fixed at each end of a
short shaft which is rotated in any convenient manner it may be by toothed wheels
so as to reduce the speed in proportion to that of the barrel rim. The toothed
wheels may be driven by a belt and a fast and loose strap pulley, the belt mover
being so arranged that when in gear it shall be automatically released by a catch
on the crank shaft as soon as it has completed one revolution i.e. after bringing into
and taking out of operation the cutting tools. A hand lever and spring or its
equivalent may be employed for moving the belt from the loose to the fast pulley
where it will remain until automatically released.
The crank pins may be pointed at their ends and be made long so that as the

page_text: trussing heads advance towards each other the crank pin will enter into the holes in
the suspended links and when the trussing heads are withdrawn sufficiently apart
one or both of the links will be free from the crank pin or pins to allow the opening
trussing head to be swung open.
Springs may be employed for retaining the bell crank levers and links in the
positions in which the crank pins leave them.
Apparatus of the kind above described may be modified to suit machines
designed for different classes of barrels without departure from the essential
features of my invention.
Dated this 16th day of Anril 1800
A. DUNBAR,
Per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Casks, Barrels, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 65, South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, 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 improvements in machinery or apparatus of the kind
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me riz.: No. 1171
A. D. 1888 for the manufacture of casks, barrels and the like.
According to the above mentioned Specification I employ a levelling plate
suspended in front of the larger end of the opening trussing head and liner for
levelling the ends of the stares and trussing one end of the barrel rim, but in
practice I have found that when the levelling plate is removed, and the other end
of the barrel rim trussed, the first trussed end is liable to be pressed too far
through the first liner, and occasionally the stave ends will not be level, thus
causing a waste of wood.
To obviate this difficulty I according to my present invention employ a levelling
ring, secured in any convenient manner so as 'to allow of its position being quickly
adjusted with respect to the back end of the liner.
The levelling ring may be carried by two or more screw threaded pillars taking
into screw threaded muts provided in the trusser head fixing, and caused to revolve
simultaneously by toothed wheels, pitched chains, or the like for adjusting the
position of the said ring.
The levelling ring is placed at a distance from the back end of the liner about
equal to the distance the first trussed end of the barrel rim is intended to project
through, so that any staves projecting beyond or in advance of others will press
against the levelling ring until such others are also brought up. The levelling
plate in front of the opening liner is then removed and the flared or other end of
the rim is also trussed lightly. The levelling hoop may then be moved a little
further from the liner to allow the first end to be still further trussed if desired.
By these means the trussed rim may be quickly and accurately set in position with
the cutters for dressing the ends without loss of wood.
I have also found that when the levers carrying the cutting, chamfering, crozing
and howelling tools are brought into operation at any speed the operator chooses, an
inferior quality of work is done, and a longer time is occupied than when the tools
are brought automatically into operation, and worked at a regular or constant speed.
For automatically cutting the ends of the trussed barrel rim whilst revolving in the
machine I provide an arrangement as follows:-
At each end of the trussing and cutting portion of the machine is a bell crank
lever pivotted to the trussing head fixing and provided with the requisite cutting
tools. To the longer arms of the bell crank levers, which project outwards to the

page_text: back of the machine, pendent inks are pivotted. Iheir lower ends have notes into
which take suitable crank pins secured to two crank webs fixed at each end of a
short shaft which is rotated in any convenient manner it may be by toothed wheels
so as to reduce the speed in proportion to that of the barrel rim. The toothed
wheels may be driven for example by a belt pulley, the belt shifter being so
arranged that when in gear it shall be automatically released by a catch on the
crank shaft as soon as it has completed one revolution i.e. after bringing into and
taking out of operation the cutting tools. A hand lever and spring or its equivalent
may be employed for moving the belt from the loose to the fast pulley where it will
remain until automatically released; or in place of the belt pulleys and belt shifter
a clutch may be employed as hereinafter described.
The crank pins may be pointed at their ends and be made long so that as the
trussing heads advance towards each other, the crank pins will enter into the holes
in the suspended links, and when the trussing heads are withdrawn sufficiently
apart one or both of the links will be free from the crank pin or pins to allow the
opening trusshead to be swung open.
Springs may be employed for retaining the bell crank levers and links in the
positions in which the crank pins leave them.
Apparatus of the kind above described may be modified to suit different
machines designed for different classes of barrels without departure from the
essential features of my invention.
Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings
Fig. 1, is a plan or top view of a machine constructed according to my present
invention.
Fig. 2, is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line 8, 9, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a sectional plan taken on the line 10, 11, of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, is an elevation shewing the opening end of the machine and sufficient
details to clearly illustrate the invention.
Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation taken on the line 12, 13 of Fig. 4, shewing the
automatic cutting gear arrangement.
Fig. 6, is a plan of the same.
Fig. 7, is a detailed view shewing the automatic releaser cam and bolt or
detent.
Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the drawings.
A, is a suspended levelling plate placed in front of the larger end of the
opening trussing head B. C, is an adjustable levelling ring secured to the truss-
head fixing D, by four screws C, C', that take into corresponding nuts C2, C3,
guided in trusshead fixing D. Each of the four nuts C2 has teeth formed around
its circular head portion that gear with a central spur wheel C³. One of the
nuts C2 is provided with a hand wheel C+ placed in a convenient position for an
operator and the arrangement is such that by turning this hand wheel in either
direction, the levelling ring C, can be caused to move evenly or parallel to
itself towards or away from the liner D' and the trusshead E, as may be
required.
F, F, are levers carrying tools for cutting the two ends of a trussed barrel rim
simultaneously whilst the rim is revolving in the machine. These levers hereafter
called cutter levers are pivotted to fixed studs G, G¹, secured to the trussing
head fixings as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The upper part of the short end of
cach cutter lever is curved inwards so as to project into one end of the barrel rim
(Fig. 3) and is provided with a tool holder that will readily admit of adjustment
of the shaped cutting tools F* to suit various sizes of barrels. The lower
portion or elbow of the cutter levers F, F; carry each a lance or cutting tool H,
for dressing the ends of the staves E'; this tool as will be seen by the dotted lines
in Fig. 2 cuts from the outside towards the inside of the barrel rim and thus dresses
the end smoothly. The long projecting arms of the cutter levers F, F', are each
connected to one of two crank pins J, J¹, by pendent links K, K'. The lower end
of the pendent link K at the opening end of the machine, which slides off the end

page_text: of the pointed crank pin J, when the trussing head B, carrying the same is moved
to the left (Fig. 1) is provided with a bell mouth or tapered hole so that the said
crank pin may again readily enter it when the trussing heads B, and E, are brought
towards each other. The other link K, does not leave its crank pin J', which is
made sufficiently long to enable the link to slide thereon. Suitable guides B',
Fig. 4, are provided for steady ing the pendent links K K¹, for preventing them
from moving end wise except with the trussing heads.
Spiral springs L, are provided for holding the cutter levers F, F1, and attached
pendent links K, K', in the position shewn by the full lines in Figs. 2 & 4, and in
which they were left by the crank pins J, J', each time these pins make a revolution;
a stop B², is provided on the pendent link K, for preventing the spring L,
drawing it out of line with the crank pin after it has slid off its pointed end.
The crank shaft J2, is slowly revolved through a train of toothed wheels M, M,
from the horizontal shaft N, which is driven by a belt N', from a small pulley
formed with the sleeve that revolves the collapsing drum as described in my said
former Specification No. 1171 of A.D. 1888.
The automatic device for stopping the crank shaft J2, after it has made one
revolution consists of a clutch or toothed coupling P, Figs. 1, 5, 6, & 7. One half
of this coupling is mounted to slide on a fixed key on the driving shaft N, so that
whilst it must rotate with this shaft it can be moved in and out of gear with the
other half of the coupling by a forked lever 1, which takes into an external annular
groove in the first half as shewn in Figs. 5, 6 & 7. The forked lever P¹ is secured
to one end of a sliding bolt or detent P, guided in the shaft fixing Q, and adapted
to be moved endways to cause the teeth on the loose half coupling to engage by a
bent coupling lever R, fixed to a rock shaft R', and provided with a hand lever R².
The other end of the bolt or detent is provided with a spiral spring R³, that draws
the end down into a recess formed in the shaft fixing Q, as shewn by the dotted
lines in Fig. 5, when moved to the left by the hand lever and in which recess it is
held until raised free of the end of the recess by a cam S, on the crank shaft J,
when it immediately springs back into the position shewn by the full lines in
Fig. 5. For this purpose the hand lever R2, is either weighted or provided with a
spring so that when the bolt or detent P2, is lifted out of the recess, it will be
caused to move end ways, and disengage the two halves of the coupling and thus
stop the rotation of the crank shaft.
By the arrangement described the cutting tools can be brought into operation
at the desired cutting speed to suit the speed of trussed barrel rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine or apparatus of the kind herein referred to for the manufacture
of casks barrels and the like an adjustable levelling ring such as C, mounted as
described and adapted to level one end of the staves whilst they are being trussed
and to prevent them from passing too far through the liner substantially as herein
set forth.
2. In a machine or apparatus of the kind herein referred to for the manufacture
of casks barrels and the like cutter levers such as F, F¹, carrying cutting tools
adapted to simultaneously dress the ends of staves, and driving mechanism for
automatically operating the cutters from a moving part of the machine when the
barrel rim revolves substantially as herein described.
3. In a machine or apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim the
combination with the cutter levers, of mechanism for automatically actuating the
said levers, comprising a shaft provided with crank pins connected to the said
cutter levers, and driven by a train of toothed wheels through a clutch and releasing
mechanism for throwing the clutch out of gear when the crank shaft has made one
revolution, said releasing mechanism comprising a bolt or detent, means such as a
fixed shoulder for holding it in a position in which it maintains the two parts of

page_text: the clutch in gear, a rotary cam for disengaging the bolt or detent from the part
by which it is held, and a spring or equivalent for moving the bolt or detent and
disengaging the clutch substantially as herein described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts for actuating the cutter levers and
for throwing their driving mechanism out of gear substantially as described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 15th day of January 1891.
ALEXANDER DUNBAR.