Improvements in the Manufacture of Tubes and other Articles from Wood, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tubes and other Articles from
Wood, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN EBENEZER BOUSFIELD, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Charles Henri James Gautrelet, of 48, Rue Lafayette, and Marie
Amélie Gabrielle Pallard, née Malle, of 18, Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, both of.
Paris, in the Republic of France) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tubes and other curved articles from
wood and to apparatus therefor.
For certain objects made from wood it is essential to combine lightness and
rigidity with strength; in some cases wood has been employed cut in thin veneers
superposed, the fibres being crossed perpendicularly. The articles made from these
combined veneers have the drawback of possessing a certain stiffness.which renders
them unsuitable for the production of articles of curved form, notably tubes of
small diameters such, for example, as canes.
This invention consists in employing for the manufacture of these articles a
fabric of wood, that is to say, a sheet composed of very thin and narrow bands,
strips or fillets of wood interwoven like the warp and weft threads of a cloth fabric.
If a veneer be applied to one or both sides of this sheet of wood fabric great
strength is ensured together with a certain elasticity which facilitates the formation
of rolled articles of small diameter.
In carrying out the invention sheets of veneer are employed joined end to end by
glueing or cementing so as to make a thin strip of great-length and from this strip
are cut the bands to form the warp and weft of the wood fabric.
The bands may, if required, be strengthened by fabrics placed beneath, such as
textile material or wire-gauze upon which are cemented the sheets or strips of cut
wood.
Instead of cementing together the bands and strengthening material, a
strengthening band of fabric, wire-gauze or like material may be placed beneath
each wooden band when weaving.
Or a band aiready strengthened can be further strengthened by a band of other
suitable material.
In order to cut the wooden strips into the narrow bands intended to form the
wood fabric by weaving, a machine is employed which also serves for weaving the
fabric.
This machine consists of a frame carrying at one of its ends rollers (the number
of which may be varied) on which the warps are wound and at the other end the
warp beam. When the machine is to be used for cutting out the bands one of the
rollers receives the plain wooden strip or the strengthened strip; when it is to be
used for weaving the said roller receives the bobbins filled with the cut out bands
which are to form the warp of the wood fabric.
In weaving, the warp beam receives the manufactured fabric; when cutting ont,
this beam is replaced by a shaft carrying flat bobbins which receive the cut out
bands.
The healds, provided with flat eyes through which the bands pass, are actuated

page_text: by two side levers operated by grooved cams keyed on the motor shaft. For this
purpose the healds are mounted on cross pieces carried and actuated by rods at
each end.
An oscillating bar at each side of the frame connects two rods which actuate
sliding-rods carrying the healds so that the ascent of one of the healds causes the
descent of the other and vice versa.
Whilst the shed is thus formed the workman introduces a wood strip forming the
weft.
The fabric. formed passes under a presser which rises and falls alternately to
bold the fabric or to allow it to pass to the beam on 'which it is wound. The
movement of the presser which is intermittent is 'communicated by two levers, one
on each side of the machine, and each driven by a cam; these levers act upon two
connecting rods having a strong spring for the purpose of 'exerting an elastic
pressure.
'I
Two presser rollers serve to flatten or press the fabric as it is manufactured.
Upon issuing from the pressing rollers the fabric is wound upon the beam which
only turns when the press rises; the forward movement of the beam is produced
by pawls acting on ratchet wheels upon the shaft of the beam; these pawls are
mounted in such a manner that they can 'be adjusted upon arms fixed on a shalt
carrying an arm actuated by a cam.
When the machine is to serve for producing the wood bands, the lever which
operates the healds is put out of action and the healds are moved into a horizontal
position by causing their cross pieces to turn upon hinges, the presser is removed
and the upper pressure roller is replaced by a cutting roller. It consists of a series
of circular blades between which are interposed rings of smaller diameter and of
suitable width according to the width of the strips to be cut. For this portion of
the work the beam has a continuous rotary movement.
Instead of manufacturing the fabric solely with wooden strips, small strips or
threads of thin metal can be employed conjointly with them either as a warp or
a weft and the two rollers can be used, one for receiving the wood 'bands forming
the warp and the other for the strips or threads of metal or other material.
The fabrics thus obtained are employed as already explained either alone or
combined with veneers and are designed to be used fatwise or to take any other
shape such as curvilinear, convex, stamped, embossed, figured, etc..
As an example of the application of this wood fabric the following is an
explanation of how it can be utilized for the manufacture of a tube or 'a hollow
walking-stick.
3.
The machine comprises two longitudinal rollers over which passes an endless
band. This band guided by means of rollers passes over. another or central roller
of suitable size according to the article to be manufactured. A lever serves to
give a greater or less tension to the band.
To form a tube, the fabric of which it is to be composed, for example two thin
sheets of vencer between which is interposed the wood fabric obtained as above
described is placed upon a table layers of cement being spread between these
veneers or sheets of wood and wood' fabric; the whole is then caused, to pass
between rollers. The machine is put in movement, the endless band carries along
the sheets of wood and rolls them upon the central roller; the machine is then
caused to 'make several revolutions in order to obtain the desired thickness for the
tube being formed.
..
Whilst continuing to operate the machine, a fabric serving to firmly hold the
tube until the cement is dry and hard is wound externally on the formed tube, the
whole being consolidated if necessary by bands which are afterwards removed.
The article is finished by polishing and varnishing.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Tubes and other Articles from
Wood, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN EBENEZER BOUSFIELD, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communica-
tion to me by Charles Henri James Gautrelet, of 48, Rue Lafayette, and
Marie Amélie Gabrielle Pallard, née Malle, of 18, Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau,
both of Paris, in the Republic of France) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tubes and other articles from wood
and to apparatus therefor.
For certain objects made from wood it is essential to combine lightness and
rigidity with strength; in some cases wood has been employed cut in thin veneers
superposed, the fibres being crossed perpendicularly. The material composed of these
combined veneers has the disadvantage of possessing a certain stiffness which
renders it unsuitable for the production of articles of curved form, notably Lubes
of small diameter such, for example, as walking sticks.
This invention consists in employing for the manufacture of these articles
a fabric of wood, that is to say, a sheet composed of very thin and narrow bands, .
strips or fillets of wood interwoven like the warp and weft threads of a cloth fabric.
I sometimes apply a veneer to one or both sides of this sheet of wood fabric
whereby great strength is ensured together with a certain elasticity which facilitates
the formation of rolled articles of small diameter.
In the accompanying drawings,-
°
Figure 1 is an edge view of a portion of the strips from which the bands are cut
to form the warp and weft of the wood fabric :
Figure 2 is a plan of the same:
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are edge views illustrating different ways of strengthening
the wood fabric:
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 are plans illustrating various ways of weaving the wood
fabric:
Figure 10 is a longitudinal elevation of a machine I employ for manufacturing
the wood fabric:
Figure 11 is an end elevation of the same:
Figure 12 is a longitudinal elevation of a cutting roller which I employ in the
said manufacture:
Figure 13 is a vertical section of a machine I employ for manufacturing tubes or
hollow walking sticks from my wood fabric.
In carrying out the invention sheets of veneer are employed joined end to end,
as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, by glueing or cementing so as to make a thin strip a
of great length and from this strip are cut the bands to form the warp and weft of
the wood fabric.
I can vary the weaving of this wood fabric, for example I can produce fabrics
like those shewn in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9.
The strips a may, if required, be strengthened by fabrics b (Figure 3) such as
textile material or wire-gauze upon which are cemented the sheets or strips of
wood from which the bands are to be cut.

page_text: Instead of cementing together the said sheets or strips and strengthening material
and then cutting the bands therefrom, a strengthening band 6 of fabric, wire-gauze
or like material may, as illustrated by Figure 4, be placed beneath each cut wooden
band a when weaving.
Or a band already strengthened such as ab (Figure 5) can be further strengthened
by a band of other suitable material.
In order to cut the wooden strips a, Figures 1 and 2, into the narrow bands
intended to form the wood fabric by weaving, a machine is employed which, also
serves for weaving the fabric.
This machine which is shewn in Figures 10 and 11 consists of a frame A carrying
at one of its ends rollers B and C (the number of which may be varied) on
which the warps are wound and at the other end the warp beam D. When the
machine is to be used for cutting out the bands the roller B receives the plain
wooden strip a, Figures 1 and 2, or the strengthened strip ab, Figure 3; when it is
to be used for weaving, the bobbins filled with the cut out bands which are to form
the warp of the wood fabric are passed over or strung upon the roller B.
In weaving, the warp beam D receives the manufactured fabric; when cutting
out, this beam is replaced by a shaft carrying flat bobbins which receive the cut
out bands.
The healds E and F, provided with flat eyes o through which the bands a pass,
are actuated by two side levers G, G operated by grooved cams H, H keyed on
the motor shaft J. For this purpose the healds are mounted on cross pieces t, t
hinged to and actuated by sliding rods p, p at each of their ends.
An oscillating bar K at each side of the frame connects two rods m, m which
actuate the sliding-rods p, p carrying the healds E, F so that the ascent of one of
the healds causes the descent of the other and rice versû.
Whilst the shed is thus formed the workman introduces a wood strip forming the
weft.
The fabric formed passes under a presser L which rises and falls alternately to
hold the fabric or to allow it to pass to the beam D on which it is wound. The
movement of the presser which is intermittent is communicated by two levers M,
one on each side of the machine and each driven by a cam N; these levers M act
upon two connecting rods P having at u a strong spring for the purpose of exerting
an elastic pressure.
upon
Two pressure rollers Q, Q' serve to flatten or press the fabric as it is manu-
factured. Upon issuing from the pressure rollers the fabric is wound the
beam which only turns when the press L rises; the forward movement of the
beam D is produced by pawls n acting on ratchet wheels n' upon the shaft of
the beam D; these pawls n are mounted in such a manner that they can be
adjusted upon arms r fixed on a shaft 7 carrying an arm v¹ actuated by a cam O.
When the machine is to serve for cutting the wood bands, the side levers G which
operate the healds E, F are put out of action and the healds are moved into
a horizontal position by causing their cross-pieces t, t to turn upon their hinges z,,
the presser L is removed and the upper pressure roller Q is replaced by a cutting
roller represented at Figure 12. It consists of a series of circular blades between
which are interposed rings y of smaller diameter and of suitable width according
to the width of the bands to be cut. For this portion of the work the beam D has
a continuous rotary movement communicated to it.
Instead of manufacturing the fabric solely with wooden bands, small strips or
threads of thin metal can be employed conjointly with them either as a warp or
a weft and the two rollers B and C can be used, one for receiving the wood bands
forming the warp and the other for the strips or threads of metal or other
material.
The fabrics thus obtained are employed as already explained either alone or
combined with veneers and are designed to be used flatwise or to be formed into
any other shape such as curvilinear, convex, stamped, embossed, figured, etc.
To firmly unite the component parts of this fabric and to connect them to the

page_text: parts with which they are to be combined, we make use of cements which may be
made as follows:-
For the better class of walking sticks which are formed of several rolls we
employ a cement consisting of-
We reduce the whole by heat and by continuously stirring it to 2200 grammes.
If a thicker glue is required we replace the chestnut flour by wood-sawdust.
or ground cork sifted and mixed with ten per cent. of modellers' plaster and
ten per cent. of papier-mâché.
As an example of the application of this wood fabric the following is an
explanation of how it can be utilized for the manufacture of a tube or a hollow
walking stick.
The machine used is represented at Figure 13 and comprises two longitudinal
drums R and S over which passes an endless band or apron T. This band guided
by means of rollers and s passes over a roller V of suitable size according to the
article to be manufactured. A lever X serves to give a greater or less tension to
the band T.
To form a tube, the fabric of which it is to be composed, for example two thin
sheets of veneer between which is interposed the wood fabric obtained as above.
described is placed upon a table Z, layers of cement being spread between these
veneers or sheets of wood and wood fabric; the whole is then caused to pass.
between rollers and s'. The machine is put in movement, the endless band T
carries along the sheets of wood and rolls them upon the roller V; the machine
is then caused to make several revolutions in order to obtain the desired thickness.
for the tube being formed.
Whilst continuing to operate the machine, a fabric serving to firmly hold the
tube until the cement is dry and hard is wound externally on the formed tube, the
whole being consolidated if necessary by bands which are afterwards removed..
The article is finished by polishing and varnishing.
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. The manufacture of wood fabric for forming tubes and other articles from bands.

page_text: or strips of wood cut from thin sheets of veneer joined end to end, the said bands
or strips forming the warp and weft of the fabric, substantially as set forth.
2. For the manufacture of tubes and other articles, bands or strips of wood
strengthened with metal, cloth or other material adherent or not to the wood bands
or strips during the weaving and with or without strips or threads of metal
or the like interposed between the wood bands or strips, substantially as set forth.
3. The herein described machine for manufacturing wood fabric for forming tubes
and other articles consisting of the rollers B, C, beam D, healds E, F carried
upon hinged cross pieces and actuated by an arrangement of cams and levers from
the main shaft J, the presser L and the pressure rollers Q, Q', substantially
as set forth.
4. The wood fabric herein before described in combination with sheets of veneer
cemented thereto with cements of various strengths, the wood fabric constituting
a core or backing affording a great resistance, substantially as set forth.
5. For the manufacture of rolled articles, tubes or walking sticks from the wood
fabric herein described, a machine comprising an arrangement of rollers in combina-
tion with an endless band for rolling around one of the said rollers one or several
superposed thicknesses of veneer combined with wood fabric cemented thereto,
substantially as set forth.
6. As new products the wood fabrics obtained as hereinbefore described and the
various articles manufactured therefrom by joining, rolling or other means,
substantially as set forth.
1
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.