Improvements in Apparatus for Making Casks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL DIGITIVATION
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Casks.
I ALEXANDER DUNBAR of 66 South John Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object is to provide improved machinery for effecting the operations of
setting up and gathering staves, closing and finally trussing, chiming, and creuzing.
For setting up and gathering the staves I make use of a rotating table provided
with an adjustable central carrier for the upper ends of the staves and with radially
moved gathering pieces. The gathering pieces are moved radially by links or
The action is as follows:-As the
connections coupled to a ring free to rotate.
table rotates, the staves are placed in position with their lower ends resting on the
table within the gathering pieces, and with their upper ends resting on the adjustable
central carrier. When all the staves are in position, a hoop of greater diameter
than the bilge of the barrel is dropped over the upper end of the staves together
with a smaller hoop to keep the upper ends near together, the motion of the above
mentioned ring is then arrested and the motion of the table is continued either in
the same or a reverse direction. The links or their equivalents are thereby caused
to act on the gathering pieces so as to bring the lower ends of the staves sufficiently
near together to allow of the large hoop passing down around them. The gathering
pieces are then moved back and the collected staves are removed in a more or less
conical form.
For closing the wide ends of a conical form of staves, I make use of a stationary
receptacle for the small end of the conical form and employ in combination there-
with a series of lever arms having at their free ends closing blocks and attached at
their lower ends to links which receive to and fro motion by means of crank and
connecting rod or equivalent so as to move the said blocks radially towards and
from the centre devices. The action is as follows:-The conical form is placed in
the receptacle with the small end down, and the apparatus is set in motion so as to
cause the closing blocks to slowly bring the open ends of the staves close together,
after which a hoop is placed over the closed ends. The closing blocks are then
A heater
moved away from the centre and the form of closed staves is removed.
may be placed within the receptacle to facilitate the bending of the staves.
For trussing, chiming, and creuzing the closed form I make use of a machine
such as I have described in the Specifications to British Letters Patent No. 1171
The form is
of the year 1888, and No. 5787 of the year 1890 granted to me.
placed on the collapsible drum and trussed substantially in the manner therein
described so as to finally and firmly close the ends of the staves after which the
cask is held stationary in the position in which it is trussed whilst the chiming and
creuzing are effected by cutters on rotating end plates. The end plates have
approaching and receding motion imparted to them so as to bring them into position
for chiming and creuzing. Three sets of movable tools are used, one set for
chiming, a second set for hollowing, and a third set for creuzing. The cutters are
connected to links so as to be movable to and from the centre.
An important feature of all the above apparatus is that where damage might
ensue through over-pressure, the moving parts are so actuated by links or
connections, that when they have moved the required distance, further motion of

page_text: the apparatus causes them to move away from instead of to their work so that
strains and fracture are avoided.
Dated the 7th day of March 1802
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.
CODER DIE DI ECIFICATIONN.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Casks.
I ALEXANDER DUNBAR of 66 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
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object is to provide improved machinery for effecting the operations of
setting up and gathering staves, closing and finally trussing chiming and creuzing.
For setting up and gathering the staves I make use of a rotating table provided
with an adjustable central carrier for the upper ends of the staves and with radially
moved gathering pieces. The gathering pieces are moved radially by links or
connections coupled to a ring free to rotate.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 a vertical section of a setting up or stave gathering
machine constructed in accordance with my invention. a is a table fixed to the
spindle which is free to rotate in the bearing c in the foundation plate d.
e frame
carried by standards and preferably fitted in any usual or suitable way with anti-
friction rollers on which the said table a rests. Bolted centially to the top of
the said table a is a hollow stem g over which fits a sleeve terminating in a
circular carrier head i, j is a nut hand wheel and screw fitted in any usual or
suitable way so that the sleeve and head i may be caused to move up or down
over the stem g. k are set bolts secured to the head and having at the upper
ends a second head. The lower head is used in making small casks and the
upper head for large casks, more than two heads may be carried by the stem and
the adjustment as to height allows of one head serving for several lengths of casks.
7 are gathering pieces free to be moved to and fro in radial slots in the table a.
The gathering pieces are fitted with adjustable gripping blocks n ring free to
rotate on the spindle b. o links coupling the pieces to the said ring n.
teeth on the ring n, q detent for taking into the teeth p, worm wheel secured to
the spindle b. s. worm gearing with the wheel r. t driving and reversing gear for
the worm 8. u cask staves. v. hoops.
l
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
p ratchet
The table a is caused to rotate and the staves are placed in position with their
lower ends inside the blocks l' and their upper ends resting against one of the
heads i. i. When the requisite number of staves have been placed in position a
hoop of greater diameter than the bilge of the cask is dropped over the staves
whilst a smaller hoop binds the upper ends near together. The detent is then
brought into action so as to arrest the motion of the ring n whilst the table a still
continues to rotate either in the same direction as previously or preferably in the
reverse direction. Owing to the ring being stationary and the table in motion
the links o act on the gathering pieces so as to bring the lower ends of the
staves sufficiently near together to allow of the large hoop v passing down around
them.
The continued motion of the table causes the gathering pieces to again open,
after which the collected staves are removed. The ring is allowed to revolve
with the table another set of staves is placed in position and the direction of
motion is reversed so as to again cause the gathering pieces to close the lower
ends of the staves.

page_text: Instead of causing the worm wheel to give motion to the table it may give
motion to the ring and the table may be loose on the shaft in which case the ratchet
teeth would be on the table instead of on the ring. For closing the wide ends of
a conical form of staves I make use of a stationary receptacle for the small end of
the conical form and employ in combination therewith a series of lever arms
having at their free ends closing blocks and attached at their lower ends to links
which receive to and fro motion by means of crank and connecting rod or equivalent
gear so as to move the said blocks radially towards and from the centre.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of apparatus under my invention for closing the
wide ends of staves gathered in a conical form as set forth under Figs. 1 and 2.
a is a frame to which is affixed a receptacle b. Around the said receptacle and
pivotted thereto by means of lugs c are a series of lever arms d. The lever
arms d carry adjustable closing blocks e at their upper ends and are pivotted at
their lower ends by links f. to a sleeve g free to be moved up and down on a
spindle secured to the bottom of the receptacle b, i is a lever pivotted at one erd
to the bracket ; secured to the frame a and at the other end to the connecting
rod k the said lever i. is also pivotted at an intermediate point to the sleeve g.
The connecting rod is coupled to a pin m on a disc n carried by the shaft o.
The shaft o has on it a worm wheel driven by a worm, or other suitable driving
gear may be used, cask staves.
The action is as follows:-
The conical form obtained from a machine such as is described under Figs. 1
and 2 is placed with the small end in the receptacle the sleeve g being in its
lowest position and the blocks e spread outward. The apparatus is set in motion
so as to cause the sleeve g to rise and by means of the links f and arms d slowly
to close the blocks e on the open ends of the staves and bring them near together,
after which a hoop is placed over the closed ends. The continued motion of the
machinery gradually opens the blocks, the form is then removed and another set of
gathered staves placed in position. Liners are used within the receptacle 6 to
enable cask forms of different sizes to be closed. The staves are heated in any
usual way and a heater may be placed in the receptacle if desired.
For trussing, chiming and creuzing the closed form I make use of a machine
such as I have described in the Specifications to British Letters Patent No. 1171
of the year 1888 and No. 5787 of the year 1890 granted to me.
The form is placed
on the collapsible drum and trussed substantially in the manner therein described
so as to finally and firmly close the ends of the staves after which the cask is
held stationary in the position in which it is trussed whilst the chiming and
creuzing are effected by cutters on rotating end plates. The end plates have
approaching and receding motion imparted to them so as to bring them into position
for chiming and creuzing. Three sets of movable tools are used one set for chiming
a second set for hollowing, and a third set for creuzing. The cutters are connected
to links so as to be movable to and from the centre.
Fig. 4 is a plan part being in section of so much of a trussing chiming and
creuzing machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention, a is part of the fixed
or main frame, & collapsible drum carried on a shaft c in bearings on the sliding
frame d, d sliding head e is the usual hinged head. The above parts are constructed
and operate as far as the trussing is concerned substantially as set forth in the
Complete Specifications to my British Patents No. 1171 of the year 1888 and
No. 5787 of the year 1890 with the exception that the movable head d¹ and frame d
are caused to slide to and fro by means of connecting rods d² and wheel and worm
or equivalent driving gear. When the trussing has been effected the drum b and
shaft c are held stationary by means of a brake f. gg' are end plates carried by
hollow shafts h h free to rotate in bearings i. carried in frames jjl movable on
slides. The said shafts are caused to rotate by means of pulleys k k¹. are
two sets of worm wheels and screws in gear for the purpose of giving end motion to
the frames jj with their hollow shafts and end plates. Each end plate is provided
with tools m m¹ and m². The tools m are adjustable by set bolts or their

page_text: equivalents, the tools m¹ and m² are carried in slides in the heads and are adjustable
or movable by means of links an² connected to rotating collars o o' carried by the
cross pieces PP, 47' screw gear for giving end motion to the pieces ppl and with
them to the collars o o' so as to cause the tools m² m² to move radially in the
slides on the heads y gland cut away the desired parts when the end plates are
rotated. The fixed tools m¹ first come into action to cut the chime, the tools m²
finish the chime and hollowing, the tools m³ make the creuze.
An important feature in all the apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated
is that where damage might ensue through over pressure the acting parts are so
operated by links or connections that when they have moved the required distance,
further motion of the apparatus causes the said acting parts to travel from instead
of to their work.
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 :-
First. The combination of a table a carrier i gathering pieces coupling links o
and ring n constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination of a receptacle b and lever arms & constructed and
operated substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination of trussing apparatus having a collapsible drum with
end plates movable tools and operating gear substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of machinery for gathering, closing, trussing, chiming
and creuzing casks substantially as set forth.
Fifth. Constructing stave gathering and closing machinery with limited and
alternating compressing and releasing motions for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 6th January 1894.
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.