IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORKS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Dudley, of Drummond Road, Ber-,
mondsey, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Dudley
at the Office of the, Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou
the 16th August 1867.
I, JOHN WILLIAM DUDLEY, of Drummond Road, Bermondsey, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare. the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORкS;" to be as follows:-
In the machinery constructed according to this Invention the sheet of cork
is first cut in the usual way into strips of the width required for the length of
the corks, and is of a thickness more or less approaching the diameter of the
cork required. The strip of cork is then fed between two spring dogs which
grip it; a knife then comes forward and cuts off a piece from the strip
sufficient for making one cork, at the same time bringing forward a second
knife which, after paring the piece of cork to a uniform thickness, is released
and drawn back by a spring; this knife is fixed to an arm swinging from a
standard at the top of the machine, and is held by the spring until operated as
above described. Immediately following the knife first mentioned, and on the
same frame, is a third knife, not quite so wide as the first; but of great length,
and shaped like segment of a circle; this knife is mounted on arms which

page_text: converge to the centre of the said segment, and are there connected to an
axis on which it moves, working in a suitable bearing. The curved knife is
capable of an oscillating movement on its centre or axis, so that its edge is
always presented to the piece of cork cut off from the strip; this piece of cork
is, held between the two spring dogs before mentioned, and as soon as the
curved knife commences to cut it a lever fixed to the axis of the knife-carrying
frame rotates the dogs by means of a band and pulley driven by a cam or
other suitable gearing, causing them to revolve the piece of cork against the
edge of the curved knife as it travels along, thus rendering the cork cylindrical.
When the curved knife reaches the end of its course the cork, now finished,
is released from the spring dogs by means of a lever arm, and falls into
a receptacle provided for the purpose. One end of this lever arm is
suitably connected to the knife-carrying frame by which it is operated, the
other end acting upon one of the spring dogs for the purpose of releasing the
cork. On the return movement of the knife-carrying frame the lever arm
returns to its normal position; a projection on said frame at the same time
holds open the spring dogs for: again receiving the strip of cork; a piece of
which is cut off and turned as before. The oscillation of the knife frame is
produced by means of a connecting rod attached thereto at a suitable distance
from its axis, motion being transmitted to said connecting rod by means of
gearing, the whole being operated by any suitable motive power. I also
provide two grindstones' mounted on the framing of the machine, which are
kept continually rotating by means of the gearing operating the connecting
rod. At each oscillation of the knife frame the edge. of the curved knife
comes in contact with the revolving faces of said grindstones, and is thus
always kept in a cutting condition. By simply lowering and slightly altering,
the direction of one of the spring dogs a taper cork is produced. The knife.
frame can be adjusted on its axis at any distance from the dogs according to
the size of the cork required, and can be made to move to and fro in order to
produce an oval cork.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by 'the said John William Dudley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th February, 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN,
WILLIAM DUDLEY, of Drummond Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: "
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One- thousand eight..hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John William Dudley, Her special licence that I, the said
John William Dudley, my executors, administrators,. and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John William Dudley, my executors, administrators;:
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom.
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,,and Isle of Man, .an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORKS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said. John William Dudley,.my.
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same, to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office.
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said,
Letters. Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John William Dudley,. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same;
is to be performed, to be particularly described and. ascertained in and by:
the following, statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that: is
to say):
=
i
In the machinery; constructed according to this Invention the sheet, of: cork:
is first cut into strips of the width required for the length of the cork, and is
of a thickness more or less approaching the diameter of the corks required.
The strip of cork is fed between two dogs which grip it; a knife then comes.
forward and cuts off a piece from the strip sufficient for making one cork..
Immediately-following-the-knife-first mentioned, and in the same-plane, is-a-
second knife not quite so wide as the first, but of great length, aud-shaped
like the segment of a circle; this knife is mounted on arims which converge
to the centre of said segment, and are there connected to an 'axis on which it.
moves, working in a suitable bearing. The curved knife is capable of recipro--
cating movement oscillating from its centre, so that its edge is always.
presented to the piece of cork cut off from the strip; this piece of. cork is -
held between the two dogs, and so soon as the curved knife commences.to
cut it a lever arm mounted on the framing actuates the dogs by suitable

page_text: gearing, causing them to revolve the piece of cork against the edge of the
curved knife as it travels along, thus rendering the cork cylindrical. When
the curved knife reaches the end of its course the cork now finished is released
from the dogs by means of a lever arm acting on one of the dogs, and falls
into. a shoot or receptacle provided for the purpose; the lower end of this
lever arm is connected with a cam by which it is operated, the other end
acting upon one of the dogs for the purpose of releasing the cork. During
the return movement of the knife-carrying frame the lever arm is returned to
its original position by the cam above mentioned, at same time holding open one
of the dogs for again receiving the strip of cork, a piece of which is cut off
and turned as before. The oscillation of the knife frame is produced by
means of a connecting rod attached thereto at a suitable distance from its axis,
motion being transmitted to said connecting rod by means of gearing, the
whole being operated by any suitable motive power. I also provide two grind-
stones, which are kept continually rotating by means of the gearing operating
the connecting rod. At each oscillation of the frame the edges of the curved
knife come in contact with the revolving faces of said grindstones, and it is
thus always kept in a sharp condition. By simply lowering and slightly
altering the direction of one of the dogs a taper cork is produced. The knifé
frame can be adjusted on its axis at any distance from the dogs according to
the size of the cork required, and can be made to move to and fro in order to
produce an oval cork. I sometimes employ a third knife, which after a
piece or "square" of cork has been severed from the strip, as before mentioned,
pares it to a uniform thickness, technically known as "backing," the knife
being then released and drawn back by a spring; this knife is fixed to an
arm swinging from a standard at the top of the machine, and is held by the
spring until operated as above described.
F
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, Figure, 1 of
which shows a front view of the cork-cutting machine; Figure 2, a plan;
and Figure 3 an end view of the same on the side of the driving gear.
A, A, are standards mounted on a bed plate at each end of the machine, on
which standards is bolted a plate B carrying the adjustable bearings a, a, of
the dogs b, b, and between which the strip of cork is gripped on being fed to
the machine. by hand. The strip of cork is previously cut of a width corre-
sponding to the length and also to the thickness desired to make a certain
sized cork. The spindles of dogs b, b', carry pinions a¹, a, at, either end
gearing with toothed wheels a³, a, mounted in bearings on plate B. After

page_text: the strip is gripped by the dogs b, 61, it is immediately severed by a knife C
moving across the face of the machine and suitably attached to
a second
knife and frame, as will be presently described. The knife C, which is
fitted to move in close proximity to the bearings a, a, is adjustable together
with the paring knife D, according to the size of cork desired. The knife
C in its forward motion severs a piece of cork from the strip of sufficient
size for a cork, the diameter of which is regulated by a guage c rising and
falling in a guided at the upper part of the machine. The piece of cork in
the form of a parallelopiped being gripped by the dogs 6, 61, is then subjected
to the action of a second knife D of segmental form mounted in bearings ou
the bed plate, of the machine; this knife D has reciprocating motion imparted
by the aid of a connecting rod E connected to a crank pin F of a toothed wheel
G, to which motion is communicated from the driving pullies Hand pinion
I, or otherwise. The shaft of wheel G is provided with a cam G³, by the aid of
which one of the dogs 61 is operated for seizing or releasing the cork when
fed into the machine"; this cam G acts on a suitable counterbalanced lever
arm, K.mounted on the framing A, its upper end being connected to a collar
formed on the spindle of dog b¹, so as to effect its sliding movement in one or
other direction for gripping. or releasing the piece of cork.
a
Figure 1 of the Drawings, shows the position of the knives C, D, and
cam G at the moment of commencing the forward movement for cutting and
shaping the cork,, the guage c being at same time brought to its lowest
position in contact with the strip by the aid of slide d', the rising and falling
movement being operated by a cam L keyed on the knife shaft D', through
the aid of truck, roller, e carried on the rod, el of slide d', the said rod being
suitably weighted, as seen. In this position, the cork being held by the
dogs b, b, is first. severed by the knife C in its forward motion, and the
pinion a¹ of dog b¹ being thrown into gear with wheel as by the action of
cam G and lever arm K, both the dogs will immediately rotate with the
piece of cork between them during the whole of the forward motion of knife D,
so-as-to-pare: off the, angles and produce a cylindrical cork. Rotary motion is
imparted to the dogs b,.,.by means of a lever arm M fixed on the knife
shaft D', and connected to a pulley f mounted on the wheel shaft of a³, a*,
before mentioned, by a chain and counterbalance 9, as seen.
The rotary
motion of the dogs b, b, continues until the knife has completed its oscillating
forward motion, after which and during the return motion of the knife D the
projecting part of the cam G¹ acts on the lever arm K for drawing back the
spindle of 6 by the aid of collar d, when the dogs will no longer turn, and the
rounded cork will be released and fall into the shoot N. I should here

page_text: observe that immediately the knife C'bas severed the square of cork from the
strip, the cam L on the knife shaft D¹ raises the guage c by the aid of the
'slide d¹ and rod e¹ before mentioned, so as to permit of the free rotation of the
piece of cork held by the dogs b, b', as before described. In order to keep
the oscillating knifé D in a constantly sharpened condition I mount two grind-
stones 0, 0, towards one side of the machine, in such position that both edges
of the knife moving between and at right angles to the direction of motion of
said stones may be constantly in contact with the stones during the whole
time of the oscillation of the knife in both directions. These stones 0, 0, are
mounted on stud pins h³, h²; fixed on a plate P bolted to the frame in which
the driving gear is mounted, as shown in the Drawings. The stones O, O;
receive motion from a pulley Q mounted on the driving shaft by means of an
endless cord or band encircling the pullies 1, 1, 1, 1, the two latter being fixed
on the spindles carrying the stones. R is a guard iron fixed to the top plate B,
its lower end being in close proximity to the face of Knife D, and serving to
prevent any cuttings of cork liable to be 'carried back with the knife from
fouling the stones. The backward movement of knife C is limited by a cord
or chain, as seen, so as to prevent its coming in contact with the collar d of
dog spindle, it being necessary to adjust' the knife as close as possible thereto
for cutting small corks; it also permits of the oscillating knife D moving back
sufficiently to sharpen the whole length of its curved edges, as before described.
S is a rest "supported on an arm fixed to the bed plate of the machine; on
which the operator places the strip of cork with the end slightly projecting för
the knife C to sever in its forward motion whenever there. may happen to be
any imperfection in the cork strip it is desired to remove before presenting it
to the gripping dogs.
11.
As before mentioned the corks instead of being turned cylindrical may be
made of taper form by slightly lowering and altering the direction of one-of
the dog spindles b by the aid of the adjustable bearings a, a. The knife
frame D can also be made to move to and fro on its shaft, if desired, in order
to produce a cork of oval form; or a simpler mode of effecting the same
purpose consists in making the bearings a, a, carrying the dogs b, b¹, to move
slightly backwards and forwards by means of a cam mounted on the shaft
before mentioned, as giving motion to the dogs, a projecting stud or pin on
said bearing a in contact with the cam being regulated so as to give more or
less motion for producing a more or less oval cork.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is;-
1

page_text: 1st. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting an improved
machine combining in one the several operations of "getting squares" of
cork from the strip, and "backing" and rounding corks of any length and
diameter, in the manner berein-before described and represented in the
Drawings, without limiting myself to the precise mode of producing the
motion of the various parts, as such may be varied without departing from the
principle of my Invention.
2ndly. I claim the combination of the severing knife C, adjustable
oscillating knife D, and dogs b, b, arranged and operated in the manner and
for the purpose described.
3rdly. I claim the combination of the grindstones O, O, with the oscillating
knife D, as and for the purpose described.
4thly. I claim the modes herein described of making either taper or oval
corks in the same machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Dudley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
0
A. M. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
JOHN WILLIAM DUDLEY. (L.S.)
53, Chancery Lane,
London.