IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS, BUNGS, AND SHIVES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Theodoor Augustin Claeys, of Ostend, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS, BUNGS, AND SHIVES."
Sealed the 23rd October 1860, and dated the 25th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th April 1860.
I, THEODOOR AUGUSTIN CLAEYS, of Ostend, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED,
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS, BUNGS, AND SHIVES," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention is designed for manufacturing corks, bungs, and shives of
various sizes and shapes to greater perfection and with more economy in
material and labour than heretofore, and comprises four distinct and separate
machines for that purpose, namely, a lengths machine for cutting the sheets of
cork into strips, technically termed lengths; a quartering" machine for sub-
dividing the aforesaid lengths into parallelopipeds and squares, both termed
quarters; a backing machine for trimming the said quarters, by removing
their rough outer parts, termed back and belly; and a rounding machine for
shaping the trimmed quarters into corks, bungs, and shives.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the aforesaid several machines,
as follows:-The lengths machine is is composed of a framing supporting a
shaft or spindle, on which are fixed a number of circular knives, a similar
number of adjustable gauges being fixed to the said framing, one to each
knife. This machine is worked by causing the sheets of cork to pass singly
along one of the aforesaid gauges under the action of the knife, by which

page_text: these sheets of cork will be cut into lengths. The quartering machine 13
composed of a framing supporting two shafts or spindles, on which are fixed a
number of segmental knives, a corresponding number of adjutable gauges
being fixed to said framing opposite to each knife. To work this machine the
lengths are put against the gauges, and at each revolution of the knives a
quarter is cut therefrom. The backing machine is composed of a framing
carrying a shaft or spindle, on which aro fixed a number of circular knives,
each pair thereof being connected with a moveable guage and a guide roller.
This machine is worked by causing the quarters to pass one after the other
along the gauges under the action of the knives, by which their back and belly
will be removed; the rounding machine is composed of a framing carrying
a number of segmental knives, each carried by a wheel, which also carries
three cams; the first of which is in connection with a quarter carrier; the
second, with a lever acting upon a pair of geared spindles; the third, with a
lever connected with gearing, by which the aforesaid spindles receive rotatory
motion. To work this machine the knives are caused to rotate, and quarters
are singly put into the quarter carriers, which said carriers being released by
their respective cams receive by the traction of counterweights an ascending
motion, and thus each carrier carries the quarter with which it has been pro-
vided between the toothed heads of its respective pair of geared spindles, by
which such said quarter is then taken hold of and held by both ends by the
traction of the counterweight of the lever connected with the geared spindles,
which said lever has been released by its respective cam. Immediately a
quarter has been taken between the toothed spindle heads, the quarter carrier
receives under the action of its respective cam a descending motion to free
itself from the quarter, and by a releasing action of the cam in connexion with
the lover acting upon the gearing employed to impart rotatory motion to the
spindles aforesaid, said spindles begin to revolve, and the quarter that is held
between their toothed heads receives rotatory motion against the cutting edge
of the revolving knife, whereby it is shaped into a cork, bung, or shive, and
when thus shaped it is released from between the aforesaid toothed spindle
heads by the action of the cam which is in connexion with the lever
employed to act upon the said spindles, and upon being released, the shaped
cork, bung, or shive is conveyed into a receptacle by means of a moveable flap
and a conductor, both adapted to the quarter carrier. Next to each of the
wheels by which the knives are carried, and on to their respective shafts, there
is placed another wheel, the rim of which is faced partly with straight, and the
remainder thereof with cam surfaces, and each rim of these wheels moves
between two adjustable guide rollers, which are adjusted to the aforesaid

page_text: straight surfaces when it is desired to cut round corks, bungs, and shives, said
rollers being adjusted to the cam surfaces when it is desired to give to the
corks an oval shape, which is necessary in order to obtain out of thin cork
corks of larger size than could be obtained by cutting the cork into round
corks. Each pair of guide rollers is carried by a moveable bracket in order
to cause the knife with which it is connected either to advance to or to recede
from the aforesaid spindles, according to the size of the corks, bungs, or shives
required to be made. The spindles between which the quarters are held and
rotated against the knives are formed hollow, and each of them contains a rod,
which acting under the pressure of a spring, disengages the corks, bungs, or
shives more speedily from the toothed spindle heads than would be effected by
the mere retiring motion of the spindles. To each side of each knife is
adapted a rotatory whetstone connected with springs and cams. Any conical
form may be given to corks, bungs, and shives by placing the aforesaid
spindles at a suitable angle to the knives. The lengths and rounding machines
may be made so as to carry each one knife only; the backing machine may
carry one pair of knives only instead of more; and the quartering machine
may have several guages in connexion with each knife instead of one, and
carry one or more shafts or spindles instead of two, as before mentioned.
Circular saws may be used instead of circular knives for cutting the "lengths"
and trimming the quarters; and circular knives or circular saws may be used
instead of segmental knives for quartering the lengths.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THEODOOR
AUGUSTIN CLAEYS, of Ostend, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our-
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, Her special licence that I,.
the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.
or such others as I, the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, my executors,
administrators, and assigns; should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OP CORKS, BUNGS, AND SHIVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the 5
said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, 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 1
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for manufacturing corks, bungs, and shives of
various sizes and shapes to greater perfection and with more economy in
material and labor than heretofore, and comprises four distinct and separate
machines for that purpose, namely, a lengths machine for cutting the sheets
of cork into strips, technically termed lengths; a quartering machine for
subdividing the aforesaid lengths into parallelopipeds and squares, both termed
quarters; a backing machine for trimining the said quarters, by removing
their rough outer parts, termed back and belly; and a rounding machine for
shaping the trimmed quarters into corks, bungs, and shives.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the aforesaid several machines
as follows:-The lengths machine is composed of a framing supporting a
shaft, on which are fixed a number of circular knives, a similar number of
adjustable guages being fixed to the said framing, one to each knife. This
machine is worked by causing the sheets of cork to pass singly along one of the
aforesaid gauges under the action of the knife, by which these sheets of cork
will be cut into lengths. The quartering machine is composed of a framing
supporting two shafts or spindles on which are fixed a number of segmental
knives, a corresponding number of adjustable guages being fixed to said
framing opposite to each knife. To work this machine the lengths are put
against the gauges, and at each revolution of the knives a quarter is cut
therefrom. The backing machine is composed of a framing carrying a shaft
on which are fixed a number of circular knives, each pair thereof being con-
This machine is worked
nected with a moveable guage and a guide roller.
by causing the quarters to pass one after the other along the guages under

page_text: the action of the knives, by which their back and belly will be removed. The
rounding machine is composed of a framing carrying a number of segmental
knives each carried by a wheel, which also carries three cams; the first of
which is in connexion with a quarter carrier; the second, with a lever acting
upon a pair of geared spindles; the third, with a lever connected with
gearing by which the aforesaid spindles receive rotatory motion. To work
this machine the knives are caused to rotate and quarters are singly put
into the quarter carriers, which said carriers being released by their re-
spective cams, receive by the traction of counterweights an ascending motion,
and thus each carrier carries the quarter with which it has been provided
between the toothed heads of its respective pair of geared spindles, by which
such said quarter is then taken hold of and held by both ends by the traction
of the counterweight of the lever connected with the geared spindles, which
said lever has been released by its respective cam. Immediately a quarter
has been taken between the toothed spindle heads, the quarter carrier receives
under the action of its respective cam a descending motion to free itself from
the quarter, and by a releasing action of the cam in connexion with the lever
acting upon the gearing employed to impart rotatory motion to the spindles
aforesaid, said spindles begin to revolve, and the quarter that is held between
their toothed heads receives rotatory motion against the cutting edge of the
revolving knife, whereby it is shaped into a cork, bung, or shive, and when
thus shaped it is released from between the aforesaid toothed spindle heads by
the action of the cam which is in connexion with the lever employed to act
upon the said spindles, and upon being released, the shaped cork, bung, or
shive is conveyed into a receptable by means of a moveable flap and a con-
ductor, both adapted to the quarter carrier. Next to each of the wheels by
which the knives are carried, and on to their respective shafts there is placed
another wheel, the rim of which is faced partly with straight, and the
remainder thereof with cam surfaces, and each rim of these wheels moves
between two adjustable guide rollers, which are adjusted to the aforesaid
straight surfaces when it is desired to cut round corks, bungs, and shives, said
rollers being adjusted to the cam surfaces when it is desired to give to the
corks an oval shape, which is necessary in order to obtain out of thin cork
corks of larger size than could be obtained by cutting the cork into round
corks. Each pair of guide rollers is carried by a moveable bracket in order
to cause the knife with which it is connected either to advance to or to recede
from the aforesaid spindles, according to the size of the corks, bungs, or shives
required to be made. The spindle between which the quarters are held and
rotated against the knives are formed hollow, and each of them contains a rod,

page_text: which acting under the pressure of a spring, disengages the corks, bungs, or
shives more speedily from the toothed spindle heads than would be effected
by the mere retiring motion of the spindles. To each side of each knife is
adapted a rotatory whetstone connected with springs and cams. Any conical
.form may be given to corks, bungs, and shives by placing the aforesaid
spindles at a suitable angle to the knives. The lengths and rounding machines
may be made so as to carry each one knife only; the backing machine may
carry one pair of knives only instead of more; and the quartering machine
may have several guages in connexion with each knife instead of one, and
carry one or more shafts instead of two, as before mentioned.
Circular saws
may be used instead of circular knives for cutting the lengths and trimming
the quarters.; and circular knives or circular saws may be used instead of
segmental knives for quartering the lengths.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of Drawings
-hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Figures 1, 2, 3, of Sheets 1, 2, and 3, A is a pulley keyed upon the
shaft D; B, the driving band; C, the wheel, carrying the segmental knives
I and J; D, the shaft of the pulleys A and Go, and the bevil wheel Z; E, the
shaft of the wheel C; F are the plummer blocks of the shaft D and E; G
and H is the coupling of the shafts D and E; I and J are the segmental knives
by which the corks, bungs, and shives are cut; K, the toothed heads of the
geared spindles L and M; these heads are replaced by larger or smaller,
according to the sizo of the quarters to be rounded; L and M, geared spindles
by which the quarters are rotated against the segmental knives I and J, in
in order to be shaped into corks, bungs, or shives; N, the bearings of the
geared spindles L and M; O is the rail carrying the geared spindles L and M;
P are the shafts of the chain wheels U, and the gearing S; Q, the brackets of
the shafts P; R, the gearing of the spindles L and M; S, the gearing of the
shafts P; T, endless chains; U and V, chain wheels; W the shafts of the
chain wheels V, and the bevil pinions Y; X, the plummer blocks of the shafts
W; Y bevil pinions keyed upon the shafts W; Z is a bevil wheel keyed upon
the shaft D; A, are loose chain wheels; B, the spindles of the loose chain
wheels A; C, rails of the framing; D, uprights of the framing; E³ is a
quarter carrier; F, the slide upon which the quarter carrier E' is fixed; G

page_text: are the grooved guides of the slide F; Hand I rails of the framing; J* is
a cam fixed on the wheel C; K, a roller upon which the cam J' causes
the descending motion of the slide F; L' are counterweights causing the
ascending motion of the slide F; M³, chains connecting the slide F with the
counterweights L³; N³, grooved rollers over which the chains M³ are passed;
O³, the spindles of the grooved rollers N³; Ps, brackets fixed to the slides F" in
order to secure the chains M to the said slide; Q is an adjusting pin carried
by the slide F, for regulating the height up to which the "quarter" is to be
carried between the spindles L and M; R³, the bracket of the pin Q³; S³, a
lever by which the spindle L is caused to advance towards the spindle M,
to take hold of the quarter to be rounded, and caused to recede from the
spindle M in order to release the cork when finished; Ts, the pivot of the
lever S; U are collars adjusted upon the spindle L; V2 is a bracket fixed on
the lever S; W are rollers fixed on the wheel C, and causing the cam motions
upon the lever S, whereby the latter is alternately moving forwards and back-
wards as aforesaid; X³ is a counterweight connected with the lever S'; Y³, a
chain connecting the counterweight X³ with the lever S³; Z³, a grooved
roller over which the chain Ys is passed; A³, the spindle of the roller Z³;
B³, the bracket of the said roller Z; C³ the nut securing the chain Y* to the
lever S³; D³ are rods lodged inside the spindles L and M; E³, springs acting
upon the rods D³ in order to cause the corks when finished to drop speedily from
between the spindles Land M; F³, adjustable tension collars of the springs E³;
G³, cams fixed on the wheel C, in order to keep the gearing R and S disengaged
from the beginning of the ascent of the "quarterr carrier" Es until the quarter
be disengaged from the latter; H³, rollers adapted on the levers I³; I³, levers
acted upon by the cams G³ for disengaging the gearing R and S; J³, bolt pivots
securing the grooved guides G³, and holding the levers 1'; K³, tail collars con-
necting the levers Is with the shafts P; L³, collars fixed upon the shafts P;
M³, springs acting upon the shafts P; N°³, tension screws of the springs M³ ; 0³,
brackets of the screws N³; P³, front portions of the framing; Qs, brass bearings of
the springs M3; S³, adjusting screws of the levers I³; R³, nuts securing the brass
bearings Q; T and Us, rotatory whetstones; V³, shafts of the whetstones T's
and Us; Ws, plummer blocks of the shafts Vs; X³ is a gutta percha band;
Ys are the pulleys of the whetstones T3 and U³; Z³ is a transmission roller
A', the spindle of the roller Z³; B, a gutta percha band; C are levers con-
nected with the whetstones; D', the pivots of the levers C; E, adjustable
grooved collars; F is the support of the bracket G'; G and Hare brackets
carrying the rollers o and p; I, springs connected with the whetstones; J*,
screws for adjusting the height of the rail O; K, the brackets of the screws

page_text: J; L, bolts securing the rail O; M' is a "quarter carrier" E²; N are
screws for adjusting the knives; O', brackets of the screws N'; P', bolts
securing the knives; Q', set screws for adjusting the knives; R is a lever of
the screw S; S', a screw to move the lever T'; T', a lever to keep the knives
at any desired distance from the spindles L and M; U are rails of the
framing; V* is a bracket fixed on the lever T'; W', a groove in the coupling
H; X, a collar of the coupling H; Y', bolt holding the lever T*; Z+, slot in the
rails C of the framing; A³, bolt securing the lever T; B³, a receptacle for the
corks; C, a rod adapted to the slide F; D³, the pivot of the band fork F;
E are rails of the framing; F is a band fork; G³, a loose pulley; H³ and 15,
a tail nut and screw for securing the band fork; J, rail of the framing; K
are uprights of the framing; L³, rails of the framing; M³, socles of the
framing; No, screws of the socles; 0%, nuts of the screws N"; P³ is the spindle
for the roller Q; Q³, a tension roller for the band X'; a and c are angles of
the cam J; is the place of the cam J, where it meets with the roller K³;
d and e are angles of the lever S*; fand g, cam surfaces of the lever S³; h, i,
and j, surfaces of the cams G³; k and 2, dises of the whetstones T³ and U³;
m and n are grooves in the transmission roller Z³; o and p, rollers of the
brackets G' and H'; q is a bracket connecting the quarter carrier E³ with the
slide F; r, the bracket into which the quarters are placed to be carried
between the spindles L and M; s.are bolts securing the spring x and the
brackets r upon the bracket q; t is a flap connected with the bracket r; u, a
conductor for conveying the corks into the receptacle; v, a spring fixed to the
flap t; w, a ridge on the bracket r upon which the quarter is placed; x, a
spring for holding the "quarter;" y, a roller carried by the spring a;=, the
spindle of the roller y; a³, a hook fixed on the spring ; 63 are set screws for
adjusting the bracket r; c, supports of the set screws b²; d³ is a set screw for
adjusting the quarter carrier; e, the bracket of the set screw d²; f² are the
bolts of the cams G³; g³ is a quarter of cork.
At Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Sheet 4, h³ is a disc keyed upon the
shaft C, and having its rim faced with a straight surface, and partly straight
and partly cam surfaces; ³ is an adjustable bracket fixed upon the front
portion of the framing P³, and carrying an adjustable bracket, which is pro-
vided with adjustable rollers m²; the rollers m³ are adjusted against the
surface, to make round corks, bungs, and shives, and against the surfaces
to make oval corks. The cam surfaces of are to be made according to
the shape of the oval desired. The disc 2 and bracket may be advan-
tageously employed instead of the lever T, by the use of which, round but
not oval corks can be made, whilst both round and oval corks can be made

page_text: by employing the disc h³ and bracket ; n³ is one of the knives by which the
"lengths" are subdivided into "quarters;" o³ is a segment of a disc keyed upon
a shaft p, and carrying the knife n; q is an adjustable bracket provided with
an adjustable gauge, and fixed on a rail of a framing upon which one or more
shafts p, each carrying a required number of knives n³, are caused to rotate;
s is a "length" of cork held by the attendant upon the bracket g³ against the
guage. The length of cork &, held as aforesaid, is acted upon by the knife
13, which, by its passing through the groove of the bracket q³, cuts a "quarter"
off the said length, which "quarter" the attendant causes immediately it
being cut to drop in a receptacle placed underneath, readjusting at the same
time the remainder of the "length" against the guage 7, in order to cut a
fresh quarter, and so on. In order to cut the quarters of a suitable breadth
according to the varying thicknesses of the "lengths" or the defects of the
same, each bracket q² is required to have its guage adjusted to cut a different
size, and as a guidance for the attendant the angle parts t* of the brackets will
be made of several heights, so that he shall keep on cutting upon the same
bracket until he perceives that the length becomes thicker or thinner than
the height of the said guide t, and then take said length to such other
bracket as required, and keep on cutting said length there until, for the
reasons aforesaid, he be obliged to take it to another bracket again.
708
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of improved machinery for the manufacture of corks, bungs, and
shives, together with the best means I am acquanted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion, that what I claim as
my Invention, and desire to secure by the above in part recited Letters Patent,
is as follows:-
First, I claim the mechanism herein described and represented, or any
modification thereof, for cutting the lengths of cork into "quarters," as above
stated.
I claim secondly, the mechanism herein described and referred to, or any
modification thereof, for cutting corks, bungs, and shives, either of a round or
of an oval shape, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I the said Theodoor Augustin Claeys, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.