IMPROVEMENTS IN MA- CHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS OF CAPACITY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Winram, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Boat Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
CHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS OF
CAPACITY."
Sealed the 5th March 1861, and dated the 27th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Winram at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1860.
I, JAMES WINRAM, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Boat Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS OF
CAPACITY," to be as follows (that is to say):
-
To construct a machine, according to this Invention, on suitable frameworks,
mount vertically two friction pulleys with their axles parallel to and apart
from each other, about, say, three lengths of the longest staves capable of
being formed by the machine, stretch over these two friction pulleys an endless
chain band formed of flat pieces of metal placed on edge and jointed together
by transverse horizontal pins, like the ordinary watch chain. The single row
of plates placed end to end to form the centre of the chain, being constructed
not so deep as the side plates, so that a groove or furrow is formed on the
inside of the chain to admit of its travelling over the top of a fixed bar placed,
longitudinally between the friction pulleys to prevent the upper portion of the

page_text: chain sagging. The upper edge of the chain is formed with undulating curves
of the same arc as the side of the casks or other like vessels will have when
constructed from staves shaped by this improved machine. Immediately
above this last described endless chain band a second chain band of the same
description baving its outer edge formed with a series of raised curves, which
correspond with the hollow curves of the lower chain band also works over
two vertical friction pulleys in the same way as the lower band, but the upper
pulleys are only placed apart from each other the length of two staves, so as
to allow a stave piece to be laid upon the upper edge of the lower chain band
preparatory to being operated upon. The stave piece is carried through the
machine between the upper and lower bands, and is cut into the required
form by means of cutters upon revolving shafts, placed in the required position
to form the oblique longitudinal edges of the stave. The shafts which carry
the cutters are so mounted that the angle and distance apart can be regulated
by screw gear. The two endless bands are so placed that the deep parts of
the upper chain, and the hollow parts of the lower chain, coincide with each
other, and the lower portion of the upper band is prevented rising upwards
by a fixed longitudinal, bar placed above and parallel with the lower guide
bar before described. The endless chain bands receive motion through a
vertical shaft, which has a right-hand and a left-hand screw cut thereon, one
of which screws works into a worm wheel on the axle of one of the upper
friction pulleys, and the other into a worm wheel on the lower friction pulley
axle, which is immediately below. The vertical worm shaft is provided near
the lower end with a driving pulley and receives motion through an endless
driving band, which works over a small driving pulley on the lower end
of a vertical shaft at the front or reverse end of the machine, which shaft
receives motion through a mitre wheel staked on the upper end thereof, and
which gears into a mitre wheel on the main driving shaft. The last described
vertical shaft also gives motion to one of the cutter shafts by means of an
endless band, which works over a friction pulley staked thereon, and a pulley
of smaller dimensions on the lower end of one of the cutter shafts and to the
second cutter shaft through a friction wheel staked thereon, the periphery.
of which impinges against the edge of and communicates motion through a
second friction wheel on the head of a parallel shaft, which carries. a like
friction pulley having a similar driving band working over a pulley on the
lower part of the second cutter shaft.
The stave pieces to be dressed are laid on the lower endless chain band and
are carried through the machine between the upper and lower endless chain
bands, which bend the stave pieces to the form. they will assume, when made.

page_text: up into casks or other like vessels, the longitudinal oblique edges of the staves
being cut into the required form by means of the revolving cutters on the
oblique shafts during their passage through the machine.
In some cases where very large staves are required to be formed it may be
advisable to form the endless chain bands of more than three rows of edge
pieces as herein-before described, or the chain bands may be formed of solid
pieces of the required form jointed together so as to form a chain of a like
nature. After the casks or other like vessels are "trussed" the chimbs and
grooves to receive the ends are formed by means of suitably shaped cutters
placed on adjustable radial arms jointed horizontally to a vertical overhead
driving shaft, and the ends are "turned up" on a suitable slide rest lathe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Winram, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WINRAM, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Boat Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, 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 James Winram, Her special licence that I, the said James Winram
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said,
James Winram, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF CASES AND OTHER LIKE
VESSELS OF CAPACITY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Winram, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Winram, 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 (that is to say):-
To construct a machine, according to this my said Invention, on suitable
framework I mount vertically. two traction pulleys, with their axles parallel
to, and apart from each other, about say, three lengths of the longest staves
capable of being formed on the machine, I stretch over these traction pulleys
an endless chain band formed of flat pieces of metal, placed on edge and
jointed together by transverse horizontal pins, like an ordinary watch chain.
The single row of plates, placed end to end, forming the centre of the chain,
I construct not so deep as the side plates that a groove or furrow may be
formed on the inside of the chain to admit of its travelling over the top of a
fixed bar, placed longitudinally between the traction pulleys, to prevent the
upper portion of the chain sagging. In some cases where large staves are
to be dressed, I introduce a series of antifriction rollers on the edge of the
bearing bar described. The upper edge of the chain I form with undulating
curves of the same are as the sides of the casks, or other like vessels will have
when constructed from the staves shaped by this my improved machine. Im-
mediately above this last described endless chain band a second chain band
of the same description, having its outer edge formed with a series of raised
curves which correspond with the hollow curves on the lower chain band, and
which also works over two vertical traction pulleys, in the same way as the
lower band, but the upper pulleys are only placed apart from each other the
length of two staves, so as to allow a stave piece to be laid upon the upper edge
of the lower chain band preparatory to being operated upon. The stave pieces:
are carried through the machine between the upper and lower chain bands,
bent to the required curve, and are cut into the required form by cutters placed
upon revolving shafts working on each side of the stave, at the required
angle to form the oblique longitudinal edges of the staves. The two shafts
which carry the cutters are so mounted that the angle, and distance apart can
be regulated by screw gear. I place the two endless bands that the deep part
of the upper chain, and the hollow parts of the lower chain coincide with
each other, and the lower portion of the upper band is prevented rising.
upwards, by a longitudinal bar placed above the lower portion of the upper
chain, and parallel with the lower supporting guide bar of the lower chain,
and is held down by stout springs or their equivalent. The endless chain bands
receive motion through a vertical shaft, which has formed thereon a right
hand and a left hand screw, one of which works into a worm wheel on the

page_text: axle of one of the upper traction pulleys, and the other into a worm wheel on
the lower traction pulley axle which is immediately below. The vertical
worm shaft I provide near the lower end with a driving pulley, which receives
motion through an endless driving band, working over a small driving pulley
on the lower end of a vertical shaft at the front or reverse end of the machine,
which shaft receives motion through a bevil wheel staked on the upper end
thereof, and which gears into a second bevil wheel on the main driving shaft.
The last described vertical shaft also gives motion to one of the cutter shafts
by means of an endless band working over a friction pulley staked thereon,
and a pulley of smaller diameter on the lower end of one of the cutter shafts,
and to the second cutter shaft through a friction wheel staked thereon, the
periphery of which impinges against the edge of and communicates motion
through a second friction wheel on the head of a parallel shaft, which carries*
a like friction pulley having a similar driving band working over a pulley
on the lower part of the second cutter shaft.
In some cases where very large staves are required to be formed, it may
be advisable to form the endless chain bands of more than three rows of edge
pieces, as herein-before described, or the chain bands may be formed of solid
pieces of the required form, jointed together so as to form a chain of a like
nature. After the casks or other like vessels are "trussed," the chiming and
grooves to receive the ends are formed by means of suitably shaped cutters
placed on adjustable radial arms jointed horizontally to a vertical overhead
driving shaft, and the ends may be turned-up on a suitable slide rest
lathe.
In some cases I would substitute a pair of circular saws in place of the
revolving cutters herein-before described, but for most purposes I prefer to use
the cutters.
"
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
I have hereunto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of one modification
of the machine, and an enlarged side view of one of the band pulleys and a
portion of the chain bands suitable for the shaping of staves, for the manu-
facturing of tubs or buckets, like letters and figures marked thereon having
reference to similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved stave shaping machines,
drawn on a scale of one and a half inches to the foot, and suitable for dressing
eighteen-inch staves; Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the same taken
from a to b; Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the pulleys upon
which the endless chain bands are stretched, and Figure 4 is a side elevation

page_text: of a portion of a pair of my improved endless band chains suitable for the
formation of bucket or tub staves.
A, the stationary frame of the machine; B, pulleys, upon which are stretched,
C, the upper chain band, and D, the lower chain band; E, set screws for
tightening the endless chain bands; F and F', two moveable frames which
work on the pin f, and carry the revolving shafts, upon which are mounted.
G and G', the cutters; H, a pair of rigid transverse bars, between which the
moveable frames carrying the cutters can be expanded or contracted, elevated
or depressed, according to the diameter of the cask required; I, a vertical
screw shaft for regulating the elevation and expansion of the cutter frames;
K and K', two connecting rods jointed at their lower ends to the shoulders of
the cutter frames, and at their upper ends to L, a nut on the vertical screw
shaft I, which is regulated by M, a small set wheel; N, an horizontal wheel
on the head of the screw shaft I, for elevating or depressing the cutter frames;
O, main driving strap, which works over P, friction pulleys on Q, a transverse
driving shaft, upon which is staked R, a bevil wheel which works into S, a
bevil wheel on the head of T, a vertical shaft, which is fitted near its head
with U, a friction wheel, which works against and gives motion to U, a
second friction pulley on the head of V, a second parallel vertical driving shaft,
which carries W, a driving pulley, which through X, a driving band working
over Y, a small driving pulley, gives motion to the cutter G; Z, a driving
on the vertical shaft T, which through X', driving band working over
Y', a small driving pulley, gives motion to the cutter G'; a, a longitudinal
supporting guide bar over which the lower endless band chain travels; b, a
longitudinal bar placed on the top of the lower portion of the upper chain
band, and which is held down by stout springs or their mechanical equivalent;
c, a driving pulley on the vertical shaft V, which gives motion to d, a driving
strap working over e, a driving pulley on the lower end of g, a vertical driving
shaft having and h, right and left-handed screws, which gear into i and i,
worm wheels which give motion to the endless chain bands; j, a toothed
wheel staked on the front axle of the upper chain traction wheel, which gears
into and gives motion to k, k³, k³, k³, k, kes, a train of wheels on the axis of two
pairs of transverse drawing rollers, which receive the staves as they leave the
chain bands; 7, a driving strap, working over m, a driving pulley on the
transverse main driving shaft, and which gives motion, through the driving
strap 1, to a transverse horizontal shaft which carries a cutter block fitted with
suitably shaped cutters, which act on the under sides of the staves as they pass
through the drawing rollers, and give the backs of the staves the form required.

page_text: I use a pair of small pressure rollers to keep the staves against the cutters n,
shown in dotted lines, a stave blank placed in the position required to be
carried through the machine.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical effect,
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details,
dimensions, or relative proportions herein-before described, as it will be readily
seen that the same may be considerably varied without departing from the
Invention; but what I do claim as new and my Invention, is,-
First, the construction, use, and application of the two endless chain bands,
with their outer edges formed so as to bend the staves to the required form
when being operated upon in their passage through the machine, as herein-
before described, or any mere modification of the same.
Secondly, the use of the longitudinal bars over which the chains travel, as
herein-before described, or any mere modification of the same.
Thirdly, the peculiar mode and arrangement of the several parts herein-before
described for regulating the elevation of the centre upon which the cutter or
saw frames work, to suit casks of various diameters, and the expansion of the
cutter or saw frames to suit staves of any required width, and the angles at
which the cutters are brought to act against the edges of the staves, as herein-
before described, or any mere modification of the same.
And, lastly, the general combination and arrangement of the various parts
herein-before described, as applied to the construction of a machine for the
dressing of staves to be used for the manufacture of casks, buckets, and other
like vessels of capacity, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Winram, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
JAMES (L.S.) WINRAM.