IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING CORKS, BUNGS, FLOATS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN LISTON, of 43 Kelvinside Avenue, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING CORKS, BUNGS,
FLOATS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said Invention has for its object the cutting or shaping of corks, bungs,
floats or similar articles, in an expeditious and economical manner, by means of
improved apparatus.
In my improved apparatus a straight knife of sufficient length to cut the entire
circumference of a cork or similar article at one stroke is made to reciprocate, by
preference horizontally; and whilst it is moving in one direction the piece of cork
is presented to it and made to rotate by a holder. The edge of the knife is
maintained in efficient condition by a small sharpening stone which acts upon it
in a special manner between every cutting stroke; and this stone may have
combined with it to act on the other side of the knife either a second rotating
stone or a non-rotating piece of stone or other suitable material. A rotating or
non-rotating piece of wood or leather or other suitable material may also be
applied to impart a sharpening finish to the edge after each action of the stone or
stones.
For cutting special forms such as oval forms or those of cork floats special cams
are provided which move the holder of the cork piece to and from the edge of the
knife; and to impart more or less of a conical or tapered form to the cork or
article, the knife and the guide on which it moves are made capable of angular
adjustment relatively to the axis of rotation of the cork-piece holder.
My improved apparatus may be arranged for cutting two or more corks or.
similar articles simultaneously; and whilst it is specially designed for operating
on the material cork, it may also be used for cutting or shaping corks, bungs, or
similar articles of other materials.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append three Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing cork cutting apparatus as
made with my improvements. Figures, 1, and 2, on Sheet, 1, are a plan and
front elevation of the machine. Figure 3, on Sheet, 2, is a transverse vertical
section showing the principal operating parts, Figure, 4, being a similar section as
at a different part, whilst Figure, 5, is a sectional plan showing the application of
two rotating sharpening stones, and Figures, 6, 7, and 8, are views of a cam for

page_text: giving a particular shape. Figures, 9, and 10, on Sheet, 3, are sectional elevations
as at right angles to each other showing a modification of certain parts; and and
Figure, 11, is a diagram of the cam shown in Figures, 9, and 10, for giving a
particular shape to the cork piece. Figure, 12, shows the line of cut which is by
preference followed in shaping a cork. In these Drawings the same reference
letters and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
'
In the machine shown in Figures, 1, and 2, the knife, K, which is horizontal
with its cutting edge presented upwardly is at what in this Specification is called
the back of the machine, being fixed to a knife bar or slide, 15, fitted to reciprocate
horizontally on a V-edged guide bar, 16, carried by the framing, F, of the machine.
This guide bar, 16, is directly connected to the left-hand end of the framing, F, by
a vertical binge joint, 17; and at the other end of the framing it is connected by
a vertical hinge joint to a block, 18, fitted to slide within the top cross frame bar,
and adjustable by a screw spindle indicated by dotted lines and having on its
front end a milled head or button, 19, for turning it by. The knife bar or
slide, 17, is moved from side to side by a link, 20, jointed to a lever, 21, which is
centered at the lower part of the framing, F, and has jointed to it a link, 22,
connecting it to an eccentric or crank pin on a spurwheel, 23. This spurwheel, 23,
is on a shaft, 24, carried by the framing, F, and is driven by a pinion on a first-
motion shaft, 25, having on it a flywheel, 26, and fast and loose pulleys, 27, for &
driving belt. Or the shaft, 25, may be arranged for being driven by means of a
treadle or by means of a crank handle.
* On a transverse V-edged guide bar, 28, formed on a bracket, 29, fixed to the
framing, F, there is fitted a slide, 30, which carries the cork piece, C, whilst being.
operated on by the knife, K. This slide, 30, has on it one head, 31, which is
formed on or fixed to it, and another head, 32, which is movable upon it, and these
head's carry chucks or centres, 33, 34, with grooved faces between which the cork
piece, C, is held. One chuck, 34, turns loosely or freely in the movable head, 32,
but the other, 33, has fixed or formed on its spindle a pinion with which there
gear rack teeth on a vertical rod, 35, working in a guide in the head, 31, and
slido, 30; and having adjustably fixed on its lower end a small' antifriction roller to
be acted upon by an inclined flange, 36, formed on or fixed to the inner side of
the knife bar, 15. The knife, K, moves towards the left hand when cutting and
then this inclined flange, 36, in passing under the rod, 35 raises it up and causes
its rack teeth to turn the chuck, 33, and with it the cork piece, C. Instead of
moving the vertical rod, 35, for turning the cork piece, C, by the inclined
flange, 36, the requisite motion may be imparted to it by a separate cam on the
main shaft, 24, or in any convenient way. When the knifé bar, 15, returns
towards the right hand, the rod, 35, descends by its own weight,
The cork piece is placed by hand in a cradle, 37, which is in front of or inwards
from the position in which the cork piece is when being cut, this cradle, 37, being
adjustable horizontally or inwards and outwar's on a bracket, 38, which is itself
adjustable vertically on the upper front bar of the framing, F. The cradle, 37, is
hereinafter, more particularly described. The slide, 30, moves forward or. away
from the knife, when about to receive a fresh cork piece its movement being
effected by a lever, 39, to which it is connected by a link, and which is fast on a
horizontal shaft, 40, having also fast on it a bellcrank lever, 41, one arm of which
is fitted with an antifriction roller to bear on a cam, 42, on the main shaft, 24, the
other arm being connected to a spring, 43, which keeps the lever in contact with
the cam.
The movable head, 32, is fitted on a small V-edged guide upon the fixed
head, 31, and is moved by a rod, 44, which passes through a hole in it and is
adjustably fixed to a horizontal bar, 45, fitted to slide in guides, 46, fixed to the
framing, F. A spring, 47, presses the har, 46, towards the right hand, and a
lever, 48, acted on by an edge cam, 49, moves it towards the left hand, this cam, 49,
being in the same piece with the cam, 42, on the main shaft, 24. The cam, 49, is
shaped and timed to act so that the movable head, 32, recedes from the fixed

page_text: head, 31, when the cutting of a cork is finished, this allowing the cork to drop
from between the centres, 33, 34, down a discharge spout, 50; and the head, 32, is
kept apart whilst the slide is moved forward from the knife and until it is in
position for gripping the fresh cork piece which has been placed in the cradle, 37.
The movable head, 32, then returns towards the other head, 31, and causes the cork
piece to be gripped between the centres, 33, 34, so as to be carried out of the
cradle, 37, towards the knife when the slide, 30, moves backwards again, the
cam, 42, being shaped and timed to produce this movement of the slide, 30, as soon
as the fresh cork piece has been gripped and just before the knife, K, begins to
move towards the left hand.
At a little distance to the right hand of the slide, 30, are placed the parts for
carrying and working the sharpening stone or stones. One small rotating stone, 51,
acts on the back edge of the knife, K, whilst the latter moves towards the right
band, this stone, 51, having a slightly coned acting face which is made to bear
properly on the knife by having its spindle, 52, placed in a slightly inclined
position. The stone, 51, is carried by its spindle, 52, in the upper part of a
bracket, 53, fixed to the inner side of the guide bar, 16, (as best seen in Figure, 4)
and the spindle has on it a pinion which gears with rack teeth on a vertical rod, 54,
guided in the bracket, 53, and pressed upwards by a helical spring, 55. The lower
end of the rod, 54, has fitted to it an antifriction roller, 56, which is acted on by
the underside of the inclined flange, 36, herein before referred to as fixed on the
knife bar, 15. As the action of the stone, 51, on the knife, K, is not suitable
excepting when the latter is moving towards the right hand, the stone, 51, is
moved back out of contact when the knife is moving towards the left hand, this
being done by a bar or blade, 57, attached to the slide, 30, and which bears on the
front end of the spindle, 52, of the stone, 51, when the slide is moved back, a small
helical spring on the spindle moving it forward again when the slide, 30, moves
forward. In Figure, 4, a non-rotating piece, 58, of stone or other suitable substance,
is shown as applied to the inner side of the knife, K, this piece, 58, being fixed to a
spindle passing through a socket formed on the bracket, 53, and having its inner
or front end connected to a lever, 59, centered at its middle. The other end of
this lever, 59, has a pin or projection which is acted on by the blade or bar, 57, of
the slide, 30, so as by the reversing action of the lever, 59, to move the piece, 58,
away from the knife when the slide, 30, moves towards the knife, a helical spring
on the spindle of the piece, 58, moving it against the knife when the slide, 30, is
moved away therefrom. In Figure, 5, rotating stones, 51, 60, are shown for acting
on both sides of the knife, K, the one, 60, for the inner side of the knife being
driven by means of three pinions, 61, from the spindle, 52, of the other stone, 51,
and a lever, 59, made with forked ends to engage in grooves in the spindles of the
two stones, being arranged to move the inner stone, 60, away from the inner side
of the knife whenever the other stone, 51, is moved away from the outer side or
back of the knife. The lever, 59, and the middle pinion, 61, are carried upon an
arm, 62, fixed to the bracket, 53, so as to overhang. An oil cup, 63, is fixed on the
top of the bracket, 53, and from it oil is led down by fibrous threads to pads of
leather or other suitable material held by wires so as to bear against the knife at
and near its edge but these pads and their holders are not shown as they would
render the parts somewhat indistinct. When parts for applying a finishing
sharpening action (like that obtained by using a strop) are employed they may be
arranged and moved into and out of action in the same manner as the stones, 51, 60,
being placed at the right-hand side of the stones.
Instead of carrying the cork holding details on a slide, 30, as shown in
Figures, 1, 2, and 3, hereinbefore described, they may be carried, as shown in
Figures, 9, and 10, at the upper end of a long vertical lever, 64, centered or fixed
on a rocking shaft, 65, at the bottom of the machine, the movable head, 32, being
upon a lever, 66, adjustably centered on a short arm at the bottom of the lever, 64,
and being guided at an upper part by a pin fixed to it and working in a slot in an
arm, 67, formed on the lever, 64.

page_text: Any convenient counting mechanism may be fitted to the machine, but I prefer
such mechanism to be actuated by parts which only act when a cork piece is being
operated on. By way of example a small casing, 68, is shown in Figure, 10, with
counting wheels and dials fitted in a position to be acted on by a rod, 69, so as to
indicate the number of corks or articles cut. This rod, 69, is formed with rack
teeth to be moved by pinion teeth formed on the centre, 34, and as this centre turns
only when there is a cork piece between the centres the counter is not acted on
unless a cork piece is being operated on.
The cam, 42, shown in Figures, 2, and 3, is suitable for cutting plain round corks,
and may be shaped so as simply to move the slide, 30, forwards for receiving the
cork piece, and backwards to a position near the knife suitable for the size of cork
to be cut, the slide remaining in the same position whilst the cork is being cut. I
however prefer to cut round corks in a manner which will be understood from
Figure, 12, representing the end of a cork piece with the line of the cut on it. The
cut extends more than once round the cork, a thin shaving being taken off at the
second round and leaving the finished surface extremely smooth and fine. The
cam, 42, is shaped to move the holder in a manner to produce the desired kind of
cut whether it be that shown in Figure, 12, or any other that may be found
preferable; and when the machine is designed to give a cut extending more than
once round in this way, the knife must be made long enough to make the entire
cut at one stroke, regard being had to the rotation of the cork piece in relation to
the movement of the kuife. The edge of the knife, K, may be either parallel to the
direction of its motion or it may be slightly inclined thereto in any direction
the cam, 42, being in any case shaped suitably for obtaining the desired cut by
the combination of the movements of the knife and cork piece.
Figures, 6, 7, and 8, show the form of a cam, 42, to be used when cutting &
piece, O, such as is shown below Figure, 8, being in the form of a square with
rounded corners. Figure, 8, is the straightened representation of a cylindrical
section of the raised part of the cam. The cam, 42, shown in Figures, 9, 10, and 11,
is shaped for producing the cork piece, C, shown below Figure, 11, and also in
Figure, 9, Figure, 11, being the cylindrical section of the raised part of the cam as
straightened or flattened.
The cradle, 37, into which the cork pieces are put is shown in Figure, 3, the left-
hand side being delineated in that Figure whilst the right-hand side of it is shown
in a supplementary Figure between Figures, 3, and 4. The cradle, 37, consists of a
narrow plate adjustably fixed on the bracket, 38, and has jointed at the left-hand
side of it a movable side, 70, weighted at its front end. On the plate there is an
adjustably fixed stop, 71, and hinged to its back end there is a finger, 72, having
applied to it a small spring which tends to keep it upright. The cork piece is
placed by hand between the fixed stop, 71, and the spring finger, 72, and with one
end against the movable side, 70. When the holder slide, 30, moves forward the
centre, 33, riding upon the edge of the movable side, 70, turns down its after part
in the manner indicated by dotted lines in the supplementary Figure. The movable
head, 32, with its centre, 34, then grips the cork piece against the other centre, 33,
and the slide, 30, moving backwards carries the cork piece to the knife turning
down the spring finger, 72, in doing so.
The inclined flange, 36, for moving the rods, 35, and 54, which turn the cork
piece and sharpening stone, is represented as cast on the knife bar, 15; it may
however be a separate piece adjustable thereon.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I proceed to ascertain the distinctive and novel
features thereof by declaring that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of parts forming my improved machine for cutting or
shaping corks, bungs, floats, or similar articles, substantially as herein before
described.
2. The combination of apparatus giving rotation to the cork piece or article with
a knife having a straight or nearly straight edge and moving in a direction parallel

page_text: or nearly parallel to the edge and to the axis of rotation of the cork piece or article,
the said knife being long enough to completely cut or shape the cork or article at
one stroke substantially as herein before described,
3. The shaping of the cam, 42, so as to cut a cork in the manner here'nbefore
described with reference to Figure, 12, of the accompanying Drawings,
4. The combination with the reciprocating knife of a rotating sharpening stone
acting on one side of the knife with or without a rotating or non-rotating stone
acting on the other side, the said stone or stones being arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The combination of parts consisting of the cradle into which the pieces to form
corks or other articles are put by hand and the parts for taking hold of the pieces,
presenting them to the knife, and turning them, all being arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.