AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of New Broad Street, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de
Fontainemoreau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and all Her
said. Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKS," communicated
to me from abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, shall particularly

page_text: describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, communicated to me, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following instrument in writing, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the Figures therein contained, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same parts, that is to say:-
The Invention, communicated to me, consists in a new combination or
arrangement of machinery by which cork in its crude state is fabricated into
corks as stoppers for vessels, and by which old corks already used can be
made over again as perfect as new ones. The corks made by the machines
herein after described can have any required thickness or length, they may be
more or less conical, and are always perfectly true and smooth. As by the
process herein-after described for manufacturing corks three different apparatus,
performing each of them a separate and distinct operation, are required, it is
necessary to describe them successively. Pieces of cork in their crude state
by means of the first apparatus are cut at first into slips of the necessary
width (as the width of the slips form the length of the corks); the side of
these slips are then submitted to the descending action of the second machine,
consisting of tubular punches, the dimensions of which may be varied
according to the required size of the cork to be made; this operation gives
the shapes, or, in fact, makes the cylindrical corks, which are finally submitted
to the action of the third or finishing machine, which serves to shave off their
superfluous thickness and rugosities, which the corks n:ay still retain after
having received their shape, by the operations of the punching apparatus;
that third machine cuts them more or less conical, renders them smooth;
and makes them perfectly true. These several machines are put in motion by
manual labour, though any other suitable power can also be applied by proper
modifications. The system of the several operations and the machines are of
so easy a comprehension and so little complicated, that any ordinary workman
could work them even if he should not be acquainted with the ordinary mode
of cork-cutting.
."First operation." The first machine serves, as herein-before stated, to cut

page_text: the cork in its crude state into slips or bands of the desired length; the first
machine is called the cork-cutting machine.
"DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING I.
Figure 1, Drawing I, is a side view of the machine for cutting pieces of
cork into bands or slips. A, A, represent a circular steel. knife serving to cut
the cork; B is an iron shaft, revolving in its socket or bearing, and supporting
on one end the knife A and at the other extremity the catching wheels C, C¹;
C, C', are catching wheels adapted to the shaft B and II, and communicating
their motion to the circular knife A, A; D is a fly-wheel, adapted to the
shaft H, and communicating its motion to the catching wheels C, C³;
D receives its motion from the handle E, which is turned by a workman.
The motion transmitted by the handle E to the shaft H, which turns the
fly-wheel D and the catching wheel C, C³, and thence the shaft B sets in
motion the knife A, A. F¹, F¹, are supporters, bearing the shaft B; G, G, are
the beams or feet of the frame, supporting the whole of the apparatus; H is
an iron shaft underneath the surface of the table G¹; I is the upper surface or
top of the table G¹, in which the cork in its natural state is placed to be cut in
bands by the revolving knife A, A; J is a wooden stop bar, adapted to the
surface of the table G³, and abutting the support F. When it is necessary to
lessen the length of the cork, a moveable piece of wood of the same thickness
as the length of the cork to be diminished is adapted. It is easy to conceive
that if a rough piece of cork is placed on the surface I of the table G³ and
kept steady, by means of the stop bar J is pressed gently against the edge of
the circular knife A, A, put in motion by the shaft B, which receives its
rotative movement from the catching wheels C and C³, set in motion by means
of the shaft H, which is made to turn by the fly wheel D, receiving its rotary
movement from the handle E, the piece of cork will immediately be cut into
convenient slips or bands, which are thus prepared for the second operations of
the punching machine.
Second operation. For punching the bands of cork, prepared as herein-
before stated by the first machine, into cylindrical corks for stoppers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS II.
This Drawing represents the machine for punching the bands of cork, (when
prepared as herein-before stated by the operation of the first apparatus, already

page_text: dimensions, having their upper external extremity ending like screws, and their
lower internal extremity cut likewise like screws; B, B, are conical steel tubes
or punches, each of them being of a size corresponding to the exact size of the
lower extremity of the brass tubes A, A. These punches have their upper end
cut externally as a screw, by which means they are firmly adapted to the
interior of the lower extremity of the brass tubes A, A, and are fixed per-
manently to these last by small screws. C are guides or stays, adapted by
means of a mortice and pin to the recess L, herein-after described; they serve
to hold firmly the bands of cork, cut as herein-before stated, when they receive
the descending action of the tubes A and B. D, D, are metal casings, fixed in
the crop bar O of the frame M, and by which the tubes A, A, are held steadily
when they receive their ascending and descending motion. E, E, are brass or
any other metal nuts, fixed to the cross bar P, of the frame M. These nuts
. are provided internally with a worm fitting exactly with the thread of the
upper extremities of the tubes A, A, and causing therefore these tubes to
ascend and descend freely and steadily. F, F, are cast-iron pinions fixed
permanently on the brass tubes A, A. These pinions are set in motion and
give the rotary movement to the tubes A, A, and therefore to the punching
tubes B, B, by means of a chain passing over the said pinions, and in com-
munication at one end with the double pulley J, and at the other end with the
cast-iron counterweight H. F, F, is an iron chain catching with the pinion F,
and of a sufficient length to cause the tubes A and B to descend when the
machine is put in motion. That chain is attached to catgut strings, by which
it is connection at one end with the double pulley I, and at the other end with
the cast-iron counterweight H. That chain F, F, passes over the cast-iron
pinion F, and when it is drawn down by the action of the double pulley I,
which is connected by the treadle J, by means of a catgut string, it gives to
the pinion F a descending motion, which this latter transmits to the tubes A
and B, and finally forces these tubes to perform the punching action upon the
bands, by which they are cut in corks. G are catgut strings, connected to both
ends of the chain F', F, as herein-before stated, and which are attached at
their other extremities to the double pulley I, and to the counterweight H.
Il' is a cast-iron counterweight, serving to give the inverse rotary motion to the
chain F, F, and thence to act upon the pinion F and tubes A. and B when
forced to rise by the withdrawing of the foot from the treadle J; I, double
pulley fixed to the cross bar g of the frame of the machine. To this pulley is
fixed, as herein-before stated, one of the catgut string, which connects it with
the chains F, F, and another string which connects it with the treadle.
J, J, treadle, fixed by means of hinges to the cross bar T, set in the back

page_text: beam of the frame of the machine; this treadle is provided with a string
which connects it with the double pulley I. During the time that the
workman's foot acts on the treadle I, the motion thus obtained being com-
municated (as herein-before described), and conducted by the means of two
pulleys, herein-after spoken of, to the pinions F, F¹, forces the tubes A, A, to
be lowered until the steel tube B has descended on the bands and punched out
the cork. When the foot is gradually withdrawn from the treadle J, the
contrary action naturally takes place, and the tubes are necessarily forced to
ascend to their former position, while the corks egress through the top part
of the brass tubes A, A, as soon as the corks are filling these tubes by the
successive actions of the punching motion of the tube B on the band of cork.
K, Figure 2, is a pulley, fixed on a cross bar set on the back of the frame of the
apparatus, and is placed in a parallel position with the tubes B and A, A; on
that pulley passes the catgut string attached to the double pulley; it serves
to connect in a direct line that pulley with the chains F, F. L, L, Figure 1,
are pieces of wood screwed steadily at equal distances on the cross beam N,
and forming a recess or casing to receive the bands of cork, and, conjointly with
the guides C, they keep them tight when they are subjected to the punching
operation of the tubes B and A. K" is another pulley (not seen in the Drawing,)
fixed on the back part of the frame close to the pulley k; over this pulley
ku passes the catgut string connecting the chains F', F', with the counter-
weight II. v, v, are the supporters of the frame of the machine. R, Figure 2,
is a deal receiving box, set over the upper extremity of tubes A, A, and divided
in as many partitions as the machine is provided with tubes A, A, of different
dimensions; it serves to receive the corks punched out of the bands of cork
and egressing from the upper extremity of the tubes A, A, and which, being
divided according to their different size and lengths, fall into baskets purposely
adapted. The operation of these punching machines takes place as follows:-A
band of crude cork, prepared as before stated by the first apparatus, being intro-
duced into the recess L, and clasped by the guide C, the workman places his foot
upon the treadle J, and by forcing it down pulls the catgut string G, fixed on
the double pulley I and passing over the pulley k, by that motion he draws
the chains F, F', which gives a rotary motion to the pinion F; that motion
forces down the tube A, A, and consequently the tube B punches the band.
The cork thus prepared ascends into the tube A, A, to egress by the upper
extremity of that tube upon the deal box R, and from thence into a basket.
When the workman withdraws his foot from the treadle, the counterweight H,
which had been forced to rise by the rotary motion of the chains F', F, is left
to its own action, which draws down the catgut string passing over the

page_text: is then ready for punching another cork from the band introduced into the
recess L.
Third operation.-For finishing the corks ejected from the tubes of the
machine herein-before described.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING III.
Figure 1 is a section in elevation of the apparatus called the cork-turner
machine, for finishing the corks, and making them more or less conical, of any
required thickness, and perfectly smooth and true. Figure 2 is a plan of the
upper part of the same apparatus; Figure 3 is a plan of the lower part
of the machine as seen by Figure 1. A, Figure 1, is an iron shaft fixed
permanently to the table A¹, A¹. This shaft is provided with three iron
projecting clamps H, H, H, and has a lever B passing through a mortice at
its upper extremity B¹. A¹ and A¹ is the table supporting the machinery,
pierced in several parts to allow the passage of the knife and catgut strings;
that table has also a square hole near the round iron nuts or washers holding
the cork, in order to permit those corks that are finished to escape through it.
A and A, and A, A, form the lower frame or supports of the machine;
B an iron lever fixed to the shaft A by a pin, which allow its free movement
of ascension and descent; it corresponds with the handle lever C by means of
a catgut string C¹. C is the handle lever, worked by the left hand of the
workman, giving by means of the string C¹ the motion to the lever B; that
lever C works freely in the supporter D. D is a supporter, fixed to the table
A', A¹, and serves to maintain the handle lever C; & is a pulley, fixed to the
table A¹, A¹, by means of a bridle, and connects the handle lever C with the
lever B by means of a catgut string C¹. When the handle lever C is pressed
down it raises the string C, passing over the pulley a, and depresses the lever
B; the movement of that lever naturally raises the rod F, and permits the cork
prepared, as herein-before described by the second machine, to be introduced
within the space G", under the washer or round nut G, and upon the second
washer G³, secured at the upper extremity of the rod F¹. E is a spiral iron
wire spring, adapted horizontally to the upper part of the rod F, between the
wooden pulley K and the iron clamp H; it serves to press down the lower
extremity of the rod F, so as to hold fast the cork to be cut between the two
washers G and G¹ of the two rods F, F, such movement taking place when
the hand is withdrawn from the lever C. F is a steel rod fixed to the

page_text: extremity B" of the lever B; it passes through the three iron clamps H, H, by
which it is supported, and carries permanently with it a pulley K, which gives
to it, by means of a rope, a retrograde movement. F is a steel rod, set at its
lower extremity in a socket fixed to the frame A", A", of the machine, and
passing through a metal casing fixed to the table A', A', which allows it to
turn with facility. That rod F¹ is of greater diameter than the rod F, and
cannot, like it, be elevated or descended; it carries a pulley 9", which by
means of a rope gives it a rotary movement. These two rods F, F, a, provided
with corresponding toothed washers or nuts G, G³, and are set in motion by
the pulleys k and g", adapted to them, and over which pass catgut strings or
ropes; they present the cork (to be cut) clasped between them to the action
of the horizontal knife. G, G', are round toothed nuts or washers, adapted to
the lower extremity of the rod F and to the upper extremity of the rod F¹ by
means of screws; the nuts may be changed at pleasure, according to the desired
size of the cork to be cut, or to the superfluous quantity to be shaved off. The
upper nut G is provided with fangs, in order to retain more firmly the cork
which is to subjected to the action of the knife. G" is the space between the
two nuts or washers G and G', showing where the cork to be cut is introduced
and clasped; H, H, H, are projecting iron pieces or clamps adapted to the
shaft A; they serve to maintain the upper steel rod F, and keep it in its proper
position. I is a steel rod, adapted at the lower extremity in a socket supported
by the arm J, and at the upper extremity in another socket set on the crank
shaft J, connected with the beam L; this rod I is provided at its upper part
with a wooden pulley, maintained permanently by a screw, and is put in motion
by a catgut string passing over the pulley K"; at the lower part of that rod I
is fixed a grinding stone, serving to sharpen the knife N. I' is another steel
rod underneath the tube A', A', moving at its lower extremity in a socket fixed
on the supporter J", and at its upper extremity in a socket adapted to a sup-
porter J. It is also provided with a grinding stone, serving to sharpen the
knife N in its descending motion. 9, 9, 9, 9, are pulleys in wood or iron;
g and g are fixed by means of supporters to the frame A and A¹ of the
machine; g" is adapted on the lower part of the rod F¹; g¹ and 9, are
pulleys adapted to the back part of the frame of the machine; 9 is a pulley,
receiving its motion from the treadle u by means of the catgut string k²,
attached to it, and which is in communication with the pulley 9", fixed per-
manently by screws on the rod F', to which it gives the rotary motion; g¹ is a
pulley, receiving its motion from the treadle u by means of the catgut string k
attached to it, and which is in communication with the lower extremity of the
holder M, to which the knife N is attached; k¹ is a catgut string attached to

page_text: the treadle 2, from which it receives its descending motion when the foot of the
workman presses it down. The string & passes on the pulley 9, and hence
over the pulley 9", by which the rod F¹ receives its rotary movement; from that
pulley g¹¹ the string k¹ passes under the pulley 9, and through a hole pur-
posely made in the table A', A¹, over the pulley K", and reaches the pulley K,
to which it gives a rotary motion, and consequently to the rod F carrying that
pulley. After leaving the pulley K, the string k¹ passes over the pulley K', and
through another hole made purposely through the table; A¹, A¹, reaches nearly
the cross bar A", A", and has a cast-iron counterweight V attached to its
extremity. is a catgut string attached to the upper extremity of the rod of
the knife holder M, passing over the pulley R set in the cross bar q, fixed to
the top of the apparatus, from hence it passes over the pulley R', set on bearers
fixed upon the cross bar q. That pulley is more elevated than the pullies. R
and R", in order that the string " should be more distended from the pulley
R; that string passes over the pulley R", set in the cross-bar 9, and is on the
same level with the pulley R, but on the opposite side of that pulley from R"
the string "reaches nearly the bottom of the apparatus, and has a cast-iron
counterweight S attached to its extremity. ¹¹ is a small string, attached at
one end to the catgut string k, at the point passing over the pulley 911; that
string serves to set in motion the rod I'; when the str in K' is pulled down
by the treadle u, the other end of 1, after leaving the steel rod I', passes
over the pulley g₁₁, and has a cast-iron weight z attached to its extremity.
k is a catgut string, having one end attached to the string before it passes
over the pulley K", and passing over the rod I puts it in motion; its other
end is attached to the said string k³, after it has passed over the pulley
K. L is a cast-iron shaft, set on the table A¹, A¹, by means of screws and
conveniently prolonged under the said table, it supports the cross bar q, on
which are set the pulleys R' and R"; to that shaft are fixed by means of
screws the bearer o, o, into which slide freely a metal band, to which is
attached the holder M, carrying the knife N. On that shaft L and its pro-
longation underneath the table are placed the elboed shaft J, the bands J¹, J",
and J serving to advance or recede the rods I and I'; these shafts and
bands are moved by screws set externally on L. On the same shaft L a small
elboed shaft, provided with a small roller, is set, and serves, by the rotative
action of that roller, to steady the knife, when in its ascending or descending
motion it cuts the cork placed at G; that elboed shaft and roller are repre-
sented by Figure 4. y is a screwed axis, set at one end to the shaft L, and
on the other extremity upon the small wheel y", provided with arms y' to put
it in motion. By that contrivance the shaft L is made to turn the segment of

page_text: a circle, and consequently impress on to the supporters o, o, a movement by
which the knife holder M is forced to advance or to recede from the rod
F and F. M is the knife holder; it is put in motion by the strings k¹¹ and k,
attached to the upper and lower extremities of the plate sliding into the
supporters O, O. N is a steel knife maintained by screws to the holder M;
that knife cuts the cork against which it is pressed during its ascending and
descending motion, and is held steady during that said motion by means of the
small roller herein-before described, which presses against it, The knife is
sharpened by the grinding stone, which the rod I and I carry; the operation
of these stones represented by the Figures 2 and 3. These Figures exhibit also
the small cases or cans full of oil serving to aliment the grinding stones:
u is a treadle by which the machine is put into operation when pressed down
by the foot of the workman; it is in communication with the pulleys g and g'
by means of the catgut strings k and k³, and it works freely by means of hinges
set at fixed on the back extremity of the apparatus. It will now be very
easy to comprehend the motion of the machine, which takes place as follows:-
The workman places his foot on the treadle u, which gives the motion to the
two catgut strings k and k¹; the former pullsdown the knife N, which by its
descending motion cuts the cork placed between the two washers G and G¹.
When the cork is cut the workman withdraws his foot, by which action the
cast-iron weight V, placed at the extremity of the string k", compels the
knife N to ascend to its former position. At the same time that the string k
has been put in motion, the string ', by the action of the treadle u, has been
also pressed down; that string during its course gives a rotary motion to the
pulley g" and also to the rod F, and pulls at the same time the small string ™
passing over the rod I'; that action gives to the rod I' a rotary motion, by
which the grinding stone with which it is provided is acting on the knife N
when descending and ascending. The string le continuing its motion over the
pulley k gives the rotary movement to the pulley K, and therefore to the
rod F, which carries the washer G holding the cork, and pulls at the same
time the small string , which compels the rod I to turn, and by which
motion the knife receives the grinding action of the stone with which I is
provided. When the foot of the workman is withdrawn from the treadle u
the contrary motion given by the string k naturally takes place, in consequence
of the cast-iron counterweight V attached to that string, which pulls it down,
meeting with no impediment, counterbalancing its weight. At the same time
that the workman has pressed down the treadle u he has raised with his left
hand the lever C, by which motion the lever B has pressed down the rod F,
holling the washer G clasping the cork, which is cut round during the

page_text: descending and ascending motion of the knife, and the rotary movement of the
rod F received from the pulley K. When the workman leaves the lever C
the contrary action of the lever B naturally takes place, and the cork being
cut, as hereinbefore described, falls into the hole made purposely in the
table A¹, A¹.
And having now fully described the Invention communicated to me, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details of the several parts of the
machinery herein-before described, and represented by the Drawings, provided
that its general features be similar to what is herein described; but what I 1
claim as new, as the Invention communicated to me, are,-
Firstly, the metal supporters O, O, fixed on the shaft L, and in which the metal
band holding the knife slides freely and is always kept perfectly horizontal.
Secondly, the small elbowed shaft provided with a small roller fixed to the
shaft L, and by which the knife is steadily pressing on the cork during the
action of the knife.
Thirdly, the pulley R¹ set on the upper cross bar of the machine, and sup-
ported by the shafts P and L, serving to keep the string * more distended,
and preventing any jerking of the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontaine-
moreau have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day
of March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.