Year: 1888

page_text: I ADOLPHE FRUHINSHOLZ of Nancy in the Republic of France, Cask Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide machinery for hooping casks, and in
which this operation is effected by means of hydraulic power, and the invention is
carried out by means of a number of pendent fingers or logs, which rost or press
against the hoop it is desired to force or drive onto the cask. These fingers or dogs
have a movement in a frame or plate which carries them, so that they can be arranged
to hoop a cask of almost any size. According to the size of the casks to be hooped,
one or other of two principal types of machine are employed, which machines, while
being based on the samo principle of construction, are arranged with a different
number of fingers or dogs; thus one will have six dogs for large casks, the other four
dogs for small casks.
These two examples of machine are represented in the accompanying drawings,-
Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation of the frame carrying 6 fingers or dogs.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, and
Fig. 3 an elevation of the whole apparatus.
Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of part of an apparatus with 4 fingers or
dogs.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line y of Fig. 6, which latter figure shows in plan view
a slight modification of the former arrangement, with 3 fingers or dogs in the inner-
most position and 3 in the outermost position.
Figs. 7 represent in side view and front view a finger or dog of modified form,
and
Figs. 8 show in plan and side view one of the connecting rods for the fingers or
dogs.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a circular cast metal Tramo A, formed with a central
opening, and with a number of radial guides B equal to the number of fingers or dogs
the apparatus is intended to carry.
In each of these guides works frealy a steel slide C, carrying at its upper part a
pivot pin D, and at its lower part the hooping finger or dog (4, also in steel.-In
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 these fingers or dogs are hinged at E to the slides.
On the frame A is mounted concentrically a ring F, which carries pivot pins II to
receive connecting rods or links K, which connect the ring F to the pivot pins of the
slidos ().
One of these slides C is formed as a nut, and is threaded internally to receive
a screw I mounted in the rim of the frame A, and provided with a hand wheel V.
By turning this serow by means of the wheel V, the slide is caused to move in or
out in its guides, and being connected with the ring F, causes the ring to rotate, by
which means motion is communicated through their links K to all the other slides,
which move in or out, as the case may be, an equal distance with the screw slide.
As the fingers or dogs are secured to, and form part of the slides, they also move
in towards or out from the centre, as the case may be.
This apparatus is secured in any convenient manner to the cross head of a hydraulic
press, and on a plate or table carried by the plunger of the press, the cask to be
hooped is placed. The hoop J being placed on the cask, the plunger is caused to rise
slowly, and the fingers or dogs being adjusted to the size of the particular hoop, come
into contact therewith, and drive it onto the cask.
The hinged fingers or dogs will give slightly from their normal position, in which
they are held by the spring R fixed to the slide. This movement permits of their
accommodating themselves in their descent to the varying diameter of the cask.
The bearing face of the finger or dog, which is slightly inclined, is roughened and
hardened in order to prevent all slipping from the hoop, and the inner face of the
finger or dog is rounded to a radius equal to that of the largest hoop, so as to obtain
the maximum contact of the finger or dog on the hoop.
The length of the fingers or dogs is such as to permit of their driving on the hoop
nearest to the centre of the cask, at the same time loaving a suitable space between the
top of the cask and the finger frame.
The smallest houps, at the ends of the casks, are forced on by bringing the cask up
into contact with the under side of the finger or dog frame, the fingers or dogs being
moved ontwards to permit of the cask rising clear of them.
It will be evident from the above description of the apparatus, that it can bo worked
rapidly and in a regular manner; its work will be better than that done by hand, and
done in much less time.
The apparatus shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 differs from that just describod,
1st, by the addition of a coiled spring P, which is fixed around the screw I, so that
the movement outwards of the fingers or dogs corresponds to the compression of the
coiled spring; 2nd in a special arrangement of connecting link K, which permits of
their crossing one another when the slides are drawn to thoir innermost position; tho
offect of this is to give greater play to the fingers or dogs, and consequently permit of
the hooping of a greater number of different diameters of casks; 3rd by pivotting, as
at, one or several of the fingers or dogs, which will permit of their oscillation in a
senso perpendicular to the diameter of the cask being worked, so as to facilitate the
disengagement of the cask from the machine when the hooping is effected.
The spring P, which takes the place of the spring R before mentioned, is lodged in
a box L, against the end of which it abuts at one ond, the abutment for the other ond
being a shoulder U on the screw I. In this arrangement, the screw I will yield
slightly under certain conditions, and in consequence of the connection of its finger
or dog with the others, all the fingers or dogs will move simultaneously; thus one
spring in this case answers the same purpose as the separate springs in the former
case. The object of this arrangement is to permit of the displacement of the fingers
or dogs independently of the movement of the hand wheel V, and thus prevent the
deterioration or abrasion which tho fingers or dogs would produce on the staves

page_text: during the booping operation, if they were rigidly fixed to the frame A, in consequence
of the irregularity in the form of casks.
The new arrangement of the links K consists in a modification in the form of the
link, which, as will be seen in the side view Fig. 8, is formed with a double elbow, the
object being to allow the links to pass freely one under the other at certain times.-
This modification admits of an increase in the length of the links and the slide guides,
and consequently of giving more play to the fingers or dogs; thus, this apparatus can
be used to hoop casks, the diameters of which vary more than those of casks which
can be treated in the apparatus shown at Figs. 1 to 1.
The pivotting of one or more of the fingers or dogs to the slides is shown at t,
Fig. 7. The slide C is forked or recessed to receive a lug on the finger or dog G, a
pivot pin being driven through a hole formed in the slide and the lug of the
dog G.-The dogs thus mounted will be capable of oscillating in a sense parallel to
the diameter of the cask, which will facilitate the lateral disengagement of the cask,
the hooping of which is terminated, and make room for its removal from the table or
platform during the descent of the plunger.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. A machine for hooping casks, and consisting of a circular metal frame A secured
to the underside of the cross head of a hydraulic press, and provided with fingers or
dogs G pivotted or hinged to slides (working in radial guides B formed in the frame,
the said slides being connected by links K to a ring F, to which rotary motion is
communicated by means of a screw I working in one of the slides C, as above
described, and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for hooping casks as referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement of
rigid fingers or dogs G and the regulating screw I, which works in one of the dogs,
and is controlled by a coiled spring P in such a manner that the elasticity thus given
to the screw I is transmitted to all the other fingers or dogs by reason of their con-
nection with the screw finger or dog, as above described, and shown with reference to
Figs. 5 to 9 of the drawings.
3. In the machines for hooping casks referred to in Claims 1 and 2, pivotting one
or more of the fingers or dogs to slides (in such a manner as to permit of their
lateral oscillation to facilitate the disengagement of the cask from the machines, as
above described, and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 25th In 1900