Improvements in the Method of, and in Machinery for Planing, Trimming, or Dressing Staves for Casks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left. 30th July, 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
Improvements in the Method of, and in Machinery for Planing,
Trimming, or Dressing Staves for Casks.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 66, South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to dressing what are known as split or
riven staves a large proportion of which are naturally crooked or twisted, but it is
also applicable to straight or sawn staves.
Heretofore it has been the practice in dressing twisted staves to cause the cutters
to follow closely the natural twist or curve of the stave with the result that in
many instances staves so dressed have been wasted owing to the impossibility of
straightening the curve or twist sufficiently to allow of the staves being worked
into a cask.
The main object of my invention is to provide means, and to operate by a new
method, whereby crooked or twisted staves may be so operated on that the above
mentioned waste of staves will be avoided, and for these purposes :-
First. I provide a movable carriage or frame in which a stave may be held in
position by means of clamps or grippers, and I provide adjustable guides and stops
whereby the staves may be accurately adjusted in the desired position before being
clamped, the guides or stops being so arranged that the thinnest end of a stave is
made use of as a fixed point from which the stave is aligned an indicator or guide
being preferably used to show when the stave is in the desired position. The
movable carriage together with the stave is free to travel to and fro on a main
frame which main frame carries two sets of rotating cutters, one set being movable
so as to be capable of being brought against one edge of the stave, the other set
acting against the other edge of the stave as the carriage moves to and fro. The
cutters may be shaped so as to give a slight bilge to the edges of the stave if
desired or such edges may be left straight.
Second. In order to plane or dress, or what is known as back and hollow, the
sides or flats of a stave I provide clamps, grippers, or jaws for securely holding the
stave at two or more points, preferably three, that is, at each end and at or near
the centre. The clamps, grippers, or jaws are carried on a frame free to move in
guides ou a main frame and are adjustable so that a twisted stave may be
constrained to assume a straight or nearly straight position whilst rotating cutters
carried on a sliding framework are caused to pass over the sides of the stave,
except where held by the clamps or grippers, and plane or dress such sides to the
desired form. If desired portions of the clamps, grippers or jaws may be carried
on weighted levers attached to the main frame. Template guides connected with
the sliding framework carrying the cutters are provided so that such cutters receive
the necessary motion for backing and hollowing the stave. Instead of being backed
In order to
and hollowed the sides of the stave may be left straight if desired.
dress the portion of the stave where it has been held by the central clamps or
grippers such stave is passed through a second machine provided with rotating

page_text: cutters and with guides against which guides the already dressed portions of the
stave rest. The edges of the cutters are so adjusted relative to the guides that the
central portion of the stave is dressed level or nearly so with the side portions. In
cases where it is possible to dispense with the central clamps or grippers above
mentioned the cutters of the first machine may be caused to dress the whole of
the sides of the stave and in such cases the second machine is not required.
Any twist or bend remaining in a stave after planing or dressing as above set
forth will not be sufficient to prevent such stave being worked into a cask almost
as easily as a straight stave.
"
Improvements in the Method of, and in Machinery for Planing,
Trimming, or Dressing Staves for Casks.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 66, South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, 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, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings:-
:-
This invention relates more particularly to dressing what are known as split or
riven staves a large proportion of which are naturally crooked or twisted, but it is
also applicable to straight or sawn staves.
Heretofore it has been the practice in dressing twisted staves to cause the
cutters to follow closely the natural twist or curve of the stave, with the result that
in many instances staves so dressed have been wasted owing to the impossibility
of straightening the curve or twist sufficiently to allow of the staves being worked
into a cask.
The main object of my invention is to provide means and to operate by a new
method, whereby crooked or twisted staves may be so operated on that the above
mentioned waste of staves will be avoided, and for these purposes :-
First. I provide a movable carriage or frame in which a stave may be held in
position by means of clamps or grippers, and I provide adjustable guides and stops
whereby the stave may be accurately adjusted in the desired position before being
clamped, the guides or stops being so arranged that the thinnest end of a stave is
made use of as a fixed point from which the stave is aligned, an indicator or guide
being preferably used to show when the stave is in the desired position. The
movable carriage together with the stave is free to travel to and fro on a
main frame, which main frame carries two sets of rotating cutters, one set being
movable so as to be capable of being brought against one edge of the stave, the
other set acting against the other edge of the stave as the carriage moves to and
fro. The cutters may be shaped so as to give a slight bilge to the edge of the
stave if desired, or such edges may be left straight.
Second. In order to plane or dress, or what is known as back and hollow, the
sides or flats of a stave, I provide clamps, grippers, or jaws for securely holding
the stave at two or more points, preferably three, that is, at each end, and at or
near the centre. The clamps, grippers or jaws are carried on a frame free to move
in guides on a main frame and are adjustable so that a twisted stave may be
constrained to assume a straight or nearly straight position whilst rotating cutters
carried on a sliding framework are caused to pass over the sides of the stave except

page_text: where held by the clamps or grippers, and plane or dress such sides to the desired
form. If desired portions of the clamps, grippers or jaws may be carried on
weighted levers attached to the main fraine. Template guides connected with the
sliding framework carrying the cutters are provided so that such cutters receive
the necessary motion for backing and hollowing the stave. Instead of being backed
aud hollowed the sides of the stave may be left straight if desired. In order to
dress the portion of the stave where it has been held by the central clamps or
grippers such stave is passed through a second part of the machinery provided
with rotating cutters and with guides against which guides the already dressed
portions of the stave rest. The edges of the cutters are so adjusted relative to the
guides that the central portion of the stave is dressed level or nearly so with the
side portions. In cases where it is possible to dispense with the central clamps or
grippers above mentioned the cutters of the first machine may be caused to dress
the whole of the sides of the stave and in such cases the second part of the
machinery is not required.
Any twist or bend remaining in a stave after planing or dressing as above set
forth will not be sufficient to prevent such stave being worked into a cask almost
as easy as a straight stave.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan, and
Fig. 4 a section at the line A A on Fig. 1, all of machinery constructed
according to the first part of my invention. is the main frame. b is a carriage or
frame free to slide to and fro in guides c on the main frame. d are worm and
wheel gear and levers whereby the frame b can be caused to move to and fro.
e el are clamps or grippers carried on the frame b. The clamps e are fixed to the
frame b, and the clamps el are free to slide in guides f in the frame. y are weighted
levers pivotted to the frame b at g¹ and connected to the clamps el by pins and
slots h so as to press such clamps e¹ against a stave i as shown. ; are levers and
links for operating the levers g to release the stave. are guides or stops for
adjusting the stave vertically before clamping. The stop k is adjustable by means
of the screw and wheel l, and the stop is provided with a slot 2 of a width to
correspond to the minimum thickness of stare which can be used in making a cask.
If desired means may be provided for varying the width of the slot as desired.
The thinnest edge of the stave is dropped into the slot until the edges of the
slot bear against the sides of the stave as shown. The stop k is then adjusted until
the stave is in the desired position vertically the bottom edge of the frame at b¹
being used as an indicator or guide to the proper position. The stops k kare
carried on arms m secured to a rock shaft n carried in bearings in the main
frame. o is a lever on the shaft n whereby the shaft can be turned so as to lower
the stops kk¹ clear of the stave as shown in Fig. 4. The lever o is provided with a
catch so that the stops may be held firmly in the upper position until required
to be lowered. pare rotating cutters on a shaft carried in bearings on the main
frame for cutting the lower edge of the stave. pl are rotating cutters on a shaft
carried in bearings on arms q pivotted on a shaft ql free to oscillate in bearings on
the main frame. rare balance weights for the arms q and cutters p¹.
The arins q
are movable up and down by means of the lever and links 8 so as to bring the
cutters pl against the top edge of the stave at the desired time. The cutters are
rotated by belts and pulleys in any usual or convenient way.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The lever j is operated so as to
withdraw the clamps el to allow of a stave being inserted in the position shown in
Fig. 1. The edge at one end of the stave drops into the slot in the stop ¹ as far
as the edges of the slot will allow it. If the stave is too thick to drop into the slot
it remains on the top of the stop. The other end of the stave rests on the stop k
which is now adjusted by the screw so as to bring the lower edge of the stave into
the desired position, the bottom of the frame b being used as a guide for adjustment,

page_text: or a separate bar or indicator may be used. The lever j is again operated to allow
the weighted levers g to force the clamps el against the stave, thereby clamping such
stave securely between them and the clamps e. The lever o is operated to lower
the stops kk clear of the stave. The worm wheel and gear d is then actuated so
as to traverse the frame b and carry the stave i above the cutters p which cut away
the lower edge of the stave as shown in Fig. 4. The lever 8 is actuated so as to
bring down the arms 7 and cutters pl which latter cut away the top edge of the stave
to the desired point. The cutters p1 are then again raised: the worm wheel and
connections operated to traverse the frame b back again to the position in Fig. 1
when the lever j is operated to raise the weighted levers g and withdraw the clamps e'
from the stave which is then free to drop or be taken away from the machine. The
stops are now raised into position to receive another stave, and the series of
operations are repeated. If desired a stop may be used in any convenient manner
whereby the levers j will be automatically operated to release the clamps on the
return of the frame b.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation. Fig. 6 is a vertical section at the line A A on Fig. 5,
and Fig. 7 is a detail view at the line B B on Fig. 5 of one portion of the machinery
under the second part of my invention. 1 is the main frame of the machine. 2 is
a bar or frame vertically movable in guides 3 in the main frame by means of toggle
links 4 operated by links 5, lever 6, and screw and handwheel 7. Any other
convenient means of raising and lowering the bar 2 may be used if desired. 8 are
brackets secured to the bar 2 and having pivotted thereto at 9 plates or pieces 10:
The plates 10 are formed wedge shaped on the undersides. 11 are wedge pieces
bearing against the undersides of the plates 10 and movable to and fro by means
of the screws and handwheels 12 so that such plates 10 can be raised or lowered as
desired. 13 is another bracket secured to the bar 2 (see Fig. 7) and having pivotted
thereto at 14 a lever 15 one arm of which 15° projects under the stave 16 at about
the centre, and the other arm is provided with a handwheel and screw 15b so that
the arm 15ª can be raised or lowered as desired. The stave 16 rests on the plates 10
and arm 15* as shewn. 17 17 are pressers which bear against the top of the stave
at the ends. The pressers are formed with with steps 17b so that whatever width
a stave may be such pressers always bear against the edges as shewn. 18 is a presser
which bears against the top of the stavo at about the centre. The plates 10,
arm 15 and pressers 17 17ª and 18 act as grippers or jaws whereby the stave
is securely gripped at the ends and centre and held straight. The presser 18 is bent
so as to allow free travel of the cutter spindle 23. All the pressers 17 17 and 18
are secured to vertically movable rods 19 which are attached at their upper ends to
weighted levers 20 whereby sufficient pressure is put on the top of the stave,
to ensure that the bottom of the stave at the ends is held flat against the plates 10
notwithstanding any axial twist there may be naturally in the stave. 21 are stops
to prevent the levers 20 and therewith the pressers 17 17ª, 18, descending beyond
a certain point when the stave is removed. 22 are cutters on shafts 23 carried in
bearings on arms 24, 24ª attached to a framework or carriage 25. The cutters are
caused to rotate by pulleys and belts 26, 26ª in any usual or convenient way.
arms 24 are pivotted at 24 and are adjustable by means of the screw 27 so as to
regulate the distance between the cutters according to the thickness of stave desired.
The carriage 25 is mounted on wheels 28, 29 which run on templates or guides 30, 31,
the curve of the template 30 being struck from the shaft which carries the pulleys
from which the belts 26" are driven thus allowing of the carriage 25 being moved
to and fro without any tightening or slackening of the belts 26. The template 31
is so curved that the cutters move in the necessary arc to give the desired backing
and hollowing to the stave. 32 are levers and links whereby to and fro motion can
be given to the carriage 25.
The action of this part of the machinery is as follows:-The toggle links 4 are
operated so as to lower the bar 2 to its lowest position. A stave is then placed upon
the plates 10 and arm 15ª. If the stave is much thicker at one end than the other,
the plates 10 are lowered by means of the wedges 11, if the stave is nearly
The

page_text: parallel the plates 10 are raised correspondingly so that the cutters will act on the
stave so as not to take off more wood than is necessary to properly shape the stave.
The arm 15 is adjusted by means of the handwheel 15b to support the bottom of
the stave so that such stave shall be in a straight line longitudinally. The toggle
links 4 are now operated so as to raise the bar 2 and with it the stave 16 until the
stave is brought against the pressers 17 17° and 18. If the stave should be twisted
axially the pressure exerted by the pressers 17 17ª on the top of the staves
as the bar 2 continues to move up is sufficient to force the stave flat against the
plates 10 thereby taking out the axial twist, the presser 18 holding the stave
against the arm 15ª and thereby taking out any upward bend there may be in the
stave. The stave is thus held practically straight both axially and longitudinally.
The bar 2 is now further raised forcing the pressers and their weighted levers
upwards until the stave is in the desired position before the cutters. The lever 32
is then operated so as to draw the carriage 25 forward thereby causing the rotating
cutters 22 to pass over the top and bottom of the stave, and plane or dress the same
to the desired shape. It will be observed that the central portion of the stave is
not acted on by the cutters in this part of the machinery. The carriage and
cutters are then moved backwards; the bar 2 is lowered and the stave is
removed to be passed through the second part of the machinery under the
second head.
on the frame 33.
Fig. 8 is a front elevation and Fig. 9 is a vertical section at the line c c on Fig. 8
of the second portion of machinery under the second part of my invention.
This
second part of the machinery may be formed with or attached to the first part of
the machinery but it is preferable to make it as a separate machine as shown. 33 is
the main frame. 34 are the lower rotating cutters on a shaft 34 carried in bearings
35 are the upper rotating cutters on a shaft 35" carried in bear-
ings on a vertically movable frame 30. 37 are stationary guides secured to the
frame 33. 38 are rotary guides for feeding the staves between the cutters. 39 is
spur gear for rotating the guides 38. The rotary guides 38 are supported by and
revolve on antifriction rollers 40 carried on shafts 41 supported in bearings on the
frame 36. The frame 36 is attached by rods 42 to weighted levers 43 which
partly counterbalance the weight of the frame and its attached mechanism.
facing pieces on the guides 38 which bear against the tops of the staves and by
the weight of the frame 36 and attached mechanism keep such staves pressed
against the lower guides 37 when the staves are passing between the cutters. 45
are projections on the guides 38 whereby the staves are pushed through between
the cuiters. 47 is a stave being passed through. The lower cutters are so
adjusted that their cutting edges are level with the face of the stationary guides 37
at the centre line, and the upper cutters are adjuste: so that their cutting edges
are level with the faces of the facing pieces 44. The cutters are driven by any
suitable arrangement of belting as usual.
44 are
The action is as follows:-A stave which has been passed through the first
machine, is placed with its dressed portions on the guides 37, and as the guides 38
rotate, the projections 45 carry the stave between the cutters, the facing pieces 44
on the guides 38 pressing the stave closely against the guides 37. By reason of
the dressed portions of the stave resting against the guides 37 and 38 and the edges
of the cutters being adjusted level therewith, the central portion of the stave is
dressed level with the end portions which were dressed in the first part of the
machinery.
I do not confine myself to the particular details of plates and pressers formning the
grippers as many arrangements of grippers or jaws may be made for effecting the
same object, nor do I limit myself to one central arm and presser for supporting
the centre of the stave, as in very thin staves two or more arms and pressers might
be used, the cutters being correspondingly arranged. Also the guides 37 instead of
being stationary might be arranged to reciprocate or to rotate similarly to the
guides 38.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
First. The combination with a movable carriage or frame, having grippers for
holding a stave, of adjustable guides or stops for adjusting the stave in position
before being clamped substantially as set forth.
Second. In machinery for trimming the edges of staves adjustable guides or
stops one of such guides or stops being provided with a slot or the equivalent thereof
for receiving the thin edge of the stave substantially as set forth.
Third. In machinery for trimming the edges of staves the combination of two
sets of rotating cutters, a movable carriage or frame provided with clamps or
grippers and adjustable guides or stops substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Fourth. In machinery for trimming the edges of staves the combination of two
sets of rotating cutters one set being movable, a movable carriage or frame provided
with clamps or grippers and adjustable guides or stops one of such guides or stops
being provided with a slot or the equivalent thereof, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Fifth. In stave dressing machinery clamps, grippers or jaws adjustable or
otherwise adapted to seize the ends of a stave twist it into and hold it in a straight
position whilst being acted on by cutters substantially as described for the purpose
set forth.
Sixth. In combination with grippers for gripping the ends of a stave, grippers at
or about the centre of stave to support such centre in a straight or any desired
position substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Seventh. The method of dressing twisted staves consisting in gripping a stave at
two or more points, twisting or forcing it into a straight or other desired position,
and holding it in such position while being acted on by cutters substantially as
described for the purpose set forth.
Eighth. In stave dressing machinery the combination of the movable bar and
adjustable plates 10 arm 15 and pressers 17 17ª and 18 for gripping the stave as
described for the purpose set forth.
Ninth. In stave dressing machinery a cutter carriage mounted on wheels running
on templates substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Tenth. In stave dressing machinery the combination of guides adapted to press
on dressed portions of a stave and cutters arranged to act on the undressed portion
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Eleventh. In stave dressing machinery the combination of guides adapted to
press on dressed portions of a stave, projections or other feeding devices to push
the stave between the cutters, and cutters arranged to act on the undressed portion
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Twelfth. In stave dressing machinery the combination of stationary guides
adapted to support a stave by its dressed portions, rotary guides adapted to press
the stave against the stationary guides and feeding devices to push the stave
between the cutters substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Thirteenth. In stave dressing machinery a vertically movable frame carrying
cutters and rotary guides in combination with stationary or equivalent guides
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of July 1898.
W. B. JOHNSON,
4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, Agent.