IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STAVES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Greenwood, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
STAVES."
Sealed the 2nd December 1862, and dated the 3rd October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Greenwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd October 1862.
I, THOMAS GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING STAVES," to be as follows :-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of cutting and
shaping staves. In order to reduce planks to the form of staves suitable for
covering cylindrical metal casks, I submit the wood to a sawing machine pro-
vided with a double set of oblique saws. These sets of saws I mount on shafts
mounted obliquely in suitable bearings, making them preferably of varying
diameters, to bring the cutting edges of each set on a level. As the wood is
brought to and fed past one set of saws, oblique parallel cuts will be made
through the wood in one direction, the amount of obliquity being determined
by the bevil required for the staves. After passing one set of saws the wood
will come under the action of the other set of saws, and these being mounted
obliquely in the opposite direction will cut the opposite bevil for the staves

page_text: Thus the wood will be cut into bevilled staves in a manner that will give waste
pieces only at the edges of the plank. For presenting the wood to the saws.
the usual or equivalent contrivances will be adopted for holding the wood
firmly under the action of the saws. The stave which I propose chiefly to
manufacture being intended to cover inetal casks for the purpose of increasing
their strength, will require to be tapered on its outer face towards its ends to
allow of metal hoops being applied thereto. To effect this tapering in an
expeditious mauner, I mount the staves on a rocking table and pass them
under a rotating cutter, which will reduce the staves to a shape corresponding
to a segment of the circle in which the table rocks. In order further to shape
the staves, I propose to hollow their inner faces by means of a rotary cutter,
that they may the better fit around the cylindrical cask.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Greenwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Greenwood, Her special license, that I, the said Thomas Green-
wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Greenwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
tine agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and law fully 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING STAVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Greenwood, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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
De filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Greenwood, do hereby declare

page_text: the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to tho
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
==
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of cutting or
shaping staves from planks of wood, such staves being intended to be applied
as a cylindrical covering for metal casks, and for analogous uses. To this
end I submit the wood to a sawing machine, which at one operation will cut
the bevilled edges of the staves. The machine is provided with a double
set of oblique saws, the shafts of which are inclined in opposite directions,
but at the same angle, and for the purpose of bringing the cutting edges
of each set on a level, or nearly so, I make the saws of varying diameters.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,
of the improved machine; Fig. 2, is a plan view, also partly in section; and
Fig. 3, is a transverse section of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1;
a, a, are the side. frames of the machine coupled together by cross bars
a' and a, and by plates a³, which form a portion of the table of the machine.
These plates a are cast with pendent pieces a', which are faced up to receive
each a swing bracket b. The brackets are cast with arms to embrace and
carry
the saw shafts c and c', which turn freely in suitable bearings provided
to receive them. That portion of the brackets, which is in contact with the
pendent pieces a, is also faced up to ensure close contact between the parts
for the purpose of obtaining steadiness in the brackets. The brackets are
carried by fulcrum pins 6', which pass through the pendent pieces a', and are
tightened up by nuts on their outer ends. The lower end of each bracket
is furnished with a screw bolt 6, which screw bolts severally enter a segment
slot in the cross bars a³, a³, and receive a nut for clamping their respective
brackets in any required position. Mounted on the shafts c, c', are the sets
of saws d, d, the one consisting of an odd number of saws, and the other of an
even number for a reason that will be presently understood. These saws
project through slots made in moveable plates e, e, (forming portions of the
table,) in order that they may reach their work, which is moved forward over
the table. For guiding the wood up to the cutters the table is provided with
an adjustable guide f.
It will now be understood that any amount of obliquity may be given to
the saws by simply slackening the screw bolts &, and moving the saw shafts
to the required angle, and then clamping them to secure them in their new
position. The change of obliquity is needed to suit various kinds of work
it being understood that as the wood is brought up to and fed past the first

page_text: set of saws while the same are rotating oblique parallel or bevilled cuts will
be made through the wood in one direction, the angle of the bevil corresponding
to the obliquity of the saws. After passing the first set of saws the wood will
come under the action of the other set of saws, and these being mounted
obliquely in the opposite direction, and at a corresponding inclination, will cut
the opposite bevil for the staves, dividing the already severed portions of the
plank equally down the middle as indicated in Fig. 2. When the saws are
intended to be set at an extreme position it may be necessary to change
plates e for others whose slots will not interfere with the saws taking the new
angle of inclination desired to be given to them. By reference to Fig. 8 it
will be seen that the action of this machine is to cut the wood into bevilled
staves in a manner that will give waste pieces only at the edges of the plank.
The saws it will be seen are mounted in the usual manner on their shafts
and they are at equal distances apart the relative positions of the saws of the
two sets being such that the second set which comes into action will divido
the severed portions of the plank evenly down the middle. The saws driven
by bands from any prime mover, pass over pullies on the ends of the shafts.
For presenting the wood to the saws and holding it firmly under the action of
the saws any suitable or well known contrivance may be adopted.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Machinery :
for Cutting Staves," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim, the use of sets of rotary saws mounted and operating as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Greenwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the First day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
THOMAS GREENWOOD. (L.B.)