IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STAVES AND PARTS OF CASKS, AND FOR FORMING THEM
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grist, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF STAVES AND PARTS OF CASKS, AND FOR FORMING THEM INTO
Sealed the 10th June 1856, and dated the 27th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grist at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th December
1855.
I, JOHN GRIST, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STAVES AND PARTS OF CASKS, AND FOR FORMING
THEM INTO CASKS, BARRELS, AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My Invention refers, first, to the bending of wood for the formation of
staves; second, to the jointing or cutting of the bent wood or blanks with the
requisite bevil, bilge, and taper for their formation into casks, &c.; third, to
the raising or putting together a number of staves into the form of a cask;
fourth, to the chiming and creuzing of the staves; and fifth, to the cutting of
the heads for casks, barrels, &c.
First, bending wood to form staves. I make a metal tube or case with sides
of the same shape as that intended to be given to the staves, and pass heat
through the tube or case. The blank or piece of wood to be bent is first
saturated with hot water or steam, and is then placed on the outside of one of

page_text: the sides of the metal case, and bent on it by means of a lever, or otherwise
kept pressed against it until set to the required shape.
Second, jointing bent blanks. The bent blank is placed in a suitable frame to
hold it firm while being jointed, and is placed at an angle nearly corresponding
with the radius of the intended cask, and moved forward while one edge of the
stave is presented to a saw, and then to a cutter, to plane or finish the saw
edge. The frame is then passed over to the other side of the saw and moved
backward, the other edge of the stave then being presented to the saw, and
another cutter is simultaneously acted upon. This machine is provided with
one saw and two cutters, one cutter before the saw and the other cutter
behind the saw, caused to slide into and out of action, as may be required.
This machine can be made to act on both sides, forming a double machine.
Third, raising the cask. I make a contracting and expanding shape in wood
or metal to suit the inside form of the intended cask, and cause it to rotate
slowly. The staves, are placed on the shape beneath one, two, or more, belts;
truss hoops are then put on, and the shape and belts removed..
Fourth, chiming and creusing. I chuck or place one end of the cask, after
being removed from the raising machine, on a suitably constructed face plate
of a lathe; the other end of the cask is passed through a collar or ring which
revolves between proper rollers. The cask is then caused to rotate rapidly, 'so
that the end which passes through the collar may be chimed and creuzed
either by turning tools or by any other suitable cutter. When one end is thus
finished the collar is removed, the cask drops on a saddle prepared to receive
it, which is made to turn and to reverse the position of the ends of the cask,
and the operation is repeated on the unfinished end.
.
Fifth, cutting the heads. I chuck or place the pieces put together to, form
the head of a cask between two face plates of a lathe, and cause them to rotate
slowly, and the edge or periphery of the partially formed head to pass between
two circular saws, rotating rapidly, set at the required angle to cut off the
waste and form the bevils of the head. These saw cuts are subsequently
smoothed by turning or by other suitable means. The mandril or spindle of
the lathe is provided with a cam, which acts by means of levers on the slide
rest or turning tool, so as to impart to it a rectilinear motion in order to turn
the head an ellipse or oval instead of a round.
Although I have described my bending apparatus as acting on blanks, it
might be employed for the bending into form of staves previously cut or jointed.
And in the jointing of staves which are not bent I cause the saws and cutters.
to travel in the curves to which the stave is required to be cut.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Grist in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I JOHN
5 GRIST, of. Islington, in the County of Middlesex,. Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Grist, Her special licence that I, the said John. Grist, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Grist, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein. expressed, should and lawfully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STAVES AND PARTS OF CASES, AND FOR FORMING
THEM INTO CASKS, BARRELS, AND OTHER LIKE VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Grist, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 be 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 John Grist, do hereby declare 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:
My Invention refers, first, to the bending of wood for the formation of
staves; second, to the jointing or cutting of the bent wood or blanks with the
requisite bevil, bilge, and taper for their formation into casks, &c.; third, to
the raising or putting together a number of staves into the form of a cask;
fourth, to the chiming and creuzing of the staves; and fifth, to the cutting of
the heads for casks, barrels, &c.
First, bending wood to form staves. I make a metal tube or case with sides.
of the same shape as that intended to be given to the staves, and pass heat
through the tube or case.. The blank or piece of wood to be. bent is first.

page_text: saturated with hot water or steam, or not, and is then placed on the outside
of one of the sides of the metal case, and bent on it by means of a lever, or
otherwise kept pressed against it until set to the required shape.
Second, jointing blanks. The blank is placed in a suitable frame to hold it
firm while being jointed, and is placed at an angle nearly corresponding with
the radius of the intended cask, and moved forward, while one edge of the
stave is presented to a saw and then to a cutter or cutters to plane
or finish
the saw edge. The frame is then passed over to the other side of the saw
and moved backward, the other edge of the stave then being presented to the
saw and to. another cutter. This machine is provided with one saw and two
cutters, one cutter before the saw and the other cutter behind the saw, caused
to slide into and out of action, as may be required. This machine can be made
to act on both sides, forming a double machine...
Third, raising the cask. I make a contracting and expanding shape in wood
or metal to suit the inside. form of the intended cask, and cause it to rotate.
The staves are placed on the shape: beneath one, two, or more, belts; truss
hoops. are then put on, and the shape and belts. removed..
:
Fourth, chiming.and creuzing. I chuck or place one end of the cask, after
being removed from the raising machine, on a suitably constructed face plate:
of a lathe, the other end of the cask is. passed through a collar or ring which
revolves: between proper rollers. The cask is: then caused to rotate so that the
end which passes through the collar may be chimed and creused by turning
tools or by any other suitable cutters. When one end is finished the collar is:
removed, the cask drops on a saddle. prepared to receive it, which is: made: to
turn and to reverse the position of the ends of the casks, and the operation is:
repeated on the unfinished end.
Fifth, cutting the heads: I chuck or place the pieces: put together to. form.
the head of a cask between two face plates of a lathe, and cause them to. rotate
slowly, and the edge or periphery of the partially formed head to pass between
two circular saws rotating rapidly, set at the required angle to cut off the waste.
and form the. bevils: of the head. These saw cuts are subsequently smoothed
by turning or by other suitable: means. The mandrilor spindle of the lathe is
provided with. a cam, which acts by means of levers on the slide rest or turning
tool, so as to impart. to. it a rectilinear motion, in order toi turn the head an
ellipse or ovall instead of a round:.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood; I proceed to.
describe the Drawings annexed.
. Figure 1' is. a, sectionali elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation, of so much.
of a bending machine as is necessary to explain. the same. A, A, is a stout

page_text: frame; B, B1, B2, B3, are four sides of the hollow curved vessel, over which the
staves, or blanks for forming staves, are bent. I prefer to form these sides of
boiler plate, and shape. them to the curve of the intended stave. In the
Drawing the side B has the requisite curve for a stave for a puncheon; B¹
for a barrel; B² for. a hogshead; and B³ for a kilderkin. The vessel is
mounted upon an axis so as to be capable of being turned as required:
C is a hot water, hot air, or steam pipe for keeping the sides of the vessel hot:
a, a, a, a', are stop blocks rivetted. to the side plates; and b, b, b, b', sliding
blocks, for the purpose of retaining the blanks or staves on the side plates
when bent, as hereafter explained. D is a travelling block for carrying a
screw. E and hand wheel F; at the bottom of the screw is a friction roller c.
The operation is as follows:-The vessel being heated, or prior to being heated
a blank d saturated with liquid or steam or not, is placed against the stop a;
and the sliding block 6 brought over the end to retain it; the opposite end of
the blank is brought down by turning down the pressure screw, until the whole.
length of the blank is brought in contact with the curved side of the vessel,
when the end so brought down comes against or near to the stop a¹, and the
sliding block 6' is brought over and secures it in. that position. The pressure:
screw is turned in. the reverse direction, and the travelling block moved on to
repeat the operation on another blank. Instead of the blanks being brought
down by screw pressure where they are not of too great thickness a lever, such
as is shewn at Figure 3, may be employed. A is the lever; and B, a lining:
shaped to the curve of the intended stave; C is a rod for carrying the lever.
The blanks are kept on the heated curved surface until set to the curve,
when I remove them to a similar cold curved surface, and keep thein some
time after they have set; or they may remain upon the first curved surface,
from which the heating medium may be withdrawn until they are cold.
I now proceed to describe the jointing apparatus, of which Figure 4 is a
front elevation, Figure 5 an end elevation. A, A, is the framework; a, a, rod,
for strengthening the upper part of the frame; B, B, the bed of the machine,
seen more clearly in the plan, Figure 6; C, C, is a threaded shaft or screw,
free to revolve in bearings in the upper part of the frame; D'is a fast, and
E, E', loose pulleys, on the end. of the shaft; F is a travelling frame, for holding
the blank. to be cut to the required bevil, bilge, and taper. The head of this
frame carries internally a female thread, into which the male thread on the
shaft C takes, whereby the frame is made to travel to and fro, as hereafter
explained. The lower part 6 of the frame forms a bed of the desired curve of
the stave to be cut, in which a blank c. is placed; d is a filling piece, placed
on the blank; and e, a bar, free to move up and down on V guides in the side

page_text: of the frame F, by turning the hand wheel and screw f: Upon being screwed
down, the bar e holds the blank firmly in its bed while being cut. By means
of adjustable guides g, g', 9, the frame F is caused to travel at an angle, which
is so regulated with respect to the shaft C and saw, hereafter mentioned, that
the stave is cut to the radius it will assume in the finished cask. ..G is a
circular saw; h, a pulley, for receiving a band for driving the same; H, H', are
two sets of revolving cutters, one of which only is made to act upon the stave
after it has been cut by the saw, the other being made to fall clear, as pre-
sently explained. The cutters are affixed to vertical shafts I, I', supported in
suitable bearings connected to blocks K, K', free to move up and down in
their frames; i, j, and i,j, are respectively fast and loose pulleys on the shafts
I, I; L is a weighted bent lever, having its fulcrum at k, and connected by
pins 1, 1, to the rising and falling blocks K, K'. This lever is so shaped, that
while one set of cutters is above the bed the other set must be below it, and
the fast and loose pulleys are so set that the band for driving them' acts upon
the fast pulley of that cutter shaft only of which the cutters are above the bed
and in a position to work, while the band working upon the loose pulley of that
set of cutters below the bed and out of work, takes little or no power from the
prime mover. m is a spring catch, which takes into a nick in the weighted
end of the bent lever L, and keeps it in the position shewn in the Drawing
until liberated, as presently explained; n is a stop, which rises through the bed,
and is free to rise and fall by the lever engaging itself in one or other of the
projections o, o, and carrying it up or down with it; p, p, are spring-stops, to
prevent the frame F returning after being traversed, as hereafter described.
In the bottom of the frame there are slots, to enable it to traverse over thic
transverse guides g', g², when at the end of its stroke. M, M, shewn in dotted
lines in the plan, Figure 6, are shoes or receivers, kept gently pressed by
springs against the saw, for the purpose of receiving the waste cut off by the
saw, and keeping it clear from the cutters. There must be two driving bands
for the fast and loose pulleys D and E, E', arranged to drive in contrary
directions.
The operation is as follows:-Supposing a blank to have been secured in
the frame F, and the frame to be in the position shewn in the Drawings, the
cutters H will be raised above the bed, and in the position for working; now,
slip the band from off the loose pulley E' on to the fast pulley, when the screw
shaft will cause the frame F to move towards the opposite end of the machine,
and, in its progress, it will present the whole of one side of the blank first to
the saw, which will leave a rough saw cut on the edge or side of the blank,
and then to the revolving cutters H, which will trim and smooth the edge.

page_text: On arriving near the end of the machine the bottom of the frame F will come
in contact with and push back the spring catch m, whereby the weighted lever
will be liberated, its weighted end will fall and carry down the cutters H, and
consequently lift up the cutters H' above the bed, and into the position for
working; it will at the same time raise the stop n. Simultaneously, or nearly
so, with the frame driving back the spring catch m, it comes against a stop 9.
on the screw shaft, and the slots in the under part thereof coinciding with the
cross guides 9,9%, the frame traverses or shifts over to the opposite side of the
machine, and is prevented from returning or falling back by the spring p.
Immediately on the frame F assuming this last-described position, the bands
are shifted, that is, from D back to E¹, while the band which was on E is
shifted on to D, whereby the screw will be driven in a contrary direction, and
will bring back the frame, causing the partially formed stave to be first sawn,
then smoothed, and finished on the side opposite to that already finished. ..As
soon as the frame reaches the stop r upon the screw shaft, it throws the band,
by suitable levers, on to the loose pulley E, and stops the machine. The stave
being finished or "jointed" is removed by an attendant, and a "blank" is
inserted and secured in the frame F, the handle of the lever L is depressed
until the weighted end thereof is caught by the spring catch m; this motion
of the lever will bring down the stop n free of the bottom of the frame, and
will permit of the frame assuming the position from which it originally started,
when the band is slipped from the pulley E¹ on to the fast pulley D, and the
operation is repeated, as before described. The guides 9, 91, 92, must be
shifted to suit different sized staves. Although I prefer that the blank or piece
of wood for forming the stave should be bent by the bending apparatus, herein-
before described, or by any other means, prior to being inserted in the frame F
to be jointed, yet such is not absolutely necessary, as a blank saturated with
liquid, steam, or otherwise softened, may be used, and may have the requisite
curve given to it. by pressure between the curved surfaces in the frame F.
1
Figure 7 is a front elevation, partly in section, and Figure 8 an end elevation,
of my machine for raising casks. A is the bed; B, B, two frames free to slide
to and fro simultaneously when acted upon by the racks C, C, connected to
them and the pinion D. a, a, are standards, in which are bearings for the
hollow shafts E, E. At one end these shafts are connected to heads or dished
plates F, F. G, G, are toothed wheels geared into by pinions L (one of which
only is seen in the Drawings) upon the shaft M. c, c, are a series of ribs,
the outside of each of which is curved to the internal curve of the description
of cask to be raised. The inner ends of the ribs are connected to ring bolts
attached to the heads F, F, or are otherwise hinged thereto. The opposite

page_text: ends of the ribs are connected through stretchers d, d, to discs or plates H, H,
upon the inner ends of two shafts I, I, inserted through the hollow shafts
E, E. The outer, ends of these shafts are connected to hand levers e, e,
whereby the shafts may be moved inwards or outwards in order to expand the
ribs, or to cause them to close in towards each other. K, K, are two belts
passing round the outside of the ribs and over pulleys L', one of which only is:
seen in the Drawings. These pulleys are fixed on the ends of levers, which
have a counterpoise M' in order to keep the belts in a state of tension. In
order to raise a cask, the frames B, B, are brought towards each other, and the
ribs are expanded, as shewn in Figure 7. Staves are inserted between the
belts and the ribs, and the beads and frames are caused to rotate through:
the pinions L, L, and wheels G, G, until sufficient staves have been inserted to:
form the intended cask; truss hoops are brought round the staves; the shafts
I, I, and heads H, H, are drawn back, whereby the outer ends of the ribs will.
be drawn towards each other to such extent as to pass out from the staves.
The frames are slidden back by the racks and pinion free of the staves, which.
are then rolled away ready to be chimed and creused for receiving the cask:
heads.
Figure 9 is a front elevation, and Figure 10 an end elevation, of the
machinery I employ for chiming and creuzing. Figure 10* is a plan of the
chiming and creusing tools. A is the bed of the machine; B, a plate similar
to the face plate of a lathe, the axis a of which is free to revolve with it.
Upon the axis is keyed a worm wheel b, caused to rotate by a worm c, shewn
in dotted lines. d is a rigger for driving the worm; C is a collar (a section
of which through the line x, x, of Figure 10, is shewn at Figure 11) free to
revolve upon friction rollers e, e, in an annular frame supported by standards
ff, free to move to and fro upon the bed upon receiving motion through the
screw g.
h is the bed of the chiming and creuzing tools, which can be moved
to and fro by the screw i; they can also be moved across the bed, and
independently of each other upon the tongues j, j. By reference to Figure 10
it will be seen that the cutting tools are made to act simultaneously upon
opposite portions of the circumference of the circle of staves. D is a saddle or
rest for the centre of the staves; and k, a handle moving in a slot in the bed
for drawing the staves out of the face plate. In order to chime and creuze,. I
place a set of staves with their truss hoops on the saddle, and fix one end of the
set of staves in the face plate B, and bring up the collar C over the other end
until it holds them tightly, and, then withdraw the saddle. I advance the
chiming and creuzing tools to the proper position for them to work, and com-
municate rotary motion thereto as well as to the set of staves through the worm

page_text: gear and face plate. When one end has been chimed and creuzed, I bring
up the saddle, withdraw the tools, collar, and its frame, relieve the unchimed
end from the face plate, turn round the staves, and repeat the operation
lastly described.
The machinery by which I cut the heads of casks is shewn in Figures 12,
13, 14, 15, and 16. Figure 12 is a front elevation of a lathe; and Figure 1
an end elevation, partly in section, with the cutters shewn in Figure 14 applied.
Figure 15 is also an end elevation partly in section with the saw shewn in
Figure 16 applied. A, A, are the standards; B, the bed; C, the head; D, the
back poppet E, E; the face plates; F, a worm wheel; G, a worm taking
into the worm wheel F; and H, a set of cone pulleys for quick speed. The
worm wheel F is loose upon the mandril of the lathe, so that it may be thrown
into and out of action. when required by the clutch box F. I is a hand wheel
which forces the face plates together by means of a screw, and causes them to
hold the head J of the cask tight. K is a cam upon the mandril of the lathe;
and L, L, L, L³, are levers, by means of which the cam K acts upon the
slide rest M, or upon the turning tools when these are employed. 'N' is a
spiral spring, which keeps the lever L³ in contact with the lever L³. Between
the cam K and the lever La small friction roller O is interposed, and this roller
is kept in contact with the cam by means of a spiral spring P. The opération
of this machine is as follows:-The cask head. J is placed between the face
plates. E, E,, and secured by the hand wheel I, and then by a strap band from
the prime mover,, the worm G, and therefore the worm. wheel F, the head J of
the cask, and the cam K, are caused to rotate. By the motion of the cam K
and the levers L, L, L, and L³, a rectilinear or reciprocating motion is
imparted to the slide rest M, on which are mounted the cutters Q, Q, Figure
14. These cutters Q, Q are thereby caused to approach to and recede from
the head J as it rotates, and thus: impart to it the necessary elliptical form.
The cutters Q, Q, themselves receive a rapid rotary motion about their own
axes by means of a driving pulley R, and are set to the sectional form required
for the head of the cask. The saws S, S, which I employ for cutting off the
waste, and forming the bevils of the head J, are set one above the other, and
at the required angle, as shewn in Figures 15 and 16.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the bending of blanks prior to their formation into staves, or the
bending of staves upon curved plates, with the aid of screw, lever, or other
suitable pressure, in the manner herein-before described.
Second, the machinery herein-before described for jointing the edges or

page_text: sides of staves, together with the method of action thereof, in so far as regards
the travelling frame, set at an angle with the saw, the causing of the wood to
be acted upon alternately by first a saw, and then by revolving cutters, whether
in the forward or backward motion of the frame, and the bringing of the cutters
alternately into and out of action according to the direction in which the frame
is travelling..
Third, the combined employment, in stave-jointing machines, of a saw or
saws and cutters, the cutters being made to act upon the wood after the saw
or saws.
Fourth, the employment of expanding and contracting frames in the raising
of casks, whereby after the staves have been formed into the shape of a cask
over the frames, and have been tied by truss hoops, or otherwise, the frames
may be withdrawn therefrom, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the general arrangement and combination of machinery for chiming
and creuzing, herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
Sixth, the employment; in machinery for chiming and ereuzing, of a collar-
and frame, as herein-before described, for supporting the ends of the staves,
while being cut.
And, seventh, the arrangement of machinery, herein-before described, for 2
cutting the heads of casks of a slightly oval or elliptical shape.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grist, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of June; One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.