IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF CASKS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Andrew Gibbons, of Grove House, Northfleet, in
the County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CASKS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.'
Sealed the 23rd May 1876, and dated the 30th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Andrew Gibbons
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1876.
ROBERT ANDREW GIBBONS, of Grove House, Northfleet, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the methods and apparatus
employed in manufacturing casks, which improvements I will now describe. When
the staves have been cut ready to form a cask, it has been usual to set them up
around a cresset or fire-pan, so as to heat them before trussing or hooping them
into form. According to my improvement instead of so heating the staves I place
them side by side on flat metal plates, covering a fire flue and allow them to lic
thereon until they are sufliciently heated, whereupon I build them up, setting their
lower ends within a hoop on the table of a trussing machine, and their upper ends
within its head.
This machine is of known construction, consisting of a table mounted on the rain.
of a hydraulic press and a hollow coned head circularly grooved for the reception
of truss hoops. The staves built up on the table with their upper ends inserted
within the conical head are forced up by the ascent of the ram of the hydraulic
press into the head, so as to be embraced by the truss hoops lying in its grooves.
The head being made in two parts jointed together is then opened up, and the
cask trussed at one end is removed and inverted to be similarly trussed at the
other end. In effecting this operation, only a moderate pressing force is required
through a great part of the ascent of the hydraulic ram, but considerably greater
force is required at the last part of its ascent.
According to my improvements, I effect the required change of pressure by the
following arrangement :-I connect the force pumps, which are to furnish the water
pressure, by a main pipe, with an accumulator loaded sufficiently to give the smaller
amount of pressure required at first, and I connect the cylinder of the trussing
machine to this pressure main, by a branch pipe provided with a stop valve, pro-
viding a stop valve also on the main leading onwards to the accumulator. During
Prics Gd1

page_text: the first part of the ascent of the trussing ram, both valves being opened, the ram
is subject to the pressure in the accumulator, but during the latter part of its ascent,
the valve in the accumulator pipe being closed the ram is subjected to the full
pressure produced by the action of the pumps.
When the necessary squeeze has thus been given the valve in the accumulator
main is opened, the valve in the branch is closed, and a discharge valve is opened,
allowing the ram to descend. By thus employing an accumulator I am enabled
to operate more rapidly with a number of trussing machines requiring smaller
pumps, because in the intervals employed in placing or removing the casks the
accumulator is receiving a store of power ready to be given out when required.
When the staves are thus trussed together into cask form, they are chamfered at
cach end in a machine constructed according to my Invention in the following
manner-On a framing like the bed of a lathe are mounted two sliding heads,
having coned recesses to receive the ends of the cask, and connected to a lever by
which they can be made to approach towards or to recede from one another. In
bearings centrally within each of those heads is mounted a shaft, on which is fixed
a face plate armed with inclined cutters, and this shaft is made with a featherway
so that it can slide to or fro within the boss of a driving pulley, but must revolve
with it, and furthermore it is drawn back by a weight or spring, and can be set
forward by a hand lever.
In operating with this machine, both the heads and the face plates carrying the
cutters are drawn back away from one another, so that a trussed cask can be laid
on the bed between the heads; the heads are then advanced by the lever, so as to
clamp the ends of the cask firmly within their coned recesses, whereupon the cutter
plates are advanced, either simultaneously or successively, and their cutters rapidly
revolving turn out a chamfer within the ends of the cask. The cutters are then
allowed to retreat, the heads are moved apart, and the cask is withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Andrew Gibbons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
September 1876.
ROBERT ANDREW GIBBONS, of Grove House, Northfleet, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the methods and apparatus
employed in manufacturing casks, which improvements I will now describe. When
the staves have been cut ready to form a cask, it has been usual to set them up
around a cresset or fire-pan, so as to heat them before trussing or hooping them
into form. According to my improvement, instead of so heating the staves, I place
them side by side on flat metal plates covering a fire flue, and allow them to lic
thereon until they are sufficiently heated, whereupon I build them up, setting their
lower ends within a hoop on the table of a trussing machine, and their upper ends
within its head.
This machine is of known construction, consisting of a table mounted on the ram
of a hydraulic press, and a hollow coned head circularly grooved for the reception
of truss hoops. The staves built up on the table with their upper ends inserted
within the conical head are forced up by the ascent of the rani of the hydraulic
press into the head, so as to be embraced by the truss hoops lying in its grooves.
The head being made in two parts, jointed together, is then opened up, and the cask
trussed at one end is removed and inverted to be similarly trussed at the other end.
In effecting this operation only a moderate pressing force is required through a
great part of the ascent of the hydraulic ram, but considerably greater force is
required at the last part of its ascent.
According to my improvements I effect the required change of pressure by the
following arrangement:-1 connect the force pumps, which are to furnish the water

page_text: Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a transverse section
of the before described stove for heating the staves before trussing them.
A is the fire-grate from which a flue B leads to the chimney C; the flue is covered
by iron plates D, upon which are placed the staves E to be heated.
Figs. 4 to 8 shew the before described improved arrangement of the hydraulic
trussing machines.
Fig. 4 shews an elevation of the accumulator partly in section.
Fig. 5 shews a side elevation of a trussing machine, Fig. 6 an elevation of the
same partly in section; Fig. 7 a sectional plan on line X, X; Fig. 5 and Fig. 8 a
plan.
The trussing machine consists of a hydraulic press F having a table F on which
is placed a ring G' within which are built up the staves C. The upper ends of the
staves rest within the head H, which has grooves for containing the hoops and
opens on a hinge as indicated at Fig. 8. The hydraulic presses F communicate by
branch pipes I with the main pipe I, leading from the pump to the accumulator K.
The pipes I, I, have each a stop valve J, J. On placing the staves G on the table
of the press both the valves J and J are opened, whereupon the ram of the press
will be subject to the pressure in the accumulator, and the upper ends of the staves
will be forced up into the lower part of the head H. When they have been forced
in a certain distance the valve J¹ leading to the accumulator is closed, and the ram
will then be subject to the full pressure from the pumps, until the staves have been
forced right up into the head. This being done, the valve J is closed, and J' is
opened to establish the communication between the pump and the accumulator

page_text: again; and a valve L on the escape pipe L' is opened to allow the water to escape
from the press and cause the ram to descend. The head H is then opened, and
the cask removed.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew respectively a side elevation partly in section, and a cross
section of the before described chamfering machine. The framing M carries two
bars, on which slide two heads N, N, having coned rings N1, N1, to receive the ends
of the cask. The heads are connected by a link and lever O, O¹, by which they
can be made to approach towards or recede from each other. Shafts P, P, running
in bearings Q, Q, carry face plates R, R, having cutters R, R', the shafts being
rotated by driving pullies S, S, and having featherways S₁, S¹, so that they can
slide through the pullies. The shafts are connected at their ends by links T, T, to
weighted levers T₁, which tend to draw the shafts, and with them the cutters into
the backward position shewn in the Drawing.
A cask having been placed upon the inclined plates U on the framing, the heads
N, N, are made to approach each other by means of the lever O¹, until the ends of
the cask enter the rings N¹, and are clamped firmly by them. On now depressing
the levers V the shafts with their face plates and cutters are made to advance, so
as to cause the rapidly revolving cutters to turn out a chamfer in the ends of the
cask. The cutters are then drawn back by the weighted levers and the heads N, N,
are made to recede from each other, so as to relcase the cask.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim―
First. The method, substantially as herein described, of heating the staves for
casks preparatory to their being trussed by placing them upon a heated flue or
stove.
Second. The method, substantially as herein described, of working the hydraulic
trussing machines for casks by causing the hydraulic press to communicate, first
with an accumulator, and then with the puinps supplying the accumulator, the
communication between the press and the accumulator being at that time cut off.
Third. The arrangement for working hydraulic trussing machines in the manner
described in the preceding claim, of a main pipe connecting a force pump with an
accumultator in combination with branch pipes connected to the trussing machines,
both the main pipe and the branches being provided with stop valves, substantially
as herein described.
Fourth. The use for chamfering the ends of trussed casks of a machine wherein
two sliding heads with conical rings or recesses are caused to advance towards each
other, so as to clamp the cask between the rings while sliding shafts carrying
rotary cutters are made to advance so as to cut a chamfer in the end of the cask,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Andrew Gibbons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
ROBT. AND GIBBONS. (L.S.)