IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING STAVES AND OTHER PARTS OF CASKS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Colyer, of, Leman Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Cooper and Back Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING STAVES
AND OTHER PARTS OF CASKS."
Sealed the 27th May 1859, and dated the 30th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Colyer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
80th November 1858.
I, JOSEPH COLYER, of Leman Street, in the County of Middlesex, Cooper
and Back Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING STAVES
AND OTHER PARTS OF CASES," to be as follows:
The first part of my Invention-relates to that part of stave cutting called
backing" and hollowing. I fix the stave or blank intended to form the
stave in a holder, in such manner that it shall remain stationary during the
cutting or backing; and I cause that part of the wood which is intended for
the outside of the cask to be presented to a cutting tool, which is so shaped
as to give the required convexity to the back of the stave. The cutter is
caused to travel along the stationary stave or blank in a horizontal line, and
is made to approach nearer to and recede from the stave, in order to take
off more or less wood 'as is necessary to give the "bulge" to the stave by means
of a guide rod or bar, the outer end of which is made to travel over a
template; thus, by varying the template, the travelling cutter will be caused
to cut the back of the stave to any bulge required. The hollowing, that is,
the shaping of the inside of the stave, is effected by the same machinery, the

page_text: cutter being formed convex in lieu of concave. By using the same template
all the stave will necessarily be backed to the same bulge. I employ an
arrangement of levers or springs to ensure the same amount of tension on
the belt, which causes the cutter to rotate at every part of its travel. I
construct my holder for presenting the staves to the cutter with four arms,
radiating from a shaft or boss, and provided with stops for retaining that arm
carrying the stave next about being cut exactly opposite the cutters. As
soon as one stave is cut, the holder is moved a quarter of a turn, and a fresh
stave is presented, and so on, whereby a continuous feed is maintained.
The second part of my Invention refers to the bending of staves, and
consists in the adaptation or employment of curved cellular plates, in which
I
a continuous circulation of hot water or superheated steam is maintained.
am aware that heated curved plates have already been suggested for the
bending of staves, but they have not been found to answer from a constant
I have
and unvarying temperature not having been kept up in them.
discovered, however, that by a circulation of hot water through the plates
they may be kept at one constant heat during the bending operation. I
adapt dogs or holders to retain one end of the staves, and employ a lever,
screw, or other like power to press down the other end of the stave on and
over the curve of the plates. The end so pressed down is retained by a clasp
or fastening until the stave has assumed and will retain the bent form thus
imparted to it.
The third part of my Invention relates to obtaining a true and even face on
the pieces of wood used for forming the heads of casks. I fix the wood on
edge in a frame, which is truly adjusted on a saw bench, and cause it to travel
by means of screw gear in front of and against a disc furnished with cutting
and planing tools. Rapid rotary motion is communicated to the disc, while the
wood in the frame is propelled at a slow speed. As soon as the frame reaches
one end of the bench, .the finished wood is removed and another piece fixed in
it to be operated upon in the return of the holding frame; or the frame may be
returned empty to be charged at that end of the bench from which it started.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Colyer, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Colyer, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Colyer, 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
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING STAVES AND OTHER PARTS
OF CASKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Colyer, my executors or administrators, 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.
7
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Colyer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention relates to that part of stave cutting called
backing and hollowing. I fix the stave or blank intended to form the stave
in a holder, in such manner that it shall remain stationary during the cutting
or backing, and I cause that part of the wood which is intended for the
outside of the cask to be presented to a cutting tool, which is so shaped as
to give the required convexity to the back of the stave. The cutter is caused
to travel along the stationary stave or blank in a horizontal line, and is made
to approach nearer to and recede from the stave, in order to take off more or
less wood as is necessary to give the bulge to the stave by means of a guide
rod or bar, the outer end of which is made to travel over a template; thus, by
varying the template, the travelling cutter will be caused to cut the back of
the stave to any bulge required. The hollowing, that is, the shaping of the
inside of the stave, is effected by the same machinery, the cutter being formed
convex in lieu of concave. By using the same template all the staves will

page_text: necessarily be backed to the same bulge.. I employ an arrangement of levers
or springs to ensure the same amount of tension on the belt, which causes
the cutter to rotate at every part of its travel. I construct my holder for
presenting the staves to the cutter with four arms, radiating from a shaft or
boss, and provided with stops for retaining that arm carrying the stave next
about being cut. exactly opposite the cutters. As soon as one stave is cut,
the holder is moved a quarter of a turn, and a fresh stave is presented, and so
on, whereby a continuous feed is maintained.
The manner in which I carry the first part of my Invention into effect is
illustrated in Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of as much of a machine for cutting and
shaping staves as will be necessary to explain my Invention; Figure 2 is a
plan of the template I employ in connection with the machine; and Figure 3
is a view in plan of an apparatus I use to place the staves in a proper position
in the machine prior to their being operated on by the revolving cutters.
A is a shaft running across the machine, which carries four arms or frames
B, B, B, B. These arms carry blocks of wood C, C, C, C¹¹, on which
the staves or blanks are placed. The first stave D'is placed on the block C
in the frame B, and there held by means of a screw E, which passes through
a projection F, fixed to the frame B¹.
In order to preserve the necessary curve in the stave or blank, which has
been previously given. to it by the steaming process it has undergone, as will
be hereafter explained, I employ the apparatus shewn at Figure 3. The
stave D is placed against a block G, which is curved to the shape the stave
is to assume when finished. A frame a is fixed to the machine, which has a
number of holes bored in it, through which screws b, b, pass, and also through
a block c to the stave D. If the stave does not correspond exactly with the
shape of the curve in the block G, the screw or screws are turned at that
part where the irregularity exists, until the stave is of the required shape;
this done, dogs or other appropriate contrivances hold the stave in position,
and the screws are released: The frame B is then turned by the workman a
quarter of a revolution, the frame B', with its stave or blank, passing on to
the cutters. H is the frame carrying the cutters I, which have a rotary
motion imparted to them, as will be presently described. The frame II has a
longitudinal and vertical motion imparted to it.. The longitudinal motion is
obtained through the lower part of the frame H working along a screw J,
which is driven by straps and pulleys, while the vertical motion is gained
through a roller K moving along the template, shewn in plan at Figure 2,

page_text: the frame H sliding in V-grooves. As the cutters revolve they cut the stave
to the same shape as the template; the longitudinal and vertical motions of
the frame Hallow of the cutters following the figure of the template.
In order to preserve the proper tension on the strap which drives the pulley
on the cutter shaft, I employ the machinery shewn in side clevation at
Figure 4, and in front elevation at Figure 5. The roller K carries a shaft L
connected to rods M; M, resting on a roller O, which are jointed to arms N, N,
which carry the drum P, round which the strap from the pulley on the cutter
shaft passes. The drum P receives motion from the shaft Q, which is driven
through the pulleys R, R, round one of which a strap passes from a steam
engine or other prime mover. As the roller K follows the curve of the
template (which consequently draws the frame carrying the cutters farther
from or nearer to the 'drum P), the strap which drives the cutters will be
continually kept at the same state of tension through the drum P yielding to
the longitudinal and vertical motions by means of the jointed arms N, N, on
which the drum works. Or, instead of this arrangement the strap can be
passed over two guide rollers, and from thence to a drum, to which rotary
motion is imparted. In this case the strap will slip along the drum as the
cutter frame moves, and so keep the strap at an even state of tension.
The second part of my Invention refers to the bending of staves, and
consists in the adaptation or employment of curved cellular plates, in which
a continuous circulation of hot water or superheated steam is maintained.
I am aware that heated curved plates have already been suggested for the
bending of staves, but they have not been found to answer, from a constant
and unvarying temperature not having been kept up in them; I have
discovered, however, that by a circulation of hot water through the plates, they
may be kept at one constant heat during the bending operation. I adapt
dogs or holders to retain one end of the staves, and employ a lever, screw, or
other like power to press down the other end of the stave on and over the
curve of the plates. The end so pressed down is retained by a clasp or fastening
until the stave has assumed and will retain the bent form thus imparted to it.
I do not consider Drawings necessary to illustrate this second part of my
Invention.
The third part of my Invention relates to obtaining a true and even face on
the pieces of wood used for forming the heads of casks. I fix the wood on
edge in a frame which is truly adjusted on a saw bench, and cause it to travel
by means of screw gear in front of and against a disc furnished with cutting
and planing tools. Rapid rotary motion is communicated to the disc while

page_text: the wood in the frame is propelled at a slow speed. As soon as the frame
reaches one end of the bench the finished wood is removed, and another piece
fixed in it to be operated upon in the return of the holding frame; or the
frame may be returned empty to be charged at that end of the bench from
which it started.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan of a machine
which I employ for carrying this part of my Invention into effect. A is the
main frame, which supports a saw bench B; C is the wood or portion of
the head of a cask to be operated on.
This wood C is held by means of a
clamp C', which is regulated by the screw and wheel D. The wood C is
caused to advance through the screw E driven by the cog wheels F on a
shaft G, to which motion is communicated through the pulley II, round which
a strap passes to a second pulley I on a shaft K, which carries the fast and
As the
loose pulleys L, L', which drive the disc M, carrying the cutters.
wood C advances, the cutters on the disc reduce the wood to the desired
thickness.
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 improvements in machinery for cutting and shaping staves, as
described under the first part of my Invention, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, Sheet 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second, the means and appliances herein-before described and illustrated at
Figures 4 and 5, Sheet 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed, for preserving
the driving strap of the cutter pulley at an even state of tension.
Third, the improvements herein-before described under the second part of
my Invention for bending staves.
And, fourth, the improvements herein-before described and illustrated in
Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings for obtaining a true and even face on
the wood used for forming the heads of casks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Colyer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine
JOS. COLYER. (L.S.)