IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR NAILING BARREL HOOPs
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR NAILING BARREL HOOPs." A communication from abroad
by Emerson Cole, of the City of Brooklyn, State of New York, United
States, Mechanic.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1881.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR NAILING BARREL
Hoops." A communication from abroad by Emerson Cole, of the City of
Brooklyn, State of New York, United States, Mechanic.
Hoops, such as are used for securing the staves or sides of barrels, kegs, well
buckets, cheese boxes, and like vessels, are now supplied to coopers in nests, that is
to say, a quantity properly shaped are bent or curved into circular form so as to
lie or be nested one within another, their ends being unattached.
These hoops simply require to have their ends firmly secured together when they
are ready to be driven upon a barrel or similar body.
Heretofore it has been the practice to unite their free ends together by a
hand process, in which the fastenings, nails, rivets, and the like, are separately
driven.
It is the object of the present improvements to fasten together the free ends of
such hoops by mechanisms so arranged and operating as to clamp the hoop ends in
proper relative adjustment; to automatically feed the nails, rivets, staples, or other
fastenings into proper position, and then simultaneously drive all of said fastenings,
whereby great accuracy in the work is accomplished, and finished hoops are
produced with great despatch and cheapness.
The Invention consists in a novel arrangement of devices whereby the free ends
of the hoops are properly lapped and clamped in position to be united together; in
means for feeding nails, rivets, staples, or other fastenings into proper position for
[Price Ca

page_text: insertion in said hoop ends; in means for driving and clinching said fastenings; and
in various combinations of parts; all of which is too particularly hereinafter set
forth to need further preliminary description.
The accompanying Drawing illustrate a practical apparatus embodying my said
improvements.
Figure 1 showing a front elevation; Figure 2 a side elevation; Figure 3 a rear
sectional elevation on the line x of Figure 2; and Figure 4 a transverse sectional
elevation on line e of Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows an elevation of the cam wheel, whereby many of the parts are
moved.
Figure 6 shows the mechanisms for feeding the fastenings by a sectional plan
view, of which Figure 7 is principally a sectional elevation.
Figure 8 is an elevation of the swinging horn.
The various mechanisins are supported upon a frame work as one consisting of
legs 20, 30, braced by tie rods 21, and otherwise constructed so as to securely and
firmly support the various parts of the machine.
The hoop holder or support consists of a circular former 31, which is surrounded
by a circular fender or guard 33, that is constituted by a rim projecting from the
frame work so as to form a space or recess 5 between it and the periphery of the
"former" 31 for the reception of the hoop.
The "former" 31, fender 33, and the back plate uniting the two, may be cast in
one piece so as to provide the recess 5, or be separate parts properly united.
This former "31 determines the size of the hoop and its upper surface, above which
the mechanisms for inserting the fastenings are mounted, acts as an anvil or clinching
surface, and it may be made oblong or of other shape, and will be of a size to suit
that of the hoop to be made. It may be constructed largely of wood, but in
this case it will be provided with a face of metal. to afford a proper clinching
surface.
An evening mechanism is provided whereby various parts of the hoop shall
be caused to lie in the same vertical plane while its ends are being fastened
together, and thus be kept out of wind.
The
This mechanism consists of four, more or less, arms 2, which are pivoted in
enrs 3, 3, that are fastened to the face of the former 31 within its periphery (sec
Figure 1). These arms are of the peculiar shape best seen in Figure 2, whereby
their outer ends are adapted to bear against the edges of the hoop and press its oppo-
site or inner edge against a seat formed by the back plate of the fender 33.
inner ends of these arms project beyond their pivots, so as to form bearings,
seating them in their open position, as in Figure 4, and adapt them to be engaged
by the toes 4 of rods 1, which latter are spring seated in bearings in the frame,
and are horizontally reciprocated to move the arms 2 into the position shown
in Figure 2 by means of a rotating cam wheel 34, the several short cams 6 of
which are provided one for each rod 1 and corresponding arm 2. The arms 2 are
thus regularly vibrated from one position to the other; moving to one position to
permit the introduction of the hoop onto the "former" and then to the other to
even the same, thus playing in recesses 38 in the periphery of a guide 37, which
is a hollow cup like device held against the former 31 by screws 32, and
forming an extension of said "former," its periphery being bevilled to adapt it to
guide the hoop onto said former 31.
"
A binding mechanism is provided whereby the hoop introduced into the recess 5
is drawn snugly against the periphery of the "former 31, and its free ends thus
advanced past each other so as to be properly lapped, and thus bring the hoop to
its proper dimensions and hold it there until its said ends are secured.
This mechanism consists of a flat band 10, which may be of leather or similar
material, though a flat metal spring is preferred. This band is secured at one end
to one side of the fender 33, and although it may be rigidly held, it is preferable
to secure it to a block 59 (Figure 7) that is capable of sliding in a recess in said
fender, said block being seated upon a spring, whereby it will be held up in its

page_text: highest position, and yet permit the end of said band to be drawn slightly downward
whenever an unusually thick hoop is operated upon. This band has a central
guide pin 36, and at its opposite end is attached to a shoe 11 that slides in bearings
in a recess of the fender 33 and its back plate. This shoe 11 has a rearward
projecting tappet 12 that is engaged by one of the arms 35, which are carried by
the can wheel 34. These arms 35 engaging said tappet 12 advance the shoe 11
and draw up the band 10, and finally pass off said tappet and release the band,
which then, either by its resiliency or by gravity of its shoe 11 or its own weight,
moves outward to relieve the hoop. A hoop ejecting device is employed, whereby
the finished hoop is forced out of the recess 5 and delivered from the machine.
This consists of push rods 7 that are spring seated in bearings formed in the frame
work, and reciprocated by means of pivoted levers 8, the ends of which bear upon
the cams 13 provided upon the cam wheel 34, said levers being also seated upon
springs 22 that are sustained upon pins, so as to bear upon the levers and hold
them in contact with the cams 13. These cams 13 are provided with extended
portions, whereby the ends of the levers 8 are held in such position as to permit
the push rods 7 to remain retracted by their springs for a considerable period,
during which the various operations are performed upon the hoop and with short
depressions, which allow the springs 22 to quickly vibrate, said levers to actuate
the rods 7 and eject the finished hoop. The cam wheel 34 is mounted upon a
shaft 39 properly journalled in the frame work, which shaft is driven in any
common manner, and rotated at an appropriate speed.
The mechanisms for clamping the hook ends and for feeding and inserting the
fasteners in the same are arranged above the "former" 31, the principal parts of
the same being carried by a head 40 that is capable of vertical reciprocation in end
guides 41, 42, it being held in a raised position by means of springs 43, 44, that
connect side arms of the head 40 with the guides 41, 42.
The under surface of this head is made concave, that form being given to adapt
it to conform to the convex clinching surface presented by the "former" 31, so
that the overlapping hoop ends may be properly clamped between said surfaces
when the head 40 is depressed and the operation of fastening and hoop ends
together is to be accomplished.
The fastener inserting mechanisms consist of three more or less nail setters
50, 60, 70, and with one or more staple setters 80, all of which are provided with
plungers as 51, 52, 53, 54, so disposed as to carry the nails or staples to the lapped
portions of each hoop through guiding channels as 58, 75, extending through the
head 40, with which guiding channels lateral nail directing recesses communicate.
Staples alone or nails alone might be used, but it is preferable to use rails for the
principal fastenings and to use but one staple for each hoop, as will be explained,
said staple being preferably so set near the end of the overlapped portions of the
hoop that its head or crown will bear upon or bridge the outerlapped part of the
hoop transversely.
Each nail either is provided with a feeding mechanism that consists of a hopper 22,
into which the rails may be promiscuously thrown, and from which they may
gravitate by reason of the inclination or position of the hopper. This hopper is
composed of inclined end plates and inclined side plates 45, 46, the latter termi-
nating respectively in a guide rail 47 and 48, which rails are set apart a distanco
sufficient to permit the legs of the nails to depend through the longitudinal slot
formed between them, while the said plates 47, 48, are set far enough away from
said slot so that the heads of the nails will be supported upon the upper faces of
said nails 47, 48. The rails 47, 48, extend forward to communicate with a nail
directing recess 23 cut in the rear wall of the head 40 and terminate in
points 15, 16, that rest in lateral slots 14, 17, formed in spring seated vertical
guides 18, 19, see Figure 6, so that said guides may move laterally in bearings
formed in the head 40 without disturbing the position of the ends of the
points 15, 16, of the guide rails. These guides 18, 19, project from the opposite
walls of the nail guiding channel, and are spring seated so as to nominally protrude

page_text: inwardly over the nail guiding channel 58, their faces, which are inclined rearward
and upward, then standing apart and in alignment with the rails 47, 48, thus
forming a continuous guide way for the nails from the hopper to the guide
channel 58.
The inclined faces of these guides form a seat for the head of the nail directed
between them, so that as each nail is fed to them its shank depends in the channel 58
while its head rests in said seat, the nail thus being supported directly beneath a
spring seated plunger, which, descending upon the nail, will cause the spring seated
guides to spread apart and admit the nail head to pass them in its vertical descent
through the channel 58.
The spring seated plungers 51, 52, 53, carried within the stock of each nail setter
terminate at their upper ends in a cross bar or head 161, to which they are attached,
and each is provided with a hopper, guide rails, and spring seated guides 18, 19, for
conducting nails to their nail guiding channel.
As the nails slide forward upon the guide rails and their points 15, 16, they are
held down in proper position and prevented from jumping by a top guide plate 81
extending from the hopper end nearly to the guides 18, 19, the nails resting against
each other and the forward one against a stop or stops 9 that protrude from the
vertical guide 18 or the guides 18, 19, to close the guide way and thus suspend the
forward movement of the row of nails descending toward the setting instrumen-
talities. As a plunger descends its end bears upon the inclined faces of the
guides 18, 19, and forces or spreads said guides laterally, thus withdrawing the stops
from the guide way between the rails 47, 48, and permitting the forward nail to
move onward past the stops into the nail directing recess and to rest against the
face of the plunger. As each plunger is spring seated it automatically ascends
when pressure upon it is removed to clear the way for the feeding movement of a
nail forward beneath the plunger, thus as the plunger end reaches the inclined faces
of the guides 18, 19, they move inward and permit a like movement of the
stops 9, 9, which so moving again close the guide way, while the nail which has
moved past them descends far enough to enter the nail guiding channel in which it
stands directly beneath the plunger with its flanged head resting upon the seat
formed by the inclined faces of the guides 18, 19, which prevent its gravitating
through them and support it directly beneath the plunger. As the plunger again
descends it carries this nail before it, the guides moving rearward, and forcibly
inserts the nail through the hoop, during which operation the movement of the
stops 9, 9, again takes place to permit the onward passage or forward movement of
the next nail.
The staple feeding mechanism consists of several devices, as follows:-
A hopper 71 having inclined sides and a transverse partition 72 provided with a
vertical central slot, in which hopper a mass of staples are promiscuously thrown.
A swinging horn 61 is hung on a shaft 82 and rocked by means of a lever 63 fixed
to said shaft and pivoted to a bracket 64, the lower end of said shaft being
connected by a rod 65 to a crank wheel 66 that is suitably rotated as by a
pulley 67 on its shaft belted to a pulley 68 on the main shaft 39. The tail end of
this horn is fitted to enter the slot in the division plate 72 and its forward end is
provided with a hook or extension 78 that is adapted to play in a central slot
formed in the stationary horn 56.
The swinging horn 61 is provided with a pin 83 that plays in a slot 84 in the
side of a collar 85 that is fixed upon the shaft 82 so as to limit the up and down
vibration of said horn upon the shaft. As the lever 63 is swung rearward the
horn 61 will drop by reason of the superincumbent weight of its tail end and will
thus be pointed downward, so that it will enter through the slot in the plate 72
into the hopper and pass through the mass of staples therein. When it reaches the
limit of its rearward movement the pin 83 engaging with the wall of the slot 84
will cause the horn to rise until it reaches the position shown in Figure 3,
_ whereupon one or more staples which it has caught right side up will straddle it
=

page_text: and be sustained thereon in such an inclined position as to slide down upon it and
pass from its surface onto that of a stationary horn 56.
The stationary horn 56 is fixed to the frame work so that its inclined guiding
face projects downward toward the staple setting mechanism. Its rear end is
bifurcated to provide a recess, within which the hook 78 of the swinging horn 61
may engage and overlie a cross pin 90, and its forward end is bifurcated to carry 'a
hook 24 that is at the end of a lever arm which plays up and down, said hook
being raised by a spring acting to press the lever downwardly; when raised, as in
Figure 6, said hook suspends the moveinent of the staples upon the horn 56.
A. fixed guide 25 is attached to the sliding head 40 with its forward end
terminating beneath the plunger of the staple setter, and so that when the head
rises said guide will be brought into a position to form a continuation of the
horn 56. This guide 25 has a projection 57 that underlies the lever arm of the
hook 24, and which is channelled out to receive the same, so that as the head 40
rises to cause the guide 25 to join the horn 50 said lever arm will be raised and its
hook 24 withdrawn to allow the staples to pass onto the guide 25.
The staple setter 80 is provided with a spring scated plunger 54 connected with
the cross bar 61, the construction being the same as that of the nail setters already
described, except that the plunger 54 has a broad face adapted to
entire crown of a staple.
engage the
The staples fed onto the guide 25 will slide over the same and rest against each
other, the forward one being lightly pressed against stops 26 carried by arms 27, 28,
that are seated in recesses in the head 40, and constantly pressed forward by
springs. These arms 27, 28, have inclined front faces that project slightly within
the delivery recesses that connect with the guiding channel 75 in the head 40,
through which the plunger 54 passes in setting the staple, and said channel is
provided at a point opposite to the guide 25 with a broad faced spring seated
guide 77 which plays in a recess in the head 40. This guide 77 has an inclined
face which, like those of the arms 27, 28, extends within the recess guiding
channel 75, and so as to be beneath the plunger 54, and it so closely approaches
the guide 25, which is alligned with it, that the foremost staple will pass directly
from the guide 25 to said guide 77. When the plunger 54 descends it engages
the inclined faces of the guide 77 and arms 27, 28, and forces said devices rearward,
thus withdrawing the stops 26 and admitting the forward or feeding movement
of the staples supported upon the guide 25, whereby the foremost of the staples
thus fed forward will be caused to rest against the face of the plunger 54.
this plunger rises it will clear the inclined faces of the guide 77 and arms 27, 28,
allowing the same to move inwardly. The stops 26 will thus again protrude in
front of the row of staples upon the guide 25, and being constructed so as to enter
behind the forward staple will thus have permitted but one staple to move beyond
them. This staple will, as the plunger clears the space, rest with its crown against
the inclined face of the guide 77, and these remain supported with its legs in the
channel 75, and its crown directly beneath the plunger 54. As this plunger again
descends it engages the staple and forces it down through the channel 75 to set in
the material, the guide 77 and stops 26 being operated as before to cause the
forward feed of a new staple.
As
The sliding head 40 may be depressed in proper time to clamp the hoop ends
upon the "former," and bring the feeding, setting, and clinching instrumentalities
into operative positions by any common means as a foot treadle; and the nail and
staple inserting, setting, and clinching mechanisins may be operated by similar means
as by a mallet striking the bar 61. In practically fitting up the machine it will be
provided with cams properly shaped, mounted, and driven, to first cause the descent
of the head 40 and then the depression of the bar 61, and with it the simultaneous
movement of the plungers of the nail and staple setters, these movements having
proper relation to each other and to the action of the hoop holding evening and
discharging mechanisms which, it will be observed, as illustrated here, arranged to
act four times to each revolution of the shaft 39. These cams will be two in number

page_text: acting concertedly upon the rods 91, 92, that rise from the frame 40, while a
central cam will act upon the cross bar 61.
The operation is as follows:-
When the mechanisms have moved so that the frame 40 is in its upper position,
and the eveners 2 are retracted, as in Figures 3 and 4, the nails from the hoppers 22
will descend in rows, the forward nail of each row standing against a plunger,
as 51, 52, 53, and the horn 61 (having swung rearward, entered the hopper 71,
risen with staples astride its supporting surface, tipped forward to connect with
the horn 56) will stand so that the staples will. slide from it, follow the horn 56,
and enter upon the guide 25, where a row of them will be formed, the forward one
standing against the plungers 54.
The operator then places a hoop over the guide 37 and into the recess 5, so that
the outermost free end of the hoop lies near the shoe 11, and overlies the opposite
end of the hoop lies near the shoe 11 and overlies the opposite end, and
the whole hoop thus embraces the former 31.
This done the cam 6 engage
the rods 1, and vibrate the arms 2, which quickly assume the position shewn
in Figures 1, 2, moving into which they press against the outer edge of the
hoop, and force it into the recess 5 until it is pressed against the rear wall thereof,
thus holding all parts of said hoop in a common vertical plane. While the hoop is
thus held one of the arms 35 engages the tappet 12 of the shoe 11, and moves the
same forward.
This shoe engages the end of the overlapping part of the hoop, and
carries it into a correct position underneath the stapling and nailing mechanisms,
and moving the band 10 upward to cause it to draw the hoop snugly against the
"former "31, upon which it binds it securely, and fixes the size of the circle it is
to form. While thus held the head 40 is caused to be depressed to clamp the
overlapping ends of the hoop, as in Figure 7, following which the plungers of the
nailing and clinching mechanisms are depressed to insert or drive the fastening
nails and staple through the hoop end, and cause the end of said nails and staple
which protrude through the hoop to meet the hard surface of the "former," and be
upset or turned into the hoop and there clinched. This done the head 40 rises, the
band 10 and the arins 2 are simultaneously released by the action of the cam
wheel 34, and the cams 13 permit the rods 7 to be quickly moved to engage with
the edge of the hoop and eject the same from the recess 5. Any other staple or
nail feeding mechanism may be employed, and the stops 9 and 26 may, instead of
being spring seated, be moved by means acting positively in both directions.
The fender 33 may be omitted without detrement to the machine, in which case
the plate forming the abutment for one edge of the hoop will be attached to the
"former" 31.
In some cases where cheap work not requiring great accuracy is to be produced
the shoe 11 may be omitted.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
1st. A hoop nailing apparatus, consisting essentially of a curved anvil or bed for
supporting the lapped ends of the hoop, and a moving clamping head carrying
nail or staple setters provided with means for supplying them with nails or staples,
and driving or inserting the same through the hoop, all substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with a moving clamping head provided with nail or
staple setters having means for feeding nails or staples, and driving the same into a
hoop, of a former" for determining the dimensions of the hoop, and a band for
pressing said hoop upon the "former," all substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with a moving clamping head carrying nail or staple
setters of a former coacting with said head to properly support the tapped ends
of a hoop, a back plate projecting from said " former to sustain the inner edge of
the hoop, and moving arms that operate against the outer edge of the hoop to even
the same, all substantially as described.
4th. The combination with a moving clamping head carrying nail or staple

page_text: setters, a "former" coacting with said head to properly support the lapped ends of
a hoop, and a band for holding the hoop upon the "former " during the operation
of fastening the ends of the hoop, ejectors for removing the finished hoop, all
substantially as described.
66
5th. The combination of a moving clamping head carrying nail or staple setters,
a former holding band and eveners coacting therewith to adjust and support
the hoop during the operations of fastenings its ends, and ejectors to remove the
finished hoop, all substantially as descriced.
6th. The combination with the "former" 31 of the guide 37, all substantially as
described.
7th. The combination with the "former "31 of the ejectors 7, all substantially
as described.
8th. The combination of the "former " 31, band 10, and the ejectors 7, all
substantially as described.
9th. The combination of the " former " 31, band 10, eveners 2, and ejectors 7, all
substantially as described.
10th. The combination with the "former " 31 of the elastically hung band 10, all
substantially as described.
11th. The combination with the "former 31 and head 40 of the band 10 and
its carrying shoe 11, all substantially as described.
12th. The combination with the "former " 31 and the band 10 of the tappet 12
and one or more arms 35, all substantially as described.
13th. The combination with the "former " 31 and the ejectors 7 of the spring
seated levers 8 and the cams 6, all substantially as described.
14th. The combination with the former 31 and arms 2 of the rods 1 and
cams 13, all substantially as described.
15th. The combination with a spring seated plunger and a nail guiding channel,
in which said plunger reciprocates, of a nail directing recess and spring seated
guides protruding into said channel, and constituting a guideway in continuation
of that formed by the recess or the rails 47, 48, all substantially as described.
16th. The combination of a spring seated plunger as 51, guiding channel as 58,
spring seated guides as 18, 19, and guide rails as 47, 48, that communicate directly
with said channel and guides, substantially as described.
17th. The combination with a hopper as 22, of a spring seated plunger as 51,
guiding channel as 58, spring seated jaws as 18, 19, guiding rails 47, 48, and a head
as 40, having a nail directing recess as 23, of stops 9, whereby nails promiscuously
received are fed forward in a row, separated, and set singly, substantially as
described.
18th. The combination with the guide rails as 47, 48, spring seated guides as
18, 19, spring seated plunger as 51, guiding channel as 58, and head as 40, provided
with a nail directing recess as 23, of stops as 9, whereby nails fed forward in a row
are separated and set singly, all substantially as described.
19th. The combination with a moving head as 40, furnished with a staple
setting mechanism, and carrying a guide as 25, of a swinging horn as 61, and a
stationary horn as 56, the swinging horn operating to pick up the staples from a
opper, and direct them to the stationary horn for delivery to the guide 25,
ubstantially as described.
20th. The combination with the moving head 40, and the guide 25 it carries, of
he stationary horn 56 and its spring headed hook 24, substantially as described.
21st. The combination with the stationary horn 56 and the hopper 71 of the
nterposed swinging horn 61, operating to pick up the staples from the hopper and
ransfer them.
22nd. The combination with the plunger and a head provided with a guiding
hannel, in which the plunger reciprocates, of the spring seated guide 77, constructed
ith an inclined face, and so as provide spaces between its sides and the walls
the guiding channel for the passage of the staple legs, substantially as
escribed.

page_text: 23rd. The combination with the plunger 54, the guiding channel 75 in the
head 40, and the delivery recesses connecting therewith, of the spring seated
guide 77, and the inclined guide 25, substantially as described.
24th. The combination with the plunger 54, guiding channel 75, and the delivery
recesses connected therewith, of the inclined guide 25, spring seated guide 77, and
stops 26, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
.