Method of and Means for Uniting the Opposite Edges of Unclosed Veneer Cylinders.
Year: 1893

page_text: Method of and Means for Uniting the Opposite Edges of Unclosed
Veneer Cylinders.
I, CARL WITTKOWSKY, of 11, Horn Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention refers to the manufacture of hollow wooden articles, as for instance
tubes, vessels, and barrels, in which the shell or mantel consists of two or more
veneers, and my improvements in the method of manufacturing such articles relate
to the connection of the opposite edges of said shell or mantel.
The object of my improved method is to obtain a connection, which, first, is and
remains watertight, even after a long time of store of the articles in question, and.
which, further, is and remains very strong and resistive; and which, finally, may
be made in a very short time. The characteristic moments of my improved
method, by the observance of which the aforesaid effects are attained, are the
following.
1. The opposite edges of the circularly bent shell or mantel are made sloping;
2. These sloping edges are provided with a cementing medium, that has become
dry on them before their union.
3. The cementing-medium is such a one, which, when being heated to a certain
degree, gets, first, a sticky condition, and becomes quickly dry again as soon as a
higher degree of temperature is applied.
4. The opposite sloping edges, which are to be united by means of the aforesaid
cementing-medium, are exposed for that purpose to pressure and heat.
In order, now, to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying
drawing, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different
views, and in which:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an unclosed shell or mantel consisting of
three layers of veneer, the opposite longitudinal edges being sloping, and the
corners being provided with holes.
Fig. 2 shows a part of the shell in cross-section, the opposite longitudinal edges
being laid side by side, and held together by a special auxiliary device.
Fig. 3 shows the same part of the shell in longitudinal section, the said auxiliary
device being held by a tong.
Fig. 4 shows a part of the shell or mantel in perspective view, the line of
junction being covered by a strip of veneer.
Fig. 5 shows the press for connecting the opposite oblique rims of the veneer-
cylinder whilst these latter are held by the auxiliary device above mentioned.
Fig. 6 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the press, and
Fig. 7 shows a vertical cross-section through the same.
In practising my improved method, I, first, unite the two, three or more veneers
intended to form the shell or mantel of the article, intimately with each other,
which preferably is performed by means of a watertight cementing-medium. I
have shown the mantel to consist of three veneers a a' a² arranged, with regard to
their grains, in such a manner, that the grains of the outer veneer (a) run around
the article, or parallel with the curvature of the shell, whilst the grains of the two
inner veneers extend normal to those of the other one, or parallel with the
longitudinal axis of the article.
The shorter edges a³ a', which, after the veneer-plate has got the configuration
Fig. 1, are situated opposite to each other, are made sloping, and they are coated
then with a special cementing-medium consisting of caseine, lime and water-glass.

page_text: This special cementing-medium, after having become dry, has the property of
becoming liquid and sticky again, if it is exposed to a heat of about 100° C.; at
an increase of this temperature by about 10° C., the liquid cementing-medium becomes
then finally dry, and the union so obtained is perfectly watertight, and practically
an indestructible one.
In order
I prefer to expose the edges (a³ a) coated with the said cementing-medium to
heat as well as to pressure, the latter effecting a very intimate contact between the
two edges, and, consequently, a very.tight and secure union of the same.
to keep the said edges together until they are held by the checks of a suitable
press, I employ a pliable plate f, Figs. 2 & 3, having pins f, and I provide the
four corners of the veneer-cylinder with holes or cavities a adapted to receive
the said pins. The plate f may be held in place by tongs g, or similar devices.
After the edges have been united, or the shell or mantel of the article has been
finished in the above described manner, the line of junction may be covered by a
strip aª, Fig. 4 of veneer. This strip may consist of one or of two or more
superposed pieces, united with each other as well as with the neighbouring surfaces
at both sides of said line by the above named watertight cementing-medium.
The press, which I have constructed especially for the purpose of securely
connecting the opposite oblique rims of the veneer-cylinder, has been represented
in Figs. 5-7 of the annexed drawing. The said press is constructed as follows:
The base holds the two vertical columns i, the upper ends of which are con-
nected by the cross-piece k serving as nut for the threaded spindle l, and being
stayed against the base by rods m. A similar cross-piece n is held by the lower
parts of the columns i, and rests on the base h. This cross-piece is elongated to
both sides, forming there the fixed press-cheeks n' n², which are supported by
ribs n³. The upper press-cheeks n' n are guided by the cross-pieces n' n³, and
are moved by means of the spindle l. Each pair of the press-pieces may be
heated by hot air or the like, which is led into or passed through said press-pieces
by means of channels o.
This press is, as will be seen from the drawing, a double one, in which two pairs
of press-cheeks are operated at a time, and in which, further, the space between
the two checks of each pair may be entered from the side, so that the veneer-
cylinder, when preliminarily closed by means of the auxiliary device, Figs. 2 & 3,
need not be opened for the purpose of being introduced into the press. There
may, thus, be finished in this press two cylinders at a time, and the pressures exerted
on both of them will be exactly alike as the threaded spindle is arranged exactly in
the centre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
:-
1. The method of uniting the opposite edges of unclosed veneer-cylinders,
consisting in coating said edges with a watertight cementing-medium; letting the
latter become dry; placing said edges side by side, and exposing them to pressure
and heat; said cementing-medium being adapted to become liquid and then finally
dry by heat, for the purpose as described.
2. The method of uniting the opposite edges of unclosed veneer-cylinders, con-
sisting in coating said edges with a watertight cementing-medium; letting the
latter become dry previous to uniting the edges; placing the latter side by side,
and exposing them to the simultaneous influence of pressure and heat; said
cementing-medium being adapted to become liquid and then finally dry by heat;
for the purpose as described.
3. The method of uniting the opposite edges of unclosed veneer-cylinders, con-
sisting in coating said edges with a watertight cementing-medium consisting of
lime, caseine and water-glass; letting this medium become dry previous to uniting
the edges placing the latter side by side; and exposing them to the simultaneous
influence of pressure and heat, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. A press for practising the method characterized by the foregoing claims,
having two pairs of press-pieces, the space between each pair being open at one
side, substantially as described.
5. A press for practising the method characterized by the foregoing claims,.
having two pairs of press-pieces arranged symmetrically at two opposite sides of
the frame, the space between each pair being open at one side, substantially as
described.
6. A press for practising the method characterized by the foregoing claims,
having two pairs of projecting press-pieces n' n and n³ ne, arranged symmetrically
at two opposite sides of the moving-mechanism, the space between the superposed
parts of the pairs being open at one side, each pair being adapted to be heated by
hot air or the like, substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of November 1893.
CARL WITTKOWSKY,
By Robert Deissler,
38, Alexander Strasse, Berlin, C., Germany, Agent for the Applicant.