IM- PROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY."-A communication from abroad
by François Perret, Agriculturist, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 25th August 1865, and dated the 7th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
March 1865.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY" to be as
follows:-
Corks are generally formed by rounding small parallelopipeds cut in
various ways from sheets or blocks of the raw material. The rounding
operation, that is to say, the cylindrical or more or less conical formation
given to these cubes is usually done by hand, the various sizes being after-
wards classed, thus causing a considerable waste of time and material. This
Invention relates to an apparatus for cutting corks which is self-feeding, and
so considerably increases the production and consequently the economy, the
parts being arranged to cut all sizes of corks, from the largest to the smallest,
without any change in the apparatus.

page_text: The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 of which
represents a vertical elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a side view; and
Fig. 3, plan of same. The same letters apply to the three Figures.
For this
A, principal driving shaft turning in bearings a, a, fixed to foundation
The shaft A receives
plate R carrying the several parts of the machine.
motion from any suitable power for working the fly wheel B giving motion to
the knife, and by the aid of bevil gearing 1, 2, to a longitudinal shaft C;
B, fly wheel, keyed on shaft A, on which is fixed a pin b at any suitable point
of its surface. To this pin is jointed a connecting rod D for driving the knife
carrier; the fly wheel also serves to regulate the motion of the apparatus.
C, axis turning in bearings c, c, by means of bevil pinions 1, 2, and trans-
mitting motion to the shaft J by toothed wheels 3, 4, and 5; it also carries the
disconnecting lever for releasing the finished corks; D, connecting rod con-
verting the continuous rotary motion of fly wheel B to a to-and-fro motion for
actuating knife carrier E. This rod may be fixed in either of the holes d, d,
of the knife carrier in order to produce a longer or shorter stroke.
purpose the rod is made in two parts, the length of which is regulated by nuts
and screws e, e¹; E, knife carrier or slide serving to hold the knife in its to-and-
fro motion imparted by rod D, and sliding on a guide G fixed to the foundation
plate R by means of a part g regulated by nut h. The parts being thus arranged,
the guide G may be readily fixed nearer or further from plate R, and so
regulate the position of the cutter with regard to the axis J in order to vary
the diameter of the cork. H, cutter, mounted on a suitable carrier, and par-
taking in its to-and-fro motion, which is of sufficient extent to enable its edge
to come in contact with the sharpener I, for keeping a constant sharp edge on
the knife; several of these surfaces I may be placed in succession if required.
J, spindle formed of two parts, one of which, carrying the toothed wheel 5, is
fitted to slide and turn in a triple bearing K, the other part simply turning
in a bearing L, between which two parts the cork is placed; the first part of
this spindle turns by the action of toothed wheel 5, and slides in its triple
support by means of a forked lever M, worked by the key or lever N, which,
with spring O, presses this part of the spindle against the cork, it being
thus held firm between the two and turning therewith; J, triple support
carrying the one part of spindle J and fixed to foundation plate R; L, bearing
for the other part of spindle J, whose position is regulated with regard to
support K to suit the length of the cork to be rounded; M, forked lever for
producing the sliding motion of spindle J; N, disconnecting lever acting at
certain intervals on lever M, which is constantly held in position by spring O;
P, inclined shoot for containing the corks before they are rounded, which

page_text: are held therein by means of stop piece p, the supply being regulated by a
rod p' actuated by an intermediate wheel 4.
ACTION OF THE APPARATUS.
The corks are first placed in the shoot or hopper, being retained therein by
part p; motion is then imparted to shaft A, causing the knife to move
forward and rub against surface I, during which time the part N acts on
lever M by deflecting spring O, and separates the two parts of spindle J to
afford room for the introduction of the cork, which is then allowed to escape
from the shoot; the part N now ceases to act, and spring O returns lever M
to position so as to grip the cork between the two parts of the spindle and so
impart rotation thereto. The knife or cutter then returns with its freshly
sharpened edge under the rotating cube of cork and rounds it to perfection.
This being done, the key N disconnects the spindle J as before described; and
allows the finished cork to fall, which is immediately replaced by a fresh one
while the knife is being sharpened on surface I.
The Invention thus consists in the improved apparatus herein described for
cutting corks, the chief feature consisting in the self-acting arrangement for
changing the corks simultaneously with the sharpening of the cutter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARE, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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

page_text: CORK-CUTTING MACHINERY," a communication to me from abroad by François
Perret, Agriculturist, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
Corks are generally formed by rounding small parallelopipeds cut in various
ways from sheets or blocks of the raw material. The rounding operation,
that is to say, the cylindrical or more or less conical formation given to these
cubes is done by hand, the various sizes being afterwards classed, thus causing
a considerable waste of time and material. This Invention relates to appa-
ratus for cutting corks which is self-feeding, and so considerably increases the
production and consequently the economy, the parts being arranged to cut all
sizes of corks, from the largest to the smallest, without any change in the
apparatus.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 of which
represents a vertical elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a side view; and
Fig. 3, plan of same. The same letters apply to the three Figures.
A, principal driving shaft turning in bearings a, a, fixed to foundation
plate R, carrying the several parts of the machine. The shaft A receives
motion from any suitable power for working the fly wheel B giving motion to
the knife, and by the aid of bevil gearing 1, 2, to a longitudinal shaft C.
B, fly wheel keyed on shaft A, and on which is fixed a pin bat any suitable
point of its surface. To this pin is jointed a connecting rod D, for driving the
knife carrier; the fly wheel also serves to regulate the motion of the apparatus.
C, axis turning in bearings c, c, by means of bevil pinions 1, 2, and trans-
mitting motion to the shaft J by toothed wheels 3, 4, and 5; it also carries
the disconnecting lever for releasing the finished corks; D, connecting rod
converting the continuous rotary motion of the fly wheel B to a to-and-fro
motion for actuating knife carrier E; this rod may be fixed in either of the
holes d, d, of the knife carrier in order to produce a longer or shorter stroke.

page_text: For this purpose the rod is made in two parts, the length of which is regu-
lated by nuts and screws e, e¹; E, knife carrier or slide serving to hold the
knife in its to-and-fro motion imparted by rod D, and sliding in a guide G fixed
to the foundation plate R by means of part g, regulated by nut h. The parts
being thus arranged the guide G may be readily fixed nearer or further from
plate R, and so regulate the position of the cutter with regard to the axis J
in order to vary the diameter of the cork. H, cutter mounted on a suitable
carrier, and partaking in its to-and-fro motion, which is of sufficient extent to
enable its edge to come in contact with the sharpener I for keeping a constant
sharp edge on the knife; several of these surfaces I may be placed in succession
if required. J, spindle formed of two parts, one of which, carrying the toothed
wheel 5, is fitted to slide and turn in a triple bearing K, the other part simply
turning in a bearing L, between which two parts the cork is placed. The
first part of this spindle turns by the action of toothed wheel 5 and slides in its
triple support by means of a forked lever M, worked by the key or lever N,
which, with spring O, presses this part of the spindle against the cork, it being
thus held firmly between the two and turning therewith; K, triple support
carrying the one part of spindle J, and fixed to foundation plate R; L,
bearing for the other part of spindle J, whose position is regulated with regard
to support K to suit the length of the cork to be rounded; M, forked lever
for producing the sliding motion of spindle J; N, disconnecting lever acting
at certain intervals on lever M, which is constantly held in position by
spring O; P, inclined shoot for containing the corks before they are rounded
and held by means of stop piece p, the supply being regulated by a rod p',
actuated by an intermediate wheel 4.
ACTION OF THE Apparatus.
The corks are first placed in the shoot or hopper, being retained therein
by part p; motion is then imparted to shaft A, causing the knife to move
forward and rub against surface I, during which time the part N acts on
lever M by deflecting spring O, and separates the two parts of spindle J, to
afford room for the introduction of the cork, which is then allowed to escape
from the shoot: the part N now ceases to act. and spring O returns lever M

page_text: Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved
apparatus herein described and represented in the Drawings for cutting corks,
and particularly in the self-acting arrangement for changing the corks simul-
taneously with the sharpening of the cutter.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)