Improvements in Machines or Mechanism for or Connected with the Making of Casks, Barrels, or Hogsheads.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Machines or Mechanism for or Connected with
the Making of Casks, Barrels, or Hogsheads.
I, SAMUEL WRIGHT, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to and comprises certain new or improved arrange-
ments and combinations of the parts of motive mechanism and apparatus for the
purpose of levelling and tightening up the truss hoops or rings on the rough set-up
stays of casks, barrels, and hogsheads, and then "chiming" them all truly at both
ends, by sawing, chamfering, howelling," and "crozing
or grooving them; all
ready for putting in the ends and hooping them up after coming out of the said
combined machine or mechanism, and in a more simple, expeditious, and efficient
manner than by the machines or mechanism heretofore used for effecting the said
purposes.
"
The nature and novelty of the invention, or new construction of the mechanism,
according to one modification embodying the improvements, consist all as follows:-
In carrying out the invention, the staves for each barrel are all first set up on end on a
level bed in their usual inner and outer "flare or radiating, steadying ring frames,
having their ordinary two or three trussing hoops or rings inserted on the opposite
ends binding them in their proper bilged shape, and heated on the inner surface all
ready for being put into the new machine to be treated as stated. First, by each
being inserted horizontally with its ends between two vertical transverse guide plate
frames set up on broad planed soles, fitted to traverse on a correspondingly planed
long slide guide box bed sole frame supporting all the main working mechanism.
These end slide frames have holes through them to let the wood ends of the staves or
barrel pass through them, while on their inner faces they have mounted in radial,
slotted, dovetail slides, four projecting guiding and pressing blocks fitted for taking
concentrically on to the end truss hoops or rings, with other strong projecting screw
studs or bars carrying adjusting pressing blocks or clamps for taking on to and pressing
up the truss hoops nearer the bilge, all at one time and truly concentric and parallel

page_text: to the axis of the barrel, as the end frames are pressed towards each other on their
slide bed by two or more strong longitudinal screw spindles passed through screw
bushes in the frames actuated simultaneously by chain wheels on their ends and pitch
chains, or it might be screw or skew wheels at one end, actuated from one of the
motion shafts of the machine, so as to tighten up all the truss hoops on the staves or
barrel so placed in the frames, or this might be done by a crank shaft and connecting
rods when one pressing frame was made stationary, and which end frames and guide
blocks when now slightly slackened would form guide frames for the barrel to bo
slowly rotated in to have the ends of the barrels truly cut, to the proper length
and chamfered and grooved by short longitudinal high speed rotating spindles
mounted in laterally traversing slide frames, fitted to work in dovetail slide guides
formed in strong brackets on the outer end of the said guide frames carrying the
ends of the barrels made open through towards the cutting spindles to be so
"howelled" and grooved. The main first-motion shaft of the machine would pre-
ferably be mounted in centre bearings on transverse brackets or bars in the lower part
of the slide bed frame, all covered in except where belt or band pulleys would be
mounted on this shaft below smaller pulleys on the end spindles of the traversing slide
frames of the saws and chime chamfering and groove cutters before referred to, and
which would be traversed or actuated in their slide guides by hand or tread levers
against the power of reacting weights or springs which would always be sufficient to
take the frames back towards the centre, and the spindles, end ways out of the barrel,
to allow it to be removed and another put in to the end carrying frames, by merely
drawing back one of the lower guide slide blocks on the inner face of these frames,
and which might be so jointed to its acting screw or spindle so as to be taken back
quickly. A strong stationary double headed stock vertical frame would be secured on
the top of the main solo frame at the inner or driving end of the machine, for carrying
the fixed bearings of the said truss screwing up spindles, and also the bearing blocks
of a short strong hollow driving spindle in the axial longitudinal line of the barrel and
frame carrying it. This hollow shaft carries a long longitudinal central shaft or
spindle passing and traversed longitudinally through it, connected either by a groove
and feather, or it might be a square or rectangular shaft, so as to be driven by the
hollow shaft. The outer end of this central shaft would pass in through the centre of
the barrel, and be formed with a hollow driving box end made parallel as a slide, and
fitted with curved or angled wedge acting expanding and contracting horns formed
on the outer end of a long reciprocating screw spindle or bar passed up the centre, or
it might be a slot screwed at the outer end projecting beyond the central revolving
shaft, and fitted with a screw hand wheel and nut, or it might be a spindle, carried on
the end of the revolving shaft, so that when this hand wheel was turned, it would
move the curved horns at the inner end of this central rod within the box of the
revolving shaft. These horns so act on the inner end of two opposite reciprocating
radial arms passing out through their hollow driving box, with segments on theso
radial arms, which as the central reciprocating spindle was pushed in or out within
the driving central shaft, the horns would cause these segments to expand and grip
the internal surface of the barrel, preferably in the centre at the bilge part, so as to
rotate the barrel by the action of the short hollow shaft, which would be driven at a
slow speed by wheel or chain gearing, or it might be a screw wheel and worm shaft;
actuated from the first-motion longitudinal shaft. The gripping segments on the ends
of these radial arms would preferably extend to rather more than the quarter internal
circle of the barrel, and have other segments mounted on them at right angles, pre-
ferably by pins and slots, so that as the segments on the arms were expanded by the
pushing in or drawing out of the central rod, they would expand the other two
quadrant segments mounted on them, and so grip the barrel by four segments nearly
all round, and turn it with great force as a friction clutch; and india rubber might be
mounted on the circumference of these segments to make them grip the internal
surface of the barrel with greater force to turn it. The gripping segments would be
made to contract four or five inches, so as to pass out and in through the narrow end or
chime of the barrel, to remove it when turned and dressed at the ends or chimes, all as

page_text: described by the slow rotation of the barrel and the high-speed rotating, cutting, end
spindles and knives, when a new barrel would also be inserted between its gripping
guides and end standards. This drawing in and out of the driving central shaft might
be effected by a hand lever or other equivalent acting on a grooved shifting boss
secured on the outer end of the spindle, beyond the fixed headstock.
100
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines or Mechanism for or Connected with
the Making of Casks, Barrels, or Hogsheads.
I, SAMUEL WRIGHT, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Machinist, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention has reference to and comprises certain new or improved arrange-
ments and combinations of the parts of motive mechanism and apparatus for the purpose
of levelling and tightening up the truss hoops or rings on the rough set-up staves of
casks, barrels, and hogsheads, and then "chiming" them all truly at both ends by
sawing, chamfering, "howelling" and "crozing" or grooving them, all ready for
putting in the ends and hooping them up after coming out of the said combined
machine or mechanism, and in a more simple, expeditious, and efficient manner
than by the machines or mechanism heretofore used for effecting the said
purposes.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, 1 have hereunto appended an
explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are a longitudinal sectional elevation and a sectional plan respectively
of my new or improved machine for trussing, chiming, and crozing casks or barrels.
Figure 3 is a transverse section as taken on the line 1--- 1 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is
an end view of the machine showing the gearing, and looking the opposite way to
that in Figure 3. Figures 5 and 6 show a detailed face and edge view of one of the
relieving movable slide grippers a to a* for tightening up or slackening the grippers
or dogs a, a, which press up the trussing hoops Y, Y.

page_text: •
Referring to these Drawings:-The nature and novelty of the invention or new
construction of the mechanism according to one modification or arrangement and
combination of the parts embodying my improvements, consist all as follows:-In
carrying out the invention, the staves Z for each barrel case are all first set up by
hand after being jointed as usual on end on a level circular bed in the ordinary inner
and outer "flare' or radiating, steadying ring frames, having their usual two or
three trussing hoops or rings Y temporarily inserted on the opposite ends, all by any
ordinary means of doing this, and thus build, bend, and bind them into their proper
bulged shape while heated on the inner surface, all ready for being put into the new
machine to be treated as stated. First: Each cask shell of staves Z thus roughly put
together, is inserted horizontally with its open ends between two vertical transverse
guide plate frames or headstocks A, A', set up on broad planed soles A2, A3, fitted to
traverse or be secured on the correspondingly planed part B, B¹, of a long slide guide
box bed or frame B2, properly secured to any suitable foundation z, and supporting all
the main working gearing and mechanism of the machine. These end slide frames A, A¹,
are made of a ring shape above and have large openings A" through their centre to
let the wood ends of the staves or barrel pass into or through them when this is
required; while on their inner faces they have mounted in radial slotted dovetail
slides A³, four projecting guiding and pressing slide blocks a, fitted with traversing
screws a¹ and have each fitted or jointed upon their inner end a projecting screws a
with heel joints so as to carry the pressers or dogs a³ with screw nuts for securing
them in the desired position, for taking concentrically on to the end truss hoops or
rings Y; and it might be a second set of pressing blocks or clamps at for taking on
to and pressing up the truss hoops Y¹ nearer the bilge all at one time parallel and
truly concentric at right angles to the axis of the barrel, as the outer end frame A¹ is
drawn towards the inner one A on its slide bed B B2, by two or more strong longi-
tudinal screw spindles C, C¹, passed through bearings C in the main stationary
frames D, D, and through screw bushes A₁ in the moving end frame A' which
traverses on its plain dovetail bed B to or from the fixed end frame A, according
to the direction the screw spindles CC₁ are turned, as will hereinafter be explained.
The two screw spindles C and C', which are fitted diametrically opposite each other
through the axes of the frames A, A', are made to turn simultaneously in either
direction by an open pitch chain c², passed over chain pulleys c, c', keyed on the screw
spindles C, C', outside the fixed frame D, so as to tighten up all the truss hoops Y, Y',
on the staves or barrel Z so placed in the frames, when turned in one direction, and
force back the end frame A' to relieve the barrel when turned in the other direction.
Or these spindles C, C₁, might be formed with right and left hand screws working
through screw nuts A in the other frame A also, so as to move both end frames
towards each other and vice versa when that was desired. The end frames A, A¹, and
tightening guide blocks a³, a', when slightly slackened would form guide frames for
the barrel Z to be slowly rotated in, to have the ends of the barrels truly cut to the
proper length and chamfered and grooved by short longitudinal high speed rotating
spindles E, mounted in the journal bearings E¹ of their laterally or radially traversing
slide frames E' which are fitted to work in dovetail slide guide frames E" formed in
strong brackets on the outer ends of the said guide frames A, A¹, carrying the ends of
the barrels Z, the frames and barrels being made open through towards the cutting
spindles E. The main first-motion shaft G of the machine is preferably mounted in
journal bearings G₁ on transverse webs or bars in the lower part of the slide bed
frame B, which might be all covered in except where the two belts G2 are passed up
from driving pulleys G³ on the shaft G to two smaller pulleys E3 on the end spindles E
of the traversing slide frames E¹, E, of the circular saws e and chime chamfering and
groove cutters e¹, e², and which would be traversed or actuated laterally in their slide
guides E by the hand levers E to or from the inside of the end chimes of the
Barrel Z, to cut it to the proper length, and finish and groove its chimes at both ends.
And reacting weights or springs may be fitted and employed for pulling the slide
frames E, E, with the saws and cutters e, e¹, e, back towards the centre, so as to allow
the barrel Z, to be removed and another put in to the end carrying frames, by screwing

page_text: back the end frame A by the screws C, C, on its slide bed B as before described.
Strong stationary double-headed-stock vertical frames D, D¹, are secured at D³ on
the gearing end of the top of the main sole frame B1, B1, B2, at the inner or driving
end of the machine, for carrying the fixed bearings C of the said truss screwing-up
spindles C, C, and also the bearing bushes D2, D3, of a short strong hollow driving
spindle F in the axial longitudinal line of the barrel Z and the frames A, A¹, carrying
it. This hollow shaft F carries a long longitudinal central shaft or spindle F
passing and traversed longitudinally through it, connected preferably by a groove
and feather, or it might be a square or rectangular shaft, so as to be driven by the
hollow shaft F. This outer shaft F for the said purpose of turning the barrel Z is
shown as actuated at a slow speed by a large pulley g mounted on it, and an open
belt g¹ passing over it from a small pulley 92 on the first motion shaft G, which is
shown as actuated by a fast and loose pulley g³, and a belt o passed from a
suitable drum on any motive shaft of the works. But the shaft F might be driven
otherwise at a slow speed by wheel or chain gearing, or it might be a screw wheel
and worm shaft actuated from the first-motion longitudinal shaft G. Motion is
given to the lower first motion screw shaft C, in both directions, by two band
pulleys I, I', keyed on it in the space between the frames D, D₁, and chain pulley c
and driving hand g¹, of the upper shaft F. These pulleys I, I, are actuated by an
open and cross belt I² I¹¹ from loose pulleys I³, I¹¹, on the first-motion shaft G,
running loose between collars, and having a sliding friction clutch I mounted with
feather and groove on the shaft G between them, with grooved ring for shifting it
by a lever 1 or other equivalent to put either pulley I³ or I into gear and motion
to drive the shaft C in either direction, as indicated by the arrows in Figures 1
and 4, and so as to screw the end frame A¹ inwards or outwards to truss the cask
or remove it respectively, all as herein before described, both pulleys I, I¹, and I³, 111,
being out of motion when the clutch coupling is in its mid position. The advance
end of this central inner rotating shaft F¹ passes in through the centre of the
barrel Z and is fitted with a hollow driving box end F" made parallel as a slide
guide to radial arms f, with gripping segments f¹ on their outer circumference.
There is also fitted within this guide box a double angled, or it might be curved,
bosshead F with wedge acting expanding and contracting horns F, secured on
the inner end of a light longitudinally reciprocating screw spindle or bar F³ passed
up the centre, (or it might be through a longitudinal slot formed in it at the circum-
ference) and screwed at the outer end projecting beyond the central revolving shafts F
and F, and fitted with a screw hand wheel and nut F4, for reciprocating this rod F³,
and its expanding and contracting boss F, within the hollow shaft F', and its guidé
box F; so that when this hand wheel F4 was turned it would move the angled horns F³
of this central rod. These horns F2 grip and act on the checked inner ends of the
two opposite reciprocating radial arms passing out through their hollow guide
driving box F, so that as the reciprocating spindle F³ is pushed in or out within the
driving central shaft F', the horns F2 cause these segments f, f1, to expand and grip
the internal surface of the barrel Z, preferably in the centre at the bilge part, so as
to rotate the barrel by the action of the inner hollow shaft F and the short outer
hollow driving shaft F. The gripping segments f¹ on the ends of these radial
arms preferably extend to rather more than the quarter internal circle of the
barrel, as seen more particularly in Figure 3, and have other segments f³ mounted on
them at right angles, preferably by pins and slots at 3 at the ends of their respective
segments, so that as the segments f¹ on the arms are expanded by the
pushing in of the central rod F³, and its angled. bosshead F, they expand the
other two quadrant segments ƒ³, ƒ³, mounted on them, and so grip the barrel Z by
four segments nearly all round, as an expanding driving drum, and turn it with
great force as a friction clutch; and india-rubber might be mounted on the circum-
ference of these segments ƒ³, ƒ³, to make them grip the internal surface of the
barrel Z with greater force to turn it. The gripping segments A,, are made to
contract four or five inches, so as to pass out and in through the narrow end or
chime of the barrel Z to remove it when turned and dressed at the ends or

page_text: chimes, all as described, by the slow rotation of the barrel and the high-speed
rotating cutting end spindles and knives, when a new barrel would also be inserted
between its gripping guides and end standards. The drawing in and out as described
of the driving central shaft F¹ may as shown be effected by a hand lever H,
fulcrumed at H¹ on a bracket secured to the end frame D¹, and having horns and
antifriction pulleys at H2, working in the grooved bosshead FX on the outer end of
the shaft F. For removing the finished barrel Z,-after the said expanding gripping
driving drum f, f¹, f, has been drawn back as stated, and the end headstock A¹
screwed back, the front lower slide grippers a in both headstocks A and A¹, have
to be screwed or slackened back by the screw a¹, and have the screw stem and
gripper a, a, folded down as dotted in in Figure 6, after raising the locking
lever h, dotted in in Figure 5, which holds this screw a² with its pressing blocks a³, a,
their vertical acting position to their slide a; and after putting in a new barrel to be
trussed and chimed, theso screws a² have to be folded up and locked again in the
position shown in sharp lines in Figures 5 and 6, where they are shown to a larger
scale than in the other Figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
First. The construction, or general arrangement and combination of the parts of a
machine for trussing and chiming casks and barrels, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a machine for trussing and chiming casks and barrels, the herein
described mode of and means for trussing, and then removing the finished casks and
barrels, consisting in moving the end or trussing headstock or headstocks forward
and backward respectively on their slide guides, by screw spindles actuated by
chain wheels and chains or equivalent reversible gearing, substantially as herein
distinguished in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a machine for trussing and chiming casks and barrels, the fitting of
screw grippers with shifting pressers or dogs on the front ends of the headstocks
for trussing up the hoops and steadying the cask or barrel while being rotated for
chiming both ends and then having the lower screws folded down on either side out of
the way for removing or inserting a cask or barrel, substantially as and for the
advantages herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. In a machine for trussing and chiming casks, the use of a collapsible or
expanding gripping driving drum, consisting of a driving central guide box F",
having within it an inclined expander F2 and reciprocating expanding segmental
grippers ff, which grip the internal surface of the cask or barrel Z, and rotate it
by the action of the inner hollow shaft F and short outer hollow driving shaft F,
substantially as and for the advantages herein distinguished in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
1000