IMPROVEMENTS IN CASK MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We ALLEN RANSOME and THOMAS JAMES WILKIE both of Stanley Works
Kings Road Chelsea in the County of Middlesex Engineers do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for, "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASK MAKING MACHINES" to be.
as follows:-
==
This Invention has for its object improvements in cask making machines.
For the purpose of jointing the staves that is to say reducing the sides thereof
to the proper forms the staves are clamped, a number at a time, in a carriage or
holder and whilst so held they are carried past a rotating cutter.
In casks of the stouter descriptions the joint has to be inclined to the face of the
stave and there is then difficulty in holding the staves securely in the carriage and
if they are not securely held the jointing is imperfect. We overcome this difficulty
by the use of an improved holding device.
The improved holding device for holding the staves consists in a fixed knife edge
attached to one end of the stave holding box and a similar moveable knife edge at
the other end of the stave box. This latter knife edge is capable of being advanced
towards the fixed knife edge by means of cranks and hand lever or otherwise so
that both knife edges are forced into the ends of all the staves in the stave
carriage. Both knife edges may if desired be moveable. By these means the
staves are firmly fixed and prevented from moving while under the action of the
cutters and they are not dependent upon the side clamping screws. When side
clamping screws are used alone they often cause some of the staves to rise more or
less from the table and as a consequence these are imperfectly jointed.
We mount the cutter block in a swinging carriage instead of as heretofore in
vertical sliding guides by which means the cutters are enabled to rise and fall with
less stress upon the machine and in a more steady manner, thus producing smoother
joints.
Motion is imparted to the cutter by a template of the same contour as the edge
of the jointed stave.
After the staves have been jointed they require to be backed or reduced to form
on the outer face and hollowed or reduced to form on the inner face.
These operations are performed by rotating cutters past which the stave is carried.
The backing cutter acts from end to end of the stave and it should be also over the
whole width. The hollowing cutter does not cut up to the ends of the stave and it
is so controlled in its movement as to limit its action to the part required.

page_text: We are able to both hollow and back a stave in one machine in a most perfect
manner. Hitherto when these two operations have been performed on the same
machine the stave has been propelled through the machine by means of a central
chain and dog and as a consequence the backing cutters have only been able to act
upon the stave on each side of the feed chain leaving that part of the stave over
the chain untouched by the cutters. To obviate this imperfect backing of staves
we employ two chains placed at a sufficient distance apart to admit of the widest
stave passing between them and at suitable intervals we attach to the chains cross
pieces or drivers somewhat thinner than the thinnest stave to be operated upon,
thus admitting of the use of both hollowing and backing cutters the whole width
of the stave and as the drivers are thinner than the stave and the chains are
carried in suitable guides the drivers can pass between the cutters without coming
in contact with them.
Dated this 5th day of March 1885
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We ALLEN RANSOME and THOMAS JAMES WILKIE both of Stanley Works
King Road Chelsea in the County of Middlesex Engineers 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 has for its object improvements in cask making machines.
For the purpose of jointing the staves that is to say reducing the sides thereof
to the proper forms the staves are clamped a number at a time in a carriage or
holder and whilst so held they are carried past a rotating cutter.
In casks of the stouter descriptions the joint has to be inclined to the face of the
stave and there is then difficulty in holding the staves securely in the carriage and
if they are not securely held the jointing is imperfect. We overcome this difficulty
by the use of an improved holding device.
The improved holding device for holding the staves consists in a fixed knife edge
attached to one end of the stave holding box and a similar moveable knife edge at
the other end of the stave box. This latter knife edge is capable of being advanced
towards the fixed knife edge by means of cranks and hand lever or otherwise so
that both knife edges are forced into the ends of all the staves in the stave
carriage. Both knife edges may if desired be moveable. By these means the
staves are firmly fixed and prevented from moving while under the action of the
cutters and they are not dependent upon. the side clamping screws. When side
clamping screws are used alone they often cause some of the staves to rise more or
less froin the table and as a consequence these are imperfectly jointed.
We mount the cutter block in a swinging carriage instead of as heretofore in
vertical sliding guides by which means the cutters are enabled to rise and fall with
less stress upon the machine and in a more steady manner, thus producing smoother
points.
Motion is imparted to the cutter by a template of the same contour as the edge
of the pointed stave.
This machine for jointing staves is represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the
annexed Drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation-Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 is a transverse
section of the machine-Figures 4 and 5 show some of the parts separately.
A A is the frame. B is the main shaft carried in beatings on this frame B¹ B₁ are
belt pulleys. B is a pinion on the shaft B. driving a wheel C¹ on a shaft C. which
also carries a pinion C³ gearing with the teeth of a wheel D. The wheel D also
engages with a rack E¹ tixed upon a traversing frame E it slides longitudinally to
and fro on guides at the upper part of the frame A. E' and E³ are locking blocks
with serrated surfaces for holding the staves laterally.
The blocks E³ are carried at the end of screws E with hand wheels to set up
the locking surfaces against the staves-the inclination or bevel of the surfaces of
the blocks E E³ determines the bevel of the joint. The blocks are changed
from time to time as may be required to adapt them to the nature of the work
which has to be done.

page_text: F F. represent the staves to be jointed or reduced to a suitable bevel and
curvature upon their edges-these staves are laid upon a table at the top of the
frame A and within the frame E either as in Figure 3. or inclined as represented
in Figure 4 as the case may require.
Before however. setting up the locking blocks tightly the staves are secured
end wise for this purpose two bars E' and E' carrying serrated knives are provided
at the ends of the frame E the knife E' though adjustable is fixed to the frame, the
other knife E is capable of sliding to and fro upon a bar E7 by which it is carried―
this bar E7 is also adjustable on the frame E to adapt it to staves of different
lengths. The bar E' carries two vertical spindles E8 E8 they have at their lower
ends cranks E carrying small rollers which are received into grooves Ex in the
knife bar E. The spindle E' also at their upper ends have arms E10 fixed upon
them one of the arms is prolonged to form a lever handle, in connection with this
lever handle there is a locking bolt working into a fixed arc-the two arms E¹º are
connected together by a link E" so that by moving the handle Ex two axes are
operated simultaneously and the knife bar E is advanced or retired.
G is a cutter bead with its axis and bearings-it is furnished with blades of the
ordinary sort and is driven by a belt passing around the pulley G'. G2 are the
bearings for the axis they are carried by arms G³ on an axis G G³ is a small roller
on one of the bearings G' concentric with the axis of the cutter, it rests upon a
template or pattern H which is attached to the frame E and moves with it.
In the use of the machine the staves having been arranged in the frame as
already described, the knife E is advanced against their ends so that they become
nipped between it and the similar knife E³ at the other end. The knives cut
slightly into the ends of the staves and thereby retain them in the positions to
which they have been previously set. The staves are then finally clamped by
advancing the locking blocks E³. All is now ready for the jointing operation-the
frame E is caused to travel longitudinally along the main frame A and the staves
are thereby brought into contact with the rapidly revolving cutting bead G which
removes the superflous material and reduces the edge of the stave to its proper
form.
The curvature of the template H causes the cutter to rise and fall slightly as
the frame passes and so the desired curvature is given to the edges of the staves.
After the staves have been jointed they require to be backed or reduced to form
on the outer face and hollowed or reduced to form on the inner face.
These operations are performed by rotating cutters past which the stave is
'carried. The backing cutter acts from end to end of the stave and it should be
also over the whole width. The hollowing cutter does not cup up to the ends of
the stave and it is so controlled in its movement as to limit its action to the part
required.
We are able to both hollow and back a stave in one machine in a most perfect
manner. Hitherto when these two operations have been performed on the same
machine the stave has been propelled through the machine by means of a central
chain and dog and as a consequence the backing cutters have only been able to act
upon the stave on each side of the feed chain leaving that part of the stave over
the chain untouched by the cutters. To obviate this imperfect backing of staves
we employ two chains placed at a sufficient distance apart to admit of the widest
stave passing between them and at suitable intervals we attach to the chains cross
pieces or drivers somewhat thinner than the thinnest stave to be operated upon
thus admitting of the use of both hollowing and backing cutters the whole width
of the stave and as the drivers are thinner than the stave and the chains are carried
in suitable guides the drivers can pass between the cutters without coming in
contact with them.
Figure 6 is a side elevation and Figure 7 is a plan of our backing and hollowing
machine. Figure 8 is a transverse section.
KK is the frame of the machine it carries at its cnds the bearings for two
horizontal shafts L L upon which are chain wheels L' L' the axis L at one end of

page_text: the machine is driven by means of a spur wheel L' upon it, and this is in gear
with a pinion on the main shaft The main shaft is driven by belt pulleys and a
driving belt, as the drawing indicates.
M M are endless chains passing around the wheels L¹ L' and the two chains are
connected across the machine by bars M² M¹ which serve as drivers to propel the
staves through the machine. There are two pairs of fingers which aid the operator
in placing the staves properly in the machine and which guide them as they are
pushed forward by the drivers M. Each pair of fingers is mounted upon an
axis N¹, through the axis other smaller axes N2 N2 pass, and on their upper ends
they carry arms N³, N³, the guide fingers N N are rigidly fixed to the arms N³
on their under sides also the axes N2 carry other arms N° and a spring No acting
against these arms thrusts them apart and so tends to close the fingers together
and cause them to nip a stave placed between them.
The arms N³ N³ have spur teeth upon them so that when one of the fingers
move the other finger of the pair also moves in an equal and opposite direction.
00 are rods arranged to thrust against an arm on one of the axes N2 of each pair
of fingers and so to move the fingers apart when required P is a treadle with a
counterpoise weight P¹ and an arm P2 by means of which the workman operates
the rods O O, and opens the fingers when required.
Q is the cutter head by which the backing of the staves is performed-the axis
of this cutter head is carried in bearings on the frame and is driven continuously.
by a belt passing round the small pulley Q' the arrangement is such that the cutter
head with its bearings can readily be removed endwise from the machine when its
blades require to be sharpened.
R, R R are three parallel guide bars which are pressed down by springs R¹, R¹,
and so caused to bear upon the staves as they are carried through the machine
beneath the bars R is the standard of the machine and the cross head for carrying
the bars R. At the ends of the cross head provision is made the receive the
plungers to which the bars R are attached. On the undersides of the bars R there
are blunt edges which take sufficient hold upon the stave to prevent its moving
otherwise than in a longitudinal direction. S is a roller which rests upon the top
of the stave, and which keeps the end down after it has escaped from the guide
bars RR.-S' S₁ are weights which cause the rollers S to bear upon the stave.
T is the cutter head by which the hollowing of the stave is performed-its axis is
carried on bearings upon arms U. U. which have their axes at U¹ and the cutter
head T can rise and fall by the movement of the arms U. U. about the axis.
T is a small belt pulley by which the axis of the cutter head T is driven the
bearings of the cutter head are also connected by adjustable links V' V₁ to levers V,
these levers have their fulcra at V' V2 and the ends connected with the cutter head
are drawn downwards by weights Vs Vs these weights keep rollers V at the other
ends of the levers in contact with the cams W W which are fast upon the axis L
The form of these cams W W controls the hollowing of the stave by causing the
hollowing cutter head T to rise and fall in an appropriate manner as the staves pass
beneath it.
X. X. are other fingers similar to that of the fingers N already described, they
differ however in some of their details as the drawing indicates. The spring X¹
which closes the finger together for convenience of construction in this case being
placed longitudinally in the machine and operating through links these fingers are
also automatic in their action and they carry rollers upon them. The fingers open
out and admit the end of a stave when it comes up to them and they steady the
stave and keep it central in the machine during the time that the hollowing cutter
continues to operate.
The machine is worked in the following manner.
The workman by placing his foot on the treddle P opens the fingers N and he
Jays between them on the table of the machine the stave which is to be operated
upon, as soon as one of the drivers M¹ on the endless chains comes round it thrusts
the stave forward causing it to slide between the fingers N and beneath the parallel

page_text: bars R when the driver comes against the fingers the axis N' which carries them
tips, the fingers descend and the driver is able to pass freely forward. The stave
whilst firmly held beneath the bars R. R. is operated upon by the backing cutter
and when this has completed its work the stave reaches the hollowing cutter head
which operates upon it on the other side whilst the fingers X keep it centrally in
position as already described, the stave is then delivered out of the machine and
so in succession the staves are passed through. Y is belt gear of the ordinary
description to shift the driving belt from the fast to the loose pulley of the
driving gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. Our improvement in stave jointing machines consisting in providing them
with holding instruments E³ E which retain the ends of the staves, such instru-
inents E³ E being employed in conjunction with the holding instruments E³ E³
which press the staves together sidewise.
2. Our improvement in stave jointing machines consisting in mounting the
cutter G in bearings carried by the arms G³ and axis G and in causing the said
cutter to be moved around the said axis G by the small roller G running upon the
pattern surface H.
3. The combination in a stave backing and hollowing machine of the chains M,
cross bars or drivers M¹ and cutting heads Q and T, the said cross bars or drivers
passing together with the staves between the cutter heads.
4. Our improvement in machines for barking and hollowing staves consisting in
providing fingers N* N* which separate to receive the stave and closing bring
the stave to its proper central position, such fingers N* being mounted on axes N¹
which turn to allow the fingers N' to pass out of the way of the drivers M!.
5. Our improvement in machines for backing and hollowing staves consisting in
providing bars R. R. pressed by springs R¹ R¹ upon the stave whilst it travels past
the cutter, such bars R having edges which indenting the wood guide the stave truly
forward.