IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CASKS OR BULGE BARRELS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick McClure Scott, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR MAKING CASKS OR BULGE BARRELS." A communication from abroad
by James Stark, of Ingersoll, in the County of Oxford and Province of
Ontario, Dominion of Canada.
PROVISIONAI. SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick McClure Scott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd July 1881.
FREDERICK MCCLURE SCOTT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CASKS OR BULGE
BARRELS." (A communication from abroad by James Stark, of Ingersoll, in the
County of Oxford and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada.)
This Invention has reference to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
making casks or barrels. In one form of machine according to this Invention the
barrel drun is arranged in such a manner that by actuating a single lever fixed
on the machine and coupled to other levers, toggles, etcetera, the said drum can be
collapsed when the barrel rim is finished.
The barrel drum is made in four segments, two of which, when the drum is
collapsed, are or may be drawn nearer to the centre of the shaft than the other
two, so as to allow the drum to be collapsed sufficiently for the barrel rim to pass
over it. The staves are placed between the revolving drum and guides or temporary
hoops, and after a certain number have been laid in position are brought into
contact with circular or other cutters, which cut the ends of the said staves to the
required length, whilst the rest of these staves are being supplied to the machine.
The circular or other cutters are arranged not only to make the barrel a certain
length, but also to chamfer and cut grooves round at the same time ready for the
ends.
The circular or other cutters are carried by a fixing secured to the machine
frame or to other suitable part, and are driven from a shaft provided for the
purpose by straps or gearing.
They are regulated longitudinally by means of hand levers; both ends of the
staves, may be cut at the same time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick McClure Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd January 1882.
FREDERICK MCCLURE SCOTT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING CASKS OR BULGE
BARRELS." (A communication from abroad by James Stark, of Ingersoll, in the
County of Oxford and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada.)
This Invention has reference to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
making casks or barrels. In a machine according to this Invention the barrel
drum is arranged in such a manner that by actuating a single lever fixed on the
machine and coupled to other levers, toggles, etcetra, the said drum can be collapsed
when the barrel rim is finished.
The barrel drum is made in four segments, two of which when the drum is
collapsed are or may be drawn nearer to the centre of the shaft than the other
two, so as to allow the drum to be collapsed sufficiently for the barrel rim to pass
over it. The staves are placed between the revolving drum and guides or temporary
hoops, and after a certain number have been laid in position are brought into
contact with circular or other cutters, which cut the ends of such staves to the
required length, whilst the rest of the staves are being supplied to the machine.
The circular or other cutters are arranged not only to make the barrel a certain
length but also to chamfer and cut grooves round at the same time ready for the
ends. The circular or other cutters are carried by a fixing secured to the machine
frame, or to other suitable part, and are driven from a shaft provided for the
purpose by straps or gearing. They are regulated longitudinally by means of hand
levers; both ends of the staves may be cut at the same time.
Referring to the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a front
elevation of a machine for making casks or bulge barrels according to this
Invention, showing a barrel body as it appears on the collapsible or barrel drum
when completed and while the cutters are still in their working position; Fig. 2 is
an end elevation of the said machine; Fig. 3, a plan of the same showing a
partially formed barrel body; Fig. 4 is an end view showing the guides or
temporary hoops opened and the frame tilted to allow of the removal of the barrel
body; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the collapsing or barrel drum
showing staves in position and the circular cutters for grooving, bevelling, and
cutting the same; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal elevation of the collapsible or barrel
drum with one segment of the drum removed, showing it as it would appear when
collapsed; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the collapsible or barrel drum; Fig. 8 is
an end elevation of the drum as it would appear when collapsed and with the links
and rods removed.
A is the collapsible or barrel drum on which the staves are placed to be treated,
and which can be made to collapse to allow the barrel body to be drawn off when
finished. This drum is made in four segments, R, R1, R2, R3, of which R and R' are
narrower than R2 and Rs, and are so shaped that they may be drawn endwise and
inwards to a certain extent without disturbing the segments R2, R3. Each segment
is pivotted to links S hinged to the collars U fixed to the central shaft or axis A',
and is supported in an end wise direction by rods P₁, P¹, connected to the sliding
collar T, which may be moved along the shaft by the lever B. Two links P', P',
are connected to the smaller segments R, R', by pins and bored holes V2, V2, and
two to the larger segments R2, RS, by pins which take into the slots V, V. When
the collar T is moved to the right (Fig. 5) by the hand lever, two of the segments,
víz. R and R¹, are immediately and simultaneously drawn forwards and inwards,

page_text: while the other two R2, R3, remain stationary until the ends of the rods P¹, P',
have travelled the length of the slot V, V, after which the four segments move
together until they have assumed the position shewn in Figs. 6 and 8.
Q, Q, Q, Q, is a frame capable of partially revolving about the line W, W, as
shewn in Fig. 4, and of being secured in a vertical position (Figs. 1 & 2) when
required. This frame carries three guides or temporary hoops C¹, C2, C3, each made
in two pieces, of which one is rigidly attached to the frame Q, while the other is
pivotted thereto at X and can be fixed at its upper end by catches H, H.
These guides, when in their working positions, encircle the collapsible or barrel
drum, with the exception of a small interval Y, Y, left for the introduction of
the staves into the annular space between the inner circumference of the guides
and the barrel drum. The staves previously jointed are fed between the guides
and barrel drum, and are thereby bent or forced to take the shape or longitudinal
contour of the drum. They are carried round by the revolution of the barrel
drum until their ends come in contact with the cutters D¹, D¹, on the revolving
shafts D, D. These shafts are driven by the belts G, G₁, from pulleys on the
shaft N, N, and carry circular saws, and grooving and bevelling cutters D¹, D',
which simultaneously reduce each stave to the required length; cut the groove, and
chamfer or bevel the ends. The bevelling cutter comprises two loose tools secured
to a block by set screws; the grooving cutter is formed of one loose tool secured in
such a manner that it can be adjusted to groove either a single or a double stave
barrel and to form either a shallow or a deep groove. The cutter shafts and
cutters can be moved longitudinally by means of the hand lever E', E, to withdraw
the cutters from the work.
The machine is driven by a strap passing round the pulley M on the shaft K;
this shaft carries a small friction wheel J¹ which can be pressed against the friction
wheel J by the treadle 17 when it is desired that the collapsible or barrel drum
shall be rotated. The shaft L on which the friction wheel J is fixed carries a
toothed pinion I¹ in gear with the spur wheel I on the main shaft A of the
machine. The shaft N carries the fast and loose pulleys 0,0¹. The operation of
making a barrel body by this machine is as follows:-The staves already jointed
are placed on the shaft or platform Z, and are fed one by one between the slowly
revolving barrel drum and the guides or temporary hoops C³, C², C³. When the
barrel drum is completeld covered with staves the hoops F, F', already threaded
over the barrel drum any central shaft are slipped on to the staves to maintain
them in position until the whole of their ends are cut off, grooved, and bevelled,
and also when the barrel body is being drawn off the collapsible or barrel drum.
After a certain number of the staves have been supplied to the machine the drum
will have revolved a certain portion of a revolution, and will have brought the
ends of the staves into contact with the circular cutters D', D', Fig. 5, which are
rapidly rotated by means of straps G', G', (Figs. 1, 2, and 3), from the counter shaft N
as already explained. By this arrangement the barrel is cut to the required
length, and at the same time the inside of staves are grooved and bevelled ready
to receive the ends or heads. When the barrel body has been built up and the
hoops F, F', driven on to the staves, the drum A is revolved once or twice whilst
the circular cutters D¹, D¹, are running at full speed so as to clear away any slight
irregularities that may have been formed in forcing on the hoops. When the
machine is stopped the levers E, E', are moved into position, shown by dotted lines,
so as to withdraw the saws and cutters, then the catches H, H, (Fig. & 3) are
raised and the frame Q radiating on pins W with the guides and back guides are
opened, as shewn in Fig. 4; the lever B is then moved into the position shewn by
dotted line, Fig. 3, which causes the barrel drum to collapse, the barrel body is then
drawn off ready for fitting in the ends or heads and for hooping.
The platform marked Z is to store the staves to be treated. The staves pass
between the guides C¹, C2, C3, and barrel drum A; the guides are to form the
staves to the shape of barrel drum, also to press the staves sufficiently against the
revolving drum to be carried round.

page_text: In order to assist in feeding the staves it is advantageous to use an Invention
communicated by William Stewart to H. J. Haddan, & described in the Provisional
Specification of an application for Letters Patent, No. 3204, dated 26 July 1881
(that is to say), that the two outer back guides C and C³, Fig. 1, should have an
endless chain attached (as shewn in Fig. 9), which is made to revolve on the small
wheels A, B, so as to take part of the friction off the back guides when thick and
stiff staves are used; it is not necessary to apply the chain to the front guide, as the
friction caused there is necessary in the manufacture of tight barrels. The chain
is made of studded links, as shewn by Fig. 10, the studs are made to stand above
the links so as to work in a groove left in the guides, thus retaining it in the
required position.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, as communicated to me as aforesaid, I would have it
understood that I am aware that collapsible or barrel drums have previously been
used in the manufacture of barrels, and that cutting, grooving, and bevelling cutters
have been arranged on the same spindle, and therefore no claim is laid to these
features taken separately; but what is considered to be novel and original and is
therefore claimed as secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore first in
part recited is,―
The combination of parts constituting the improved machine for making casks
or bulge barrels, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the Drawings. Also I claim the arrange-
ment in combination substantially as described of the collapsible drum, guides, or
hoops C1, C2, C3, frame Q, and cutters operated as described, for simultáneously
reducing to length, grooving and chamfering the staves carried round by the drum,
as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick McClure Scott, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord 1881.
FREDERICK MCCLURE SCOTT. (L.S.)