Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Staves for the Manufacture of Barrels and the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Staves for
the Manufacture of Barrels and the like.
1, JAMES HAWLEY, of Carruthers Street, Vauxhall Road, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a simple and inexpensive machine for
cutting or forming pieces of wood into staves for the manufacture of barrels and
the like.
Machinery or apparatus according to this invention comprises a table or platform
(hereinafter called a table) for carrying the wood to be cut, guides for the same
and a crank or other suitable mechanisin for moving the said table backward and
forward.
Suitable clamps or devices are provided for retaining one or more pieces of wood
in position whilst being cut; also levers or supports worked by a screw or screws for
raising or lowering the carriers to suit the different thicknesses and widths of wood.
Directly over the table is arranged a revolving spindle to which various cutting
knives can be attached to suit the class of work to be done, such as jointing the edges
of the pieces of wood to form staves, or backing, or hollowing them. The axis of
the cutter spindle may be placed at right angles to the direction in which the table
moves, and the spindle may be carried in sliding pedestals or bearings supported and
guided by connecting links, the lower ends of which may be pivotted to suitable levers
provided with adjusting mechanism for varying the length of stroke according to
requirements.
The fulcrum or rocking shaft to which the before mentioned levers are attached may
be carried in eccentric bushes or bearings that can be partly rotated by another
lever and screw or by a worm and worm wheel so as to admit of accurate adjustment
between the revolving cutters and the table carrying the wood.
Motion can be communicated to the herein before mentioned levers and rocking
shaft by means of a crank and connecting rod, the crank pin being made adjustable
for the purposes of varying the length of the upward or downward stroke of the
cutter spindle to suit the size of wood to be shaped; thus, for example, in jointing
the edge of a narrow stave it would not be necessary to raise or lower the cutter
spindle to the extent required when cutting or jointing a wider one.
Or instead of varying the length of the radius of the crank pin the position of the
fulcrum of the levers may be altered by means of a lever and screw working in
conjunction with an index plate marked to suit the jointing of various widths of
staves.
The movable table with clamping arrangement may be operated by two connecting
rods, which are either coupled direct to crank pins for driving the same, or to a
multiplying lever actuated by means of a connecting rod and crank.
The driving gear may have a main crank for working the table from one end of the
shaft, and another smaller crank placed at the opposite end of the shaft for raising
and lowering the cutter spindle so that the two motions take place simultaneously.
The main or crank shaft may be arranged to be driven slowly by a worm and worm
wheel arrangement or by friction gear, a foot or hand lever being provided whereby
he machine can be instantly stopped when necessary as for instance after the clamped
pieces of wood have passed under the revolving cutters and have returned to the
feeding end of the machine, when they are taken out, and fresh pieces substituted.
The cutter spindle may be driven in the ordinary way by a belt from a suitable
countershaft and it may carry two or more cutting tools according to the class of

page_text: work to be done thus for example if it be desired to tongue and groove the edges
of staves to form barrels, the cutter spindle may be provided with a number of
circular saws of different diameters placed side by side and held tightly together.
It is to be understood that the shape of the cutting tools may be varied to suit
either the dressing of the inside or of the outside of the staves, and that curves
of various radii may be cut by adjusting the mechanism employed for carrying the
eniter spindle also that the fences and clamping arrangement may be made movable
to give the required injoint, without departure from the essential features of this
invention.
Dated this 28th day of September 188
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per J. G. S.,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Staves for
the Manufacture of Barrels and the like.
I JAMES HAWLEY, of Carruthers Street, Vauxhall Road, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster Engineer 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 statenient :-
The object of my invention is to construct a simple and inexpensive machine for
cutting or forming pieces of wood into staves for the manufacture of barrels and the
like. Machinery or apparatus according to this invention comprises a table or
platform (hereinafter called a table) for carrying the staves or wood to be cut, guides
for the same and a crank or other suitable mechanism for moving the said table
backwards and forwards. Suitable clamps or devices are provided for retaining one
or more pieces of wood in position whilst being cut; also levers or supports worked
by a screw or screws for raising or lowering the carriers to suit the different widths
of wood. Directly over the table is arranged a revolving spindle to which various
cutting tools or knives can be attached to suit the class of work to be done, such as
jointing the edges of the pieces of wood to form staves, or backing or hollowing
them. The axis of the cutter spindle may be placed at right angles to the direction
in which the table moves, and the spindle may be carried in sliding pedestals or
bearings supported and guided by connecting links or rods, the lower ends of which
may be pivotted to suitable levers provided with adjusting mechanism for varying the
length of the stroke according to requirements.
The fulcrum or rocking shaft to which the before mentioned levers are attached
may be carried in eccentric bushes or bearings that can be partly rotated from another
lever so as to admit of accurate adjustment between the revolving cutters and the
table carrying the wood. Or the levers may be mounted eccentrically upon the
shaft which is then operated from the hand lever.
Motion can be communicated to the hereinbefore mentioned levers and rocking
shaft by means of a crank and connecting rod, the crank pin being made adjustable
for the purposes of varying the length of the upward or downward stroke of the
cutter spindle to suit the size of wood to be shaped; thus, for example, in jointing
the edge of a narrow stave it would not be necessary to raise or lower the
cutter spindle to the extent required when cutting or jointing a wider one.
Or instead of varying the length of the radius of the crank pin the position of the
fulcrum of the levers may be altered by means of a lever and screw working in
conjunction with an index plate marked to suit the jointing of various widths of
staves..
The movable table with clamping arrangement may be operated by two connecting
rods coupled to multiplying levers actuated by means of a connecting rod and crank.

page_text: The driving gear may have a main crank for working the table from one end of the
shaft, and another smaller crank placed at the opposite end of the shaft for raising
and lowering the cutter spindle so that the two motions take place simultaneously.
The main or crank shaft may be arranged to be driven slowly by a worm and worm
wheel arrangement or by friction gear, and a foot or hand lever may be provided
whereby the machine can be instantly stopped when necessary, as for instance after
the clamped pieces of wood have passed under the revolving cutters and have
returned to the feeding end of the machine and are being taken out and fresh piece;
sul stituted. The cutter spindle may be driven in the ordinary way by a belt from a
suitable counter shaft and it may carry two or more cutting tools according to the
class of work to be done, thus for example, if it be desired to tongue and
edges of staves to form barrels, the cutter spindle may be provided with a number
of circular saws of different diameters placed side by side and held tightly together.
It is to be understood that the shape of the cutting tools may be varied to suit either
the dressing of the inside or of the outside of the staves, and that curves of various
radii may be cut by adjusting the mechanism employed for carrying the cutter
spindle, also that the fences and clamping arrangement may be made moveable to
give the required injoint, without departure from the essential features of this
invention.
Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings,
groove
the
Figs. 1 & 2 are elevations shewing respectively the right and left hand sides of the
machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Figs. 4 & 5 are elevations of opposite ends of the machine.
Fig. 6 is a plan shewing the table or platform detache 1 from the machine; and
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 8-9 of. Fig. 6.
Similar reference letters and numerals refer to like parts in the several Figs.
where they occur.
A, A are the side frames of the machines; they are formed with plane upper
surfaces to receive a reciprocating table which is moved backwards and forwards by
side links B, B that are connected to the upper ends of vertical levers C C'. These
levers are fixed to a rocking shaft carried in bearings formed in the side frames
as shewn in Figs. 1 & 2. To the lever at or near its centre, is connecte! one
end of a connecting rod D the other end of which is connected to a crank pin carried
by the crank disc D¹.
This
This crank disc is rotated through half a revolution and then stops, or returns, as
required. A projection or stop D projecting from the periphery of the disc, and
spring buffers D D³ carried by one of the side frames, are provided to prevent,
the disc from revolving through more than the fixed or desired distance. The crank
disc Dis driven by a train of toothed wheels E, EE, E³ (represented by the
dotted circles in Figs..1 & 2) for reducing the speed of the driving shaft F.
shaft is provided with three strap pulleys F² the middle one F being fixed to the
shaft whilst the outer ones are loose and are revolved in opposite directions by
open and crossed belts not shewn. These belts are moved sideways by a strap:
guide G having two forks and which is automatically operated by a tappet (not shewn)
against which when the table arrives near the end of each stroke takes a bent bar
or dog secured to the table in a similar manner to that which obtains in an ordinary
iron planing machine.
The table or frame upon which the staves rest and are clamped consists of two
long slides HH, connected or formed together as shewn in Figs. 6 & 7. A centred
screw threaded spindle H' passes through the slides H and projects sufficiently on
each side to admit of the side rods B B being attached thereto and also for the
attachment of a band wheel or wheels H2 for turning the said spindle. This spindle H¹.
is provided with a screw nut that projects through the table and is attached to a
clamping fence I opposite to which is a fixed fence I that is forined with or:
secured to the table. Between these fences the staves to be dressed or treated are

page_text: clamped. Projecting beyond each end of the table are bell crank levers J J that
carry rods or bars J¹ for supporting the staves to be cut the lower sides or edges
of which are thus levelled before the staves are clamped and cut.
The rods or bars J' J are raised or lowered simultaneously and equally to suit the
widths of staves by a hand wheel K, and right and left hand screw threaded
spindle K that works in screw nuts secured in the short arms of the bell crank
levers J J as clearly shewn in Fig. 7. It will thus be understood that after the
revolving cutters carried by the spindle L have dressed the upper edges of the
clamped staves these staves are released then turned over so that their dressed edges
rest on the supporting rods or bars J1 J1 and are again clamped in place and after
being again passed under and dressed by the cutters they will be of exactly the same
width at each end although they may not have been so before being dressed.
The cutter spindle L carries two or more cutting tools I and revolves in bearings
arranged to slide in slotted guides L' secured to the top slide bars A¹.
This spindle is arranged to be gradually raised and lowered (to suit the curvature
required to be given to the staves as they pass beneath) by vertical side rods M M
the upper ends of which are jointed or pivotted to the bearings whilst their lower ends
are jointed to the levers M and M² respectively.
These levers M' and M² are secured upon the respective ends of an eccentric shaft N
that is carried in bearings in the side frames AA. The lever M² is connected by
arod P (Fig. 2) to an adjustable crank pin P' on the crank disc P2 which is secured
to the opposite end of the shaft D to that carrying the disc D' both crank discs
working simultaneously.
The shaft N is partially rotated when necessary for accurately regulating the
depth of cut to be taken by a hand lever R' through the intervention of the shaft R,
chain wheel Q, endless pitch chain Q, and chain wheel Q¹ which latter wheel is
secured on the shaft N.
R2 is a guide for the hand lever R. With the construction described should a
second or fine cut require to be taken off the staves this may be effected by moving
the hand lever R through a short distance whereby the cutter spindle and cutters will
be lowered sufficiently for the purpose, without the necessity of raising the rods J by
turning the hand wheel K and screw spindle K¹ Fig. 7. By adjusting the throw of
the crank pin P¹ Fig. 2 a greater or less amount of curvature may be given to the
cut staves as desired.
When the machine is to be employed for hollowing staves then the crank pin Pl
should be moved half way round that is to say to a position diametrically opposito
with reference to the centre of the crank disc P to that which it occupies when
used for backing or jointing the staves in which latter position it is shewn in the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine or apparatus for cutting staves for the manufacture of barrels and
the like a reciprocating table provided with adjustable rods or bars, on which the
staves rest and are clamped in combination with an over-head revolving cutter spindle
substantially as described.
2. In a machine or apparatus for cutting staves for the manufacture of barrels and
the like, the combination with a reciprocating clamping table, of a revolving cutter
spindle adapted to be automatically raised and lowered during the cutting of staves, by
levers and rods that are operated by an adjustable crank pin, substantially as described
for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of side frames a table carried thereby multiplying levers for
imparting reciprocating motion to the said table a rotary cutter spindle and an
eccentrically arranged shaft for actuating other parts whereby such cutter spindle is
raised and lowered to a given extent as required substantially as described

page_text: 4. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improved
machine or apparatus for cutting staves for the manufacture of barrels and the like
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shewn in the drawings
annexed.
JAMES HAWLEY.
Per L. W.