Improved Machinery for Maкing Corks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1996
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
Improved Machinery for Maкing Corks.
We, JOHN LOWMAN, of 140 Ormside Street, London, S.E. Engineer, and ALFRED
Ross, of 17 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Accountant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The kind of cork making machinery to which this invention relates is that for
forming or cutting corks out of corkwood, in their finished, or substantially finished,
form and size; and it has more particularly for its object to provide a machine by
which this is done substantially entirely automatically, in a simple manner, and at a
rapid rate.
According to this invention, cork wood is cut up into strips, say of a depth equal to
the length of cork to be made, and it is held in the machine by suitable holding
appliances, and is fed forward mechanically, intermittently, by such mechanism, to the
position in which it is to be cut; that is, so that the hole made in forming the previous
cork, is moved just out of the path of the cutting or puncturing tool, which moves at
right angles to the length of the cork strips, and without any waste of cork, this
feeding being automatically performed by mechanism of or on the machine. The
action, therefore, is after each hole or cork has been made or punched out of the piece
of corkwood, the piece of corkwood is automatically and mechanically moved a
certain or positive, and adjustable amount, so that the feeding of the corkwood is
certain; while the cork making or punching tool is revolved, and also has bodily
movement longitudinally up to and away from the cork wood strips, and at right
angles thereto.
According to one form of such machinery, on the bed of the machine there is
mounted a mechanism which feeds the strips of corkwood in the transverse direction
to the bed, and in one arrangement this may consist of feed rollers carried in suitable
brackets or bearings, between which the wood strips come, and movement to these
rollers is intermittently given by suitable mechanism operated from the driving part
of the machine. The mechanism for actuating these rollers, can conveniently consist
of pawl and ratchet device, and rack or tooth gear, and the part which carries the
upper roller is, in some cases, for keeping a permanent pressure upon the wood, hinged
or mounted loosely upon the lower part of this mechanism, and is weighted so as to
exercise the desired pressure upon the corkwood.
The tool is carried on the end of a shaft, mounted in bearings on the bed, and lying
parallel with the bed, and at right angles to the edge of the corkwood strips. This
shaft is revolved by a pulley and belt, or the like, and has also longitudinal movement
through its bearing, to move the tool up to and away from the corkwood, by a
mechanism such as a cam and lever device. This shaft, in some cases, is made
hollow, and a fixed rod is disposed within it, by which, when the shaft is moved back
after a punching or corkmaking action, the cork is removed from the tool. The cam
for operating this shaft is suitably shaped to give to and fro motion of the tool, and
the various rates of movement and pauses in different parts of its revolution, as
required. Conveniently, on the same shaft that carries this cam another cam is
employed to effect the intermittent free action of the corkwood feed rollers, the feed
mechanism of which is operated from the cam through a lever. To obtain different
rates of feed, the lever operated by this cam has an adjustable fulcrum, so that the
throw of the operative end of the lever for operating the feed roller actuating

page_text: mechanism, is made to vary, according to the size of cork that has to be made, and
the movement of cork wood desired.
As to the particular form of parts of the machinery, these are not restricted to
those more particularly mentioned, but may be modified to suit various circumstances
and conditions.
Dated this 10th day of July 1896
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
1 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.
Improved Machinery for Making Corks.
We, JOHN LOWMAN, of 140 Ormside Street, London, S.E. Engineer, and ALFRED
Ross, of 17 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Accountant, 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 :-
The kind of cork making machinery to which this invention relates is that for
forming or cutting corks out of cork wood in their finished, or substantially finished,
form and size; and it has more particularly for its object to provide a machine by
which this is done substantially automatically, in a simple manner, and at a rapid rate.
According to this invention, corkwood is cut up into strips, say of a depth equal to
the length of cork to he made, and it is held in the machine by suitable holding
appliances, and is fed forward mechanically, intermittently, by such mechanism, to
the position in which it is to be cut; that is, so that the hole made in forming the
previous cork, is moved just out of the path of the cutting or puncturing tool, which
moves at right angles to the length of the cork strips, and without any waste of
cork, this feeding being automatically performed by mechanism of or on the machine.
The action, therefore, is after each hole or cork has been made or punched out of the
piece of cork wood, the piece of corkwood is moved a certain or positive, and adjustable
amount, so that the feeding of the corkwood is certain; while the cork making or
puncturing tool is revolved, and also has bodily movement longitudinally up to and
away from the corkwood strips, and at right angles thereto.
In the drawings hereto annexed there is shewn a machine constructed and operating
according to this invention. In these drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is an end view being a section at X X Figure 1, shewing the automatic
corkwood feeding mechanism.
Referring to the drawings, the automatic cork wood feeding mechanism is generally
designated A; while the cutting or puncturing mechanism is generally designated B
and C is the bed or frame on which all the parts or mechanisms are mounted and
carried. With regard, firstly, to the automatic feeding mechanism, this comprises the
parts, and is operated as follows:-Ou the bed frame C there is fixed a frame a on
which the whole automatic mechanism is fixed. This frame carries a spindle mounted
and revolving in the two cheeks of the frame. On the spindle between the two
cheeks of the frame a are a loosely mounted spur wheel c, having a pawl d on its
inner side; a fixed ratchet wheel e with which the pawl d engages; a fixed spur
pinion; and a roller g, forming one of the set for automatically feeding
the corkwood strips. On the upper end of the inside cheek of the frame a, there
is a secondary moveable frame h, hinged at one end, viz., at ', to the extended
arm a of the frame a; and carrying at the opposite end a spindle i, and spur
pinion normally meshing with the pinion and a corkwood feed roller g',
both of which are fixed on the spindle i. A constant pressure of the frame downwards
is maintained by a weight on the lever or arm ³, fixed on the head of the frame h.

page_text: The two feeding rollers g g), referred to, are both arranged, as shewn, in the same
vertical plane.
On the frame a, in the same horizontal plane as the feed roller g, there is a second
feed roller j, and directly above this roller there is a fourth feed roller j', carried in
a hinged bracket or lever k, having its hinge and fulcrum at k', its opposite end being
extended outwards, as shewn, and provided with a weight, to keep a constant
weight on the roller j'. These two feed rollers, are not positively driven, as are gg',
and serve only to guide the strip of cork wood as it is fed along, and hold it in the
required position.
In connection with these automatic feeding parts, there is a vertical rack / engaging
with the spur wheel c; and by this rack, the automatic feeding parts described are
operated, the rack itself, in the machine illustrated, being actuated by a lever m, and
means which will now be described.
The lever mis mounted on an adjustable fulcrum at m¹, and is actuated by a hand
lever n hinged at n' to the frame, and connected to the lever m by a connecting
link . The movement up and down of this lever is limited by the upper and
lower adjustable stops n³n, against which the levers n and m comes when it is
pulled up and pushed down. By these means the length of stroke of the lever m
and the rack is adjustable and controlled; and thus, through the automatic feed-
gearing, the amount of rotation of the feed rollers g g', and the amount of feed of the
cork wood being cut or operated upon, are regulated. A weight m² on the end of
the lever m assists the actuation of the operation.
With regard to the cutting and puncturing tool actuating mechanism, this consists
of a rotated shaft o, mounted and revolving in the handstock, P and having at its end
adjacent to the frame a, a hollow cutting or puncturing tool g of the usual kind.
The shaft o is hollow, and is adapted to move longitudinally in the headstock, and a
rod r, carried by the bracket on the bed C, extends up it to the desired position in
relation to the tool q; so that when the shaft o is moved in the direction of its axis,
away from the frame a, after having cut out a cork blank, the blank within the tool
comes in contact with the end of the fixed rod r, and is pushed out.
The longitudinal movement of the shaft o is effected by a hand lever u hinged
at u', a lever u² on the same spindle as-u, and a lever s carried on the bracket s', and
connected to u by a link u³, the upper end of the levers being connected to the
shaft o through a loose sleeve s, working on a collar son o, and revolving therewith.
The connection between the sleeves and the levers is by pin, which passes
through the slotted end of the lever s. Thus, when the lever u is raised, the lever s is
moved forwards, and moves the shaft o and the tool y up to and into the cork
strip to be punched or cut; and the return action is effected by pressing down
the lever u, which is assisted by the weight t carried by a bar t' from the lever s; in
which return action, the cork cut is discharged by the rod r, as described.
The action of the automatic feeding mechanism, and the machine generally is as
follows:-
The strip of corkwood from which the corks are to be cut or punched, being cut to
the desired size, is introduced in between the rollers g g' and the rollers;j; and in
this position it is firmly held against any other motion but longitudinal motion, by
the grip of the rollers thereon, duo to the pressure of the weights 2, k². When so
introduced, the hollow revolving cutting tool or punch q is moved longitudinally up
to the cork strip by raising the lever u as described; and having passed through the
cork strip and cut out a cork, the tool g is removed by the opposite movement of the
handle u. Then the strip of cork wood is fed forwards by the rollers g g' into a
position to receive the tool again, this being effected automatically through the
mechanism A, by the raising of the rack 1, which is operated by the lever m, as
described. The effect of raising the rack is that the pawl d, engaging with the
ratchet wheel e, rotates the feed roller g, and also the feed roller g' through the
pinions ff, such an amount, as will bring the cork strip into a position in which, by
the next forward motion of the tool g, another cork may be cut out, and leaving only
such a thickness of cork outside the tool as is absolutely necessary to produce in the

page_text: next cut a complete or perfect cork; and thus, practically no waste takes place.
The amount of movement of the feeding rollers is adjusted and controlled by the
stops n³n, and the same feed is automatically effected each operation. In this manner
the automatically regulated feed of the cork strip is effected, and certainty of action
is assured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The herein described improvement in machinery for making corks, namely, a
machine having feeding rollers between which a cork strip, out of which the corks are
to be cut or punched, is introduced, and by which it is moved in a direction at right
angles to the axis of the punch or tool, said rollers being positively intermittently
operated by the operating gearing of the mechanism a regulated and predetermined
amount after each cutting or puncturing action, so as to move the cork strip into the
desired fresh position by each action; for the purposes set forth.
2. In machinery for cutting or punching corks out of strips of cork wood, a feeding
mechanism comprising feeding rollers and driving mechanism, arranged and adapted
to operate, substantially as set forth with reference to the drawings.
3. In machinery for cutting or punching corks out of strips of corkwood, a roller
feeding mechanism comprising lower feed rollers, and upper feed rollers, the upper
feed rollers being carried in a weighted (or spring pressed) adjustable carrier, and
operated from the lower roller operating gearing; substantially as herein set forth.
4. In machinery for cutting or punching corks out of strips of corkwood, the cork
feeding mechanism, and the operating parts, arranged, combined and adapted to
operate particularly as shewn in, and set forth with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of April 1897
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.